Dual-Cored and Universal

Yeah, I finally upgraded ye olde eMac 800. As much as I loved the Big Kahuna (What? Doesn't everybody name their Macs?), it was starting to get sluggish whenever I'd launch Safari, or whenever Entourage was doing stuff and I'd...I don't know, launch iPhoto or something. Forget GarageBand, my poor system would 'redline' with even the simplest loops playing.

So, after my wife updated her just-as-obsolete Windows system (she's probably more cross-platform than I am, since she has an iBook for school and a PC for games and stuff) for a new Dell, I saw my opening!

I used my school discount to pick up a new 20" dual-core Intel iMac. We're talking 250 GB hard drive, iSight camera, Mighty Mouse and the whole nine yards. Awesome stuff.

Since it's been a few years since I bought one (or worked in the Apple Store), I was pleasantly surprised how much the Mac Experience has improved:

• The Apple Store guy showed me how much it'd cost, how much I would expect back, and what rebates were available. No pressure, no slick sales talk (yes, Staples, I'm looking at you!)
• The Apple Store emailed me a copy of my receipt automatically. I'll throw it into Yojimbo for safe keeping.
• Speaking of Yojimbo, it didn't miss a beat. It saw a new computer and synced it's data with it. I shudder to think how SOHO Notes would've screwed that up.
• It's already registered when you get it. No forms, no paperwork. No nuttin'.
• Migration Assistant works as advertised. Grabbed everything I needed (iTunes music, iPhoto pictures) from my old Mac, and nothing I didn't (cruddy preferences). It was wicked fast, too -- considering how many years of crap it had to suck up.
• When starting up for the first time, the setup assistant (which my wife did, since she wouldn't let me enjoy that) even asked to take my picture as my user icon. Well thought out!
• The iMac remembers what volume setting I last left it in, even for the famous startup chime. I like to keep the volume kind of low (since it's technically in our dining room), and to have that chime come blasting out at 5:30 am is nerve-wracking to say the least.