Top 10 FA observations from picking up our family iMac tonight.
1. Bought it at CompUSA and they cannot keep them in stock. I was just lucky I guess to walk in and get one. When we arrived (8:00 PM) 4 remained from a shipment of 12 that the store received at @ 2:00 PM (8 sold in 6 hours). And then there were none (45 minutes after I arrived, the shelf was bare again).
2. Salesman was called an "iMac specialist" though he seemed only mildly intelligent about Macs. If you wanted an iMac, this dude had to be the one to write you up-strange.
3. Of the dozen or so people standing around the demo unit, half seemed to own/use Wintel and the other half were computer illiterate (judging by the questions and conversations), except one guy who obviously knew Macs. All were amazed/ impressed with iMac.
4. iMac is incredibly cool! Apple product designers have hit the Grand Slam out of the park! You just sit and look at it and go "wow!" Go to the store and see one because 2D images do not do it justice. BTW, did anyone hear the piece on NPR's All Things Considered today comparing iMac's color scheme to a 1950's hairdryer? Good analysis suggesting the appeal comes from our heartstrings wanting to identify with some nostalgia while we are technologically led into unchartered waters. Well I was not alive in the 50's or most of the 60's but this thing attaches itself to you. My wife, who owns a PC and occasionally uses my Mac, was the one who decided we needed to get the iMac.
5. My kids who have used computers for a few years absolutely love it. Peter Lynch made big bucks by buying the companies of his kids favorite products. I think AAPL fits this bill, moderate term, of course.
6. We thought for sure our next computer would be a PC notebook to keep in the kitchen. Need is occasioned by an aging Centris, which BTW cost more used than this iMac new. We needed something with style and very compact to place on the counter-guess what? iMac fits the kitchen like a hand in a glove. And we are people who normally do not pay the premium for the newest thing on the block. iMac's pricepoint made it a moot point.
7. After playing with this thing for a few hours now, it makes sense how they kept the costs down. When my wife asked, "so what new features does the iMac have?," I could only find 2: the design (obviously) and the USB. Everything else looks to be common components with Apple's G3 powerbooks (CD ROM drive, memory, cache, etc.) and 14" monitor. The 'specialist' actually said iMac is little more than a G3 powerbook with a built in monitor. He's right.
8. The keyboard and mouse absolutely suck! This post took forever to write and that delete key problem is for sure. Also the rotating mouse phenomenon is real-real annoying. But we will cope 'cause this thing is funnnn- and I am sure others will too.
9. I also experienced the net connection problem trying to connect to 2 different, local ISPs and I am not sure why. took an hour of tweaking settings to keep the connection and I am still not certain what the problem is. Didn't try the free Earthlink.
10. My favorite feature- the caps lock LED. It changes size as you press the key in and out-mesmerizing if you are tired like I am right now!
Sorry for the long post-just wanted to add perspective. When I wake up tomorrow, I'll calculate my re-entry scenarios for some 2000 LEAPS. Good Night. |
