Apple Refreshes iMacs, Here's What You Should Know

 Apple adds Thunderbolt, faster processors to iMac line:

Today Apple revealed an updated iMac line, and the highlights are exactly what we saw in the MacBook Pro refresh a few months back: Sandy Bridge processors, Thunderbolt connections, FaceTime HD cameras, yet no major revisions to the exterior. But along with that  beefed up hardware comes several interesting new options.

Here’s what you’ll want to take note of when checking out Apple’s newest iMacs. 

Like the previous generation of iMacs, the new versions come in 21.5” and 27” display models. This time around, however, the 27” iMac has an extra bonus: a second Thunderbolt port. Having two of Intel’s speedy connections on board makes for a lot of data transfer capability, but should also allow for two simultaneous external monitors—a major benefit to anyone who needs plenty of visual real estat.

The base model is a 21.5" iMac that starts with a 2.5GHz i5, Radeon HD 6750M graphics card, and 500GB hard drive for $1,199, while the highest end model goes up to a 27" screen, 3.1GHz i5, Radeon HD 6970M, and 1TB hard drive for $1,999. Users can also get a custom configuration with a 3.4GHz i7 processor, up to a 2TB hard drive, or a 256GB solid state drive. And, as mentioned earlier, all the iMac models now come with the high-speed Thunderbolt I/O port and a new and improved FaceTime HD camera (which looks the same as the previous iSight camera, but offers 720p resolution with better low-light performance).


Apple and Intel first introduced Thunderbolt in February with Apple's introduction of updated MacBook Pros. The new port is designed to bring much faster I/O throughput to mobile devices and serve as a next-generation connector for peripherals (displays, storage, video and audio devices). Thunderbolt can support 10Gbps bidirectional communication—20 times faster than the theoretical limit of USB 2.0 and 12 times faster than Firewire 800.

In addition to the 500GB-2TB hard drive options we’ve seen before, all of the new iMacs (aside from the lowest configuration) now have a 256GB SSD option. The memory still starts at 4GB, upgradable to 8GB (21.5” model) and 16GB (27” model), though you’ll note that it’s 1333MHz instead of 1066MHz DDR3. As we saw with the MacBook Pro refresh, the nVidia graphics option is gone from the line, and instead you can choose between an ATI Radeon HD 6750, 6770, and 6970. Prices on the new iMacs range from $1,199 to $1,999.


Anybody planning to pick one of these up? And if so, how important is the Thunderbolt port for you?