Monday, November 30, 2009

Wrist Shot of the Day: G.J. and Son Going For A Ride...


Father With Son Wristshot
G.J. Takes His Son For A Ride

G.J. is well known to the online Rolex community and he is a really cool guy. He shared this photo of him with his son in this wrist shot.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Introducing The Magrette Taniwha


Introducing
The Magrette Taniwha
Hand-Engraved Limited-Edition Gold-Inlay Masterpiece

What else can I say!?! Dion from Magrette has surprised, if not shocked us again with another hand-engraved, magnificent masterpiece–this time, named the Magrette Taniwha!!!

Back in September I completed a detailed review named The Magrette Story, which I highly recommend checking out if you missed it.

In the watch world today, I do not see much new design that impresses me, but Magrette blows my mind!!! Dion's Magrette designs are so unusual in the best way possible. His watches are extremely well designed and instant classics.

Magrette recently introduced another extremely limited Limited Edition of hand-engreaved watch named The Taniwha. Taniwha is not only hand-engraved, but also has Gold inlayed into the Steel.


This all-new limited-edition beauty is only $5985 which is extremely reasonable if you think about it. If you purchase one of these stunning hand-engraved masterpieces you will be one of only 5 people on planet-earth who wears this watch.


Magrette says of the process of inlaying Gold into Steel:

"Inlaying precious metal like gold into a harder host metal is a process that has not changed for centuries. The techniques that the old masters used are exactly the same today and even the style of tools hasn’t changed. What has changed is the host metals have got a lot harder so the tools are also made of stronger materials.

Not to be confused with gold plating which is a micro-thin layer of gold plated onto the surface of the metal, gold inlay is actually set and bonded into the host metal and is quite thick. For the Taniwha watch 0.5mm 24 Karat gold wire was used."

To learn much more about this magnificent Magrette masterpiece please click here.



Saturday, November 28, 2009

Rolex Hotness: Naomi Campbell Super-Leggy Model


Rolex Hotness: Naomi Campbell
Super-Leggy Model

Naomi Campbell was one of the first Supermodels and she was born in Streatham, London, England in 1970. Naomi's career got underway when she was only 16 years old when she was discovered by the Ford Modeling Agency in 1986.

Naomi is pictured below sporting a yellow gold Rolex Day-Date with a diamond bezel and she is sitting next to fellow Ralph Lauren model Tyson Beckford.


We see Naomi Campbell pictured below on the cover of Russian Vouge Magazine


In the photo below of supermodel, Naomi Campbell we see her sporting a two-tone Rolex Daytona.


Rolex Macro Shot of the Day Pepsi GMT Master II by Chris B


Rolex Macro Shot of the Day
Pepsi GMT Master II by Chris B

Friday, November 27, 2009

Macro Shot of the Day: Rolex Crown


Macro Shot of the Day: Rolex Crown

Thursday, November 26, 2009

The Real Meaning Of Thanksgiving: Fernando's Story...


For everything we miss we gain something else, and for everything we gain we miss something else. –Ralph Waldo Emerson


Fernando's Liberty

The Real Meaning Of Thanksgiving

Putting Things In Perspective


I have an extremely touching, moving story to share with you about a very brave man I recently met named Fernando who has been a great source of inspiration for me–and for many other people–and I believe once you learn his story, he will inspire you as well.


Recently, I received an email from Joshua Bonifas whose family owns Fortané Jewelers which is an amazing store that sells new and vintage Rolex watches.


I have become close with Josh and his younger brother Kris since we held the first Carmel GTG and Vintage Rolex Concours Exhibition in August. Kris and Josh and I share a deep appreciation for Rolex history to say the least!!!


Josh originally shared Fernando's story with me and then Kris shared more details with me and introduced me to Fernando.


Fernando, whose nickname is Sandy, was working on a project to build a new bridge at the San Jose Airport when a 40,000 pound-pile driver mistakenly fell from above him and in a micro-second severed his arms from his body.


Fernando's co-workers instantly rushed him and his severed hands (placed on ice) to Stanford University Medical Center where he was rushed into an emergency operating room where he was operated on by Dr. Matt Miller who saved Fernando's life and tried desperately to save as much of Fernando's arms as possible.


