imac continuous beeping wont turn on

Tony,

You are on the right track with AppleCare however you will need to wait until tomorrow, they're open M-Saturdays. Don't wait for the call back, call them tomorrow morning. I suspect your machien has suffered a Kernel Panic, this can be difficult to track down. One common cause is RAM related, this can be:

1. Failed RAM (yes RAM can and does fail)

2. Incorrect RAM (did you upgrade it?)

3. Unseated RAM, try removing yours and reseating it per your manual.

You can also try some basic resets like restarting in Safe Mode. You can also try doing a SMC and PRAM resets. Please follow the instructions carefully.

SMC RESET

• Shut down the computer.
• Unplug the computer's power cord and all peripherals.
• Press and hold the power button for 5 seconds.
• Release the power button.
• Attach the computers power cable.
• Press the power button to turn on the computer.

PRAM RESET

• Shut down the computer.
• Locate the following keys on the keyboard: Command, Option, P, and R. You will need to hold these keys down simultaneously in step 4.
• Turn on the computer.
• Press and hold the Command-Option-P-R keys. You must press this key combination before the gray screen appears.
• Hold the keys down until the computer restarts and you hear the startup sound for the second time.
• Release the keys.

Your welcome, while KP's are unusual and difficult to track a rare occasional one can occur. If you have another then contact AppleCare immediately. Here are some articles that discuss KP's and some trouble shooting steps, my recommendation is to book mark them and hope you never have to use them.

Because you're new to OS X I'm also going to include some links you should bookmark, I'm assuming you have switched from a PC so these may help.

Best of luck.

Kernel Panics

Mac OS X 10.6 Help: If “You need to restart your computer” appears

Tutorial: Avoiding and eliminating Kernel panics

About "You need to restart your computer" (kernel panic) messages

AND

Switch 101

Mac 101

Find Out How Video tutorials

List of Useful URLs for switchers