Lansing - The Lansing Area Macintosh And Lisa Users Group visited local Apple specialist center Eubulus Computer Solutions, 325-A N. Clippert St., to check out the features of the new machine.
“It was nice to see it in person and see how it works,” said Cindy Krueger, webmaster for the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries.
Since Apple’s debut of sleek and colorful iMacs in the late-90s, the company has marketed its stylish home computers to the aesthetically inclined. The newest model takes that tradition one step further with a design that is radically different from any other computer available.
The centerpiece of the machine’s design is a 15-inch flat-panel LCD monitor attached to the system unit by an adjustable arm, which users can move to make the screen fit to their eye level.
The monitor sports a clean image, and uses a digital signal so users don’t have to make adjustments to it.
The other unique part of the new iMac’s design is the circular base and system unit. Every component in the system is built on top of a custom-designed round circuit board to save space - the base is only 10.6 inches in diameter.
A PowerPC G4 with an 800 MHz processor that drives the system tests out to be nearly three times as fast as Intel’s Pentium III processors.
But the biggest feature in the system is its multimedia capabilities - part of the suite that the machines are expected to be marketed with is the SuperDrive, a combination DVD burner and CD writer.
To compliment the SuperDrive is a set of programs, iDVD, iTunes and iMovie, that enable users to create their own music CDs or put home movies on DVD, complete with animated menus and introductions. Apple officials hope home video and audio enthusiasts will see these tools as key reasons to purchase a new computer.
“Apple has given us some of the most sophisticated tools for digital video creation available,” said Ken Black, owner of Eubulus Computer Solutions.
Apple has created a large industry fervor for the new machines. While the system was slated to be released nationwide this month, many retailers, including Eubulus, have experienced difficulties obtaining machines for their customers.
Most stores will not have all the models available until the end of the month or even mid-March. As of now, only customers who preordered directly through Apple or are looking for the most expensive model will be able to get one, and even then, only in limited supply.
“It’s just a matter of ramping up and meeting the back order of demand,” Apple spokeswoman Nathalie Welch said. “We always know that we’re going to be somewhat constrained when we release a product.”