Despite his best effort, Dr. Miller was not able to re-attach Fernando's hands because the nerves in his arms were pulverized by the 40,000 pound pile driver.


Kris Bonifas & Fernando Limon at Fourtané checking out Rolex watches

Fernando was so stunned. He said "I spent my 41st birthday at Stanford starring at my missing arms."

Dr. Matt Miller who saved Fernando's life was Joshua Bonifas' best-friend growing up. When Fernando became conscious and started speaking with Dr. Miller he asked if they found his watch and Dr. Miller regrettably said no.

Noticing Fernando was a little dismayed, Dr. Miller said "Don't worry about your watch that is gone. I am going to write you a prescription for any Rolex you want."

Much to Fernando's surprise, Dr. Miller who was wears a stainless steel Rolex Yachtmaster, pulled out his prescription pad and literally wrote a prescription for "Any Rolex of Fernando's choice" and for the pharmacy to pick-it-up he filled in Fourtané Jewelers in Carmel, California.

Then Dr. Miller handed the prescription to Fernando and said, "My best friend growing up has a store in Carmel named Fourtané Jewelers that has the most amazing selection of vintage Rolex watches. When you are able to travel with your wife Donna, I want you to go down and pick-out any Rolex watch you want and consider it a gift from me."

Fernando said he was a surprised and the extremely kind gesture made him giggle. Fernando mentioned he was amazed by the compassion Dr. Miller showed.

Dr. Miller was extremely inspired by Fernando's spirit and they two of them became close friends, spending much time together.

Fernando told me when he first went home he felt completely devastated. At first he went into a very deep depression and became despondent. He also said he was afraid to go out into public because he said "I didn't want to be a freak."

As time went by Fernando had an epiphany one day were he said he realized he was getting nowhere by feeling sorry for himself. He realized his attitude was taking a toll on his wife Donna and family and he decided to change his attitude and appreciate all he had to be thankful for.

Fernando realized he had a beautiful, loving family and in reality he could do more than 99+% percent of the things he was able to do before the accident, including driving a car and many other things.

When Fernando got better, he and Donna took a trip to Carmel and they stopped into Fourtané Jewelers where they were greeted by Rosa who is in sales at Fourtané. Fernando told Rosa about how Dr. Miller had prescribed a new or vintage Rolex watch for him. Rosa was extremely moved by Fernando's story and invited Kris Bonifas over and introduced them.

Kris and Fernando had an amazing conversation (as seen in the photo above that Fernando's wife Donna took with her iPhone :-) and Kris started showing Fernando vintage Rolex stories while sharing Rolex's amazing history with Fernando. Fernando said "The Rolex watches were so beautiful!!! "Kris showed me many beautiful watches and explained what Rolex was all about.""

Fernando and Kris spoke for hours and Fernando said he really enjoyed his conversation with Kris. Kris mentioned when he would try to hand the watches to Fernando, he was afraid to hold them with his claw arm because he was afraid of scratching them. Kris figured out a way to wrap the bracelets with a dust cloth so Fernando was able to pick them up and examine them close up.

In the meantime, all the other employees in Fourtané got extremely emotional and were really moved. Fernando ended up having a conversation with a man in the store who was thinking about buying a watch and since Fernando got his diving certification in 1982 he said he thought the all-new Rolex DEEP-SEA was the best watch and the customer agreed and purchased it.

When Kris first shared the story with me, I asked him if Fernando ended up getting a Rolex watch and he said no. When I asked Fernando why he didn't take Dr. Miller up on his offer, he very humbly said, "I couldn't allow him to buy me a watch. He already saved my life and has been so compassionate with me."

I asked Fernando if he could get prosthetic arms so he could eventually wear a Rolex? Fernando responded by telling me that he had a prosthetic right arm but he has not been wearing it since it was so too heavy and made him uncomfortable. He mentioned he was going to try and figure out a way to eventually get arms that would work and be comfortable.

Fernando went on to tell me his dream is to one day be able to go SCUBA diving with prosthetic arms, while wearing a Submariner or DEEP-SEA.

