PROS
� Sharp, bright, widescreen LCD
� Easy setup and use
� Good performance
� Attractive design
� Small footprint

CONS
� No expansion slot
� No extra internal drive slots
� Average warranty

iMac with a 17-inch display, Nvidia GeForce4 MX video card, and 80GB hard drive.

After a successful run with its cute, almost friendly CRT iMac — the machine that brought Apple Computer back from the brink — the company started 2002 with what it hopes will give it another successful three-year run: the LCD iMac. With a design that mimics Luxo Jr., the desk lamp from Pixar Animation Studios (a company also run by Apple CEO Steve Jobs), this new iMac is the new kid on the block who’s better-looking than everybody else.

If looks could kill

I’ve heard the argument before. "I don’t care what my computer looks like, I just want it to work." But anyone who has to sit in front of a computer for more than a few hours a day will appreciate the new design of the iMac. It takes up very little desk space and provides a very bright, clean LCD display that is easy on the eyes. Apple’s close attention to detail shines through in this iMac. Not only does it ship with a white keyboard and white Lucite optical mouse, but the phone cable, power cable, and USB cables are also the same color. The cables also have stylish plugs, in case you get tired of staring at your stylish computer.

Out of the box, your new iMac is ready to go. It ships with all the software found in Apple’s "digital hub": iTunes for music, iMovie for video editing, iDVD for DVD creation, and iPhoto to organize and share your photographs. It runs on OS X the Jaguar, which takes advantage of the G4 chip in this new iMac.