Affordable; twice as much hard-drive space as older models; fast Nvidia graphics chip makes for a capable gaming system; best-in-class multitasking performance; Apple iLife '09 digital media suite comes as standard
Few interesting hardware features compared with recent Windows-based all-in-ones
Apple has made a number of changes to its 24-inch iMac, most notably on the inside, although the display has had a few tweaks too. The updates are welcome, and its multitasking capability remains unmatched. Provided you prefer your all-in-ones as straightforward desktop computers, the iMac will meet your expectations with speed and elegance
7.8 Very good
Reviewed by Rich Brown
You may find Apple's new iMac line appealing, if only because it includes one of the most affordable 24-inch all-in-one PCs on the market. Prices start at around £1,200 for the model with a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor that we review here. Otherwise, Apple's latest update to the iMac line mostly serves to keep it competitive with its Windows-based competition.
As usual, you can get more flexibility for your money by way of a traditional desktop and monitor combination at the same price. You can also find a few all-in-ones from the Windows world with functionality that the iMac can't match. Overall though, we found that Apple's formula for this product line still works, and we'd recommend the iMac to anyone in need of a fast, feature-rich all-in-one.
Design
The most significant change to the iMac concerns its 24-inch display. In addition to providing more desktop real estate, the screen can also scale up to its native 1080p resolution of 1,920x1,080 pixels. Apple hasn't added a Blu-ray drive to the iMac, so you can't take advantage of its high-definition resolution that way. Still, it opens the door for watching and editing other HD video content at its proper resolution.
Cosmetically, little else has changed with the iMac. Its industrial design remains the best in the PC industry, with no excessive branding, case detail or other visual distractions. Indeed, the only changes to the outside of the case affect the row of ports on the back of the iMac. Apple has added an additional USB 2.0 port, and also replaced the Mini-DVI output with a Mini DisplayPort jack.
Apple is currently the only vendor selling Mini DisplayPort hardware, both on its new iMacs and Mac minis and Mac Pro desktops, as well as on its new LED Cinema Display. As you might imagine, you can connect the desktops to the LED Cinema Display via a Mini DisplayPort cable. You can also purchase an adaptor for either VGA, single-link DVI, or dual-link DVI outputs if you want to connect an older monitor. Thankfully VESA, the computer display standards body, has plans to incorporate Mini DisplayPort into its future specifications, so we don't anticipate that it will be unique to Apple for long.
Although the outside of the iMac has received relatively few changes, Apple has given the internal hardware a fairly extensive overhaul. The 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (you can upgrade to 2.93GHz and 3.06GHz versions) has been used in a previous iMac, but the default hard drive, graphics chip and memory have all been upgraded. With 4GB of RAM and a 640GB hard drive, the iMac's specs are now more or less in line with Windows-based all-in-ones in the same price range.
You would be right be concerned, though, that, while the iMac's core features have improved, Apple hasn't evolved the iMac to match other all-in-ones, particularly Sony's 24-inch Vaio LV line. Those living room-orientated systems are wall-mountable and have a dedicated button that lets you switch between the desktop and an HDMI video input signal -- perfect for connecting a game console or an HD camcorder. The iMac also has no touchscreen, as with HP's TouchSmart series. We've already mentioned the lack of Blu-ray drive, and even the highest end of the new iMacs lacks a quad-core CPU option.
As useful as we find some of those features on other all-in-ones, the new iMac is most definitely a computer first, as opposed to a walk-up household kiosk, like HP's TouchSmarts, or a dedicated digital entertainment system, like Sony's Vaio LV series. With the iTunes ecosystem of connected and networked devices, the iMac can certainly serve up digital media as well, but it's indicative of Apple's vision for the iMac's role in your home or office that no features have been implemented that significantly alter the way you use it.
Among a few other changes to the iMac, Apple has truncated the default wired keyboard by lopping off the right-hand number pad. If you truly want to minimise the iMac's desktop footprint, we can see how this option might have some appeal. Thankfully, you can configure the old, pad-equipped model for no extra charge.
That's also one of the few hardware customisations you can make to the iMac. Apple offers an upgrade to 8GB of RAM for an extra £800 (a fantastic rip-off), a 1TB hard drive for a more reasonable £80 extra, and wireless versions of the mouse (£14) and keyboard (£20). Sadly, the once-standard Apple Remote will also cost you an extra £15.
Otherwise, most of the iMac's core features are intact. You still get a webcam along the top edge, a slot-loading DVD burner on the right side of the case, and FireWire 800, Gigabit Ethernet, and audio output and input jacks next to the new ports mentioned earlier. 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth still come as standard. Apple's iLife '09 digital media suite also comes in the box, and that remains a distinct advantage, as many Windows desktops come with few software extras.
Performance
We won't make too much of the fact that the iMac falls behind the more expensive Sony all-in-one and a few cheaper Windows desktops on some of our tests. That's because the iMac's performance is acceptable overall, and also because it thrashed its competition in our multitasking test. The older iMacs impressed us on that test, and, by outpacing two systems with Intel's quad-core flagship Core i7 CPUs, this new dual-core iMac sets itself apart as well. For the price, the iMac is among the best all-in-one PCs for the way most people actually work on a day-to-day basis.
In addition to its multitasking capability, one of the hallmarks of the new iMac is an improved, integrated Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics chip. We got the iMac to run Quake 4 at a 1,920x1,080-pixel resolution with all of the detail settings turned on, including 4x anti-aliasing. The results weren't 100 per cent smooth, but it was certainly playable. You can expect to sacrifice image quality on more recent games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
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Rendering multiple CPUs | |
Rendering single CPU |
Conclusion
The updated 24-inch Apple iMac is affordable and offers good overall performance. If you're after a straightforward desktop computer from your all-in-one, it's definitely worth checking out.
Additional editing by Charles Kloet
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