Other than the iPad mini, 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, Apple also updates its iMac line. As the first design update since 2009, the new iMac (2012) is the 8th generation and is redesigned from the inside out, getting an extremely slim aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. To achieve such slim body, the iMac no longer comes with built-in optical drive.
The new iMac, available in 21.5-inch and 27-inch models, is powered by Intel’s Ivy Bridge 3rd gen Core i5 processor, upgradeable to Core i7, 8GB of RAM, and dedicated NVIDIA GeForce graphics card (from GT640M to GTX 675MX depending on models) to deliver advanced, fast and smooth performance. It comes equipped with 1TB hard drive and 27-inch model is configurable to 3TB hard drive 1TB or Fusion Drive or 768GB flash storage. The new Fusion Drive technology combines the performance of flash storage and capacity of hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance, delivering faster performance and quicker access.
The iMac also gets a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast, and the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. The 21.5-inch iMac has a Full HD 1920×1080 display and the 27-inch model has a 256×1440 display, both with IPS technology and LED-backlit. The super-slim iMac also provides Mini DisplayPort output. As for connectivity, you can find 4 USB 3.0 ports, two Thunderbolt ports and Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi 802.11b/g/n wireless technology. Other features include SDXC card slot, stereo speakers, dual microphone, and support for multi display.
Apple will ship the new iMac in November. Models and pricing are listed below:
iMac 21.5-inch 2.7GHz – $1299
- 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz)
- 8GB (two 4GB) memory (max 16GB)
- 1TB hard drive
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M with 512MB
iMac 21.5-inch 2.9GHz – $1499
- 21.5-inch: 2.9GHz
- 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz)
- 8GB (two 4GB) memory (max 16GB)
- 1TB hard drive (up to 1TB Fusion Drive)
- NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 512MB
iMac 27-inch 2.9GHz – $1799
- 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz)
- 8GB (two 4GB) memory (max 32GB)
- 1TB hard drive (up to 3TB hard drive, 1TB or 3TB Fusion Drive, or 768GB of flash storage)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M with 512MB
iMac 27-inch 3.2GHz – $1999
- 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz)
- 8GB (two 4GB) memory (max 32GB)
- 1TB hard drive (up to 3TB hard drive, 1TB or 3TB Fusion Drive, or 768GB of flash storage)
- NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX with 1GB
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