New Apple Desktop Releases :

New Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Core 2 Duo):

Apple iMac

The iMac 21.5-inch (Core 2 Duo) is a study in duality: It has the Apple design and mystique that looks and feels pricey, but the system is also a lot less expensive than the 27-inch version. Less expensive in Apple's case means a starting price of $1,199, and while the competition is cheaper at similar screen sizes, those competitors have to compromise on features like less memory or downgrading to slower Intel Pentium Dual-Core processors. The "baby" iMac still manages to fit true 1080p HD screen resolution, a speedy 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and wireless everything into an attractive aluminum and glass all in one desktop. It's the Mac desktop to get if you want to get multimedia work done, and as such earns our nod for Editors' Choice.

Features :

The system contains the same 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E7600 processor found in the base 27-inch iMac. The system comes with 4GB of DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB hard drive, integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, and a slot loading DVD burner. The memory, graphics, hard drive, and processor can all be upgraded when you order it from Apple, but the base configuration we look at here is pretty good on its own. The 21.5-inch model's 1,920 by 1,080 (true 1080p) screen resolution is an improvement over the old 20-inch model's 1,680 by 1,050 resolution that couldn't quite show all the pixels in HD movies bought from iTunes. Unfortunately, none of the iMac models can be equipped with a Blu-ray player; you're limited strictly to downloads and Web videos.

The system is essentially wireless, with the only tether that's absolutely necessary being the power cord. The keyboard is wireless, the Magic Mouse is wireless, and the system has 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2,1+EDR for everything else. You can of course hook up hard drives to the iMac's four USB ports or single FireWire 800 port. I'd like to see an eSATA port on a future Mac, but for now FireWire 800 is fast enough. The iMac has a Mini DisplayPort output for extending the desktop or mirroring, but you'll need to upgrade to the 27-inch model if you want Mini DisplayPort input. You'll need an adapter to connect the iMac to anything but Apple's 24-inch LED Cinema Display. One other nit is the new SD card reader: it only accepts SD cards. Single-slot media card readers on Windows systems will usually accept SD, Memory Stick, and xD cards with or without an adapter. Good thing the majority of digital cameras these days use SD.

Like other Macs, the iMac comes with Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard), iLife '09, and a few other programs like Photo Booth and Front Row. Apple should be applauded for limiting the software to useful programs and avoiding all the bloatware and trial software that seems to infest some Windows PCs. You can run Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 on the iMac in Boot Camp, but of course, you'll have to buy Microsoft's OS separately. Windows 7 isn't officially supported at this time, but we were able to install Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit without any trouble.

Specifications:

• Price as Tested: $1,199.00
• Type: General Purpose, Multimedia, All-in-one
• Processor Family: Intel Core 2 Duo
• RAM: 4 GB
• Storage Capacity: 500 GB
• RAID: No
• Graphics Card: nVidia GeForce 9400M
• Primary Optical Drive: Dual-Layer DVD+/-RW
• Monitor Type: LCD Widescreen
• Screen Size: 21.5 inches