Apple updates Mac Mini and iMac

[Boyd Ostroff]

In addition to the new Mac Pro, Apple has updated their consumer desktops as well:

Apple Updates Consumer Desktop Line

CUPERTINO, California—March 3, 2009—Apple® today announced updates to its iMac® and Mac® mini desktop lines, including a 24-inch iMac that is priced more affordably than ever before and a Mac mini with powerful new integrated graphics. For the same $1,499 price as the previous generation 20-inch iMac, the new 24-inch iMac delivers a 30 percent larger display, twice the memory and twice the storage. Delivering up to five times better graphics performance, the updated Mac mini now features the same groundbreaking NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics introduced with the aluminum unibody MacBook® family.* The Mac mini is the world’s most energy efficient desktop, drawing less than 13 watts of power when idle.** All iMac and Mac mini systems come with Mac OS® X Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife® ’09, Apple’s unparalleled suite of consumer applications for managing and organizing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music.

“Our flagship 24-inch iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available for just $1,499,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s COO. “The Mac mini is not only our most affordable Mac, it’s also the world’s most energy efficient desktop computer.”

The elegant, full-featured iMac line starts with the 20-inch iMac for only $1,199 with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, a 320GB Serial ATA hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. The 24-inch iMac features a beautiful 1920-by-1200 pixel widescreen display that offers 30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model, and starts at just $1,499. The 24-inch iMac includes up to a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of 1066 MHz DDR3 memory, a 640GB or 1TB Serial ATA hard drive, and a variety of graphics technology from NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics to the NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 or ATI Radeon HD 4850 discrete graphics for ultimate performance.

Every iMac features a glossy display with a built-in iSight® video camera, mic and speakers in a thin aluminum and glass design. The new iMac also includes a Mini DisplayPort connector for a pure digital signal to Apple’s new 24-inch LED Cinema Display with adapters available for DisplayPort, VGA, DVI and Dual-Link DVI displays. iMac includes built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; a total of six USB 2.0 ports (including two on the Apple Keyboard); and one FireWire® 800 port.

Starting at $599, the Mac mini is an innovative, tiny desktop measuring only 6.5 by 6.5 by 2-inches. Available in two models, Mac mini features a 2 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory, up to 320GB Serial ATA hard drive, five USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 800 and a SuperDrive®. The Mac mini features NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics for up to five times better graphics performance than before* and now with dual display support can drive two Apple or third-party displays with Mini DisplayPort or DVI connections. Using less than 13 watts of power at idle, up to 10 times less power than a typical desktop PC, the new Mac mini is the most energy efficient desktop in the world.**

[Andrew Gyles]

I can't find any mention of an option of an Intel i7 processor for the new iMacs on the Apple website.

On the 'What happens in Vegas ...' forum they have been discussing non-linear editing on i7 PCs since the 24th of November. Dell has been selling an i7 computer in some markets.

I would have thought that an i7 iMac would have been a good 'middle of the road' computer for video editors who wanted to run FCP.

Andrew Gyles

[Justin Terreberry]

There won't be any i7 processors in the iMacs until Intel releases the mobile versions of the Core i7. I would absolutely love a quad core iMac though.

[Boyd Ostroff]

I got a 24" iMac with external 23" Cinema display and Matrox MXO last fall. It meets my needs very well for working with DV and HDV footage and seems quite fast to me (sure runs circles around my old dual G5). Seems like a lot of bang for the buck, especially with better pricing now.

Of course this doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement on both performance and price, but I'm happy with the system.

[Mike Barber]

Originally Posted by Justin Terreberry

I would absolutely love a quad core iMac though.

I wouldn't hold my breath. I expect Apple to reserve quad-core exclusively for the Mac Pro line. Time will tell.

[Stu Holmes]

Carrying on from the last post 3months ago, does anybody have any info on when Apple may be bringing out an iMac with a Core i7 processor?

I'd get one now but have heard great things (on the PC) about Core i7 and much faster render times compared to Core 2 Duo.

I'd like to pick up a new iMac around September - hoping they might have Core i7 processor by then.

Thanks in advance for info / opinions on this.