While most Apple fans are busy gawking over the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, Apple quietly updated the specs on their iMac lineup this week. A brief press release and an email blast to Apple Resellers and Specialists details the new features of the next-gen iMac.
They start with fourth generation Intel Core i5 processors, add brand new Intel Iris Pro graphics, PCIe flash storage options, and last, but certainly not least, 802.11ac Wi-Fi that is crushing previous Wi-Fi technology speeds.
The processor speeds got bumped up to start at 2.7GHz on the 21.5in base model iMac and all the way up to 3.4GHz on the beefed-up 27in model iMac. We also find the new Intel Iris Pro graphics chipset in the 21.5in base model iMac. This is a huge leap in graphics processing and speed.
According to Intel, this marks a 75x increase in graphics performance since 2006 and almost double the performance of the HD 3000 from last year. Both the 21.5in and 27in iMac come standard with a 1TB 5400rpm or 7200rpm HDD, which is certainly nothing to scoff at. It’s the PCIe 1TB Flash storage drive that is really mind-blowing!
One of the latest and greatest technologies being taken advantage of with this new lineup is the new 802.11ac Wi-Fi. We saw Apple launch the new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsules earlier this year, and after a software update, these new networking tools did not disappoint. Just imagine up to 1.3GBps transfer speeds over Wi-Fi and up to 800MBps read-and-write via the newly added PCIe bus for flash storage.
Needless to say, we’re really excited here at Small Dog to get our hands on these new machines and really see what they can do. We’ll have more info for you shortly about when they’ll be in stock.
Learn more about the new specs over at Engadget and Macworld.