Mike Langberg has reviewed Appleis new iMac for the San José Mercury News (article posted at SiliconValley.com). The review takes on a slightly schizophrenic tone as Mr. Langberg loves the new iMac, but criticizes it for not being ground breaking enough. Points in the new iMacis favor include the 15" LCD (which earns high praise), the swing arm to which it is attached, the Mac OS itself (which gets only a brief mention), the price when compared to comparable PC systems, and the fact that the iMac is noiseless most of the time. The problem, according to Mr. Langberg, is that the new iMac is simply not revolutionary enough:
So why am I unhappy?
Apple Computer, in its youth, was a true trailblazer and innovator. The original Macintosh, at its introduction in 1984, really did change the world of computing, offering the first mainstream graphical user interface, high-resolution display and mouse. Later in the 1980s, Apple pioneered the laser printer and color monitors.
The company lost its way in the mid-1990s, and was only saved when Jobs returned to the helm in 1996. But Jobs has stressed clever design -- remember when he unveiled the iMac in five fruity colors? -- over big new ideas. Heis done enough to keep Appleis market share from sinking further, with the Mac hovering somewhere around 3 to 5 percent of world PC market share. But he hasnit recaptured the spirit of 20 years ago.
You can read all of Mr. Langbergis thoughts on the new iMac in the full article. We also have a discussion on the review in our forums.