It would be hard to balance an iMac on your lap while you are sitting on the couch "watching" TV. :)

Not really.

See Macintoshes are so great that the mere thought of using it whilst sitting on the couch will automagically and instantly transform it into a laptop.

They call it iTransformer iTechnology.

Of course it only works for the 6% of the population with enough disposable income and intelligence.

For everyone else it's just normal.

I use the snowball one (ilamp) mostly, but I also have 2 or 3 others around including this.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1205173684.jpg

Okay, that makes sense. Unless they can figure out how to exchange one card/component/whatever with the old one to do an upgrade.

In the iMac you can put 4 GB of memory.
And it supports extended desktop with a second display added.

Hardrive is uprgradeable but at 250Gb it is pretty big to start.

Usually it is processor speed or graphics which determine when people want to upgrade.

It may be several years before you would need to change from the iMac.

Agreed, graphic adapters are becoming obsolete long before anything else these days.

The reality is that most people don't upgrade things. A typical user will never touch the innards of their machine. For the majority of users, something like an iMac is ideal. With cheap external drives and hubs, you have pretty much all you need. Assuming there is enough room for ram, the only thing you'd every want to change would be video card and/or main processor. And most people would just buy a new/different computer.

There are lots of specious selling points that people give for things. I'm noticing this in the digital photography world. You wouldn't believe the amount of bandwidth people chew up arguing specifications, capabilities, and showing pictures of newspapers to judge lens sharpness and brick walls to determine focus and distortion. I'm convinced that 90% of them never shoot a "real" picture...they just test their equipment and argue about it. Same with computers...people will use "upgradeability" and "number of software titles" as selling points when the reality is that *most* (not all) users will never go inside the box and will use about 5 apps on a regular basis.

Be careful with the iMac - specifically the G5 models. In my quest for a cheap(er) home based Mac I've been researching the options of G5 vs. Intel vs. iMac vs. Mini vs. upgrading the free G4 PowerMac I currently have. I was also pinging a buddy who is a life long Mac user and now former lover. He dropped by today with a G5 iMac, 2.0 Ghz, 20" display, 2 GB RAM, 250 GB HD, that he's GIVING to me...for FREE. Why you ask...in the first year he replaced 1 power supply, 1 motherboard, and now out of warranty same problems with heat and lockups. It's a lovely paper weight though. I'll spend some time trying to figure out what can be done to save it but from what I gather the G5 chip makes tons of heat, like the Intel P4, and the nifty iMac case does not have proper ventilation thus cooking the components.

Here's a forum on the subject. G5 iMac issues If you dig further you'll discover that the new Intel iMac's are also having issues with video cards that cause lockups. I'm not so sure I'd drop any money into a new Mac without investing in the Apple Care package. FWIW.

The idea of throwing $300 in upgrades to my G4 powermac is sounding better all the time.

Buy an Intel Mac for sure.

Interestingly enough, the Dell One machines are more expensive when matched with a similarly equipped iMac, and they are only 20inch vs. the 24inch iMac.

Not possible. It's made by Apple and will operate problem free forever! Too many people here have told me so.

Trs-80.

Trs-80.

I have a G5-based iMac (17") as well--nothing but problems after the 1st year. Right out of the box it sounded like a 747 on final approach. Got the fans replaced, and it was better but still louder than necessary.

Recently had it puke--wouldn't let me upgrade the OS with weird kernel panics and such. Turned out to be "bulging capacitors" on the "logic board" (WTF?!) -- a known issue, but was replaced under AppleCare warranty. Two weeks later it was overheating and shutting down for no reason. Apple replaced the PSU (again, under warranty).

My warranty runs out in July. I think I'll probably have a paperweight by then....

PS I also have an Intel-based one like kstarnes's grampaw. I have nothing but good things to say about it...24" of apple-flavored goodness.

The MAC AIO's are getting better and better for upgrades and maintenance; without a doubt. You can have a HD out and in in less than 10 minutes, with 1 phillips head screwdriver. Don't try to edit a movie on it, but they're great machines for a lot of tasks.

I have an Imac "one piece" at work. after many years of defending the pc I surrender to the mac. When i get home at night and have to use my upgraded, graphics spectacular HP pc, I cringe. Utter PC garbage. Next home pc is a Mac. Easy to use, now cyou can get decent graphics cards and drivers, etc.