Gizmodo
The rumors were right: Today Apple launched new iMacs, including a $2,200 24-inch model with a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo and an NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics card with 512MB video RAM, potentially doubling video performance for certain apps. The full lineup, still starting at $1,200, will include 6MB L2 cache and a 1066 MHz front-side bus, and most models will also come standard with 2GB of RAM. On the 24-inchers, you can up the HDD to a full terabyte for $250 extra, and 4GB RAM for $200 more. Details and model-by-model breakdown after jump.
Apple Updates iMac[Apple]Now with Faster Processors & Faster Graphics Option
CUPERTINO, Calif., April 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today updated its all-in-one iMac(R) line with the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and the most powerful graphics ever available in an iMac. With prices starting at just $1,199, iMac includes faster processors with 6MB L2 cache and a faster 1066 MHz front-side bus across the entire line, and 2GB of memory standard in most models. The 24-inch iMac now offers a 3.06 GHz Intel processor and the high-performance NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS graphics as options, extending iMac's lead as the ultimate all-in-one desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.
"The iMac's gorgeous aluminum and glass all-in-one design has been an incredible hit with our customers and is just one of the reasons Mac sales are growing three and a half times faster than PC sales," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "With the latest Intel processors, a faster new graphics option and more memory, customers now have even more reasons to love the iMac."
Packing dual-core performance into the convenience of a striking all-in-one design, the new iMac includes faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors across the line; a 1066 MHz front-side bus; up to 4GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory; and a widescreen flat-panel display supporting millions of colors. For the first time, the 24-inch iMac features an optional NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory, to deliver up to two times standard performance for graphic intensive applications*. Providing the latest in high-performance connectivity options to quickly and conveniently transfer digital photos, music and video, iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme(R) 802.11n Wi-Fi networking for up to five times the performance of 802.11g**; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; built-in iSight(R) video camera; a total of five USB 2.0 ports (including two on the Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire(R) 400 and one FireWire 800 port.
The iMac furthers Apple's commitment to environmental progress with highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. Every model in the iMac line is rated EPEAT Silver and the power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent Energy Star 4.0 requirements for power consumption. Customers who purchase any qualifying Apple computer can recycle their old PC or Mac(R) for free via the Apple Recycling Program.
Every Mac in the Apple lineup comes with iLife(R) '08, the most significant update ever to Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto(R) and a completely reinvented iMovie(R), both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. Every Mac also includes Leopard(R), the sixth major release of the world's most advanced operating system which features Time Machine(TM), an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac***; a redesigned Finder(TM) that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock and major enhancements to Mail and iChat(R). .Mac members can use the new Back to My Mac feature to browse and access files on their home computer from a Mac over the Internet while on the road****.
Pricing & Availability
The new iMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store(R) (http://www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The new 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:
* 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
* 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
* 1GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
* 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive(R) with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
* ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
* the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:* 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
* 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
* 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
* ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
* the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 24-inch 2.8 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:* 24-inch widescreen LCD display;
* 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
* 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
* 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
* a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);
* ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;
* built-in iSight video camera;
* built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
* mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
* built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
* the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
Build-to-order options and accessories include: a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive on the 24-inch iMac; up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to 750GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.66 GHz 20-inch iMac; and up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and up to 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac. Additional options include: Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express(R) and AirPort Extreme Base Station; the AppleCare Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork(R) '08, Logic(R) Express 8, Final Cut(R) Express 4 and Aperture(TM) 2.
*Testing conducted by Apple in April 2008 using preproduction 24-inch iMac units with 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Based on Quake 4 using 1920 x 1200 High Quality setting. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of iMac.
**AirPort Extreme is based on an IEEE 802.11n draft specification. Actual performance will vary based on range, connection rate, site conditions, size of network and other factors.
***Time Machine requires an additional hard drive (sold separately).
****The .Mac service is available to persons aged 13 or older. Annual membership fee and internet access required. Terms and conditions apply.
Comments
New GPU - Congrats on winning more of my money, Apple.
Also - pretty happy they opted for the chipsets with the larger cache and bus.
They went with the GS chip, its like a 4 cylinder musting.
Thats a nice machine, that beast will out survive about 3 generations of the competitors PCs.
Seriously now. I thought they would add Blu-ray by now.
What's a musting?
@sp00nix: They didn't want to confuse Mac users into thinking that their Mac as *good* at gaming... just capable.
@sp00nix: I dunno about you but my 4-Cylinder mustang still runs like a dream.
Such nicely underpowered machines at way too much $$
And people still buy that crap, tjeez...
