Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)

Pros: Design, size, user interface, speed, and cool factor

Cons: Fashion-forward keyboard, at-home customization lacking

Summary: The first computer I ever owned was an Apple IIe. I still believed in Santa and learned the Turtle programming language. The next 24 years were a blur of IBM Aptiva, PC clones, Dell Inspirion, and there might have been an HP in there. I struggled to understand how to use poorly integrated PC software, freezes, virus program after virus program, and eventually fatal crashes.

On an impluse, I walked into the Apple Store in Bridgewater, NJ asked for the new 20" iMac and bought it. No questions. From the two hours it took to open the box, have ALL of my old PC files uploaded to the new iMac, iPhoto organizing all of my 2,000+ photos, iTunes loaded with songs from my iPod (legally, of course), e-mail accounts configured, and surfing the net on my wireless network I was completely hooked. That's not even the good part.

The user interface (UI) for the Apple software is super-slick and so well integrated it hardly seems like different pieces of software. I wouldn't ever considered how to create a website with my photos and videos with a blog and soundtracks to each page, but with iWeb I can. I have a degree in finance and couldn't tell the difference between a subnet and a Java and here I am inviting my friends and family to vew my wesite.

More things that are awesome about this iMac...no drivers. Everything I plugged into the USB ports (three on the head and two on the keyboard) just worked. From cameras, cell phones, external hard drive, video cameras, etc. They all just worked.

OS X has also simplified the menu screens. There are no long hierarcies to wade through to find what you want. It is more or less an experience you need to have with the machine, not have some idiot like me tell you about it.

STOP READING THIS REVIEW AND BUY THIS COMPUTER!!