About to purchase my very first MAC computer, got a few quick ?'s...

ok I think I'm about to buy the 24" iMac... Except I have never even seen a MAC computer in my life! I have only experienced windows computers...
Anything important I need to know before my purchase?
Also is there a new designed iMac coming out soon? I saw new laptops and other things released on apple store.com
And finally this may be re dumbest question ever but where is the CD/DVD drive located? Is evrything included into the flat screen? I mean there is no tower or anything....
Please help before I screw up and drop $2000 on something I am clueless about... There is no apple store within hundreds of miles, so you are my only source....
Thanks!

Hello iturn,
I presume you've looked at Apple's website to get the info you have on the 24" iMac, but if not, here it is.
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac?mco=MTE3MDM
Click on the tabs in the included software section to see what comes with it.
All the hardware you should need is included . . . and yes the CD-DVD reader-burner super drive is located on the right side of the screen. There is no tower or anything else other than the keyboard and mouse. In that respect it's a lot like a desktop mounted laptop only much bigger.
You're choice of the 24" model is, IMHO the best choice of the available models. The screen is brilliant and is a beauty. Also, somewhere on that Apple site is a section to help people who are switching from windows, so you should look for it and check it over. And on Amazon you can find a book by David Pogue called Switching: the Missing Manual or something like that.
Yes, before you drop $2000 on a totally new computer system you definitely should research it out to see that it fits your needs. And you really ought to see one of these Macs in person and play around with it a little. It's likely to blow your mind a bit, but that's the way to see if it's the computer for you. Surely there's someone in your area that has one. If not a weekend drive to the nearest Apple store is surely worthwhile for you.
As for a possible new design coming out soon, no one here knows that, nor are we allowed to speculate here about it. Again my best advice is to find a way to get a look at one before you order it.
Hope this helps and I hope you'll join us soon with one of these gorgeous machines.
Rick

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