Just built a comp for my bro : E6600, 2GIG DDR2 800mHz RAM, SLI abit
mobo, 8800gt 512mb, 320GB HD, DVD burner, keyboard+mouse(logitech),
20" TFT acer....and all the other usual bells and whistles.
800$
Yes i did assemble it myself but hell...double the performance for
1/3rd price? Thank you very much indeed.
Wow, no Blu-ray. Probably won't be in the new MacBook Pros either :(
@desostros: I hear you man. I just built a machine for video editing, and it was like $150 for an ASUS P5KC, an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4GHz for $249, 1 TB Seagate SATA HDD for $200, 2GB Patriot DDR3 for $129, an EVGA Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT with 1 GB DDR3, and an LG Blu-Ray Burner for $300.
That's just over $1,000 for a MUCH faster computer, more capable machine.
Of course, I already had a monitor, case, keyboard, etc. laying around, so I saved a bit, but still ... much faster.
Can any of the apple fanboys who are actually going to buy this explain to me why you need 8800 series card?
It's not like you can play any games on it except some more popular mmo's. What a waste of money.
@FreemanGman: Aperture and Motion will benefit from a faster video card.
@FreemanGman:
Wow, you'd think someone just told you you had to have one against your will or something.
I have a feeling that Apple enthusiasts will hove no trouble putting the video to good use. :)
Just let 'em be.
We all got our stuff we like, and this is theirs, so let's, I dunno...co-exist?
Plenty of folks would look at what I'm running, or maybe what you're running and ask why as well.
The specs look great to me!
My Dell is aging quickly and that machine has twice to three times anything I'm running, so I say good for 'em.
Thank you desostros, GeekyNerdGuy, et al for stating the obvious: that you can build your own FrankenPC for less than an off-the-shelf model. * I'M SHOCKED! *
Newsflash: most of us don't care. I've built my own boxes in the past. It's simply no longer worth my time, blood, sweat, or tears. My current iMac is the best computer I've ever owned, home-built or otherwise. I'll not go back.
Sidenote: you can also cook your own steak for less than you'd pay at a nice steakhouse. IT'S TRUE!
Sadly, Apple *still* doesn't have a single gaming-worthy machine under $2,000.
SHAMEFUL.
@LagunaSol: It's not like you can play just anything on a mac. There are very few games out there you can run on mac.
I spent a few hours this weekend spec'ing out parts for a new home file server server and finally said screw it. It just not worth the effort anymore finding parts that work together and getting the OS functional just to save a few bucks. Some of us have lives.
@LagunaSol: Actually, between the cost of a nice steak and the charcoal, it still comes out to like $25 - $30 to cook it at home.
@GeekyNerdGuy
$25 to $30 bucks is still cheaper than $50 to $60 bucks that most decent steak houses charge for the same steak.
When I see these specs, i can only think of how this is going to extend into the HackIntosh community and which hardware components I may use to build my next serious Hack. I can't wait.
@desostros:
I work on daily basis on PCs for the last 8 years, used to work on Macs for many years before but changed due to my current job.
Saying that, with a Mac you pay for the quality of hardware, the detail put into those machines, keyboard etc is just beautyfull. As far as I know people don't buy Macs for gaming, they buy them for sound design, video editing and graphic design. At work we have pretty much same spec PC and MACs for video editing but due to how the Mac's OS works with the hardware the video renders waaaaay faster than the same spec PC. I got a Mac for my wife for her internet browsing, typing docs etc, its perfect for her, when she had a PC laptop I had to keep restoring it for her due to crashes, and crap from internet, now her Macbook boots up 3x faster than my top range PC at home! which pisses me off :P
PCs and Macs are not made for same purpose so please unless you understand it don't flame. Its like comparing Bugatti Veron against CL65AMG, two different breeds...
@LagunaSol: Apple computers are not about gaming.
@regexp:
Where the fuck are you getting steak at? Does that include a complimentary hand job from the hostess?
Geez, one would think that gaming was the only thing people ever did with their computers. I'm a filmmaker, and trust me, nothing beats the Final Cut suite. It's what the pros use and it requires a hefty graphics card. Oh, and I don't play games.
Overpriced much?
@Zeuxis: Except am I the only one who had a Mac that crashed non-stop back when OSX came out? Not only did it crash constantly, but I'd have to dual-boot to run Quark and a couple other apps in OS9. Then it REALLY liked to crash. Plus, the thing never had enough graphics memory to properly refresh each window, so I'd have to minimize everything on the screen and then maximize the window I wanted to be able to see what I was working on.
Yes, the keyboards are pretty, but I need power to do my work.
