Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1320 in Personal Computers
• Brand: Apple
• Model: Z0FC
• Released on: 2007-10-18

Features

• 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo running Mac OS X Mac OS X v10.4.10 "Tiger"
• 2 GB DDR SDRAM, 500 GB SATA hard drive, SuperDrive (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• 24-inch (viewable) glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix LCD, 1920 by 1200 pixels, millions of colors
• FireWire 400, FireWire 800 port, three USB 2.0 ports on computer, two USB 2.0 ports on keyboard, built-in iSight, mini-DVI output port with support for DVI, VGA, and S-video
• Built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T (Gigabit), built-in AirPort Extreme (802.11n); built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) module

Amazon.com Product Description
Redefining Apple's signature all-in-one desktop PC, the newly redesigned iMac now sports a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure that's joined precisely to a 24-inch glass cover to create a virtually seamless front surface. It also features new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard--with an extended layout and dedicated keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, and Exposé--as well as the wired Mighty Mouse. The iMac is preloaded with Apple's latest suite of digital media applications--iLife '08--and also comes with the Apple Remote and Front Row media display software, which enables you to easily play your music, enjoy photo slideshows, and watch DVDs, iMovies, music videos and television shows from across the room.

It's powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor from the newest "Santa Rosa" chips, which offer a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and a huge 4 MB L2 cache. This 24-inch iMac also features a 500 GB hard drive, 2 GB of RAM (with a 4 GB maximum capacity), 8x SuperDrive for burning movies to DVD and music mixes to CD, integrated 802.11n wireless LAN, Gigabit Ethernet wired networking, Bluetooth connectivity, ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT video card with 256 MB dedicated memory, and the Mac OS X v10.4 Tiger operating system.

The iMac, Transformed

Redesigned with a recyclable anodized aluminum frame and glass cover, the iMac is friendlier to the environment..

The new keyboard's ultrathin anodized aluminum enclosure features low-profile keys that provide a crisp, responsive feel.

The its anodized aluminum frame and glass cover, the new iMac instantly transforms your workspace from cluttered desktop to brilliant display podium. Because it's made from a single sheet of aluminum, you won't see any seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The glossy widescreen 20-inch display makes photos and movies come alive with rich color. And the built-in iSight camera and microphone are integrated so neatly you barely notice they're there. Aside from the design details, the iMac is also friendlier to the environment with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

With its elegant anodized aluminum enclosure, the new Apple Keyboard looks equally at home in your living room or on your desk. Just connect it to the USB port on your iMac and start enjoying the crisp, responsive feel of its low-profile keys. The extended layout has a full complement of keys, including document navigation controls, a numeric keypad, and special function keys for Mac features such as brightness, volume, eject, play/pause, Exposé, and more. Two USB 2.0 ports provide high-speed connectivity for your iPod, Mighty Mouse, digital camera, and other USB-based electronic devices.

Preinstalled with iLife '08
Every iMac includes iLife '08, the latest version of Apple's award-winning suite of digital media applications, with major upgrades to iPhoto, iDVD, iWeb, and GarageBand and a completely reinvented iMovie. iPhoto '08 now automatically organizes photo libraries into Events that let you more easily manage your growing photo collections, and iMovie '08 can import video from the latest AVCHD, HDV and DV camcorders, as well as from digital cameras, and displays your entire video library whether it's stored on internal or external drives. Both iPhoto and iMovie integrate seamlessly with the new .Mac Web Gallery, Apple's new service for .Mac members to instantly create and host websites for their photos and videos.

The pre-installed iLife '08 software suite includes a completely redesigned iMovie, which makes it even easier to share your videos on the Internet.

iLife '08 also features iWeb '08, with live web widgets such as Google Maps that let you create even more dynamic websites, and GarageBand '08, with its new Magic GarageBand feature that makes it fun and easy for both musicians and non-musicians to create great sounding songs.

Intel Core 2 Duo Processor
It's powered by the 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo T7700 processor from the newest "Santa Rosa" chips, which offer a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and 4 MB L2 cache. (An L2, or secondary, cache temporarily stores data; and a larger L2 cache can help speed up your system's performance. The FSB carries data between the CPU and RAM, and a faster front-side bus will deliver better overall performance.) With such a substantial L2 cache, data instructions can be kept close to the two processor cores, greatly increasing performance and allowing the entire system to work more efficiently.

