First Impressions of My BTO 20" iMac G5 with Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard and Mouse.

Dana R. Baggett
New England Editor

Although I ordered my 20" 1.8 GHz iMac G5 within two hours of the initial rollout in Paris, I just received it on September 29. That is apparently because I ordered it with the Build to Order (BTO) option of a Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse, and a 512MB stick of memory instead of the 256MB standard. At this point there have been lots of reports on the web elsewhere about the new iMac. So I'll report on impressions and observations I made in the process of getting my iMac G5 up and running today that were new to me. BTW, it is replacing my upgraded 1 GHz G4 Cube and 17" Apple LCD Studio Display.

The "Message in the box". I have been exclusively using Macs for productivity since the 512k model came out in 1984. The packaging of each new product has always caught my eye. I think Apple sends a "message in the box," if not a bottle. It says "We care about this product." The packaging of the new iMac exceeded even my expectations in terms of the care in which each component is wrapped and protected from damage in transit, and presented to the user in a manner that reeks of class. If there is a fault to find, it is that the shipping box also has a pictures and text on its sides and it's a white box. Or, it was until Fedex got hold of it. Why not encase the display box in a thin cardboard outer case, such as the way the PowerBooks ship? I know. Picky, picky. The box is about 23" tall, nearly 10" wide and 24" long. A handle on the narrow top helps to ensure that it will be carried narrow side up. But since someone in shipping put my address label at about floor level on the narrow side of the box, guess how the delivery person stowed the box. The packaging is so substantial that the box is not labeled "This side up." Apparently, it doesn't matter. Mine came through without a scratch.

Bigger and heavier than I thought. There's a tendency to look at the 20" iMac initially--in the box anyway--as if it is a display only. In that context it is heavier and more substantial than I'd expected when I went to get it out of the box. Apple has published a KB article that says to carry the iMac by its sides. That is virtually impossible to do while you're trying to get it out of the shipping box. There's a perforated metal screen along the bottom of the iMac for ventilation and sound. Avoid curling your fingers around the edge of the iMac and pushing up against the screen. Otherwise, it comes out easily by wrapping your fingers across the entire underside.

The stand. The metal stand appears to be brushed aluminum. It ships with a clear, protective, peel off, adhesive film on it. The stand is attached permanently to the back of the iMac G5. It is plenty wide and sturdy enough to support the computer solidly. Some early "analysts" speculated that the 20" iMac might be "tippy," especially if/when cords were attached to the back of it. Obviously, the "analysts" didn't have one when they wrote such tripe. The machine is rock-solid on its base which has a plastic insert strip on the bottom front and two sides, making it easy to turn without scratching whatever it sits on.

The plastic case. While the case is white, what catches my eye is the 1/8" clear acrylic edge. The color is on the underside of the case. A surface scratch, as awful as it sounds, is not likely to show. It certainly won't take the color off.

Sound. There is none in normal operation. Great for a Cube fan migrating to the new iMac G5. I tried to boot from a CD which did not have the latest version of Panther on it, and then the fans kicked in. Noticeable but not really loud.

Panther. The System Profiler identifies the operating system as Mac OS X 10.3.5 (7P35). The latest version on another Mac in the house is Mac OS 10.3.5 (7M34).

Memory. The 512MB memory stick installed by Apple is identified by the System Profiler as Type: DDR SDRAM  Speed: PC3200U-30330. It is labeled Hynix.

Greatest thing since sliced bread. Transferring files from one's previous Mac to the new iMac G5 via the Setup Assistant is unbelievably great. It takes the biggest hassle of getting a new Mac out of the picture. I checked all options for transferring files. Initially, the Set Up Assistant forecast it would take over an hour but it actually took about half that time. I transfered the files as the first order of business although it is possible to bypass the procedure and do it later. After it was done, the Mac booted up for the usual Registration procedure--most of the information was already filled in--and then the Desktop appeared, looking just like my "old" computer. I got on our Apple Express wireless network without fiddling with any settings. All my browser bookmarks, files, etc., were transferred as were my Quicken 4 and AppleWorks 6 data. Amazing. (BTW. Can you remember when store-bought bread wasn't routinely sliced? I can.) :-\

What Mother didn't tell me. The first order of business when you boot up a Bluetooth enabled iMac for the first time is the Bluetooth Setup Assistant which walks you through the procedure to discover and link the wireless keyboard and mouse. They work slick and, contrary to what I had read elsewhere, perform all the usual functions of a wired keyboard, invoking restart/sleep/cancel/shut down software by pressing the control and eject keys, ejecting removable media with the eject key, etc. However, what Mother didn't tell me (among other things) is that as far as I can tell, the Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse do not work when booted from a CD! Even the iMac G5 Install CD does not support the Bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse. This suggests to me that one should have a wired keyboard and mouse for use when Murphy's Law strikes.

That's it for my first impressions. More later. Suffice it to say, this is a sweet machine.