Fernando and I had a really deep conversation and he said:

"Ever since this happened, I see the good in people. As bad as this world can be, there are still great people."

Fernando has chosen to rise above the loss of his hands, which he said he took for granted before his accident. He reflected that despite the loss of his hands, he has so much to look forward to.

If you would like to drop Fernando an email, even to just say hello and wish him a a happy Thanksgiving, you may email him at:

LimonF824@yahoo.com

On a side note, Fernando's story reminds me of something my Aunt Dora Jane used to always tell me. Dora Jane would say:

"It's not what you have that counts. It's what you do with what you have that counts."

In my mind, and it is easy for me to say, but that is the real takeaway point in Fernando's story for everybody, including Fernando. Fernando chose proactively not be a victim of his circumstances, but to take ownership of his life, and that is the greatest thing any man or woman can achieve.

Have a happy and Safe Thanksgiving everybody!!!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Ferrari Videos...


Amazing All-New Ferrari 458 Video Review

Since we took a look at the all-new Ferrari 458 on the all-new 27 inch iMac I thought I would share these cool Ferrari videos with you!!! Speaking of the all-new 27 inch iMac, it performs like the all-new Ferrari 458 in this first video. Turn the Volume WAY UP!!!!




140 Miles Per Hour Through Paris
Don't Try This At Home!!!!

Philipp from Denmark originally sent this video in last year so I thought since were checking out the all new Ferrari 458 it would be cool to check out this CRAZY video. Essentially, back in 1978 some crazy dudes drove through Paris, France at 140 Miles and hour!!!! I don't know what they were thinking, but when you watch this you feel like you are in the car.


Rolex Macro Shot of the Day: Porcelain White Dial


Rolex Macro Shot of the Day:
Porcelain White Dial Daytona

Franz took this amazing close-up macro shot of his stainless steel Rolex Daytona with the rare white porcelain dial.

Fascinating National Geographic Story...


Fascinating National Geographic Story
Man v. Beast

This is an amazing aquatic video from National Geographic that just kind of makes you smile :-)))

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Rolex Coolness: Roger Federer...


Rolex Coolness: Roger Federer
The Greatest Tennis Player In History

Boy was Rolex ever right with the copy in this 2007 Rolex Ad!!! Roger has gone on to achieve amazing highs since this ad came out 2 years ago.

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Ismat's Project X Design PXS SS1 on a Corvus James Bond Strap...


Ismat's Project X Design Submariner
On A Corvus Real James Bond Strap

Ismat is a fan of Jake's Rolex Watch Blog and he sent in this photo of his Project X Designs PXD SS1 Limited Edition Customized Rolex Submariner which is 1 of 24. This is the same watch That Daniel Craig, who plays James Bond wears in his real life.

The Project X Design PXD SS1 is based upon an LV 50th Anniversary Submariner, but it has a black bezel insert and the entire body of the watch has a satin finish and the crown-guard has been precisely filed down, so the watch looks like a vintage Rolex Submariner, but it enjoys all the build quality and reliability of a modern watch.

When Ismat first wrote in to tell me on October 26, 2009 about his new Project X Designs he said:

"Hi Jake, Hope you are well. I keep reading your fantastic blog each day and as usual the pictures are absolutely beautiful and the writing is 1st class. I read with interest the piece on Project X Design Submariner PXD SS1, because I purchased one of these beauties a few days ago and it was a nice coincidence that you wrote a piece today. I saw a small piece about the watch about a month ago and I immediately contacted Daniel Bourn and asked if there were any left as it was a Limited Edition.

"I wanted to see one in the flesh before splurging. I myself am a vintage man and love the old design of Rolexes–apart from the LV that is–which I think is a great looking watch, as it pays respect to the 5513 maxi dials of the past, which is what also appealed to me about the Project X Submariner.

"It is paying homage to the Rolex Reference 6538 big crown, no shoulders and with bars for you to slip your military strap on. I have used my Corvus strap on it and it looks absolutely great. When I have time I will try and take some pictures and send them to you. By the way, are there any new podcasts coming out? Keep up the good work and keep on ticking!!!"