The Intel Core 2 Duo's 128-bit SSE3 vector engine handles 128-bit computations in a single clock cycle, accelerating data manipulation by simultaneously applying a single instruction to multiple data. And its two execution cores are designed to share resources and conserve power, helping it to achieve higher levels of performance since it uses fewer watts.

Graphics and Video
The 24-inch TFT active-matrix LCD offers a panoramic resolution of 1920 by 1200 pixels--30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model. It has a brightness rating of 380 nits, a contrast ratio of 750:1, and a viewing angle of 178 degrees (both horizontal and vertical). An ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT graphics processor powers the iMac with 256 MB of dedicated GDDR3 memory. It features some of the most advanced graphics technology available and delivers new levels of visual realism and a huge texture fill rate for smooth surfaces and complex character details. GDDR3 (Graphics Double Data Rate, version 3) is a graphics card-specific memory technology that's better able to deliver fluid frame rates for even the most advanced games and applications.

This iMac also enables you to connect a second display in either extended desktop mode or video mirroring mode. The mini-DVI port connects to DVI displays, VGA monitors and projectors, and S-video and composite devices using the appropriate adapter (sold separately).

Wired and Wireless Connectivity

You get a full complement of ports on the back of the iMac, including three USB 2.0 and two flavors of FireWire--400 and 800.

The iMac gives you plenty of room to grow, accommodating as many as five peripherals at a time thanks to its three USB 2.0 ports and the two USB 2.0 ports on the Apple Keyboard. It also includes two powered FireWire ports--one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 (one of the fastest peripheral standards available)--enabling you to quickly transfer content from digital video cameras, hard drives, and other high-speed devices.

Share files around your house with built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Ethernet as well as the next-generation high-speed wireless 802.11n technology, which is integrated into the latest Apple Airport Extreme Base Station. The iMac is also Wi-Fi Certified to work with base stations and routers that use industry-standard 802.11a, 802.11b, or 802.11g wireless technologies.

The integrated Bluetooth wireless connectivity--version 2.0 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR)--allows you to use a wireless keyboard or mouse, and synchronize peripherals such as cell phones and PDAs. Enjoy high-quality sound on almost any speaker system with double-duty analog/digital audio. Record digital and analog sources through audio line in, perfect for your latest podcast in GarageBand.

SuperDrive
Integrated neatly into the iMac is a slot-loading SuperDrive that lets you play and burn your own CDs and DVDs--including double-layer DVDs. And there's no disc tray--just slide the disc right in. It offers the following speeds:

• Writes DVD+R DL and DVD-R DL discs at up to 4x speed
• Writes DVD-R and DVD+R discs at up to 8x speed
• Writes DVD-RW at up to 6x speed and DVD+RW discs at up to 8x speed
• Reads DVDs at up to 8x speed
• Writes CD-R discs at up to 24x speed
• Writes CD-RW discs at up to 16x speed
• Reads CDs at up to 24x speed

Other Features

• Two SO-DIMM slots support up to 4 GB of RAM
• Built-in stereo speakers with internal 24-watt digital amplifier
• Support for external display in extended desktop mode: 1920 by 1200 pixels for digital and 2048 by 1536 pixels for analog
• Meets ENERGY STAR requirements with maximum continuous power rating of 200 watts
• Dimensions: 20.5 x 22.4 x 8.1 inches (WxHxD)

Included Software
Mac OS X v.10.4 Tiger operating system (includes Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat AV, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Xcode Developer Tools); iLife '08 (includes iTunes, iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iWeb, GarageBand); Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac Test Drive; iWork (30-day trial); and Front Row

What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse, Apple Remote, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Customer Reviews

Best all-in-one out there
I've had this model iMac for a year. It rivals Mac Pro performance in most tasks and is the finest piece of technology to have graced my desk.

Here is what I like:

*Can drive a second screen-no probs.
*Has FW800 connectivity for external drives. I've 4TB daisy chained and get awesome r/w speeds.
*Big, beautiful screen.
*A real eye catcher, always draws the techies out of the woodwork.
*Blazing friggen fast.
*Has never crashed!
*Never a security problem--ever!
*First-rate build quality.

Downshots:

*Pricey, at first, even though, over the lifespan of the machine, it will work out to be cheaper due to power useage, build quality and up time.
*OSX adores ram. Max it out and lump it.
*Finally, the screen is bright. Too bright. A pain to calibrate, expect to spend half a day on this if you're fussy.


