A Look on the Apple iMac (21.5-Inch, 2010 Version)
You can see many computer producing companies claiming that they are producing the best laptops to replace all the desktops. Many companies claim that their product is better than the others because it performs a number of functions that can be delivered by various products; somewhat a complete packaged laptop. However, no matter what innovation other computer companies may add to their products, nothing will be able to beat the apple iMac, the king of all kings, because apple just stays on top.
As the iMac keeps getting better, all other apple products also get updated in terms of internal components. The company is now offering two primary models with a huge screen. One unit has the Intel Core i3 (3.06 GHz ) processor, an ATI Radon HD 4670 version of graphics card with 256 MB of separate memory and storage of 500 GB hard drive for $1199. You can also upgrade some of its components like its processor to 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3, the discrete memory of its graphics card from 256 MB to 512 MB and its hard drive to 1 TB for an additional of $300. The native resolution of the screen is 1920×1080 with a 4 GB RAM.
The two other primary models of iMac have a magnificent 27 inch screen with the same specs as the 21.5 inch one for $1699. The screen has an amazing 2560×1440 native screen resolution. You can also upgrade the processor to a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i3 and the discrete memory of the graphics card to 1GB for an additional $300.
The four sets are the primary models offered by the company. Other components can be changed on purchase. The only change that you may apply to the test model during purchase is increasing the ram to 8 GB. It really depends on your choice of the model and related upgrade that you choose for a certain price.
Despite the internal changes of the product, the new version looks quite the same. All apple products are designed to be sleek and with minimal design. It has an aluminum uni-body case. The Mac Book Pro and Mac mini products project that all Mac versions have a unified appearance. At the back of the product are the USB ports, connectors for mini display port, FireWire, power cord, Ethernet and the ‘’in’’ and ‘’out’’ audio jacks.
There is also an SD card reader, which is now compatible with SDXC, and an optical drive with a slot-load design. The power switch for this Apple iMac is located on the left lower part of the back of its body. As you can see, the iMac’s design has a sleek look.
Because of the simple design of the product, your attention will be drawn to the glossy and led backlit screen. The screen hosts a native resolution and aspect ratio for better HD viewing. The screen attracts a bit of lighting, because of its glossiness, but colors are not affected by this and will be clear as they can be. However, the iMac does not have an HDMI port which is used to attach gaming consoles.
The base of the body is also made of aluminum for a stable set-up. The screen can also be tilted to whatever viewing angle you might wish, especially when you’re in front of it. (The company claims that the LCD viewing angle is more than 170 Degrees and some minor viewing issues have been encountered during various tests).
The iMac will be launched together with the Magic Mouse; it is like a laptop’s touch pad but with no buttons and looks like a small spaceship. Majority of the area on top of the mouse is Touch sensitive. You can scroll around by sliding your finger on the mouse. You can also scroll around screens while using iPhoto or safari by swiping from left to right with two fingers. To zoom, just press the control key and scroll around with one finger.
You need to practice with Magic Mouse before you get hold of this device. But once you get familiarized with it, you’ll definitely find it better than any normal mouse. This is the first step of the company in order to provide more technical convenience for its loyal customers.
Along with the Magic Mouse and new version of iMac will be the release of the magic track pad, which is an innovation in touch pads. It’s bigger and can be used in desktops and laptops. You can avail this by adding $69 when you order the new iMac (with the Magic Mouse).
Together with the free Magic Mouse is the wireless Bluetooth keyboard. It is only ¾ of the size of a regular keyboard (the numeric keypad is eliminated) and is nearly flat. In spite of the miniscule body, it isn’t difficult to type on. The keyboard is also designed like all other apple products with “Chiclets” like keys slightly rising from the body.
iSight; a built-in camera is located at the top of Apple iMac screen. It produces clear images and there is little refresh lag even in low lighting conditions. A remote control is also available for purchase at $19 that looks like a super thin iPod Nano.
Because of the major upgrade on the iMac’s processor, it is a cut above the rest because of the tests conducted. In the Cinebench test, the new iMac bagged a score of 8,741, a whopping 2,200 points more than the old version. But the gateway one zx6900-01e, a competitor of the company, somewhat scored 400 point higher than iMac. Nevertheless, iMac still beat the Lenovo Idea Centre a3000 by only about 4,000 point. I call that very impressive.
For the iTunes assessment, 11 standard audio tracks were encoded from mp3 up to ACC format, and it beats the Lenovo and gateway one products with a 3-minute time difference. With this, you can really be assured that no product can match the capacity of the new iMac.
There surely is a major improvement in the graphics card of the new iMac from the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M to the ATI Radon HD 4670 with 256 MB discrete memory. This is ideal for every kind of gaming and the best movie viewing experience with no glitches.
The new iMac uses Snow Leopard; which is a Mac OS X version 10.6, as its main operating system. The iLife ’09 is included with the OS and is media consumption. The product set also has a 1-year limited warranty and 90-days toll-free telephone support assistance. The Apple Care warranty may also cover the package for an additional of two years for an additional $169.
Because of the latest “complete package” computer, the new iMac will surely be in line with various competitors. However, Apple will not give up that easily and settle for second place. The new iMac will surely knock out all the other products because of its sleek and cool look.
