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Apple iMac MB950LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop

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Brand: Apple
Category: Personal Computer

Buy New: Too low to display
as of 3/11/2010 15:42 PST details

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Seller: Amazon.com
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

62 reviews
Sales Rank: 11

Media: Personal Computers
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
CPU Manufacturer: Intel
CPU Speed: 3.06
CPU Type: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processors: 1
System Memory: 4
Memory Type: SDRAM
Hard Drive Size: 500
Shipping Weight (lbs): 30
Dimensions (in): 25.4 x 22.1 x 9.1

MPN: MB950LL/A
Model: MB950LL/A
UPC: 885909284009
EAN: 0885909284009
ASIN: B002C74E9C

Shipping: Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours

Features:

•	Ships in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging
•	3.06GHz Intel Dual Core Processor
•	500GB Hard Drive, DVD SuperDrive, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
•	21.5" LED-backlit display with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 HD resolution, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M
•	Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, includes new wireless Magic Mouse

Accessories:

Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 7-Port Hub F5U237-APL-S

25FT CAT6 Black Snagless Patch Cable RJ45M/RJ45M

VMware Fusion 3

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 [Mac]

Key Features

21.5-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with IPS technology, a 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 320 cd/m2 brightness rating, and 178-degree viewing angle (horizontal and vertical)
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3 MB shared L2 cache for excellent multitasking
500 GB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)
4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 16 GB)
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics processor (with 256 MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory) for an outstanding everyday graphics experience
8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/
Built-in iSight camera for video chatting
Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
Side-loading SD card slot
Four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI and VGA output
Built-in stereo speakers with two internal 17-watt high-efficiency amplifiers along with built-in microphone, optical digital audio output/headphone out, optical digital audio input/audio line in
Dimensions: 20.8 x 7.42 x 17.75 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 20.5 pounds
Included Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse

What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service
The iMac comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer's purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts.

Key Features

Big, Beautiful Display Combined with All-In-One Simplicity

The evolution of the Apple iMac.

The new iMac has come a long way from the first 15-inch iMac. The all-in-one design of the first flat-panel iMac cleaned up the desktop, and put everything you need--display, processor, graphics card, hard drive, optical drive, memory, and more--inside one simple enclosure. New technology inside and out makes the new iMac a worthy addition to the all-in-one dynasty.

This 21.5-inch model features an edge-to-edge glass display that covers nearly the entire front of the enclosure. When all you see is the display, nothing gets between you and what's onscreen. Movies, TV shows, websites, photos--everything looks stunning on the new 16:9 widescreen iMac display. And the LED backlighting in the new iMac helps push more light through the pixels with remarkable brightness and efficiency. And because the LED backlight doesn't take up much space, the iMac enclosure stays thin--even with all the high-performance components inside.

The iMac display is designed to look great from almost any angle. A technology called in-plane switching (IPS) makes this possible. Whether you're sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you'll get a perfect picture with superb color consistency and no loss of detail.

The wider iMac display allows more room to separate the two hottest components, the CPU and the GPU. This keeps things cool inside the iMac enclosure. Apple engineers also implemented an intelligent control system that monitors temperatures and delivers just the right amount of airflow to critical components. And the three fans inside iMac have been tuned to be ultraquiet.

While you'll find a collection of ports on the back of iMac, you won't find much else. A seamless, precision-forged enclosure makes the back one continuous aluminum surface. And there's only one cord: the power cord.

Wireless Magic Mouse and Keyboard
Forget the mouse as you know it. Every iMac comes with the wireless Magic Mouse: the world's first Multi-Touch mouse. Use it once and you'll wonder how you ever used anything else. There's no scroll ball, no clunky wheel, no cord, and no visible button. Instead, the Magic Mouse uses Multi-Touch technology to let you control everything with simple gestures. Give them a try and you'll find that Magic Mouse changes the way you interact with your computer. Built-in software lets you configure Magic Mouse any way you want. Its smooth, seamless design is ambidextrous, and it supports two-button clicking--without buttons.

The iMac banishes desktop clutter completely with a wireless keyboard to go with the wireless Magic Mouse. This low-profile keyboard takes up less desk space--24 percent less--than larger keyboards. There's no numeric keypad, so you can place your mouse comfortably next to the keyboard. And built-in Bluetooth means there are no cables to connect.

