Apple Computer unwrapped an attractive gift for SMB design shops that rely on Mac-quality graphics capability. The sleek new iMac stores the entire computer in its flat-panel display.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker introduced three new iMac desktop computers after a two-month delay with the IBM-built G5 processor.
The company is taking orders now starting at $1,299 and will begin shipping worldwide in mid-September.
Hefty Hardware
The 17-inch model comes with either a 1.6GHz or a 1.8GHz PowerPC G5 processor, and the 20-inch only comes with a 1.8GHz chip. All models come standard with 256MB of RAM (expandable up to 2GB).
The 17-inch model configuration includes an 80GB hard drive and a DVD/CD-RW combination drive, while the 20-inch model comes with a 160GB hard drive and a DVD-R/CD-RW SuperDrive.
It’s I-Catching
Most striking however is that the entire computer, including the power supply and slot-load optical drive, is built right in to the two-inch thick display. All the I/O ports line up neatly along the right rear side for easy access.
“Just like the iPod redefined portable digital music players, the new iMac G5 redefines what users expect from a consumer desktop,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing said in a statement.
“With the entire system, including a gorgeous 17- or 20-inch display, just two inches thin, a lot of people will be wondering ‘where did the computer go?'”
Well Connected
The new iMac G5 desktops offer three USB 2.0 ports and two FireWire 400 ports for peripherals such as Apple’s iPod, digital video camcorders, digital still cameras and printers.
The new model offers an optional internal Bluetooth module and includes a built-in antenna and card slot to support an optional AirPort Extreme Card for 54 Mbps 802.11g wireless networking.
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| Apple’s New iMac — The computer’s built into the display. |
It also includes built-in 10/100BASE-T Ethernet and a 56K V.92 modem for your choice of either broadband or dial-up Internet access.
FYI
The new computers also come with Mac OS X version 10.3 Panther pre-installed. Apple is currently working with developers on its Mac OS X version 10.4 Tiger, but no official release date has been set.
A Merrill Lynch research report released Tuesday called the design “impressive.” However, the financial firm said Apple still has some risks to overcome, including a creative market that might not upgrade, a continued PC share loss and increasing iPod competition.
Adapted from internetnews.com.
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