Warmest regards,
Ismat Osman

Just yesterday Ismat sent in this photo of his super-cool Project X Designs PXD SS1 Limited Edition Submariner:


When Ismat sent in the photo above he yesterday he said:

Hi Jake, As promised, here are the pics of my Project X Sub on a Corvus strap. I love this watch and I took it swimming with my kids this weekend and I could not stop admiring it all day. I wish I took some under-water shots.

Your blog and website is without a shadow of a doubt the best Rolex blog around. What I appreciated about you is your appreciation of good design and whatever pleases you, be it watches, cars or computers–you let us know about it. Also thank you for introducing me to the other wonderful people out there with an interest in watches such as Bernhard's 100PercentRolex blog and the gorgeous pictures of Stefano Mazzariol.

Thank you sharing your extremely kind compliments Ismat along with your super-cool Project X Designs PXD SS1 on a Corvus James Bond Strap!!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Diver Dick's Transitional 16808 Submariner...



Diver Dick's Transitional 16808 Submariner

I met Dick at the Carmel GTG in August and he was a really cool guy. Dick loves yellow-gold Rolex Submariner watches with Nipple indices and he took this great shot of his transitional Reference 16808 which is a timeless classic.

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: Percy's MIlgauss...


Modern Milgauss

Percy, the co-owner of the German R-L-X.de forum took this photo of his modern 50th Anniversary Rolex GV Milgauss with the green crystal and orange Shazam second hand.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Rolex Studio Shot of the Day: A Big Crown From Italy


Roberto's Big Crown Submariner From Italy

Roberto's vintage big-crown Submariner has a beautiful olive/copper patina on the dial and he coupled it with this unusually colored NATO strap which gives it a really cool, fresh vibe!!!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Rolex Coolness: Bruce Willis...


Rolex Coolness: Bruce Willis
An Amazing Career With Rolex By His Side

Bruce Willis has an amazing acting career. He stared with Cybil Shepherd in the TV show Moonlighting. He has also been in many blockbuster movies including, Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, Sin City, 12 Monkeys, Armageddon and the Sixth Sense.


Bruce Willis movies have grossed over $3Billion dollars. As you can see in the photo above with Bruce's Moonlighting co-star Cybi Shepherd in 1989, Bruce is wearing a two-tone Rolex Datejust. Bruce has won two Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.


In the photos above and below we see Bruce Willis wearing his stainless and platinum Rolex Yatchmaster on a stainless steel Oyster bracelet. Bruce Willis was born in Idar-Oberstein, West Germany on March 19, 1955 and his father moved their family to New Jersey, U.S.A, in 1957.


Friday, November 20, 2009

The Quest For The Best The All-New Apple 27 inch iMac...


The Quest For The Best Series on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog seeks to find the absolute best product or service in any category, and share with you, the reader what makes the best the best.


Seek to make things simple, not simpler. –Albert Einstein

The Quest For The Best
The All-New Apple 27 inch iMac

You Need This Computer!!!!!

I pretty much live on the computer–which is by design–and I am not complaining since I really enjoy it. I have however, been frustrated my whole computing life by how slow computers performed and evolved :-((((

My dream has always been to have a computer that could keep up with me, which seems like it should have been possible, but it was simply not reality–not even close. I also noticed, the faster computers became, the faster my skills became, which made me feel like a donkey chasing a carrot on a stick.

I feel like I have been dwelling in a world where computers were designed by the same team that brought us the half-baked-at-best Ford Gremlin and Chrysler Reliant K–just a bunch of thoughtless beige cardboard garbage with plastic seat-covers.

I always felt like I should be living in the Jetson's, but I was stuck in the Flintstones. It seems as if my entire computer experience over the last 4 decades was summed up "Hurry up and wait!?!"


Friction-Free Computing

With the advent of Apple's all-new 27 inch iMac my digital-life just got much, much, much better and easier!!!! Everything is very close to instantaneous on the all-new iMac, which makes it feel like the computer actually understands me or can read my mind!!! My dream to have a friction-free computing experience has arrived and I couldn't be happier!!!

