Apple today unveiled a hardware-upgraded iMac which ships with Intel’s i3, i5 and i7 processors, better graphics and Apple’s new multi-touch trackpad. Pricing starts at $1200 on paper, but increases to a base level of $1600, if you intend to watch movies – which makes the new iMacs a rather pricey proposition.
Apple iMac (2010 model)
Apple describes its iMac as the “world’s best desktop computer” around, but it desperately needed a hardware upgrade, which arrived today. The new iMacs are now available with i3, i5 and i7 processors with clock speeds up to 3.2 GHz (i3), 3.6 GHz (i5) or 2.93 GHz (i7). The 27” model can be ordered with a 256 GB SSD for a rather expensive $600; all new iMacs now support the SDXC flash card format, and Apple is making its Magic Trackpad, a multi-touch trackpad, available for an extra $70.
The entry price is $1200 with top of the line iMacs topping out well north of $4000.
In fact, the pricing may be a bit deceptive as Intel informed us yesterday that the i3 processor is not exactly what you want to choose if you are into watching movies. If you intend to watch movies or consume “entertainment”, then you may want to step up to the i5 chip, which offers more clock speed on demand. In that case, your base-price inflates to $1700 as Apple prices the i5 3.6 GHz as a $200 option over the i3 3.2 GHz. In comparison, Intel (tray-) prices the 3.2 GHz chip at $138 and the 3.6 CPU at $294, which is a difference of just $156.
Products usually get expensive with options, but Apple has certainly mastered the technique to squeeze money out of your pocket without you even noticing it. A reasonably equipped iMac with i5 chip, a 27” screen, 8 GB memory, a 1TB drive with a 256 GB SSD extension, AMD’s HD 5750 graphics card, an a mouse with trackpad will cost you a stunning $3268. Did anyone say the iMac is affordable?
The same money would buy you, if you are looking for performance, the exact same amount would buy an Alienware PC with a 2.8 GHz i7 processor, a 256 GB SSD and two 300 GB high-performance hard drives, 9 GB of memory, two 1 GB graphics cards, and a decent 24” screen. Not to mention that you have more configuration options. What you can’t get, is Mac OS X, the sleek iMac design and trackpad connectivity.
“We took the world’s best all-in-one and made it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, in a prepared statement. “With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminum and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac.” They already do, according to the latest earnings result and we are not quite sure if there has ever been an Apple product Apple never thought its customers would love.
The hardware upgrade for the iMac is just that. If there is any news in this new iMac then it certainly is that Apple does not see any reason to promote its desktop product through price reductions. In fact, this new iMac can also be the most expensive iMac that has ever been offered by Apple. Considering that desktop PCs are on a sales decline this year, that is quite stunning news to us and a sign how confident Apple is about its products these days.
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