Overall, if you want the best computing experience available to the consumer today, this high-end Mac is very close to fitting the bill. Between the OS, hardware and Apple's support of same, you'll be congratulating yourself everyday you fire this rascal up.

It's like owning your own private "Drive-In" theater!
After owning a 20" iMac, I thought I knew what it would be like but the larger brighter 24" screen still blows me away! I got the larger 750GB internal drive and the wireless keyboard & mouse so I'm a very happy guy now. The 24" screen allows me to make all the fonts larger and still get multiple "entire" windows open at the same time, which makes for much less eye strain during extended surfing secessions... The black band that surrounds the outside the the LCD is a great idea, as it makes the screen seem even larger! + Don't forget to sit real close the first time you start this baby up, because when the screen first lights up you will be JAZZED...

Plus don't forget to buy the Apple Care warranty which gives you 3 full years of great service and support just in case - After 2 years of perfect service my old iMac 20" started having logic problems and Apple replaced it with this one for free, (they even gave me a prorated rebate off my original Apple Care warranty so I could buy the new one; that is world class service) enough said)!

What would make it even better? Buy your max of 4GB of RAM memory at OWC for less than $100 and get a rebate for your "old" Apple RAM memory, installing it takes only about 4 minutes.

What would I change, I wish Apple would make a slick Aluminum "full" keyboard that is wireless like the small (without the number pad) wireless Aluminum standard keyboard...

Refined Elegance by Apple - The New 24-inch Mac - April 2008
* Our PC experiences over the past 10 years has inadvertently lead us to comparing the Low-maintenance factor of our older Mac's (G4 PowerBook w/Tiger + a 2000 iMac Graphite SE model w/Panther), versus, the extremely High-maintenance demands, by our XP Window boxes (HP desktop + a Dell Inspirion laptop). Here's our Real World opinions and side-by-side comparisons between our iMac's + G4 PowerBook and Window XP boxes. Microsoft Security + Repair Software - They have to run Daily, and that means they take your System's resources, as well as Affect your PC's Performance (slows down to a crawl, unexpected Crashes, Freezes, etc)

* Regarding Cross-Platform options - The ability of a Mac to run different types of OS (operating systems), like Macintosh Tiger / Leopard + Microsoft XP / Vista Windows + Linux and others, all on one computer is purely Genius in terms of the Evolution in 'Integrating' multi-platform computing. This is where Apple is light-years ahead of the old dinosaurs. You no longer need two (2) separate PC's anymore. We bought the 20 & 24" with the new Glossy scratch-resistant screens.

* Elegantly brought together in fine Form, Function, and Aesthetics, featuring seamless professional grade aluminum, a high-def wide-screen brilliant scratch-resistant glass screen, built-in iSight camera and microphone, an new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard, and with the compact Integration of Hardware (Hard drive, Chipset, RAM memory modules, USB/FireWire connectors, in a superb AIO (all-in-one) Hardware platform. See Photos!

* Powered by a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor from the newest "Santa Rosa" chips. The 24-inch iMac Extreme features a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of RAM; what it means is that I am now running the Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard operating system + Windows XP + Linux, ALL on ONE PC and that just simply ROCKS!

* Tech Support Report - Apple gets an Excellent to Superior Rating (4 to 5 Stars), whereas Microsoft gets a Fair Rating (2-Stars) period! You need to try this yourself to get it!
Hello ... Dumb-Bombay?

* Downside for AIO platforms - The only 2 things that can be Upgraded in an iMac from a Consumer standpoint, is the RAM and OS software. Attempting to Upgrade your Chipset, Hard drive, DVD/CD burner may not be possible, where it's much easier with Mini-towers, with a few screws to open the sides for any hardware upgrades, however, they are non-mobile & bulky.

* Another Mac Upside - This is where the iMac's, appear as an elegant compromise between boxes & laptops.
For instance, our new iMac's are totally Wireless, so we can simply just pick them up & move to any new location! Try that with any Desktop tower!
Have you noticed lately how other PC manufacturers are Emulating Macintosh?

Summary - My first Apple was the 1993 PowerBook 180, with OS 7.6.1 and a Motorola 33 MHz CPU, to the present 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (latest Santa Rosa chipset), with a top-of-the-line 800 MHz front-side bus speed and a huge 4 MB L2 cache.
You've come a long way Baby!