[synax]

I can't wait for it to arrive. I ordered a refurb from apple. I could have drove down to Portland from Seattle and picked up a refurb with no tax but it would have cost me around $70 in gas. So I talked to the apple rep and explained that the price I was getting on the apple site $1399 + $130ish in taxes would be the same price I could pick up a "refreshed" model for if I drove 500miles round trip. She gave me expedited shipping so it should get here monday or tuesday and now I don't have to drive to portland.

This imac will be replacing my 3yr old 1ghz Titanium powerbook. I used to have a dual 2.0ghz and a 20in cinema display but had to sell due to some unforseen circumstances. I'm looking forward to having a computer that runs quite a bit faster again.

I'll be upgrading the ram on it shortly - can anyone recomend a good tv input adapter - I want it for broadcast only as I don't have cable or satelite so it has to be able to hook up to an antenna. I don't like paying $30 a month for tv when I only watch a few things on local channels.

I also need to get a new set of speakers - I would like to go 5.1 but would consider others as it won't be set up as a theatre room.

[hookem2oo7]

i think the eyeTV is a popular tv tuner for macs

[jamil5454]

If you're going 5.1 you'll need digital speakers, an external 5.1 sound card, or a digital decoder.

[Star-Fire]

You will love the iMac, just got one myself and it's beautiful, fast and the screen is to die for. About your TV tuner, Miglia just released a new one with remote that is about the size of a iPod shuffle aka very small, here is a link: http://www.miglia.com/products/video/tvmini/index.html

[synax]

Well, the rep didn't ship it out overnight - it shipped ground so a call into apple and I spoke with a supervisor. He credited my credit card $75 for the inconvenience. So, my experiance with the sales department hasn't been the best but in the end they took care of everything and made it right to my satisfaction


Just got it about an hour and a half ago. My first impressions are below.

1. its big, but nice to be back on a 20in display instead of a 15in powerbook screen. I wish the height was adjustable - it could come down about an inch or two.

2. the screen is briliant - no dead pixels, can't see any issues with backlighting.

3. casing - since it was a refurbished I figured there would be some blemishes on the casing - I was right, there are a few scuffs to the left of the apple logo - but nothing to noticable.

4. speed - this is so much faster than my 1ghz titanium powerbook. I still have to install all of my applications (waiting for updates to finish and for my file transfer from my powerbook to end). Just running a few things while waiting I have noticed the ram to be almost maxed out - which I figured it would with just 512mbs. This will get updated when I get back from vacation if I can wait a few more days before I leave.

5. Fans - this thing is just silent - I don't hear any fans.

6. Temperature - I am running about 43c right now with a few apps running and copying files via firewire from my laptop.


Overall - I am extremely pleased. I didn't get any unexpected gifts as some do with refurbished models but I am still a happy customer.

[larrinski]

Despite what some say, the Intel Imac 20" is wicked. You will love it. Have fun!

[jwoods]

I agree. I love my 20" intel iMac. Hands down, the best computer I have owned.

[mavherzog]

Another positive vote for the 20" iMac. I ordered mine when they were first released and haven't regreted the purchase one bit!

[synax]

I'm lovin it so far too. Half my programs use rosetta though so I am wishing I would have placed an order for extra ram when I bought the computer. I leave next Thursday for vacation so I'll probably wait till I get back to order ram.

Any suggestions on brand/place to buy? I know crucial has always treated me well but I don't have as much cash flow as I used to. I noticed a few brands on newegg.com in the sub $100 range for 1gb sticks but don't know if they will work. What is everyone else using??

[WOPR]

ElGato make great TV tuners, and their software is superb - if you buy another make of tuner make sure it uses the EyeTV software, and ideally get one that has hardware encoding rather than leaving it to the Mac to do.

[LagunaSol]

Intel iMac rocks. I can't get enough of mine. Overall, the best computer ever made.

Regarding speakers, I'm a big fan of my Logitech Z-5500's. Watch SlickDeals - you'll see them go on sale for around $200 sometimes. That's what I paid for mine.

[LagunaSol]

Originally Posted by synax

I'm lovin it so far too. Half my programs use rosetta though so I am wishing I would have placed an order for extra ram when I bought the computer. I leave next Thursday for vacation so I'll probably wait till I get back to order ram.

Any suggestions on brand/place to buy? I know crucial has always treated me well but I don't have as much cash flow as I used to. I noticed a few brands on newegg.com in the sub $100 range for 1gb sticks but don't know if they will work. What is everyone else using??

I bought Gigaram from NewEgg, two 1G sticks. They work great and were CHEAP.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820221043

[kat81]

I have had my 20" Intel iMac for a few days now. Fourth mac since 1992, hands down an awesome computer. Planning on picking up a few extras in the next couple of months. Dell 2405FPW monitor, Apple Hi-Fi (by the way I finally saw one in a store and the hi-fi is smaller then I thought it would be, really cool) wireless headphones (not sure which ones though, some feedback would be nice) and waiting for the next generation video iPod to come out. Life is good!!

[nebulousforce]

Any suggestions on brand/place to buy? I know crucial has always treated me well but I don't have as much cash flow as I used to. I noticed a few brands on newegg.com in the sub $100 range for 1gb sticks but don't know if they will work. What is everyone else using??
Here's what worked for me:
I bought my ram,2GB, from 18004memeory.com However, I've found that if you go to dealram.com and follow the links to them it'll be cheaper for the same memory.
They also have a nice ram finder, so to speak to choose the right type and even shows shipping costs. I ended up buying the "branded ram" which to my surprise was Crucial when it arrived at a much lower cost. I was disappointed when I read the specs on the 20" Intel iMac to find that after I added the 2GB I only had 2GB, when I had read that I should have 2.5GB since the 512 was on the motherboard. I guess not but maybe that was so on the G5 models?
Overall, I totally dig my new iMac and so does my friends and coworkers. Photo Booth and Comic Life are great ways to show it off and almost make for a great ice breaker/party starter!
iMac 20"2.0 ICD 2GB, 500GB, 256MB video ram

[nebulousforce]

Quick Quote:
"I also need to get a new set of speakers - I would like to go 5.1 but would consider others as it won't be set up as a theatre room."

Well, my personal favorite for 2.1 is still Harman Kardon's Soundsticks. I have USB version 1 and had them for about 4.5+ years and they still look and sound fantastic! There are better speakers out there I'm sure but I just love the looks of these and they still look great next to my new iMac ICD 20". It's possible to find them pretty reasonable if you "Froogle".

[eddiecatflap]

personally , i'd forget the normal computer speakers and go for a normal amp and a half decent set of speakers

i went from a harman kardon isub to a rotel / kef set up for more or less the same price and the seperates blow the hk away !!!