TOPIC
This article provides answers to some commonly asked questions regarding iMac features, including:
DISCUSSION Does iMac Come with a 33.6 Kbps or a 56K Modem? iMac comes with a 56K modem. While its true that when we first announced iMac, Apple indicated that iMac would include a 33.6 Kbps modem, feedback from customers encouraged us rethink our decision, so each iMac will include a state-of-the-art 56K modem (that supports both K56 flex and V.90 standards) AND 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet. So iMac will be fast no matter how you connect to the internet. Note: In some parts of the world, iMac will not include a built-in modem, so check with a local Apple Authorized Reseller for the most accurate information regarding iMac's product specifications. Note: The built-in modem can download at up to 56Kbps but that the actual download speeds vary with line conditions and your internet service provider's modem capabilities. The FCC regulations limit ISP transmission speeds to 53Kbps in the United States.) Does the Internal Modem Offer Speakerphone Capabilities? No. The internal modem that comes with iMac offers fax and data capabilities, but it does not offer speakerphone functionality, so you won't be able to use iMac to act as an answering machine or as a speakerphone. However, Apple expects other modem manufacturers to offer USB modems that offer speakerphone functionality. Can I Run One of my DVD-ROM Discs on iMac? No. While iMac comes with a fast, 24x-speed CD-ROM drive, it does not come with a DVD-ROM drive, and you'll need the latter to run DVD-ROM titles. If you'd prefer to have a computer with a DVD-ROM drive, Apple can certainly accommodate your needs. Just visit the Apple Store, and check out Apple's Power Macintosh G3 Desktop and Minitower configurations. At this time, however, we do not offer a DVD-ROM option on iMac. Will I Have to Disconnect the Internal Modem to Use an External USB Modem? Not at all. Thanks to USB, you can attach multiple devices to iMac. So, if you want, you can take advantage both of the internal 56K modem and an external USB modem--at the same time! You won't be able to run the same application on both of them, but you will be able to, let's say, use one of the two as a dedicated fax line and the other to surf the web or check your email. Of course, you may have to add another phone line to do so. iMac is Cute but is it Really Internet Ready? Absolutely! From both a hardware and a software perspective, iMac is ready to get you on the internet quickly and easily. Hardware first. Right out of the box, iMac gives you two ways to connect to the internet: built-in 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet and a built-in 56Kps fax/data modem. If you want to use the former, simply run an Ethernet cable from your iMac to the nearest port and you're ready to go. If the latter, simply run a phone cable to iMac and double click on the provided software. And as for software: again, iMac comes with everything you need. First of all, Internet Setup Assistant--part of Mac OS 8.1--walks you through a simple step-by-step process that, in most cases, will help you set up iMac for internet connectivity in less than fifteen (15) minutes. iMac comes with internet browsers--both Netscape Navigator 4.05 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.01--an email client (Microsoft's Outlook Express), and other internet apps. If that's not enough Internet software for you, AOL 4.0--containing the latest version of America Online software available for Macintosh--will also be installed on the hard drive and ready for you to use. And, finally, iMac includes FAXstf software--FAXstf 5.0 to be exact--to accommodate other internet communications needs. Can I Upgrade iMac? Definitely. iMac comes standard with 32MB of SDRAM and 2MB of SGRAM. For customers who create complex documents, who would like to run multiple programs, or who would like to use memory-intensive applications, the former can be expanded to 128MB. And the SDRAM for iMac is widely available, inexpensive, and easy to install. Out of the box, iMac provides 24-bit (photo-realistic) color at up to 800x600 resolution and 16-bit color at 1024x768 resolution. To improve the performance of applications that make heavy use of 2D and 3D graphics acceleration, you'll want to increase SGRAM to 4MB or 6MB. You can further upgrade your system through iMac's two USB ports. Apple expects developers to offer digital cameras, scanners, printers, keyboards, mice, joysticks, modems, and other USB devices to be available for iMac. Can I Upgrade the Processor? Apple has no plans at this time to offer such an upgrade. Will I Be Able to Connect Printers and Other Peripherals to iMac? Yes, iMac provides four Universal Serial Bus ports--two on iMac and two on the Apple USB Keyboard that comes with iMac--that can be used to connect not only the iMac mouse but also third-party printers, storage devices, external modems, and other peripheral devices. Why Doesn't iMac Have a Floppy Drive? With iMac, Apple is providing you with a product of the future that's available today, and Apple does not believe that customers need a low volume storage device like the floppy disk drive. Traditionally, floppy disk drives have been used for three primary purposes: to deliver and install software, to backup larger storage devices (like hard drives), and to transport smaller files. Virtually no one uses floppy disks to distribute software anymore. As programs have grown in size and installers have become more sophisticated, CD-ROM has completely replaced floppy disk as the medium to use for the distribution and installation of software. Similarly, virtually no one uses floppy disks to backup their hard drives anymore. Hard drives are simply too large. Today, you're unlikely to buy a new personal computer with a hard drive smaller than 2GB. Even if, being very conservative, you only need to back up 200MB of that 2GB drive (let's say, the majority consists of applications you can reinstall from CD-ROM), you would need approximately 200 1.4MB floppy disks! Are you really going to go out and buy 200 floppy disks and spend the amount of time necessary to back up data to those 200 disks? We don't think so. That doesn't sound very practical, and that's why storage devices that provide 100MB or 1GB of removable media have become so popular. As for the last reason for using floppy disks, we find that fewer and fewer people are using floppies to exchange files with a colleague or transport them for use on their computer at home--not with the ubiquity of Ethernet, email and the internet. In the office, most of our customers will send files to one another as email enclosures. In fact, a growing number of people are doing that out of the office, too. It's so easy. You're at the office, you create a new mail message, you enclose the files you need, and you send it to yourself. You get home, you fire up your iMac, you launch your mail program, and you retrieve your mail. Easy, right? There are other alternatives to using floppies for exchanging files, as well. For example, you can: * exchange files over a network by: - posting the files on a server where others can access them, - creating a Shared Folder on your hard drive that colleagues can access, or - dropping the files in a Drop Folder on your colleague's hard disk drive * use a USB storage device (see below) What's FireWire? FireWire is a cross-platform implementation of an industry standard--IEEE Standard 1394-1995--for moving large amounts of data between a computer and the peripheral devices attached to it on a high speed serial data bus. FireWire features: * simplified cabling * the hot swapping of peripheral devices (i.e., you don't have to turn your computer off to add or remove an attached device) * fast transfer rates (i.e., speeds of up to 400 megabits per second) Invented at Apple, FireWire allows customers to connect new digital consumer products directly to their computer. This includes such products as digital camcorders, digital video tapes, digital video disks, set-top boxes, and music systems. Apple is a cofounder of the 1394 Trade Association and is actively participating in the group's market and technology development activities. One of the first implementations of FireWire is available as a PCI card. Available on the Apple Store and as a standalone kit from Apple Authorized Resellers, the FireWire Kit allows customers to connect digital video cameras to Power Macintosh G3 computers that have PCI expansion slots. Does iMac Support FireWire? No. Apple's FireWire card requires a standard PCI slot, and iMac does not offer such a slot. If you're interested in using Apple's FireWire card to connect a digital video camera to a Macintosh computer, you may want to consider one of Apple's Power Macintosh G3 computers. They're available in both desktop and minitower configurations. Visit the Apple Store for more details: " http://www.store.apple.com " |
| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | iMac |
| Category: | iMac Support |
| Sub Category: | FAQ |
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