Apple iMac 20" desktop computer Review

Why Graphic Designer Students Should Consider an IMac

I am a Graphic Designer and a student at Kent State University, majoring in Visual Communication Design with an emphasis in 2D design. While I love illustration and design I also love to create web pages and I need a good computer to do all of these.

When I wanted to update my computer in order to have a faster processor and bigger hard drive, I looked at all the models available at my nearest Apple Store. Since the School of Visual Communication Design uses only Macs, it only made sense to stick with the same operating system for my personal use.

The towers are awesome with fast processors and plenty of hard drive storage space. The Apple monitors are brilliant, clear and have a high enough screen resolution working with graphics is a pleasure. These come with plenty of USB ports, several on the back and one on the front for convenience. They also have firewire ports to attach fast external hard drives for automatic back up that comes with the Mac OS operating system.

The keyboards are easy to use and available as either USB or wireless. The mouse is the same, available as USB or wireless and there is a version called the Mighty Mouse that has a little scroll button in the center and programmable areas on the surface.

All desktop models come with plenty of memory and have slots for additional memory. A buyer could invest in enough ram, that doing video, which is very memory intensive, would be a breeze.

All models would be a Graphic Design student's dream, but of course there are drawbacks. Even though a student discount is available through the Apple Education Store, all the desktop models are still a little pricey for a student, unless they have extremely generous parents. 

Then you also have to consider the amount of space available in dorm rooms. If you consider that just having the computer and monitor is not going to be the only thing a graphic design student is going to need, then you need to plan for additional space consuming pieces of equipment. You may need a separate scanner and printer. Or you may decide to get both with an all-in-one printer/scanner. A combination printer/scanner is going to take up quite a bit of space, but at least its only one item.

The next item I looked at was the Mac Mini. This is a cute little device that has a surprising amount of memory and storage space, and there's even a device the same size that is an automatic back up hard drive and wireless networking device all in one. A student could use them together and have wireless internet for a bunch of dorm buddies. Of course, you'd still have to have the monitor, scanner, printer, etc. 

I decided the Mini just didn't have quite the processing power I needed for graphics, so next I started looking at the iMac.

Like Goldilocks, I tried on the big computer and it was just too big. I tried on the little computer and it was too small. The Apple iMac, however, was just right.

I looked at both the iMac 20" and the 24" models. Both of them come with lots of memory and plenty of storage space on the hard drive. They each have different configuration for amount of ram and hard drive size so they can be customized for whatever the student needs.

They come with the wonderful Mac OS with its built in programs for so many things. The screens are wide and clear so a student can see both pages in a magazine spread if that's what they're assigned. The resolution is more than adequate for Photoshop projects. The iMac is thin, and takes up just a little space on the desk and there's space under the monitor part to store your own little essentials, like flash drives.

They come with a keyboard, so that's not a separate purchase, and it can be USB wired or wireless. The same for the mouse choices. But one of the best features is the iMac comes with iLife already installed, with iMovie, IDVD, iPhoto, iChat, PhotoBooth and so many cool applications you only have to buy your Graphic Design programs extra, like Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Flash and those others.

Plus they have built in iSite cameras so up to four students can video conference on projects if they are working on a group project or if they just want to console each other about how hard their assignments are at 2AM in the morning. 

After carefully evaluating my choices at the Apple store, I used my Education discount to purchase my 20" iMac. It suits me fine and is exactly what I needed, not too big nor too small. It has been reliable and when Apple updates the software, there are no problems whatsoever. Needless to say, its a Mac, and there are no viruses to worry about that might secretly try to take over your system.

I would strongly recommend an iMac to other Graphic Design students. They are packed full of features that make computing enjoyable. They have plenty of hard drive storage and you can add as much ram as you need. They are affordable and you can use the Education discount to make them even more affordable. They are super cool in appearance and I will definitely purchase another iMac to replace the one I have. But I think I'll get the 24" model next time. I hear the graphics on that model are even better.