Built-in Wi-Fi
High-speed 802.11n wireless technology is built into iMac. And with Time Capsule or the AirPort Express Base Station, every computer in every room can wirelessly connect to iMac, the Internet, and each other. Over this network, everyone can print, surf the web, and play music on iTunes through your home stereo--wirelessly.

iSight Webcam
Hidden behind the glass display at the top of iMac is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with up to three of your friends, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client. Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there's no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera.

Pre-Loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09

Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Installed software

Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD)

Environmentally Friendly Design

Because Apple designs both hardware and software, we can reduce our environmental footprint in ways others can't. For starters, a highly efficient power supply reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your Mac. Unlike a lot of PCs, a Mac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power--even between keystrokes.

A Mac also doesn't contain a lot of toxic materials. All Mac displays are mercury and arsenic free, and the internal components are free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).

Efficient Power Supply
The iMac includes a highly efficient power supply that reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your computer. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Advanced Power Management
Unlike a lot of Windows-based PC systems, iMac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power. Mac OS X spins down hard drives and activates sleep mode on already energy-efficient LED-backlit displays. And it balances tasks across both central processors and graphics processors. Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That's just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.

ENERGY STAR Qualification
The iMac meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, making it ENERGY STAR qualified. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption.

Customer Reviews:

Showing reviews 1-5 of 62

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Elegant and powerful, it simply works November 18, 2009
James Peterson (Savannah, GA)
70 out of 72 found this review helpful

I've been a PC users since the PCXT days. Now I have a mac. I really have been suprised at how easy it is to learn the mac way of doing things.

I'm a programmer by trade (not a desktop coder, but mainframe/database) and I actually decided to buy the iMac because of my desire to create apps for my iPhone. I was shocked to learn that I could keep my windows environment. I could have both worlds.

So far, everything has been very easy to install and use. I had the windows/vmware setup and the iPhone SDK install the first day. Coming from a PC, I'm delighted at how elegant the interface is, even the mouse and keyboard are elegant. The screen is very nice. Colors seem very good, but I haven't done any photo editing and color correction/matching (so you'll have to get the pros opinion on that one).

Windows runs very well on it and I've had no problems with it.

I can't see changing back to a PC for my uses (not a gamer). This iMac was the best value IMO, compared to the other mac's and macbooks. Even compared to the new mac mini (if you add in the additional cost of a good monitor, bluetooth keyboard and magic mouse, the mini was closing in on the iMac price). I'd recommend this iMac for any deveoper to use as a base system. Power seems more than sufficient add to that the capability to run windows as well and you have one of the best values in a development system I've seen.

All this and lets face it the mac experience is very pleasant, and it doesn't hurt to expand your development into the mac arena.

After one week, I'm already a satified mac user.

I'll update after a year or so of use and abuse.

5 out of 5 stars

Worthy replacement for the 20" AND the 24" November 2, 2009
Paul C. Huang (Arcadia, CA)
54 out of 63 found this review helpful

The trouble began when the aluminum-bodied 20" iMac replaced the white polycarbonate 20" iMac. Not only does it have a highly-reflective (albeit high-quality, very plane) glass, it has a TN screen that is 6-bit per channel. The TN screen found in the 20" iMac was inferior to the IPS panel found in the 24". Those who demand image quality had two choices: buy the 24" iMac or buy the 20", turn it toward the wall and make the wallpaper white so it lights up the user environment, and buy a quality IPS screen. This back-to-back solution may seem funny, but it does work. The TN screen displays different colors at different viewing angles (Unless the user moves his/her eyes directly over the pixel, the viewing angle variation relative to the pixel position causes the color to vary greatly.

The 21.5" is a major leap forward, because the entry-level iMac has the same GHz rating as the old top-of-the-line model, has a new two-AA bluetooth keyboard, and a wireless mouse. These are the added value that used to be extra before, and the Magic Mouse wasn't even available.

With the new 21.5", the users no longer have to choose a larger screen simply for better image/color quality. The glass, however, continues to be highly reflective and uncoated (no anti-reflective coating, as you may find on camera lenses, MacBook Air, and even Audi TT's speedometer/Tachometer).

