About this time last week, Apple rolled out a wave of new product updates. Among them were updates to the 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs. After some contemplation, I’ve decided that now is the perfect time to purchase Apple’s well rounded all-in-one offering.* There are numerous enhancements which give this generation of iMacs an edge over those previous, especially in terms of high-end custom configuration.
Traditionally, iMacs have borrowed many performance aspects from Apple’s notebooks. In some cases, iMacs have even featured similar or identical parts to some of Apple’s portable machines. As April’s MacBook Pro update introduced the Intel Core processor series to all 15-inch and 17-inch machines, it was only natural that the iMacs follow suit.
As anticipated, the new iMacs move away from Intel’s acclaimed but older Core 2 Duo technology. The inclusion of 32-nanometer Intel Core processors in even the most basic of iMac models is a huge shift in performance. Apple has implemented the Intel Core i3 into all 21.5-inch and the base 27-inch machines with a custom to order Core i5 option available. The higher tiered 27-inch machines introduce the lightening fast quad-core i5 and i7 processors, which are capable of delivering some of the highest performance currently available in a consumer level machine.
Many of the new iMacs also feature Intel’s Turbo Boost technology which increases available core speed when working with resource intensive applications. Though the 15” and 17” MacBook Pros were the first to feature the Core series as an across-the-line standard option, the new iMacs offer overall higher clock speeds and multi-core performance unmatched by even the most luxurious of MacBooks.
Coupled with the standard inclusion of Intel Core processors, Apple has also included discreet graphics processors across the line. It’s an iMac first, as many earlier models still relied on an integrated chipset such as Intel’s own 9400M. With different dedicated processors to suit different needs, the 27-inch machine features up to 1GB of GDDR5.
This is great news for creative professionals and gamers alike. While these users will ultimately benefit the most from the updated graphics, standard users will appreciate the smoother performance a discreet graphics processor offers. Regardless of usage, dedicated graphics processors traditionally boost the overall lifespan of the a computer as well, making this generation of iMacs an even better value.
Another iMac first is the option of a primary or secondary solid state drive. In the 27-inch model, buyers are given the option to select a 256GB SSD as their primary or secondary storage medium. As SSD drives feature up to twice the performance of traditional SATA drives, a SSD enabled 27-inch iMac will boot faster than ever. A multi-drive setup such as this allows for different types of data to be assigned to each drive.
For instance, if you were to load OS X and all of your applications onto the SSD while keeping other extraneous media on the internal SATA, boot time and application launch time would be sliced in half. Since SSDs also have a greater reliability than traditional SATA drives, they are a great option for storing sensitive or important data with confidence. As 256GB is a bit small for a primary drive the iMac also supports up to 2TB internal SATA storage to supplement a proposed SSD.
Other more minor tweaks such as the SDXC card reader allow for a fair bit of “future proofing.” While this card reader is backwards compatible with SD and SDHC cards, it also supports the new SDXC format. Though this format is fairly new and expensive, it supports an unfathomable capacity of 2TB. Though 2TB SDXC cards will not be available until later next year, built-in compatibility is a nice default feature.
Quad Core performance and discreet graphics alone make the new line of iMacs a tempting choice, but Apple’s embrace of emerging advancements in data management and storage seal the deal. Though even the baseline 21.5-inch machine is great, the more configurable high end 27-inch machines offer a tremendous solution for more intensive users.
Even though Apple simultaneously debuted new models of the Mac Pro last week, they hardly eclipse the tremendous value that is the iMac. A pro-sumer machine at all levels, the iMac offers better performance than ever in a highly affordable and configurable package. Due to all of the refinements introduced last Tuesday, now is a better time to buy than ever!
*Editor’s Note: I just bought the 27” Quad Core iMac a couple of days ago, and it’s love at first chime… I won’t be getting rid of my iconic iMac G4 anytime soon (or ever), but I was more than happy to clear some room on my desk for this one! -KH