OT: Any chance Apple will soon upgrade the 20" iMac? (and other questions)

[Jay Boshara]

Sorry for this off topic post, but you all are my best bet for hearing some
intelligence on this.

I know Apple just recently upgraded the iMac, but what are the chances they
will announce another upgrade to the 20" iMac (or a drop in its price)
during the Macworld Expo January 5-9?  I finally got together enough jingo
to buy an iMac and just use my iBook for the road, but I'm wondering if I
should wait a month.

Also, and I know this is a long shot, but what's the chance that they will
put a G5 in the iMac anytime soon?  If they might, any sense of when?

What are your thoughts on getting AppleCare?  Is it worth it at $119?

Should I buy more RAM from Apple when I order the iMac, or is it cheaper to
buy it elsewhere?  If it's cheaper to buy RAM elsewhere, how much cheaper,
and is it easy to install in the iMac?  I've installed RAM in my iBook
before and it was fairly easy, so I imagine I could handle it on my own.  If
I did install it myself, would it void my AppleCare coverage?  If I have
Apple install the RAM, does it matter whether I buy the one-DIMM 512 MB chip
for $90 or the two-DIMM chips for $180?  Also, the AppleStore website is a
little confusing: if I select the one- or two-DIMM 512 MB option, does that
bring the iMac up to 768 MB of RAM, or would that simply bring it up to 512
MB?

Thanks for your input.  If you have time, please respond to
jboshara at mchsi.com.