Typically a product review makes you wait until the end before it draws its conclusion, but I am going to take a different approach and begin with the conclusion:

The all-new 27 inch Apple iMac is Off-The-Richter-Scale Unbelievable!!!! Crazy, Stunningly Amazing, Over-The-Top, Beautiful, Off-the-hook, Astounding, Stupefying, Breathtaking, Awesome, Spectacular, Phenomenal, Extraordinary, Jaw-Dropping, Wondrous, Pure, Incredible, Delicious!!!!!!!!

Run out and buy one!!!!!!!! I am just completely blown-away with this Magnificent Masterpiece of Design which is an astonishingly fast piece of Industrial Art!!!!!!!!


The Future Has Arrived

A few weeks ago Apple surprised or should I say "stunned" everybody when they introduced an All-New line of their all-in-one-design desktop computers named iMac and this review covers the stunningly magnificent 27 inch iMac. I purchased one of these beauties over a week ago and have been testing it and I want to share my findings with you!!!

I sincerely believe, future generations, many years from now will look back at the introduction of this bold machine as a seminal event in computer history, where the computing dividend first paid-off.

In other words, 10 years from now, I believe we will look back and wonder how we ever lived with all the janky, junky, jokey-jokey desktop computers that came before the 27 inch iMac. I can literally see how in the future desktop computing will be measured in terms of before and after the 27incher–No Joke!!!

Not only is this the absolute best computer ever made–by a long shot–but it basically makes every desktop computer on earth obsolete!!! I realize I just made a bold declarative statement and I intend to back it up with this article.

Somebody once said "God gave us eyes so we could appreciate beauty" which is perfectly on-point for the all-new 27 inch iMac!!!!!!!!!



As you see in the above photo of the 27 inch iMac it comes with a wireless Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and built-in 802.11n Wifi.

Not only is it the best performing computer, but it looks like a million bucks. I intentionally put the photo of the all-new Ferrari on the screen because that is essentially what you get when you purchase the new 27 inch iMac!!! The supreme irony with this magnificent machine is that it is extremely inexpensive for what you get.

The unbelievable new 27 inch iMac only cost $1699 and you can purchase it directly from Amazon for $1699 delivered to your doorstep by scrolling to the end of this review. This amazing price includes free shipping and Amazon does not charge sales tax.


Beauty That's A Beast!!!

As you see in the photo below the whole computer is in the screen. That's right...I said the entire computer, including the hard drive, RAM and dual Intel Core 2 Duo 3.06GHz processor is located inside the screen case. Even the power supply is located inside the computer, so you just simply plug it in the wall and you're pretty much done.

This ultra-simple transportable design also makes it very easy to move it around your home or office. There is no reason why you couldn't sit in a comfortable chair in your den and write a book on it, and they move it to your bedroom to watch a movie or TV shows in bed.

The all-in-one design is remarkable because it not only looks like a work-of-art, but you don't have to have some stupid, ugly, noisy tower that sits on the floor or even worse, on your desktop.

Speaking of noisy computers...the all-new iMac is unbelievably quiet and has built in high-quality stereo speakers that are hidden on the bottom of the machine. It also has a super-high-resolution glossy glass screen that make all graphics look yummy and much more alive and 3Dimensional!!!!!!!


Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. –Leonardo da Vinci



We also see in the photo above that the DVD burner and SD card slot are located on the right side of the new iMac. The wireless Bluetooth keyboard and all-new Apple Magic Mouse come stock with it. That's right, for $1699 the all new 27 inch iMac comes standard with the cordless keyboard and mouse which cost $120 if purchased separately. If you think about it, that means the computer and screen only cost $1580.


The Power Of Simplicity

Before we examine more details on what makes this the best computer ever made lets look at the breathtaking screen. As you can see in the photo above and below, the screen is real glass and the seamless black frame goes to the edge. This gives the 27 iMac a super-clean, simple vibe that is extremely elegant at the same time!!!!

The screen on this beast is a whopping 27 inches diagonally and in many ways the all new iMac's design language makes it appear like a huge iPhone. The screen has a native resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels which allows you to view two full-size application windows side-by-side with zero overlap.

