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Many Apple fans have been complaining that the company seemed to be losing interest in its Mac computers recently.
At the beginning of this year, it changed its name from Apple Computer to Apple Inc, then spent the next six months hyping the new iPhone to death. Meanwhile, traditional Mac models, such as the iMac, seemed to have been ignored, with no significant upgrades in the past year.
Well, Mac fans will have something to look forward to this Christmas as Apple has finally given the iMac an overhaul - and the new model is a bit of a cracker.
The familiar all-in-one design is unchanged, with the flat-panel monitor, processor and other components all squeezed into a single slimline unit. However, the construction has changed dramatically.
In place of the white plastic and acrylic used before, the new iMac is housed within a single sheet of moulded aluminium. The effect is quite striking, giving the iMac a sleek metallic look that makes most desktop PCs look like a bucket of scrap metal. Even the keyboard has been redesigned in aluminium, although its stunted 4in profile is the one aspect of the iMacís design that we have any doubts about.
We tested the 24in model, which costs £1,149 and includes a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1GB of Ram and a 320GB hard disk. The graphics card is an ATI Radeon HD2600 Pro with 256MB of video memory, which isn't top of the range in terms of 3D performance, but games have never been a strong point on the Mac. More important is the 'HD' bit, which allows the iMac to handle even 1080p high-definition video with ease.
The 24in screen works a treat when playing video - its glossy coating worried us at first, but it produces bright, bold colours when playing video or running graphics software. It doesn't reflect as much light as we expected either, so it's not too distracting when you're working with more mundane software, such as the Mac version of Microsoft Office.
There's quite a good set of stereo speakers built into the unit too, backed up by a 24W digital amplifier and a little remote control unit to control audio and video playback from the comfort of your sofa. You also get Appleís latest iLife '08 software for managing your digital music, video and photos, and even designing your own website.
Other features include a built-in webcam, five USB2 ports, two Firewire ports, and both Draft-N and Bluetooth 2.0 wireless networking.
For another £300 you can use the 'built to order' options on Apple's website to bump the processor speed up to a 2.8GHz Core 2 Extreme (which might just attract a few gamers) and add 2GB of Ram and a 500GB hard disk.
Alternatively, if you're looking for something a bit more affordable, there's a 20in model available that costs just £799 with 2GHz processor, 1GB of Ram and a 250GB hard disk.
Apple products have always had a reputation for being luxuriously designed, but also overpriced. When we compared this iMac to one of Dell's slimline XPS 210 models with a similar specification, it did indeed turn out to be about £100 more expensive than the Dell. However, the Dell system didn't include any wireless features, speakers, webcam, remote control or any of the iMac's bundled software. When you take all that into account, the iMac actually justifies its price - and the frankly gorgeous design is the icing on the cake. Looks like Apple hasn't lost interest in the Mac after all.
See also:
Certainly no powerhouse, but a good-value notebook with a decent 17in screen 10 Aug 2007
A powerful PC for gamers that includes ATI’s latest graphics card 30 Jul 2007
Gaming giant rises from the ashes to produce the fastest machine we've ever seen 25 Jul 2007All Desktops Tags: Desktop Computer, IMac, Apple
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