Don't all iMacs support a second display?

Can't you daisy-chain two (or more) external drives in the FW800 port? I do that with FW400 on a PPC iMac. Doesn't OSX support RAID? I am quite sure the server version does.

And, you know, that Dell box will have Windows pre-installed. OSX is so much nicer.

Most iMacs support "Display Mirroring". Yup. Two monitors, in proximity (basically next to each other) showing the exact same thing. Very useful.

(Note: Apple tends to change this every hardware revision. So basically -- every OTHER revision of the iMac supports dual displays.)

I hadn't considered software FW RAID. I don't know if it would be better/worse than SATA RAID chipsets on modern PC motherboards these days. I have a feeling (being software RAID) that it would be slower than hardware RAID 1. And still, saying its capable to jury rig RAID (i mean, c'mon, for an additional fee, I could just buy a FW RAID array and just attach that.) is different from saying it supports it out of the box, like its price-competitive PC counterparts do.

Yes, OS X is nice. But the premiums on the hardware are looking a little dated considering everyone is slashing margins during a recession. OTOH, my Mac Book Pro is doing so well, I don't feel the need to upgrade, so I can afford to wait and buy used.

AFAIK, the display mirroring limitation hasn't existed since the switch to Intel. MacTracker indicates that every Intel iMac so far has supported extending the display in addition to mirroring.

That's good to know. Apple is always doing something stupid with one of its product lines. Its current MacBooks dropped firewire. So, a university I know (worked there) won't be ordering new MacBooks because they own so many Firewire only camcorders, and they let the students check out a camcorder and a macbook to make videos for class. Because people are complaining, it will probably come back next incarnation.

And then, after that, it'll probably be taken out.

It's been known to happen. The 15" PowerBook G4 came with a FW800 port, but was removed when the 15" MacBook Pro came out. Bowing to public pressure, Apple restored the port to the 15" when they upgraded to Core 2 Duo.

That mirroring thing is really weird. I remember having extended desktops on the G5 iMacs and I assume no meaningful features were droppped (perhaps HD playback on external monitors).

As for software RAID vs. hardware, current processors are usually so much faster than spinning disks that I suppose hardware RAID exists currently only on very high-end systems. As for the low-end systems, they make the processor do a lot of work, so, that more or less evens the playfield.

Macs also have a much longer useful life. I still use a G3 iMac that has been serving me flawlessly since it left the factory.

The iMac form factor has its own advantages which offset the extra power of the low-end Mac Pro.

Really? Like what? Like forcing you to throw out the 24 inch LCD when the computer is obsolete? Like a lack of upgradable anything (besides RAM)?

The iMac might have a unique form factor, but it doesn't necessarily convey any advantages other than aesthetics.

First, aesthetics are not negligible. The iMac has at least two fewer cables, is more easily shifted around, doesn't require finding space on the floor for a tower, takes up very little desk space, and is very quickly packed up for overnight or weekend trips. For people who need to take their computers with them a few times a year, but don't want to make the sacrifices or pay the higher costs for a laptop, it's useful. Just speaking for my own category.