Henry Norr of the San Francisco Chronicle has taken the new iMac through its paces recently while comparing it to HPis all-in-one PC offering, the Pavilion 780n. Mr. Norr not only comes off with a favorable impression of the iMac, he calls it the better approach to the digital hub. From the article:
The iMac, as youive no doubt heard, also comes with a 15-inch flat-panel display attached by a stainless-steel neck to the dome-shaped base unit. The screen, which is nearly as big in terms of viewable area as a conventional 17- inch monitor, is marvelously bright and crisp.
The neck is not only a remarkable feat of mechanical engineering, but also a genuine convenience. It makes it a breeze to turn the screen in different directions (through a 180-degree arc) and to adjust its height and angle. Thatis an especially valuable feature in households where the machine will be used by people of different sizes and shapes.
On the other hand, thereis something to be said for keeping the monitor and system unit separate, as is the case with HPis 780n: You get the option of keeping the display you already have or buying a larger one.
Mr. Norr does a nice job of comparing the two systems, but feels the iMac has the edge when it comes to software. After giving the HP the nod for web surfing, Mr. Norr says:
On the other hand, when it comes to digital media -- managing and editing music, photos and imaging -- Apple seems to me to be pulling ahead of its Windows rivals. The iMac comes with a suite of simple and powerful applications in these areas -- iMovie for editing video; iDVD for burning your finished product to the SuperDrive; iTunes for MP3 music; and the latest i-app, iPhoto, for organizing, printing and sharing photos.
In the end, Mr. Norr favors the iMac. The article, titled iApple flat-planel iMac the better way to go with digital media - Details mean a lot with PCsi, is a good read.