Apple has just announced they have updated their iMacs. So what are we getting, what will it cost and is it worth it?
Well let’s see, we have one new 20 inch iMac, three new 24 inch iMacs and two new Mac Minis.
The 20 inch has 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, 320 GB Serial ATA Hard Drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics all for $1,199.
Something that is definitely worth a mention is the starting price of the new 24 inch iMac which is the same price as the previous generation 20 inch iMac and for that you get 30% larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage. So what else?
The starting price of a 24 inch is $1,499, the other two are $1,799 and $2,199 and for that you get up to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, a 640GB or a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400 M integrated graphics, NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 or for the pricier machine, ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics.
The two new Mac Minis are tiny desktops measuring 6.5 x 6.5 x 2 inches. One is available with 2.0 GHz and Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB 1066 MHz SDRAM expandable to 4GB, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a 320GB Serial ATA hard drive. The suggested retail price is $799.
The other mini has 1MB RAM expandable to 4GB and a 120GB Serial ATA hard drive. The recommended retail price for this one is $599.
All of the iMacs and both minis come with built in iSight video camera, microphone and speakers, as well as one FireWire 800 port and AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1 and EDR. Included is the iLife 09 suite of applications for photos, creating movies and learning how to play music.
Apple also announced that the AirPort Extreme Wi Fi base station and time capsule now has simultaneous 2.4GHz and 5GHz dual band networking. You can also set up a guest network for your friends or any visitor which means you don’t have to give your Wi Fi password out to anyone. The Time Capsule combines the router with Time Machine for automatic wireless back up. It’s available with 500GB for $299 or a 1TB model for $499. The Base Station has a suggested retail price of $179.
The updated specs are good enough but not overly impressive. One thing that will be attractive to many folks is the environmental friendliness of the Macs. The iMacs and the Mac Minis all exceed the Energy Star 4.0 requirements.
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