Apple iMac 27-inch (Core i7)

Apple have released another version of its popular iMac. Although similar to the iMac design this iMac packs a punch that rival conventional PC Desktop computers including Dell and HP. This computer however is pricey and therefore if you’re not interested in the design but rather the price then other brands may be the choice for you.Like the other iMacs in Apple’s lineup, the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is a design triumph of brushed aluminum, and sports a black glass frame. A metal tilting arm suspends the iMac over your desk, leaving you a place to stow the included wireless keyboard. The back of the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) is clean, especially since you don’t need to hook up a USB keyboard or mouse (the package comes standard with wireless options for both). The included Magic Mouse has a multi-touch surface for clicking and swiping. It’s a little thin compared with most mice, but you get used to the new navigation experience rather quickly. The back panel has audio in/out jacks, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, the Mini DisplayPort (in/out), and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The Mini DisplayPort is useful for connecting another external monitor, or you can use the iMac as a huge external display for other computers like the Mac Mini ($599.00 List, ) or a MacBook Pro ($1,799.00 Direct, ). Apple sells adapters for VGA and DVI connections at the Apple store, and Apple also sells a VESA mount kit separately, so you can wall mount the iMac.

The system’s built-in screen is bright and vibrant, with a 2,560-by-1,440 resolution. This is actually quite a bit larger than the 1,920 by 1,080 resolution required “true 1080p HD.” This feature makes the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) perfect for graphic artists and other people who need a lot of screen real-estate (i.e. editing spreadsheets or presentations). You can also connect an external monitor for more screen real estate with the included Mini DisplayPort or use the same Mini DisplayPort as an input for an external Mac like the Mac mini or one of the MacBook Pros.

The side of the iMac holds a slot-loading DVD burner, but Blu-ray isn’t available. The lack of Blu-ray is a little disappointing, but expected, since Apple prefers that you buy all your HD movies from iTunes. There’s also a card slot below the DVD drive, but it’s kind of mind-boggling that it only supports SD (many single-slot card readers also support other formats like xD or Memory Stick). The most glaring omission is the lack of an eSATA port: High-end content creation users are the sort that would benefit from eSATA’s extra transfer speed. FireWire 800 is nice, but when you’re opening and transferring humungous files (over 1GB), eSATA’s extra speed will help keep you sane.

The iMac comes with the iLife suite, with iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, and iTunes. I won’t waste time on how good the integration between the programs is; suffice to say they are a must for any Mac user with a lot of multimedia files and a penchant for creativity. The system’s 1TB drive can hold the content creation programs that professionals use (like Adobe CS4 or CS5), and there’s plenty of room for the files you’re working on. A 2TB drive is available as a configure-to-order option.

The Front Row media enjoyment app is still included, but you’ll need to purchase the Apple Remote separately for $19. The system as configured here comes with 4GB of speedy DDR3 memory, and the iMac can hold up to 16GB. The memory door on the bottom of the iMac is the system’s only user-accessible area. Hard drive replacement involves complete disassembly of the iMac, so external expansion is the best course. Like all Macs, the iMac is completely free of adware and pre-loaded trial software. Other pluses include EPEAT Gold certification, Energy Star 5.0 certification, and recyclability.

Performance
 The system’s Intel Core i7-860 processor is rated at 2.8GHz, but it can be internally overclocked up to 3.46GHz when needed to provide more computing power (via TurboBoost). The Core i7 also supports HyperThreading, so it can compute up to eight streams of data at once. These features make the iMac 27-inch (Core i7) more attractive to the multimedia worker or prosumer. With the Core i7-860, the iMac is the most powerful all-in-one that I’ve tested. In fact, this iMac is one of the more powerful Macintosh desktops I’ve tested, period.

Read more: pcmag.com