What is so important about being able to see two full-size application windows side by side? We human beings reason by analogy. We constantly compare one frame of reference to another and on the new 27 iMac this is easy. As you can see in the photo above we are seeing two full width 1245 Pixel web-browser windows side by side with zero overlap–Just like a full-sized glossy magazine!!!!

There have been many times when I have spoken with somebody on the phone and they are looking at Jake's Rolex Watch Blog and they ask why the main 800 pixel-wide images are cut-off on their screen? Obviously it is because their screen is too small.

I will share a story with you about a conversation I had on this subject with an old man who will go unmentioned. We were talking on the phone and he was on Jake's Rolex Watch Blog. He asked me why the photos were cut-off and he could see just more than half of the width? After about 15 frustrating minutes with me trying to troubleshoot with him to overcome the challenge we concluded that he was on a 15 inch LCD!?!?

I told him his archaic 15 inch LCD was not displaying the web the way it was meant to be seen. He got really flustered with me and asked why he could not see the whole pictures on his computer? I asked him how long ago he bought his computer and he responded that he had only had it 4-5 years. I recommended he get a new iMac to make his life simple and he said he refused to waste money on a new computer when he had a perfectly good computer.

The challenge is that computer years are very much like dog years. His computer is more like a driving around in a 35 year-old Chrysler Reliant K. I don't mean to appear arrogant, but that is the stone-cold reality. Computers and the web have evolved so much in the last 4-5 years it is truly amazing, and thus it makes sense to invest in a computer that will allow you to completely enjoy yourself and see the web the way it looks best.


Timeless–Future Proof Design

No computer is future-proof per se and that is probably a good thing. I actually prefer my computer to become obsolete as soon as possible because that means that whatever replaces it will be that much better!!! The interesting thing with this all-new iMac is that I argue that it is the most future proof computer ever offered for sale.

With the advent of this all-new 27 inch iMac, I argue computer hardware has hit a crescendo, where for the first time in computer history the hardware is so much faster than what the software requires, that if you invest in this beautiful machine, you will enjoy it for many years to come. In 4-5 years I believe it will still look great and perform well.


Unbelievable Design & Specifications

Let's take a close look under the hood and examine what makes this all-new 27 inch Apple iMac so unusual and powerful.

First is the LED backlit LCD screen technology that Apple incorporated into the machine. LCD screens have historically been backlit with Fluorescent lights that require time to warm up. LED backlights are not only instantly at their brightest, but they are much more energy-efficient and thus consume far less electricity.

LED's also produce a cleaner, whiter light and last much, much, much longer without losing any light power whereas fluorescent backlighting dims and typically yellows with age. LED's also produce very little if any heat.

When Apple originally designed the iPhone, they invested $60 Million in just mechanical and electrical engineering to force the ultimate form-factor into existance. They did so because they realized how important it was to achieve the perfect small, skinny form-factor that had multiple invisible antennas inside; including a Bluetooth antenna, a Wifi antenna as well as a cellular antenna.

With the all new 27 inch iMac Apple once again stepped up and did the same thing, and this time they custom-fabricated their own custom-made LCD panel. This panel uses a state-of-the-art LCD screen technology named In-Plane-Swtiching (IPS) which creates a super-clear, tack-sharp image with excellent off-angle viewing coupled with a wider-color gamut, meaning more visible colors on the screen.

This custom LCD panel also has many unique characteristics. To begin with, it has the highest Pixel Per Inch (PPI) count of any monitor Apple has ever made. The screen also has a 16:9 aspect ratio which is also a first for Apple.

A 16:9 Aspect Ratio refers to the ratio between the Width (16) and the Height (9). Standard, old-fashioned TV's have an aspect ratio of 3:4 (meaning 3 High by 4 Wide) and most wide-screen computer monitors are 16:10 which means that if you watch a standard High-Defenition (HD) movie you would get black bars on the top and bottom of the screen, but this is not the case with the all-new 16:9 Aspect Ratio iMac!!!


Convergence Achieved

This is of significant consideration because I recall 10 years ago there was a big debate about whether we would see Computer-On-A-TV or TV-On-A-Computer?

