Macintosh Desktops

IMac: New update provides significant improvements

Apple offers two desktops that are marketed to different users: the all-in-one iMac, targeted toward families and general users, and the Mac Pro, a conventional, tower-based desktop aimed at professionals. Both desktops have been updated in 2009.

Even though Apple's iMacs were updated in the beginning of 2009, they received another tweak in October. Notably, the new iMacs gain larger displays, faster processors and bigger hard drives, but prices have largely stayed the same or even decreased in some cases. The previous 20- and 24-inch displays have been dropped in favor of two 21.5-inch and two 27-inch models. Unlike previous models, the new iMacs have an edge-to-edge glass display instead of an aluminum border.

Although there are a variety of iMac configurations available, the 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac (*Est. $1,700 and up) tops most reviewers' lists. It earns Editors' Choice awards from CNET and ComputerShopper.com, and it scores highly at PCMag.com. One of its main selling points -- a huge high-resolution, 27-inch display that is unmatched among comparable desktops -- is described as gorgeous and stunning. "We've seen a ton of them, and no other current all-in-one offers a screen that looks this good," says Jonathan Rougeot at ComputerShopper.com. The display boasts a higher resolution (2,560 by 1,440 pixels) than previous models and it's large enough to accommodate two side-by-side browsers. The addition of an LED backlight to the display, an SD memory card slot, Magic Mouse (a multi-touch wireless Bluetooth mouse) and wireless Bluetooth keyboard are also widely praised.

Reviewers say the 27-inch iMac is fast, powerful and displays high-resolution video flawlessly. "Behind its expansive display, Apple has packed one of the fastest all-in-ones available, and added a few useful extras to sweeten the deal," says Dan Ackerman at CNET. Unlike the 21.5-inch iMacs, the 27-inch desktop can be mounted on a wall using the optional VESA Mount Adapter Kit (*Est. $29). Gaming performance may not satisfy serious gamers, but the 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac gets good frame rates in 3-D game tests at PCMag.com. As Joel Santo Domingo notes, "This puts the iMac well ahead of any other system in its field."

There are a few complaints, but certainly no deal breakers. The new iMacs continue to use a glossy display coating, which is vulnerable to reflections and glare, and there's no Blu-ray drive -- a feature available on Windows desktops. The lack of an HDMI port is another notable omission, meaning you can't send video in the highest HD resolutions to an HDTV, and the once-included remote is now an optional accessory that will set you back an extra $19. Like most Apple computers, there are options to upgrade the 27-inch iMac with more memory, a larger hard drive or a better graphics processor. Watch out for that memory upgrade -- it costs $600 to upgrade to 8 GB of memory, and a whopping $1,400 to upgrade to 16 GB.

If you plan to upgrade, some experts recommend waiting to see how the new 27-inch Quad-Core iMac (*Est. $2,000) performs; it is scheduled to start shipping in late November. This model comes with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, with an optional upgrade to a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor (*Est. $200). Other base specifications include 4 GB of memory, a 1 TB hard drive and ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics. Reviewers have yet to test the first quad-core iMac, so feedback will be included in a future update to this report.

The 21.5-inch iMacs are less expensive, but most reviewers prefer to spend a little more for the 27-inch display. "The 21.5-inch iMac is not as sharp or impressive as the 27, but a fine evolution nonetheless," says Brian Lam at Gizmodo.com. The smaller iMac comes in two configurations where the biggest difference is hard drive size and graphics. The entry-level 3.06 GHz 21.5-inch iMac (*Est. $1,200 and up) comes with a 500 GB hard drive, 4 GB of memory and Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics. Slightly more expensive is a 3.06 GHz 21.5-inch iMac (*Est. $1,500 and up) with a 1 TB hard drive, 4 GB of memory and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics.

In Macworld's detailed performance tests, the 21.5-inch iMacs do nearly as well as the 27-inch 3.06 GHz iMac. The biggest difference came in 3-D gaming tests, when the Nvidia-equipped 21.5-inch iMac posted lower scores in "Call of Duty" than the 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs with ATI Radeon HD graphics. Overall, experts prefer the 27-inch iMac, but reviews indicate the 21.5-inch models can be good picks for those who don't need a huge display.

