Apple Power Mac Desktop M8689LL/A (1.0-GHz DP PowerPC G4, 256 MB RAM, 80 GB Hard Drive, DVD-RW/CD-RW Drive)

Accessories:
Roxio Toast 8 Titanium (Mac) [OLD VERSION]	AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac Pro and PowerMac with or without Display M8850LL/B - 3 years	Targus PAUM01U Ultra Mini Retractable Optical Mouse	Targus PA235U Universal Monitor Stand - Black	Targus NW03BM Noteworthy Optical Screen Scroller Mouse

Customer Reviews:

Transition time for OS, but great machine [Posted on 2002-09-27]
I agree with everything "Anothermonkey" said in his review, but thought I should add a few notes.

First, it seems most reviewers on this board are either die-hard Mac fans or their equivalently unbalanced detractors on the anti-Mac front. I use both platforms, and find each to have its points.

Overall, this is a fantastic machine. The design is elegant from inside to outside, with every detail having been painstakingly thought through. It's as elegant as a computer could be, both in terms of hardware and software and their integration. It is also enormously powerful, although the fan inside could probably reach take-off velocity if given enough space. With the side panel closed and safely tucked under my desk, the noise is bearable, but don't try talking on the phone while powering up with the side opened -- you won't be able to hear a thing over the fan noise.

OS 10 is a stable, beautiful, and superfast system, integrated well with these new machines. However, shy of the main software on the design front, there are lots of things you might want to use (or already currently are) that are not OS 10 compatible. In the short term, be prepared for some pain as you figure out how to navigate through what you can and cannot use with OS 10 (including basic peripherals). Hopefully by early next year, this will have improved.

Also, this system is especially well-designed for international users. OS 10 can boot up in 20 languages, and the computer can be plugged in to nearly any voltage around the world. With several languages used at home, anyone can boot up in their desired language, and all (this really amazes me) the apple software that comes with the machine changes languages accordingly. Simple, clean, and elegant.

My old Powermac 7500 lasted nearly 8 years thanks to its advanced design and easy upgradability (it still beats my new PC at work). These new 1 GHz+ models seem destined for the same -- a great investment. If you're looking for a cheap machine to handle emailing and surfing, or if you need a wide variety of games etc., stick to the PC platform. But if you appreciate design and detail, you want serious power and a great machine that will hold its own in your office for many years, then seriously consider a new Powermac.

Very Well Done [Posted on 2002-11-22]
I'm also a Mac and PC user and also agree with the reviews below. The noise issue is the only reason I took off a star. Earlier models had a bad board that made the CPU fan run faster than it needed. In case you didn't know, the CPU fan changes speed to suit the cooling needs of the CPUs (a very nice Apple-ish touch). My CPU fan is very quite 98% of the time. The loudest noise comes from the power supply fans. There are replacement after-market fans available, but I don't think I'm going to need it. Yep - it's louder than my old G3, but not as loud as the new high-end Dells we have at work.

The box comes wired and ready for 4 hard drives and two optical drives. There were even some hard drive mounting screws in redundant holes just waiting for me to add my 120 gig WD. RAM is easy to add as well - buy a gig. I use 18004memory.com.

Comes with all the software you need. Made a DVD the same day I opened the box. Moving to OS X was a great opportunity for me to upgrade my other hardware and cut the cord on a lot of pre-1997 junk I had been clinging to. Dive into Aqua with both feet, the water's fine!

You might want to check this first : [Posted on 2003-01-13]

My advice : Listen to a G4 first when you consider buying one; as it seems, not all of them are equally noisy.

Other than that, the new G4 series is great; real workhorses and OS X also is fantastic.

Fast. but really noisy [Posted on 2003-10-05]
I've been a Mac fan since the PB 180, but had gone PC for a while. I came back to the Mac with this DP G4 and love it. It's fast and has all of the goodies. We made a DVD of my son's first year with iMovie and made a DVD our families love. You can't do that on a PC without a lof of expensive software and hardware. My only issue is the noise.

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