[sjbailey]

Hi,

I'm a long term PC user who is busting to switch to the wonderful world of the Mac! Is that a good choice? I'm not a massive games player.....

I'm tempted by a 20" iMac G5 but want to make sure I'm getting the latest Rev. I plan to purchase online from the inlone AppleStore in the UK.

Thanks,
Steve

[cleanup]

The Apple Store will sell new revision B iMacs, unless you're buying refurbished. The new iMacs have three models: 1.8 GHz 17", 2.0 GHz 17", and 2.0 GHz 20". If the iMac you're purchasing is 1.6 GHz, or is a 1.8 GHz 20", or if it has only 256 MB of RAM, or if it uses an nVidia graphics card, then it is a Rev. A iMac, which you should generally stay away from.

If you're a first-time Mac user, I suggest you won't have any beefs about Intel/PowerPC, so now's a good time to buy. The iMac was relatively recently updated. The next Mac you buy (should you decide to) will probably be an Intel.

I also recently switched from PC to Mac by buying a 17" 1.8 GHz iMac G5. It's a beautiful machine. The pros greatly outweigh the cons. But make sure you upgrade the RAM yourself. Apple has been known to be skimpy on standard memory, and ordering BTO RAM for Apple is very expensive. I bought a stick of 1 Gig Samsung RAM, it was a breeze to install, and it works great. It only cost me about 120 CAD.

[sjbailey]

Hey, thanks very much for your advise. Much appreciated.

Originally Posted by cleanup

The Apple Store will sell new revision B iMacs, unless you're buying refurbished. The new iMacs have three models: 1.8 GHz 17", 2.0 GHz 17", and 2.0 GHz 20". If the iMac you're purchasing is 1.6 GHz, or is a 1.8 GHz 20", or if it has only 256 MB of RAM, or if it uses an nVidia graphics card, then it is a Rev. A iMac, which you should generally stay away from.

If you're a first-time Mac user, I suggest you won't have any beefs about Intel/PowerPC, so now's a good time to buy. The iMac was relatively recently updated. The next Mac you buy (should you decide to) will probably be an Intel.

I also recently switched from PC to Mac by buying a 17" 1.8 GHz iMac G5. It's a beautiful machine. The pros greatly outweigh the cons. But make sure you upgrade the RAM yourself. Apple has been known to be skimpy on standard memory, and ordering BTO RAM for Apple is very expensive. I bought a stick of 1 Gig Samsung RAM, it was a breeze to install, and it works great. It only cost me about 120 CAD.

[Scylla]

sjbailey, I'm also looking at an iMac... the 20 inch 2 gig model looks stunning to my eyes. I've had a PowerBook for a year, and can promise you'll love the whole Apple ethos; the OS, the hardware, the elegance, everything. I used PCs for 12 years, but they now feel clunky and utilitarian by comparison. I like the car analogies people come up with to illustrate the difference - you can make a Vauxhall Vectra go at 150mph, but it'll never be a Porsche Boxster.

My humble, slightly pretentious opinion anyway.