Best Reviewed
Apple Laptops and Desktops
- Best Apple laptop 15-inch 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro *Est. $2200
- Best ultraportable Apple laptop 13-inch 128 GB MacBook Air *Est. $1300
- Best-value Apple laptop 13-inch 2.4 GHz MacBook Pro *Est. $1200
- Budget Apple laptop 11-inch 64 GB MacBook Air *Est. $1000
- Best Apple desktop 21.5-inch 2.5 GHz iMac *Est. $1200
- Best tablet computer Apple iPad 2 *Est. $500
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- Gorgeous high-resolution, 27-inch monitor
- SD memory card slot
- Wireless keyboard and mouse now standard
- Fast and powerful
- Glossy display is reflective and glare-prone
- No Blu-ray drive or HDMI port
- Remote costs extra
- Some reported problems with Flash video
Apple updated its entire iMac line in October, and the previous 20- and 24-inch displays were discontinued in favor of 21.5- and 27-inch versions. The new iMacs come in four different configurations, but experts recommend the 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac most often. The big draw, reviews say, is the gorgeous LED-backlit 27-inch display that outputs stunning HD-quality video. Other notable features include an SD card slot as well as a wireless keyboard and mouse; the once-included remote now costs $19 extra, though. Overall, reviewers say the 27-inch iMac is fast and powerful, and it even posts decent scores in 3-D gaming tests. Like all Apple computers, the 27-inch iMac has a glossy display -- some don't mind it, but others say it is too reflective and glare-prone. Reviews also point to the lack of a Blu-ray drive and HDMI port as notable shortfalls. We also saw a few complaints that the new iMacs have problems playing Flash-based video. Not all people will want or need a 27-inch display; for those users, the 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz iMac (*Est. $1,500 and up) also earns several recommendations.
Most of the major computer publications test the new 27-inch iMac, including CNET, PCMag.com and Macworld. We find the best reviews in these publications, which offer comprehensive details with their usual balanced analysis. Macworld is particularly helpful for its benchmark testing, and PCMag.com draws comparisons to competing PCs when appropriate. ComputerShopper.com also has a detailed review, and Gizmodo.com provides lots of photos to accompany its report.
| Apple iMac MB952LL/A 27-Inch Desktop (OLD VERSION) | |
(37 reviews) |
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Our Sources
1. CNET
The 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac scores an Editors' Choice award from CNET. Rich Brown calls it "one of the fastest all-in-ones available" and he notes that he would recommend it to most people. However, he wonders why the iMac is still missing a Blu-ray drive.
Review: Apple iMac (27-inch, 3.06Hz Intel Core 2 Duo, ATI Radeon HD 4670, fall 2009), Rich Brown, Oct. 21, 2009
While Roman Loyola at Macworld is still frustrated by the iMac's glossy display, he gives high scores to both the 21.5- and 27-inch 3.06 GHz computers. They're not much faster than the iMacs released in early 2009, but the displays are much more impressive.
Review: 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs (late 2009), Roman Loyola, Nov. 5, 2009
The 27-inch iMac gets a very good rating from Joel Santo Domingo at PCMag.com, and it scores the website's GreenTech Approved label. Santo Domingo says the design is unmatched among all-in-one computers, but (like others) he would like to see a Blu-ray drive.
Review: Apple iMac 27-inch (Core 2 Duo), Joel Santo Domingo, Oct. 23, 2009
The redesigned iMac scores an Editors' Choice award from ComputerShopper.com. Reviewer Jonathan Rougeot calls the display "jaw-dropping," and he thinks few all-in-ones can compete with the 27-inch iMac. The lack of a Blu-ray drive and HDMI port is a downside.
Review: Apple iMac (27-inch), Jonathan Rougeot, Oct. 2009
5. Gizmodo.com
Though the 27-inch iMac isn't rated in this review, Brian Lam at Gizmodo.com has a good amount of detail and balance. He says the display "looks astounding," and he also appreciates the redesign, which incorporates more aluminum and less plastic. However, he thinks some may want to wait to see how the 27-inch Quad-Core iMac performs before they buy.
Review: Apple iMac Review: 27 Inches and Less Chin, Brian Lam, Oct. 23, 2009
Vincent Nguyen finds a few flaws with the 27-inch iMac, but he's impressed overall. "Apple has taken a capable computer and clad it in one of the best all-in-one designs to date," he says. However, Nguyen would appreciate a matte display option.
Review: Apple's 27-inch iMac review, Vincent Nguyen, Oct. 23, 2009
Leander Kahney at Mac-enthusiast website CultOfMac.com writes a detailed review of the 27-inch iMac. He says the new desktop is sexy, but he wonders if the screen is almost too big. The inclusion of an SD card slot gets high marks.
Review: Review: 27-inch iMac, The World's Sexiest Desktop Just Got Sexier, Leander Kahney, Oct. 31, 2009
8. Amazon.com
Only a few users have reviewed the new 27-inch iMac so far, giving the desktop an overall rating of four out of five. Most are impressed with the computer's performance, although one notes problems playing Flash video -- a complaint echoed on Apple's online support forums.
Review: Apple iMac MB952LL/A 27-Inch Desktop, Contributors to Amazon.com
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