@BenjiClayton:
a nice steakhouse will generally cost about 50-60 for a nice cut
i don't think he's talking about outback or sizzler
i have to laugh at the general angsty attitude against macs on this sites' user comments.
i use both every day. i use my PC for docs, web conferencing, and office applications. i use my mac for all my adobe apps.
that being said, i could just as easily use parallels or boot camp on my mac. it works flawlessly. i just like having separate screens.
Where is my Mac Mini update?
Goofy fanboys coming in to lambaste an improvement of the system. Gee, what a shocker.
@desostros: Yeah, you can build your own machine. And? You pay for the convenience of a prebuilt. How many people would give a shit about having to collect the parts to assemble it? Get a clue.
@FreemanGman: What I find very ironic is that people bash Apple for not having the best GPU's, and when they get an improved graphics card, they bash them for being pointless.
@BenjiClayton: Reserve a seat at Peter Luger's or likewise, then come back when you know what the fuck you're talking about.
RAM upgrades are slightly less expensive than before. Upgrading from 1GB to 4GB used to be an additional $500, now it's $300.
It's an improvement, but still absurdly overpriced.
Any computer can have problems -- yes, even a Mac.
Having said that, I've had far fewer problems with my macs than with any PC I've ever owned, no matter what OS I was running.
Yes, Macs aren't the best for gaming -- isn' that why people buy Wii/Playstations/Xboxes? If the sole criteria you have for your computing purchase is gaming ability, buy a dedicated console.
However, if you'd like the greatest chance at stability, longevity and overall ease of use, Macs are hard to beat.
You can make the same argument about car purchases: yes, a chevy POS has tires and will roll about, but resale will bite when compared to an Accord/Lexus/etc, it won't last as long, and you won't necessarily enjoy the rolling about as much.
And for those of us who run multiple systems under virtualization (gotta love Spaces+Fusion!), the extra power is welcome.
@Matronix: Psystar is coming out with the MacMini solution.
@MadColombian: Apple is probably inventing their own format to compete with Blu-ray.
@GeekyNerdGuy:
You're complaining about the stability of a Mac from 8 years ago?
I'll agree that OSX wasn't the most stable when it came out, but they've had a few updates since then. Should we also complain about the stability of PCs running Windows ME from the same time period? Come on.
@desostros: Did you factor in the cost of the OS, a comparable software suite and a 1 year warranty? Unless he's using Ubuntu or a pirated OS, your $800 is still way off. Not to mention the time it took to research the hardware, purchase each piece, wait for shipping or driving around town, assembly and now you're stuck with his tech support. Six months from now, you'll be wishing he had an 800 number to call instead of you.
Nice.
@Kaiser-Machead:
The problem with the graphics upgrade is that when they do upgrade it's to a card that is last generation.
@gyffes: Longevity is a joke in a all in one computer that cannot be upgraded and forces you to throw away the monitor when you finally get a new computer. Computer = Car analogy's don't work well since all car brands are within 5% of each other in reliability now. The worst brands for reliability are ironically Merc's and BMW's now.
Steak?
@itchytooth: Photo editing will benefit from a videocard upgrade? Isn't the program more reliant on the processor than the videocard? I would be surprised to see the Aperture even using the videocard, if I am wrong I would love to see proof that states otherwise. It would be extremely interesting to me.
where is the 3G iPhone?
lol....i'll never get why people drink the koolaid
people hold on to the archaic notion that macs>pc for video/graphic design....its all the same hardware...you can get teh same software on both....
plain and simple...macs are for the plain and simple. if you dont feel like taking the time to educate yourself on what you are using, buy a mac.
and as a side note, dell could stomp all over that deal, in fact for a basic system(like the one in this article) you cant beat dell building your own as they are selling pc's at a loss(their money comes from warranty)
@FreemanGman: I'll bite! Im a fanboy, but I've been stuck using a frankenpc to multibox World of Warcraft (three accounts at the same time.) Three instances of WoW running gets pretty intense so the 8800GT is a big help. I'd love the opportunity to switch back over to a mac, so hopefully the GS won't be a huge disappointment.
@jackbling: And there are, of course, all of those Mac users that like to drop into the more advanced 'nix areas of OS X. Yes, these people are techno simpletons. Your argument is akin to someone calling a car with good ergonomics a vehicle for lazy fools because it makes driving and accessing the console easier at the same time. All in all, you're full of shit.
If you want to make an actual comparison to a Dell, try the XPS One system. Part of the point of the iMac design is to do away with the multiple components on the desktop, as is the One. Check the specs and prices, and the iMac turns out to be a pretty good deal, especially now.
@Joseph:
I'd rather have Apple supported hardware personally. One that I can update to fix bugs and not have to worry about it not working. Plus that company still seems a little shady to me.