Review: New, aluminum-and-glass iMac brings sexy back

Posted by Dennis Sellers Aug 28, 2007 at 5:00pm

Apple’s revamp of the iMac offers what you’d expect it to offer: a speed bump, more storage and a better display (well, better to me, though some would disagree). It makes the company’s best desktop ever incrementally better, which is quite a compliment.

The revamped all-in-one iMac line features 20- and 24-inch widescreen displays encased in aluminum and glass enclosures. I liked the look of the previous white polycarbonate model, but the new version is even more svelte and, yes, sexier with an iPhone-ish look that’s more futuristic and professional in its appearance.

I’m test driving the build-to-order 2.8MHz version, which uses Intel’s Core 2 Extreme processor (which wasn’t even officially announced until two weeks after the new iMac debuted). This means a higher front side bus speed (800MHz) and integrated support for 802.11n, among other things.

In day to day use, I’ve found the iMac 2.8GHz to “feel” slightly faster than the 2.4GHz model I was using previously. For some good specs and tests on the new iMac’s speed, go to the Bare Feats web site. Though there are noticeable speed boosts, there’s little incentive to upgrade to the latest iMac from the previous generation based on speed alone.

This is certainly the slimmest all-in-one ever built. The iSight webcam and microphone are integrated into the screen’s case and are practically “invisible.” In fact, you won’t even notice the iSight until you fire up iChat. The clean design extends to the back of the case, which is composed of matte-black hard plastic with a subtle Apple logo up top. The only screw on the entire unit is below the screen at the back, which you remove to access the memory slots for RAM upgrades (more on that tomorrow).

Ports are neatly aligned on the back of the screen, in the bottom-left corner. There are optical digital and analog audio, Gigabit Ethernet, mini-DVI, and three USB 2.0 ports, as well as one FireWire 400, and one FireWire 800 ports. What I don’t like about the new design is that the enclosed Mighty Mouse is white as it was before. A silver or black version would be a better match with the new look. I’ve never understood why the design gurus at Apple always let such things slide (as with the white mice with the Mac Pro lines) when they do so well on most other details.

And what of the new ultra-slim, low-profile (as in .33-inch) keyboard? I love it, and find it comfortable to use, especially as the back is raised to make it ergonomical. I like the tactile feedback, which is firm, not mushy. The slim keyboard is much like the one on the MacBook. They have the same space between individual keys, and pretty much the same tactile feel when you press down on them.

It’s also the first keyboard from Apple to include USB 2.0 ports built-in; previously, they sported the slower USB 1.1 connection. The ports are on the sides of the keyboard. For that reason, the Mighty Mouse comes with a shorter cord because its ca le doesn’t have to reach as far.

Apple has also monkeyed around (in a good way)with the keyboard configuration. Included are new function keys. F1 and F2 control brightness levels on your display, F3 is Expose, F4 is Dashboard, and F8 through F12 are dedicated music control keys. Skip track, play/pause, and volume adjustments make iTunes easily accessible when you’re, for instance, browsing the web. Also, sadly, Apple has removed the Apple icon from its Command key and replaced it with the word command, ending the last holdout from the days of the Apple II.

One of the biggest topic of discussions is the iMac’s glossy screen. Per Apple, it has a “glass cover that makes graphics, photos, and videos come alive with richer colors and deeper blacks.” I really like the display. Colors are bright, crisp and vibrant.

However, lots of design/photography professionals utilize the iMac as an economical workstation in their studios. The glossy display just doesn’t cut it in environments where color calibration and reproduction is important. You might argue that the iMac isn’t targeted at pros as its a consumer machine. However, Apple is now describing the iMac as “the ultimate digital lifestyle desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.” The company should offer matte screens as an option.

Also, the monitor’s high level of reflectivity means that if your iMac is set up in a place with a lot of light, the monitor sort of acts like a mirror. Finally, the new iMac’s viewing angle isn’t as good as its predecessor’s. The previous 20-inch model offered a 170 degree viewing angle. The new glossy-screened 20-incher restricts the viewing angle to 160 degrees (the 24-incher offers a 178 degrees viewing angle).

In my home office, these attributes don’t make any appreciable differences. I work, watch TV (thanks to Elgato technology), play the occasional game and watch DVDs—and find the glossy displays superb. However, the glossy screen may not render accurate color profiles for graphic and video designers. Either way, you’ll want to position the iMac so bright lights and large windows aren’t directly behind it.

The 20-inch iMac now starts at US$1,199, $300 less than the previous 20-inch model, and the 24-inch iMac starts at just $1,799, $200 less than the previous 24-inch model. The 17-inch model has been discontinued, except for educational institutions.

The new iMac includes the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running up to 2.8GHz with 4MB of shared L2 cache and up to 4GB of 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory. The iMac line features ATI’s next generation of graphics with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory. The new iMac now offers up to 1TB of internal storage.

In this day and age of digital music and digital movies, the potential to really beef up the internal storage is a great idea. However, I do find the graphics card under-powering as I’ve said before, making the iMac a good but not great gaming machine.

So, it’s not yet the perfect desktop all-in-one (though it could have been). But the aluminum-and-glass iMac packs great looks and decent power in a reasonably priced system. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best all-in-one system around, bar none.

Macsimum rating: 8 out of 10.

The all-in-ones included built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking, Gigabit Ethernet, a total of five USB 2.0 ports (including two on the new Apple Keyboard; and one FireWire 400 and one FireWire 800 port. Apple says the new iMacs feature “highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum.” The power-efficient iMac also meets the new Energy Star 4.0 requirements.

Every iMac also includes iLife ‘08 (see separate story) and Mac OS X 10.4.10 (“Tiger”). The new iMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store. Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The new Apple Wireless Keyboard will ship by the end of August and will be available as a build-to-order option with the new iMac through the Apple Store for a suggested retail price of US$30 or $50 when purchased along with the wireless Mighty Mouse, and as a standalone purchase for a suggested retail price of $79 through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new 20-inch 2.0 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,199, includes:
—20-inch widescreen LCD display;—2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;—1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;—A slot-load 8x SuperDrive® with double-layer support (DVD+/-R, DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);—ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB GDDR3 memory;—Built-in iSight video camera;—Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;—250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;—Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);—Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and—The new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

The new 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499, includes:
—20-inch widescreen LCD display;—2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;—1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;—A slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R, DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);—ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;—Built-in iSight video camera;—Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;—320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm; —Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);—Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and—the new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

The new 24-inch 2.4 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,799, includes:—24-inch widescreen LCD display;—2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;—1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;—A slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R, DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW);—ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory;—Built-in iSight video camera;—Built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;—320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;—Mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);—Built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and—the new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

Build-to-order options and accessories include: a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive on the 24-inch iMac; up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to 750GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac; and up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and up to 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.0 GHz 20-inch iMac. Additional options include: new Apple Wireless Keyboard and wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station (now with Gigabit Ethernet); the AppleCare Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork ‘08, Logic Express 7, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 and Aperture 1.5.

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