Date: Fri 16-Oct-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: CURT

Quick Words:

iinfo-Brand-iMac

Full Text:

INTERNET INFO FOR REAL PEOPLE: iMac

By Bob Brand

With typical Steve Jobs flash and flourish, many have seen television ads for

Apple Computer's latest offering -- the iMac. The "i" stands for Internet. It

is being touted as a "no brainer" solution for the net-phobic.

If you believe the pitch, connecting to the Internet is just three steps away.

Step 1, plug in the power cord. Step 2, plug in the phone line into the wall

jack. Step 3, there is no Step 3.

In the current world of sound bytes, many people are dancing the two-step.

Brisk iMac sales hold the promise of rejuvenating a hardware company that

teeters on the razor's edge of extinction.

A Closer Look

Pundits compare the iMac to the Volkswagen Beetle. The distinctive teal blue

(Apple calls it Bondi Blue) translucent polycarbonate case and all-in-one

design means the iMac stands out from the Intel/Windows machines most people

use.

The unit consists of a high quality 15" screen, 32MB RAM, 233 MHz 750 PowerPC

processor, 4GB hard drive, built-in 56k (56kflex - v.90 compliant) modem, and

24x CD ROM (with built-in stereo speakers). It carries a list price of $1,299.

It comes pre-loaded with personal finance (Quicken '98), FileMaker, AppleWorks

(rebranded ClarisWorks) and a browser (Internet Explorer 4.0). Compared to an

equivalent Windows/Intel machine, the iMac is more expensive for the same

features, but not by a wide margin.

Shortcomings or Features?

Seasoned netsters would probably find frustration in some of the compromises

iMac engineers designed. For example, there is no 3.5" floppy drive. When

moving files (documents, graphs, spreadsheets and images) between an iMac and

a PC, for example, Apple has an "i" solution: e-mail the file to yourself (or

a friend who needs the file). Capture the e-mail with the "target machine."

This means, in most cases, that the i-Mac'er sending (often called exporting)

the file will add a file attachment (a skill newcomers can master) to a piece

of e-mail. This procedure results in a time lag and other inconveniences

inherent with this process.

However, the iMac user can spend about $50 and add an external floppy drive.

(Note: installation requires soldering and may void the Apple warranty.)

The iMac does not have a standard printer port found on other Apple machines.

Non-iMac owners cannot attach their current printer to the iMac without a

special USB (Universal Serial Bus) adapter.

In addition, there are currently few printers that can be attached to the iMac

via the USB adapter. Some serious iMac prospects have purchased non-iMac

hardware because the Apple vendor did not have an iMac-ready printer in stock.

Over time, this problem should ease.

Frankly, the iMac mouse is cheezy. Not only is the design poor, but it does

not sport the roller wheel I have grown to love.

Performance On The Net

In August, I asked several of the important Connecticut ISPs for their

comments and observations about the iMac. Early reports on the Net expressed

problems about connectivity with ISPs other than Earthlink (the preferred iMac

provider). At that time, I received responses from three: SNET, Connix and

Netplex.

In the case of SNET, they had not seen any iMacs and had no comment. Andrew

Lindh, Netplex president, did not have any iMac subscribers at that time, but

since then he reported a problem with one account using the iMac modem.

Gary Wright, President of Connix, provided the most complete picture of the

current, yet changing, situation. Wright bought an iMac and is favorably

impressed.

You may find their comments (reprinted in their entirety with permission) of

interest. They are posted on the Bee's website. (By the way, I sent e-mail to

Apple requesting the use of an iMac for a one month test. I have heard nothing

to date).

Many iMac owners have complained about broken connection problems with the

iMac modem. Apple blames the problem on the ISPs, claiming that not all of

them have upgraded their modems to v.90.

Both Lindh and Wright have witnessed some these problems first hand but say

the problem originates with the iMac modem. Their insights may be helpful to

current iMac owners who currently experience connection problems.

Bottom Line

Like the new VW Beetle, more and more iMacs will be seen scooting down the

information superhighway. For many netsters, they will provide reliable,

efficient transportation. For me, I prefer a pickup truck where I can mount a

rifle rack, trailer hitch, wide side mirrors and chromed exhaust pipes.

URLs (Uniform Resource Locators) of interest:

http://www.imac-floppy.com

http://www.macreport.com/news/980930_apple_turnaround.html

http://www.connix.com/ http://www.ntplx.net

(This is the 124th of a series of elementary articles designed for surfing the

Internet. Next, PGP Update is the subject on tap. Stay tuned. Until next week,

happy travels through cyberspace.

Previous issues of Internet Info for Real People (including links to sites

mentioned in this article) can be found: http://www.thebee.com. Please e-mail

comments and suggestions to: rbrand@JUNO.com or editor@thebee.com.)