Apple iMac G5 Desktop with 17" M9248LL/A (1.60 GHz PowerPC G5, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive)

I got my first (second-hand) apple computer in 1983 or 84, and have stayed with them ever since. In 2004, I bought a floor model Apple iMac G5 Desktop with 17" M9248LL/A (1.60 GHz PowerPC G5, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, Combo Drive), because I could get it at a bargain price.
It's 2008 and I'm still using it, and it still works just fine.
The only thing I'm changing about it is that I'm finally adding memory. I'm going to go all the way and put in 2 gigs.
I also now have my first new computer, a MacBook Pro, to which I will also add memory in a while.
One thing at a time.
Always Mac's.
Always!

I'm on my second iMac. It's such a pleasure to use. In a parallel universe everyone uses one. I'd like to go there someday.

The best computer I have ever owned. Just read various reviews and you will know why many Windoze users switch to the Mac OS X platform. Granted Macs are not used in the business world but that didn't stop me from buying one (heck i also own an iBook G4 12"!) There is one small problem with the model I bought, it has one Stuck Pixel in green. Its on the far right corner of the screen but it still bothers me. Some say to massage it to bring it back to life some say it will come back on its own, its no biggie. This design is just wonderful. I mean come on, its beautiful!!!!!

The iMac G5 is a very powerful computer even with its 1.6Ghz processor. Make sure you add as much RAM as possible as the OS X loves it. I put in 1GB of RAM and it flys. The 256 is unacceptable!!!! you MUST have at least 512 in there to make everything run smooth. iLife '05 is fine but I don't need iDVD as I do not have a Super, maybe in the future I will buy an external DVD burner. I have edited a few movies on it so far and it works great. I edit them using iMovieHD and then save them on my iPod and bring the project over to my friend's house who has the 20" iMacG5 with Super. Hook up iPod - transfer movie project to his HDD - and bam, we're burnin' Don't you just love Macs!!!

A word of advice, try not to buy Apples from CompUSA, if you have an apple store nearby please go there. CompUSA from what I have been told get some "old stock" Apple computers that have been sitting around or may have been dropped and they try to sell them. Apple Store always has fresh stock and good service. CompUSA has poor service and the so called Apple Rep does not work for Apple, he's just a CompUSA employee that went to a class on Apple products. There are many complaints regarding CompUSA selling Apple computers all over the 'net so buyer do your research.

If you are thinking about getting this, BUY IT NOW. You will not be sorry, no way!

I work in an office where everyone uses Macs, and I work on a G5 iMac. It's not technically mine, so I can't speak to the buying experience, but I have noticed that out of around 15 of these things that we've had in our office, three of them have fried their chips within around three months of use. That said, these machines were left on all the time and so may have suffered from the constant strain of running 24 hours a day. But computers are supposed to be able to take that--I've never before had a computer die on me from being left on. I talked to my company's tech support people (they've been installing hundreds of these things), and they seem to believe that the G5 iMac has heat dissipation issues.

Consider: The screen, hard drive, motherboard, chip and graphics card are all shoved into a small space with very bad circulation. The large grille on the bottom off the computer can't possibly work as an effective exhaust--heat travels up. And the small slit towards the top of the computer on the back? I'm not sure what it's for, but it's not big enough to promote decent airflow. Anyway, I'm not really a lover of the Macintosh operating system in the first place, but I've always believed that's a matter of taste for users. However, if you are going to buy this computer, I would at least advise you to turn on all the power saving features so that it automatically goes into sleep mode if you're not using it for a while. That should keep it cool. I haven't heard any official word from Apple on the heat issue, so I'm just speculating here, but a little precation is warranted.

First of all, this computer dies after three months. That's just how first generation Mac products are. Don't buy first generation- it WILL die. This thing freezes literally every time I use it.
Secondly, Apple doesn't help at all. Tech support doesn't do anything for you. They refuse to honor my one year hardware warranty, and I've talked to customer service AND tech support, and all they do is try to sell you Apple care- why would I want to extend coverage for a product that they already refuse to honor service for? Their service team isn't a service team at all. They are a group of trained salespeople who try to sell you their product. Why should I have to buy Apple care for something that should already be covered?
I've grown up on Macs, and loved them all my life. But the company's integrity is going down hill, and this was the last straw. Between the horrible products and the sleazy "support," I'm never buying an Apple product again. Linux, here I come...