Those who do not use the numeric keypad would definitely welcome the small-footprint wireless keyboard. It allows the user to bring the mouse closer to the keyboard and reduce wrist, forearm, and shoulder stress.

The Magic Mouse has finally done away with the problem-prone scroll ball found in the Mighty Mouse. I wish the top surface of this mouse were more matte/velvety than the glossy surface it is. The glossy surface is nothing more than cosmetic. Imagine if the trackpad on all the Mac portables turn glossy. I am sure there would be plenty of complaints. The glossy surface on the predecessor was OK because the fingers didn't have to glide over the glossy surface. Although the glossy surface is not a problem for me, because I don't use a mouse at all (Kensington Expert Mouse and WACOM, please), those with sweaty fingers would find it problematic.

Those familiar with the round iMac mouse will find this familiar: Its symmetrical shape lets the user easily lose orientation, because there is not a cord attached to it. As a result, the user must look at the logo first to identify which direction is supposed to be pointing up.

The integrated nVidia 9400M is more than good enough for casual users. Those who may need 3D or gaming capabilities should choose the other models with independent video cards.

NOW, THE $500 QUESTION. How does this screen compare to the 24" in physical dimension? This screen has 1920 pixels across, which is the same as the 24". The 21.5" is 18.7" wide, which is slightly narrower than the 20.25" width found on the 24". This means the 21.5" has higher pixel density. What about the height? 12.75" for the 24" iMac and 10.5" for the 21.5" iMac.

I forgot to mention that in the past, the power switch has a different shiny surface (while the entire back is matte) and has a concave surface. However, this one is perfectly flush to the back and is very difficult to detect. It takes some poking around. Another thing: they new wireless keyboard is noticeably noisier than the USB or previous three-AA aluminum wireless keyboard. Apparently the mechanism is not the same as the other aluminum keyboards.

5 out of 5 stars

Amazing small form Big Screen computer December 23, 2009
S. geddamuri (chicago usa)
13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This version of imac is amazing.
Pros:
1 This computer is fast and sleek.Looks beautiful.
2 No noise of fan or so.If one close there eyes,they can hardly tell if it sunning.This is not the case with any other ALLINONE desktops i owned.Ex dell studio 15 makes more noise then my kitchen fan.
3 The hardware is just enough for any thing.500GB hd is PLUS.The ram 4gb is hardly used.
4 Screen is beautiful.For some people the screen is like mirror and gets lots of reflection.But for me i love the screen.The screen can be moved easily if you getting any reflection.The glossy screen makes the view more enjoyable.
5 THE LEOPORD SNOW is very good.No issues so far.For PC users it will take little while to learn the shortcuts.But once they are used to it it will be very fast to access any thing.
6 The MOUSE was never a problem for me.I am so used to use forward and backward on the web pages using this mouse,When i use other mouse my fingers automatically slide.One can really admire the mouse once they get used to it in couple days.
7 Keyboard is small.i would love to have wireless keyboard with the numeric pad.
8 The sound is good on this computer.for a medium room i think this is more then enough.

CONS
1 The keyboard could be little better.i mean with numeric pad and more F buttons.
2 there should have a hard button for ejecting the DVD.When i was installing Windows 7 i was stuck with the DVD.Couldnt find a way to eject without loading OS.
3 DVDs with paper stickers on it stucks some time.So be careful if you are inserting a DVD with sticker labels.

Overall very happy with this purchase.

5 out of 5 stars

Love it! January 1, 2010
M. Dai (Houston, TX)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful

After 15 years of using PC, we decided to switch to Mac and so far we are very happy with our iMac. The 21.5-inch screen is bright and sharp. Glare is not an issue to us because our window is on the left hand side, not directly behind. Also, when we were at the apple store, we saw both the 21.5-nch and and old 20-inch on display. The 21.5-inch seems much bigger - not merely 7% judging from the number. So we were really impressed. The 27-inch seems WAYYYY to big. It almost makes you dizzy sitting right in front of it.

