Apple has unveiled an all new iMac line featuring LED-backlit 21.5
and 27-inch widescreen displays in a new edge-to-edge glass design
and all aluminum enclosure. The new iMac line, starting at US$1,199,
is the fastest ever with Intel Core 2 Duo processors starting at 3.06
GHz, and Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors for up to twice the
performance, according to Apple.
Every new iMac ships with a wireless keyboard and the all new
wireless Magic Mouse, which Apple says is world’s first mouse with
Multi-Touch technology pioneered by Apple on the iPhone, iPod touch
and Mac notebook trackpad.
“The iMac is widely praised as the best desktop computer in the world
and today we are making it even better,” says Phil Schiller, Apple’s
senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With brilliant
LED displays and the revolutionary Magic Mouse, the new iMac delivers
an amazing desktop experience that we think customers will love.”
The new iMac features LED-backlit displays with a 16:9 aspect ratio,
which Apple says is ideal for watching high definition movies and TV
shows from iTunes, or editing and watching your own videos or photos
using iLife. The new 21.5-inch iMac features a high resolution
1920-by-1080 pixel display.
The 27-inch iMac features a 2560-by-1440 pixel display that offers 60
percent more pixels than the previous 24-inch model. Both 21.5 and
27-inch displays use IPS technology to deliver consistent color
across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle.
The iMac comes standard with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic
Mouse featuring Apple’s Multi-Touch technology. Instead of needing
mechanical buttons, scroll wheels or scroll balls, the entire top of
the Magic Mouse is a Multi-Touch surface. Using gestures, a user can
scroll through long documents, pan across large images or swipe to
move forward or backward through a collection of web pages or photos.
The Magic Mouse can be configured as either a single button or two
button mouse, according to the user’s preference. The wireless
keyboard and Magic Mouse work with the iMac’s built-in Bluetooth
capabilities.
The iMac features improved graphics across the line with Nvidia
GeForce 9400M integrated graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete
graphics in the 21.5-inch model, and ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete
graphics or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics in the 27-inch
model. The new iMac line now also features 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3
memory and capacity up to 16GB across four SO-DIMM slots. Every iMac
features a built-in iSight video camera, mic and stereo speakers
integrated into the thin aluminum and glass design. iMac includes
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR,
Gigabit Ethernet, a total of four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800
port and a new built-in SD card slot.
Apple also announced that the Mac mini, is now faster, offers more
storage and comes standard with double the memory. Starting at $599,
the entry level Mac mini features a faster 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
processor and 2GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, a 160GB hard drive, five
USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics
and a SuperDrive.
The $799 Mac mini features a 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB
of memory and a larger 320GB hard drive. Apple now offers a $999 Mac
mini that is specially configured with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server.
Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server features two 500GB hard drives for
a total of 1TB of server storage in the 6.5-inch square by 2-inch
tall Mac mini enclosure.
Both iMac and Mac mini extend their leadership in green design,
Schiller says. iMac and Mac mini meet the new, more stringent Energy
Star 5.0 requirements and achieve EPEAT Gold status. The new iMac now
features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with
arsenic-free glass. Both iMac and Mac mini use PVC-free internal
components and cables, contain no brominated flame retardants, use
highly recyclable materials, and feature material-efficient system
and packaging designs.
The new 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo iMac and Mac mini lines are now
shipping and available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com),
Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The Intel Core
i5 and i7 quad-core iMacs are available for order and will begin
shipping this November. The Mac mini with Snow Leopard Server is
available from the Apple Store and Apple’s retail stores.