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Hardware 2.0

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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Apple refreshes iMac lineup

By | May 3, 2011, 6:10am PDT

Summary: Apple has refreshed the iMac lineup, adding new processors, FaceTime HD and Thunderbolt I/O.

Apple has refreshed the iMac lineup, adding new processors, FaceTime HD and Thunderbolt I/O.

This is a pretty big shakeup, bringing the spec package of the iMac in line with that of the MacBook Pro by adding Intel’s Sandy Bridge processors, FaceTime HD cameras and the new Thunderbolt I/O port.

Prices start at $1,199, which buys you a 21.5″ system (1920 by 1080 pixels), with a 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive and AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics.

Bump up your spending to $1,999 and you get a 27-inch system (2560 by 1440 pixels), 3.1GHz quad-core Core i5 CPU, 1TB hard drive and AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics.

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Lineup, Apple iMac, Apple Inc., Desktops, Hardware, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

Disclosure

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.
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geeksoncall Updated - 3rd May 2011
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
doh123 3rd May 2011
This is the first time they didn't totally skimp on GPUs except in the very high end.. they put decent GPUs in all the models... nice change for Apple. I expected the low end to be stuck with the Intel HD 3000 like they have seems to want to do lately in the lower end models.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
luckyducky7@... 3rd May 2011
@doh123 You really think that's a good GPU for 1200 bucks? I could get a system with a GTX 570 in it for that kind of money.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
OtterWithKids 3rd May 2011
@luckyducky7@... Sure, but would it have everything else the iMac has? There?s always a compromise.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
kenosha77a 3rd May 2011
Nice machines.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
Rob.sharp@... 3rd May 2011
Those look pretty but give me PC any day of the week!
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
Geuseppi 3rd May 2011
@rob.sharp@... ummmm an iMac is a PC
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
blakjak.au 3rd May 2011
@Geuseppi um... an iMac is a "Personal Computer" but it's closer to a laptop that a "serious" desktop system, you get less processing power for heaps more money, limited repair options, very limited incremental upgrade options (e.g. you can't reuse your old iMac's prefectly good 24" LCD monitor, you HAVE to pay for a new one).

@sip01 the fact that Mac's can run Windows and OSX is a clever marketing ploy by Apple to make you buy their overpriced hardware. OSX an run perfectly on most "WinPC"s at a fraction of the price of an Apple PC but it's against Apple's licensing to allow it. It has NOTHING to do with the superiority claims of either platform, don't kid yourself.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
lelandhendrix@... 4th May 2011
@blakjak.au

While it might have been the case with other all-in-ones, these iMacs have little to nothing in common with laptop components. These machines offer top performance, and are using desktop-class processors and main board components.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
sip01 3rd May 2011
@rob.sharp@...


Not only is the iMac a PC (personal computer), it can also be set up to boot into OSX and Windows. More PC than WinPC.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
sip01 Updated - 3rd May 2011
See reply to @rob.sharp above
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Wow. And you still can't play a Blu-ray in one. PATHETIC
xbjllb 3rd May 2011
Beyond pathetic, actually. Sickening.

Unless you hate Apple. Then it's fantastic.
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Considering where Blu-ray is going...
vulpine@... 3rd May 2011
@xbjllb: ... I don't see a problem.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
Traxxion 3rd May 2011
@vulpine@...
That is such a typical Apple fan-bite.
Sane Computer User: "So, um... I see Apple omitted to include a monitor on this new model... that's pretty stupid!"

Apple User: "Fail to see the problem. I like the monitor I have already anyway! Saved me from carrying an extra kilo out of the shop actually..."

Absolutely hilarious!
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
lelandhendrix@... 4th May 2011
@xbjllb
What o find pathetic are people who believe the ability to play blue ray movies on their computer is the end all be all or their machine.

Unless you don't have friends to watch movies with, watching on a computer computer seems pointless. To see blu ray quality, you'd need to be the only person watching as you'd have to sit right in front of the screen.

Your machine has a blu ray player? You watch a lot of blu ray movies at your desk?

Btw--you can easily ADD a blue ray drive to the machine. A very tiny minority of people do, which is why one isn't included in the ordering configurations.
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PC
peter.sheldon@... 3rd May 2011
They run windows pretty well. Apple just needs to offer the option of OS when they sell it?!?!
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
d7guitar 3rd May 2011
Wow. I use Macs and Windows but i can't bash one or the other, just for the sake of it, like others here. Guess I'll just keep using my seven year old G5 Mac that runs rings around my one and two year old PC's. "OOOPS, sorry, i couldn't help myself"
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These are great machines
Synthmeister 4th May 2011
You can upgrade the memory to 16 GB and run two more monitors off the Thunderbolt ports. Within a couple months, you will have multiple ultra-high speed hard drive and RAID options. A comparable 27" monitor from Dell costs around $800.
Most of the major video hardware companies are going to go TB very quickly. TB is a big deal.
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iMac vs PC
wolfem@... 22nd Jun
Wow, it's amazing to see people STILL fighting over which OS or hardware platform is better. I love them both for very different reasons and very different jobs.
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
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RE: Apple refreshes iMac lineup
FAULKNE 13th Oct
Good day to confirm this comment I would appreciate T h e b e s t o f Z D N e t d e l i v e r e d your website very nice to everyone Yes, Oracle is the only one with shared-disk architecture, but that is there advantage. It means you can add or remove nodes and the database lives on. In a shared nothing architecture, if you lose a node, you lose the system. I'm sure Oracle appreciates EMC highlighting their advantage.I also desire to signal in your RSS feeds. Thank you as soon as once again and maintain up the great operate Awesome post! Thank you very much || thanks for nice content this is really benefit to me.

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