The obvious answer is TV-On-A-Computer won out, and now we have a screen on a Mac that is the same aspect ratio as a Plasma or LCD TV. What does this all mean? You can now use your iMac for watching widescreen 16:9 movies or widescreen TV shows and they will both take up the whole screen.

Also, many of the new state-of-the-art point-and-shoot-digital cameras can shoot photos that are 16:9 so everything is uniform and looks great on this Apple masterpiece.

As we see, on the back of the machine (pictured below) the all-new 27 iMac has a vent on top of the all-aluminum case-back with the exception of the Apple logo which is high-end plastic that has the Wifi and Bluetooth antennas behind it to achieve superb reception. The 27 inch iMac is also VESA mountable which means you can remove the existing stand and wall mount it.The all-new iMac has all its connection ports and power button on the back. As we see in the image below (from left to right) we see
  • Audio Out (Digital Toslink & Analog)
  • Audio In (Digital Toslink & Analog)
  • 4 USB 2.0 Ports
  • Firewire 800 Port
  • Mini-Display Port (for hooking-up an additional monitor if you wish)
  • Gigabit Ethernet Port
There is also a Kensington compatible security slot which would stop anybody from walking away with your computer in an office, gym or trade-show environment.



In the photo below we see a side-profile shot of the all-new iMac and it is hard to believe that the machine has a world-class professional workstation-class computer inside the screen enclosure, but it does. It comes standard with a 1 Terrabyte hard drive that spins at 7200 RPM–so it is really Fast!!!!!!!




It is hard to see, which is by design, but the all-new iMac also has an iSight video camera (pictured below: located top in the middle) which allows you to video conference over iChat or Skype for free with up to 3 other people in the world so long as they have an internet connection.


Is A Mac Really Better Than A PC?

In a word, Yes!!!!!!! When I was 16 years old, more than 25 years ago, I bought the first Apple Mac the first day it was available (January 24, 1984). I actually cut fifth-period and went to the Compuland in Mill Valley in Marin County, California and waited for the UPS man to show up!!! Pictured below is the original brochure for the first Mac I purchased:


Original 1984 Apple Macintosh 128Kb Brochure

It is fascinating to note the all-in-one design of 27 iMac is almost identical to the original Mac from 1984 even though the 27 looks a million times better. You've come a long way baby!!!

That same years I also purchased my first Rolex which was a stainless steel Submariner. (By the way the new iMac perfectly matches a Submariner ;-)

Here is the original 1984 won't be like 1984 Apple Commercial:



I actually took my first computer lab class when I was 11 years old and I have been using computers for more than 3 decades.

Even Bill Gates will tell you the Mac is better than any other computer:



So what makes the Mac so much better than a PC? A zillion things. I will enumerate what I consider to be the most compelling reasons:

