by , 12:55 PM EST, November 30th, 2005
No desktop from the four biggest Wintel vendors can match Apple's new iMac G5, according to the Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg and Katherine Boehret. The two reviewed the new iMac, and said that Apple's media management solution, Front Row, combined with hardware updates in the unit make the "iMac G5 the best consumer desktop you can buy this holiday season, period."
"We've been testing this new iMac," Mr. Mossberg and Ms. Boehret wrote, "and our verdict is that it's the gold standard of desktop PCs. To put it simply: No desktop offered by Dell or Hewlett-Packard or Sony or Gateway can match the new iMac G5's combination of power, elegance, simplicity, ease of use, built-in software, stability and security."
They added, "From setup to performing the most intense tasks, it's a pleasure to use. And, contrary to common misconceptions, this Mac is competitively priced, when compared with comparably equipped midrange Windows PCs; and it handles all common Windows files, as well as the Internet and email, with aplomb."
The detailed review dove into working with Front Row, the slimmer lines of the new iMac when compared to the previous generation, the benefits of Tiger (about which Mr. Mossberg has already written at length), the fact that there are no known Mac viruses or spyware, and the joys of the iLife quite.
The review also carried the caveat that hard-core gamers, stock market day traders, serious video producers, and some other niche users should look to other computers. On another downside, the reviewers said that they wished the remote include with Front Row came with a power button and an iPod-like scroll wheel.
It's one thing to call a Mac a good value, or even the best at doing this or that. It's quite another to specifically say that nothing from the competition can compare.