The All new iMac – Ultimate!

With the 5th generation iMacs almost two years old, Apple finally came with the new generation of iMacs. Even the most basic configuration it possesses is so thrilling that even a techie would be extremely tempted to get one for him! And as far as the high-end configurations are concerned, those will be like the best even after a scouple of years. So what’s in Apple iMac, let’s take a glance.

The iMac now comes with a bigger display, umm, I’d say, the biggest display by far! When iMacs were first introduced, they came packed with a 15” CRT! Today, these iMacs start from 21.5” LCD and go on till 27” LCD.  These have a widescreen display of 16:9 too! That’s not all; iMacs have a resolution much higher than HD (!), that being of 2560-by-1440. This resolution is supported by the 27” displays and is 78% higher than that of 21.5” displays. Furthermore, the displays are backlit by LED giving remarkable brightness and efficiency in picture. Another technology used is IPS, the in-plane switching. This allows users to experience equal quality of picture from each and every angle.

The mouse and keyboard too are special. The all new iMac is packed with a wireless keyboard and a wireless magic mouse. Though keyboard is clean and very tidily done, it lacks a very essential number pad. But, the mouse is simply magical. The mouse is no more a traditional mouse. It is a mouse, with touch sensors and a chip built into it. It can identify user's gestures very efficiently and act accordingly. A glance at the mouse, first-up, can confuse anybody, because it has no button, no scrollers, only an Apple logo and a mouse structure!     

Well, the device thing is done, what about the configuration. Apple has taking the consumer computer configuration to the next level. Hard disks now range from 500GB-2TB. Memory supported is upto whopping 16 GB. The processor ranges from 3.06 GHz Intel core 2 duo upto 2.8GHz quad core Intel i7. It too has a Built-in wi-fi AirPort and Built-in Gigabit Ethernet jack. A built-in iSight camera fulfills the video needs are it too supports recording at 2560 by 1600 pixels. Now, that a configuration is touch too much for someone to be jealous about!

For some more stats, I tried the Apple store and checked how the money mattered. The store gave me four options and further optional configuration options. The most basic model comprising of no software listed, a 3.06GHz Intel core 2 duo, 4GB of RAM, Apple wireless keyboard and wireless magic mouse came upto $1,199 (approx INR 57000), with free shipping.

On the other hand, the iMac configured with the highest possible hardware and software configuration options would cost $5670.85 (approx INR 267000). This baby would include a 27” display, a 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 16GB memory, 2TB HDD, Apple Magic Mouse, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Remote and HP Photosmart Premium Wireless Fax All-in-One PSC, as hardware. The following software would be preinstalled too: Apple iWork '09 Family Pack Final Cut Express, Aperture, eLogic Expres, FileMaker Pro 10, Microsoft Office Mac 2008 - Home and Student Edition, 1-year Family Pack subscription to Apple’s MobileMe, 1-year One to One membership and AppleCare Protectiosn Plan for iMac.

So, as you saw, the Apple is a real ultimate gadget. If one buys it, it deserves a place in the living room. For no reason, this baby can be kept in the study or even the bed-room.