Reports at Computerworld and CNET indicate that the new iMacs may have some problems playing Flash-based video. Numerous users have swamped Apple's online support forums saying that Flash video is very slow and choppy; one thread we saw has already attracted over 150 comments. Many of these users believe that it is a hardware problem that will require an eventual fix.

Mac Pro: Pricey, but easy to upgrade

Apple upgraded their Mac Pro line this past March. On the outside, the desktops appear much the same, but reviewers say Apple makes some significant internal changes. The new Mac Pros come in two versions, a Quad-Core Mac Pro (*Est. $2,500 and up) with one 2.66 GHz quad-core Intel Xeon Nehalem processor and an 8-Core Mac Pro (*Est. $3,300 and up) with two 2.26 GHz Nehalem processors. The Quad-Core Mac Pro has 3 GB of memory, and the 8-Core Mac Pro has 6 GB. Both have 640 GB hard drives and an updated Nvidia GeForce GT 120 graphics card with 512 MB of memory, although you can upgrade to an ATI Radeon HD 4870 graphics card for $200. The editors of ArsTechnica.com recommend spending the extra money on that upgrade if you plan on any gaming or 3-D work. Apple also adds four FireWire 800 ports to replace the two FireWire 400 ports on previous generations. Thanks to an internal redesign, the new Mac Pro is even easier to upgrade than previous versions; James Galbraith at Macworld calls it "Apple's most expandable Mac." In terms of performance, reviewers say the Mac Pro has definitely improved, even though both versions are running at slower processor speeds than previous generations.

A number of reviewers compare both the Quad-Core and 8-Core Mac Pros, and the Quad-Core Mac Pro comes out on top in most reviews. PCMag.com tests both versions, calling the Quad-Core Mac Pro a "better buy." They recommend upgrading the memory, hard drive and graphics card as customization options, which makes it somewhat more expensive than the base model of the 8-Core Mac Pro (PCMag.com's upgraded version costs $3,700 including the monitor). In their testing, the upgraded Quad-Core Mac Pro outperforms the 8-Core model, although the 8-Core Mac Pro does have some benefits. Namely, you can order way more memory as a customized option -- up to 32 GB total, compared to only 8 GB for the Quad-Core Mac Pro. Memory upgrades aren't cheap though, and if you plan to add 32 GB of memory to your 8-Core Mac Pro, you'll pay an extra $6,100.

Between the two Mac Pros, PCMag.com finds that video editing is slightly better on the 8-Core, so even though they recommend the Quad-Core overall, they quantify their review by saying video editors should stick with the 8-Core Mac Pro. Everyone else, they say, will do fine with the Quad-Core, especially if they buy the upgrades PCMag.com recommends. In Photoshop CS4, 3-D gaming and everyday-task tests, the Quad-Core Mac Pro outperforms its 8-Core sibling.

Macworld is another reviewer that tests both versions (although they don't upgrade the Quad-Core like PCMag.com) and they also give a higher rating to the Quad-Core Mac Pro. In SpeedMark tests, the Quad-Core Mac Pro is slightly faster than the 8-Core; it also posts faster times in Photoshop, iMovie and 3-D game tests, although the 8-Core Pro excels in Cinema 4D tests. Overall, James Galbraith at Macworld recommends the Quad-Core Mac Pro over the 8-Core Mac Pro.

The 8-Core Mac Pro still earns good reviews, including an excellent rating from CNET. Reviewer Rich Brown says the 8-Core Mac Pro "demonstrates marked improvements over the older model in high-intensity digital media and multitasking scenarios." Dave Girard at ArsTechnica.com calls it a "beast of a machine" for 3-D work, although he wishes Apple had added a much-requested Blu-ray burner, and he laments the removal of the workstation 3-D card option. While Girard thinks the 8-Core Mac Pro is a good option if you regularly use software that takes advantage of a multicore processor (like Nuke, After Effects, Maxwell or Cinema 4D), he thinks the price is a bit hard to swallow.

Keep in mind that (unlike the iMacs) the base price of each Mac Pro does not include the monitor. Apple offers two displays -- a 24-inch LED monitor (*Est. $900) and a 30-inch HD monitor (*Est. $1,800) -- that will significantly add to the total cost.