Apple iMac 17" Desktop - M9844B/A (May, 2005)

Smart looking and does the business nice machine and easy to upgrade stylish will last for years you can watch The computer is very compact, about the size of a Seagate FireWire drive, but heavier, so it feels substantial. Clearly designed for horizontal placement, the Mini has a big rubber pad on the bottom, although an Apple note says it can be placed on the side, instead. The user's guide notes: "Don't place anything on top of your computer. Objects placed on top of the computer may keep the disc from ejecting." It also warns that objects on top can interfere with wireless operation.

You shouldn't place the computer on a carpet or anything other than a hard surface, in order to keep the vents clear. (A similar caution applies to keeping vents clear in a vertical orientation.)

There is a built-in speaker, but it's so tinny, we can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to much audio through it.

The shiny white, 85-Watt power supply has a cord about 5 feet long that reaches to the Mac Mini, ending in a plug that's uncomfortably similar to a FireWire plug. (It doesn't latch very securely, which could be an issue, if it pops out by accident.) A separate, non-standard, 3-conductor cable connects the brick to your AC outlet. A round push-button power switch is on the back of the computer near its ports.

It is always a risk buying second hand sensitive computer equipment. I was very anxious about this purchase and unfortunately the transit had caused the computer to be glitchy. Sometimes it refused to power up and recognize it's memory correctly. I have a little bit of IT knowledge so I removed the back and reinstalled the memory that seemed a successful repair. It remained a little glitchy for a bout a week but eventually settled down and has been running ok since. I like this model as it is incredibly reliable and a very attractive piece of timeless design. Apple have created a masterpiece of logical design and it astounds me other manufacturers have not followed its radical single box design as they have with the iPhone. Copycat reproductions that never quite achieve the full functionality of the original. So the iMac G5 delivers a reasonably quiet home pc in an outstanding case harnessing considerable power even with a standard 1gb of ram. It deals with all your photos, music and documents effortlessly along with the interaction between various bluetooth and wireless devices like Apples keyboard. It's wired keyboard has additional USB ports that without limits it's ability to plug in all your attachments. It's OS is Tiger that is quite nice although a bit restricted for users who would like to add a track pad or use more recent Mac software. Apple's solution is to upgrade to OS Leopard, not Snow Leopard. This will add far more functionality and allow integration with Track Pad etc etc All in all a great computer that can be backed up Apples .me sync that costs but is worth it or a reliable portable hard drive. The iMac can be upgraded to a maximum of 2Gb ram but be careful, its not standard 667 Mhz DDR and requires a specific SD design with a lug slightly different from standard DDR. I would definitely recommend this PC for the occasional surfer. Internet games and smaller games from Apple run very well but not COD4 for Mac! Sorry kids. My iMac came with iLife and all it's additional software like iPhoto, iMovie HD and Garage Band. Microsoft Office for Mac works well long with many other less demanding applications. It has a convenient line in and out for music makers along with two firewire ports. I would give this product 10 out of 10 along with the seller who was very helpful.

I bought this to replace my MacBook 2.2, which is needed for my daughter's further education later in the year. I chose the Mini as my MacBook sitting on my desk 99% of the time, so I really have no need of a laptop anymore. The Mini seemed to be a good cost effective option, as I already own monitors, keyboard and mouse etc.

I really like the compactness of the unit, although size isn't critical for me. It's very quiet, and is a little faster than the MacBook was (It has the better graphics for a start). It runs all my apps perfectly well, and is very acceptable even for Aperture 3.

My only real gripe is the difficulty with upgrading it, it's not almost impossible, like with some of the unibody MacBooks, or the later iMacs, but it does need some reasonable level of technical skill to even upgrade the RAM. I have done this myself after I got it, and have fitted a 7200rpm drive, and an additional 4GB of RAM (2GB just isn't enough these days). Some good and clear instructions can be easily found using the usual, search engines. The hardest part is unclipping the top cover, after that it's just slightly fiddly bits.

The amount of ports it has are excellent, being fitted with no less than 5 USB 2 ports, a FW800 port and two display ports (one Apple MiniDisplay, and one standard MiniDVI), both of which have easily available adapters (The MiniDVI to DVI adapter is included), and here it's easily working with 23" and 20" monitors.

There's also a range of networking options, with the expected Airport wireless (which can be run at 5GHz/270Mbps), a Gigabit Ethernet port, and bluetooth (I use a Magic Trackpad with this).

This is a great choice for a home user that might already have monitors and keyboard, or doesn't like the concept of an all-in-one box like the iMac, or has space restrictions (it's also popular as a media box used next to a TV). Despite being based on laptop components, the hard drive can be upgraded to a 7200rpm unit, and the memory can be upgraded to 8GB, which makes this almost match the capabilities of full size desktops.

Of course, it is more expensive than an equivalent Windows based machine, but I find the Mac system much more intuitive, and stable. The hardware does seem to have a much longer working life too, so although it appears expensive, it isn't really as they can be used for many years (we have some in our family that are over ten years old).

It would have got a full 5 stars but for the difficulty in upgrading.

Well I've ventured into the world of 'Mac' and what a world it is. I've always wondered what the machines were like as I've often loaded the OSx through VMware to have a nosey.

The Mac Mini is smaller than I imagined, very well built. My only gripe is the adapters that allow you to connect to a more traditional cable, in my case DVI.

After hooking the machine up and installing the programs I required I let the baby go to sleep, upon awakening I find the machine suffered from the 'white static' effect, somewhat like an untuned television. I felt a little perplexed and with not having had a MAC before I decided to fire up my Trusty i7 with windows 7 and commenced researching, I found numerous reports of this issue, not specifically for the Mac mini but more the Apple Macs in general.

The consensus amongst the forums was the inability for the Apple Hardware to control the HDCP adequately enough to refresh the screen, thus' the static effect. I however don't believe it is a hardware fault, but more the commands from OSx that are sent to the monitor, the reasoning behind this is due to the various people complaining of the issue and the different models they own. Obviously with the variance in model, comes a different variety of graphics card, be it ATI/Intel or Nvidia.

I've ordered a Mini Dvi to HDMI & also a Mini Display Port to HDMI so I can see if the problem persists. I've tried the Mac Mini on my 2709W and Samsung Led, both have the same problem.

All in all, the machine is what I expected minus the problem of course. For the cost of a Mac Mini, if you are debating whether or not to try a Mac then I would suggest you do. The operating system may seem quirky compared to windows to begin with but you'll soon get used to 'opposite world'. Something that you may like if you don't already have a Mac is the 'out of the box' setup, very systematic and few user inputs required for you to get to the 'home screen'.

I haven't reviewed the hardware as they're using Intel parts as the more traditional PC does, one thing I would have liked it a Bluray drive inbuilt, that is a minor gripe and of course would increase the price.

The Apple Mac mini is very simple to set up and use. If you are used to Macs, this is a doddle, and if it is your first Mac you will also find it easy. It is quick to respond, the layouts for the programs are super - great to look at and great to use. It is compact, won't take up much space, is quiet and unassuming, but gets on with the job very well. I think it would always be a good and useful purchase, whether second hand or new. Nothing to dislike. AS they say "an apple a day keeps the doctor away!" So stick to apples!!!