When I first set up my iMac on the desk, I immediately noticed a buzzing sound caused by certain vibration. It's not loud but sufficiently disturbing. I searched the internet and found many people had similar problems with their iMacs too. Some people brought their iMacs back to apple store for service and had some parts (mostly air fans) changed, but not much help. So I decided to have some experiment with my setup. First, I tried my iMac on my kitchen countertop, which is granite. No vibration, no buzzing sound at all. Then I put my laptop PC on my desk, same spot where I put my iMac. LOUD and LOUD buzzing sound. So I knew the problem was caused by the desk, not the iMac. Now I have a photo album with leather cover underneath my iMac. No buzzing sound any more. Very happy with the machine thereafter.

The switch from PC to Mac is easy. We do not need to take any special course or tutorial to get started. Everything is exremely intuitive. From here or there we had some questions, we checked the video clips on apple's website and at one time called apple hotline. Our questions were solved immediately.

Overall, this machine is wonderful. Starts and shuts down super fast. Launches and closes programs super fast. Extremely quite - once we solved the buzzing sound problem, we could hardly hear anything, even the cooling fan sound that we constantly hear from our PC. The built in speakers produce a wonderful sound that fills the entire room with no difficulty - almost to the same level as my Bose mini system. And finally, we love the magic mouse. It is so fun to scroll up and down, left and right, and rotate everything on your finger tip without the need to drag it all over the screen.

We strongly recommed this machine to anyone who's tired of PC and wants to have a different experience on what's a computer can do to you.

5 out of 5 stars

Excellent computer December 29, 2009
Carl B. Glover
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is my first Mac. Like many others, I finally got tired of the multitude of PC issues and made the switch. So far (about two weeks), I couldn't be more pleased. I've never had such a smooth experience with a computer. The OS learning curve is not that bad. I'm feeling pretty comfortable already, much of which is knowing that the machine will always be ready to do what you want it to, without the endless rebooting, delays, crashes, etc., that ruined the PC experience for me. When you turn it on, you know it's going to work. I never knew what to expect from my PC on any given day.

The 21.5 inch display is bright, rich and detailed; reflections should not be a problem unless your room is brightly lit or has many windows; reasonable precautions here will suffice.

My internet speed has gone from 1-3 mbps to over 9 mbps on the average. This had been noticeably slowing for several months on the PC and I was thinking about switching providers. Now I don't have to. Apparently PCs can get clogged up with a lot of junk which ultimately affects internet processing. Whatever the reason for the improvement, I'm delighted with the result.

Set-up was simplicity itself. I followed instructions by hooking up all peripherals before turning it on for the first time, and everything was recognized automatically. Except for verifying my email address (which the Mac had already obtained), I had nothing to do. The whole process took only a couple of minutes.

All of the iLife applications I've tried have worked flawlessly, just as advertised. I have used only one (iPhoto) in depth so far, but I'll get around to several others before long, and fully expect results just as good. Everything seems more intuitive and common-sensical than on Windows-based machines.

I expected to have problems adapting to the new truncated keyboard, but not so. I already like it better than the old one with the PC. It might look flimsy, but it's really quite hefty, with a solid feel and good feedback. Keys are less noisy, almost silent, in fact, and are quite responsive. I do not miss the numbers section, as I rarely used it anyway. Its absence saves desktop space, which is always welcome.

I like the new Magic Mouse, as well, with one minor quibble. It, too, has a solid feel and, due to the batteries, is somewhat heavier than your average mouse. But it is not difficult to manuever. I have experienced no drag on either my desktop or a mouse pad. Clicking and scrolling are easy to master and respond quickly, unlike some other Bluetooth mice. The only problem I've had is in using the two-finger swipe to advance web pages or photos. For me, it works only sporadically, but that's probably because I just don't have the hang of it yet. I'll keep trying.

The built-in speakers are better than the JBLs I had been using with the PC. They are more than adequate for casual music listening and movie soundtracks. The sound is crisp and detailed, with a surprisingly good bass foundation for speakers this size.

A real plus is Apple's well-written and detailed Support section on its website. I haven't looked up anything yet which hasn't been explained fully in easy-to-understand language for a layman like me. I had been considering buying one of the instruction books, but I don't think I'll have to. There seems to be everything here that most people would ever need to know.

Bottom-line recommendation: ditch that PC and get yourself a Mac. It may be a little more expensive, but it will more than make up the difference in the long run, in terms of reduced frustration and time-saving if nothing else.

Showing reviews 1-5 of 62

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