  1. System Integration: Apple designs and manufactures all their own hardware as well as writing their Snow Leopard Operating System (OS X). This results in much more predictable and reliable behavior.
  2. Free World-Class Software: All apple computers including the all-new 27 inch iMac come with the iLife suite of world-class, easy to learn software which includes iPhoto for managing your digital photos; iMovie, for editing your video and Garage Band for editing sound recordings. As a matter of fact, I edit Jake's Rolex Watch Blog Podcasts in Garage Band.
  3. Apple Stores: If you ever have any challenges with your Apple computer you can take it to any Apple store to the Genius Bar and they will fix it for you or answer any questions you have. If you have ever had a challenge with a DELL computer, you know what a nightmare it can be to get it fixed.
  4. Zero Viruses: There are over 120,000 PC viruses that can also make your life a nightmare. To add insult to injury, you have to pay a third-party $40 a year to help protect your computer from viruses. This would be like having to pay a bodyguard to protect you from your husband or wife, which is absurd. The Apple Macs have ZERO Viruses. So not only do you not have to waste $40 per years, but you can't get a virus because they simply don't exist.
  5. One-On-One Training: If you invest in an Apple and you want to learn how to use any piece of software, you can sign up for a program that allows you go to any Apple store in the world and take a 1 hour class up to once a week and it only costs $100 per year!!! The will teach you anything and it is a very, very impressive program and value. If you currently own a PC and you want to transfer all your data over to the Mac, they include this service for free if you sign-up for the One-On-One service.
  6. Ease Of Use: Widows Vista was such a nightmare to upgrade to from Windows XP, that many people and businesses stuck with XP. Microsoft just came out with Windows 7 which is much better than XP or Vista, but in many ways it is a copy of the Apple Mac OS X Snow Leopard.
  7. It Just Works: Macs are not perfect by any means but everything works well together in symphony.
  8. Zero Demoware: Macs don't come with unnecessary crapware and demoware installed.
  9. People: Mac users are typically like people who wear Rolex watches. They are passionate, friendly, curious and enjoy helping each other.
  10. Plug & Play Predictability: On a Mac you plug and play, there is no Plug & Prey like on a PC with goofy drivers for everything. USB drives and SD cards plug in and do what you expect them to.
  11. Simplicity: If you wanted to upgrade from Leopard to Snow Leopard you had one choice and it was $29. Windows 7 comes in 9 different versions which range from $119 to $320. Microsoft Windows 7 comes in Windows 7 Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Home Premium Upgrade, Professional, Professional Upgrade, Windows Enterprise, Windows Ultimate & Ultimate Upgrade. This is completely absurd!!!
I could go on forever talking about how in my opinion, Mac is so much better than a PC, but guess what the best PC is? That's right, the 27 inch iMac!!!! If you want, you can purchase a 27 inch Mac and load Windows 7 on it and run it under Boot Camp as a full blown PC. This way, your PC will match your really cool iPhone ;-)

Another option, if you are crazy like me, you can run Windows side by side on the Mac using a program like Parallels 5 or VMWare Fusion 3 which allows you to run a PC side by side on your Mac simultaneously. You can also configure Parallels or VMWare so PC applications appear to run as Mac applications.

So if the Mac is so much better than the PC then why would you want to run a program that would allow you to run PC applications on your Apple Mac?

There are many reasons. For instance, Quickbooks, for some bizzare reason, has a different user interface for their Mac version and most accountants and CPA's would prefer you use the PC version. Also, if there is an application or two written for the PC you want or need to run for you business, you can on a Mac.


Conclusion

The all-new Apple 27 inch iMac is a complete game-changer. It comes in 3 versions with the least expensive version being $1699 which is the one I recommend for 99+% of the population. I wrote this review on the new $1699 27inch Mac which I have had for a week and I can say it completely boggles my mind!!!! Did I mention it is FAAAASSTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!

As you can imagine, I spend at least 8 hours a day in front of the computer writing and researching stories for Jake's Rolex Watch Blog as well as all the graphics and html.

I basically live on the computer and the new iMac is so fast and everything is fluid, friction-free and almost instantaneous. I literally can't believe how fast it is and I certainly wonder how I ever lived without it!?!?!?

On all the computers I have ever owned, even surfing the web was a pain and always kind of slow, but with the new 27 iMac almost everything is instantaneous!!! Don't forget that if you have a lightning fast internet connection with a slow computer, you go slow. If you have a lightning fast computer like the 27 inch iMac and a so, so connection, it will still be very fast.

The all-new 27 iMac is the new ideal and the way a desktop computer should be!!!! That is really the point I wish to pass along to you...the new iMac is the way computers should have always been.


Superb Value with Rocket Performance!!!!!

How great of a value is the all-new 27 inch iMac? I can tell you that if Apple introduced it for twice the amount of money, I would still have gladly purchased it–seriously–and been equally ecstatic.

Why is Apple making such a powerful and great looking machine so inexpensively? Probably because they want to achieve the same ubiquity they have with the iPhone.

Apple also came out with an all-new 21.5 inch iMac that is also available (link below on left) but I don't recommend it because you can only comfortably view one window at a time without significant overlapping. I would only recommend the 21.5 for people who have limited eyesight and need to zoom everything way up on the screen.


If you have ANY questions about the new iMac I can help you with, please send me an email and I would be happy to help you. (My email is at the top of the page in the right hand corner). Computers can be confusing and remember there is no such thing as a stupid question ;-)