"Maggie" is here!

My new 24-inch Intel Core 2 Duo iMac arrived on Friday, September 15th. I missed the Federal Express delivery van by 8 minutes! So, after work that evening, I went to FedEx to retrieve "Maggie," which is the name I settled on for my newest Mac and member of the Family :). "She" is Beautiful, fast and super quiet. Much larger in person than I had imagined or expected :)! I feel bad for Genie, my iBook G4 notebook, as since the arrival of Maggie, I've pretty much neglected her :(.

I've been spending an obscene amount of time with Maggie, installing applications, setting preferences and configurations for this, that and the other thing :). So far, she has met and, in most cases, exceeded my expectations! I've been reading a number of computer related message boards, or forums, where a few people have experienced negative issues with their new Macs. Thankfully, I haven't had any negative issues and have my fingers crossed this remains the case :). Here are a few of the computer (mostly Apple / Mac) related forums (or message boards) I frequent:

AppleInsider
InsanelyMac
Jam Computers
Mac360

Jam Computers is a bit different, as it is intended for "all" computer users; Linux, Mac and Windows.

I shall return to share my experiences with "Maggie," my second Mac and first Intel based iMac, as time moves forward and I gain experiences to share :).

~ Saving one animal won't change the world, but the world will change for that one animal. ~

My "Big Mac" (24-inch iMac)

I know it's been a while since I last posted, it's due to a frustrating lack of time and energy. I have something exciting to share though. Apple introduced an upgrade of their entire line of iMac computers this past Wednesday, September 6, 2006. So I ordered mine the same day! "Big Mac," which is what I've tentatively decided to name her, has an expected delivery date by September 22nd with the following configuration:

* 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
* 2GB 667 DDR2 SDRAM - 2x1GB (upgraded from 1GB)
* 250GB Serial ATA Drive
* NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB SDRAM (upgraded from 128MB)
* SuperDrive 8X (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
* iWork '06 preinstalled (upgrade)
* Apple Keyboard & Mighty Mouse + Mac OS X (US English)
* AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll (upgrade)
* 24-inch widescreen LCD
* AirPort Extreme
* Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR

Isn't she sweet?!? She was way more costly than I had hoped, but I'm thinking I will be thrilled with "her" for some time to come - and financially speaking, this is not an option :)! A couple of reasons I went with the 24-inch, as opposed to the lesser expensive models, is the NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT video controller is "only" offered on the 24-inch, she also comes with a Firewire 400 and 800 port as well as 24 watt digitally amplified speakers! There's also a lot to be said for bragging rights on getting the biggest and best :)!

I will definitely be back to share my experiences with "Big Mac," when she arrives of course. If you'd like to read up on the new iMac line, you can do so here: Apple iMac

"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others." Nelson Mandela