Excellent all-around desktop computer

The iMac was not made for me.  I am a power user, someone who plays around with virtual machines, encodes videos in the background while writing legal briefs and doing online research.  I like tinkering inside a desktop computer as time goes on, upgrading to keep pace with changing technology and needs.  The iMac is not for me.

That said, I recently bought this very machine, and for its intended purpose it is perhaps the best computer available today.  You see, I didn't buy it for me.  The 20" 2.4GHz iMac sits on the front desk of my law office, and I've been so happy with it in that role, that I will likely buy another one for my daughter when my budget allows.  My secretary loves it, and it is also the perfect desktop computer for home use, shared among my wife, my daughter and yes, me too.

Memory is easily upgraded, and before I even turned the iMac on for the first time I installed a second 1GB memory module, for a total of 2GB.  Higher configurations of the iMac come standard with 2 or 4GB and won't likely need an upgrade at all.  The hard drive can possibly be upgraded, but not easily, and is not something that I would try myself despite the fact that I routinely take apart laptops, which are usually more difficult to get inside of.

Other computer components that tinkerers like me tend to upgrade over the years are the processor and graphics card, again components that realistically cannot be tinkered with on an iMac.  Of course, the entire point of the iMac is that it is not meant to be opened, but rather to present a tight, integrated, all-in-one package that is as much a work of art as a computer, is fast enough for the foreseeable future, has a gorgeous display and can be used without the muss or fuss of Microsoft Windows.  In that, the iMac is a raging success.

First off, I'll add to the lack of expandability with another design aspect that I consider a negative for the iMac, and that is the glossy display.  The iMac display on my example is the 20" model, though there is also a 24" model, but like the smaller one, it only comes as glossy.  That is my only complaint, that there is no matte screen option.  Now the glossy screen is gorgeous when not facing direct lighting sources, but becomes a giant mirror under harsh lighting.  It is bright-enough to overpower any reflections, but they are still there, and you are now looking at a super-bright display.

I use a pair of 20" widescreen NEC monitors at my desk with the exact same resolution as the iMac's 20" monitor.  The iMac display is brighter, has more vivid color and generally is a better machine on which to view photos or watch a movie.  That said, I prefer my NEC monitors for their matte surface that allows me to set the brightness at a comfortable level regardless of the light sources in the room.  It isn't as vivid and the colors don't "pop" like the iMac's do, but it is also less tiring to look at for long periods.

Other than my preference for matte screens, and it is just my preference, with others rightly preferring glossy screens, there is little to complain about the iMac for its intended role.  This machine replaced a 4-year-old iMac G5, also 20", with a matte display.  My secretary prefers the new display, except for during a 30 minute period in the late afternoon when the glare is strong through a window.
Other than screen differences, the iMac of today isn't much different than the iMac G5 of 2004.  Sure, it is MUCH faster, but overall the user experience is the same.  OS X is the reason, and I believe it is the best reason for anyone to buy a Mac.  OS X has no problems with malware, is fast, stable and simply a delight to use.  In general, it stays out of the user's way, rather than nagging and annoying as Windows Vista tends to do.  It isn't any more productive, offers no real advantage when, say, surfing the web or writing a letter, but it is more visually appealing and just doesn't draw as much attention to itself as Windows does.
Another great feature on the iMac is the ability to connect a second display and then either mirror that display (handy when running a projector or a large external display facing a small audience) or extending your display across two monitors.  Since it is a standard DVI port (mini-sized, requires an adapter up to full-size DVI) you can connect any DVI or even VGA monitor.  As someone used to dual monitors, I can say that this is a major productivity enhancer.
Finally, while the iMac is not as upgradable as a conventional desktop computer, it is still very fast by contemporary standards.  It has a mixture of laptop (processor and memory) and desktop (hard drive and graphics card) components, and like a laptop, you just have to reconcile that the performance you get on the day you buy it is the same performance you will get on the day you sell  or donate it.  If past iMacs are any indication, you should be happy with it for three or four years, and then start looking at a new one.

This isn't as wasteful as it sounds.  Older iMacs remain useful, just not as primary computers for people into modern multimedia applications.  Your four-year-old iMac G5 is still worth more than half of what you paid for it when sold on eBay, and still makes an outstanding computer for a child, or as a second computer next to the shiny new one, every bit as capable of basic computing tasks as it was the day you bought it. 

Repurposing is precisely why I put a new iMac on my secretary's desk.  The old iMac G5, no longer covered by warranty and fully depreciated by my business, is now serving another user as a great family or personal computer, and was worth enough to pay 2/3 the price of the new one.  Not bad.

If you read my Mac Pro review, you may wonder why I didn't go that route and spend a little more than the double the price for a machine that will probably last more than twice as long.  The answer is appearance.  The Mac Pro, attractive as it is, is not an elegant and stylish piece of art that makes my front office look modern and inviting.  Sure, it has a beautiful case, but it still needs an external monitor and all of the cable clutter of any other desktop computer.  The iMac, on the other hand, looks modern, austere, clean.  It is a tasteful element of my office decor, not unlike a plant, a coffee table or a picture.   People look at it when they come in and often comment on how nice it looks, just as they did with the G5 iMac it replaced.

In conclusion, the iMac is a powerful enough computer to keep most people happy for three or four years.  It looks nice enough that you won't have to or want to hide it.  It is stable enough and secure enough that you won't be afraid to let the kids use it.  Finally, it is a Mac, so when you want to replace it, someone else will pay at least half of what you paid to put to use in their home.