What are some common issues with the new iMacs?

I'm looking into buying one and experimenting with a new operating system. I've been a faithful PC user since I was 5 years old but I want to expand my horizons. Macs seem to be good for graphic designers like me and I could use it for school as well.

I heard that they don't get PC viruses and they're lightning fast. I went into the Apple Store myself and nothing froze up or crashed like my PC does.

I've also heard something about how there isn't HDMI (I might want to use my PS3 on it!) and how some programs don't work with Mac OS X. I commonly use Firefox, Opera, Skype, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, Echofon, Microsoft Office, and Dropbox.

It's a big investment, but I'm willing to shell out the money when I finally get it.

 

honestly for intensive graphics design I tend to avoid iMacs.

Reasons
1: Mobile GPU is ok but sub optimal for intensive GPGPU accelerated filters and layering in photoshop etc.

2: depending on your work environment the 0 internal expansion is a pain, lots of us would need to attach multiple external drives and devices ( serious desk clutter once you add a good storage RAID, WACOM, Pantone calibrator etc. )

3: OSX is WAY behind windows in multiscreen environments, Lion caught up some but still falls way behind MS and Linux distros. and most of us in photo/video are moving to 2+ screens

4: if your careful viruses are a moot point in either OS phishing scams, keyloggers and trojans are much more an issue ( PEBKAC )

5" very limited build options and customization for intensive apps.

upside

clean design if you dont need many attachments.
decent IPS screen ( do note pro desktop IPS screens are way down in price now )
video input ability to use iMac as a montitor

small footnote I prefer Office for windows over office 11 Mac, and Flash is VERY sub optimal in OSX

 

Well... a lot of what you ask is subjective, so you can get a wide range of answers that might even be opposite. You need to figure out what works good for you, not what works good for someone else.

You have to be careful of Malware (Virus, trojan, worms, etc...) on any computer. While Mac OS X might not currently have any viruses that can affect it, that doesn't mean it will always be that way, and there is other Malware out there, but its usually always some sort of trick trying to get you to use it by lying about what it is.

Macs have a Mini-DisplayPort compatible output (through the Thunderbolt port). All you need to do is grab a Mini-DP to HDMI plug and you can plug it in through HDMI fine... DisplayPort is actually better than HDMI in some ways, but it has no problems being converted to use with HDMI.

All of the programs you list do have Mac versions available, but you might have to buy the Mac versions for the non-free programs you list there.

I won't go point by point on what KCETech1 said, but he's being quite vague and not entirely accurate... but it is all subjective and depends on your personal needs as well.

 

there is already existing benchmarks showing the quad imacs that are out now are actually faster then the current mac pros. the current mac pros havent been updated in years. when it gets an update it will be a wonderful thing. until then though imac is the way to go. they are quiet and fast.