Apple introduces iMac with built-in iSight
As first predicted by AppleInsider last month, Apple today unveiled a new iMac G5 which features a built-in iSight video camera for out-of-the-box video conferencing and the debut of Apple?s breakthrough Front Row media experience.
Front Row gives users a simple and powerful way to play their music, enjoy their photo slideshows, and watch their DVDs and iMovies, as well as popular movie trailers from apple.com and music videos and television shows purchased from the iTunes Music Store, on their iMac from up to 30 feet away using the new bundled Apple Remote. The new iMac G5 comes in a sleek, new design that is even thinner than its predecessor, and starts at just $1,299.
?The new iMac G5 debuts our amazing Front Row media experience, and we think users are going to love it,? said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. ?Plus, the built-in iSight video camera delivers out-of-the-box video conferencing with friends and family, as well as hours of fun with our new Photo Booth application.?
Apple?s Front Row media experience uses the bundled Apple Remote to let users enjoy the content they have on their iMac -- including songs from their iTunes music library, slideshows of their photo albums in iPhoto, videos including Podcasts, iMovies and DVDs, and popular movie trailers streamed from apple.com -- all from up to 30 feet away. And with iTunes 6, users can now purchase and download music videos, Pixar short films and hit TV shows such as ?Desperate Housewives? and ?Lost? from the iTunes Music Store and watch them on their iMac using Front Row. Front Row is easily controlled using the Apple Remote, which has only six buttons, compared to remote controls for Microsoft?s Media Center which typically have over 40 buttons.
With its built-in iSight video camera, the new iMac G5 provides video conferencing right out of the box using Apple?s award-winning iChat AV software. The new iMac G5 also includes Photo Booth, Apple?s fun-to-use new application that lets users take quick snapshots with the built-in iSight video camera, add entertaining visual effects with the touch of a button, and share them via Mail, save them in iPhoto, or use them as icons in iChat or Address Book.
The refined design of the new iMac G5 is now up to 1/2-inch thinner and 15 percent lighter than the previous generation. Delivering even greater value, the new iMac G5 line includes a 17-inch model with a 1.9GHz PowerPC G5 processor for just $1,299 and a 20-inch model with a 2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 processor for just $1,699. Both models now come standard with a SuperDrive with double-layer support for burning professional-quality DVDs, 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2.5GB, hard drive storage capacity up to 500GB, and ATI Radeon X600 PCI Express-based graphics with 128MB of dedicated video memory for outstanding graphics performance and realistic game play. System memory is easily upgraded via a convenient access door along the bottom edge.
Offering the latest high-performance I/O, the new iMac G5s include built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire 400 ports. The new iMac G5 includes Apple?s Mighty Mouse, featuring up to four programmable buttons and an ingenious Scroll Ball that lets users scroll in any direction?vertically, horizontally and even diagonally.
Every new iMac G5 also includes iLife ?05, Apple?s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications; Mac OS X version 10.4 ?Tiger,? the world?s most advanced operating system; and a collection of productivity and entertainment titles including AppleWorks, Quicken 2006 for Mac, 2006 World Book, Photo Booth, Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold.
Pricing & Availability
The new iMac G5 line will be available next week through the Apple Store, Apple?s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The new 17-inch 1.9 GHz iMac G5, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:
17-inch widescreen LCD display;
1.9 GHz PowerPC G5 processor;
512MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2.5GB;
8x SuperDrive? with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128MB DDR memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
ships with infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
The new 20-inch 2.1 GHz iMac G5, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:
20-inch widescreen LCD display;
2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 processor;
512MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2.5GB;
8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128MB DDR memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
ships with infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2.5GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250GB and 500GB Serial ATA hard drives, AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Front Row gives users a simple and powerful way to play their music, enjoy their photo slideshows, and watch their DVDs and iMovies, as well as popular movie trailers from apple.com and music videos and television shows purchased from the iTunes Music Store, on their iMac from up to 30 feet away using the new bundled Apple Remote. The new iMac G5 comes in a sleek, new design that is even thinner than its predecessor, and starts at just $1,299.
?The new iMac G5 debuts our amazing Front Row media experience, and we think users are going to love it,? said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. ?Plus, the built-in iSight video camera delivers out-of-the-box video conferencing with friends and family, as well as hours of fun with our new Photo Booth application.?
Apple?s Front Row media experience uses the bundled Apple Remote to let users enjoy the content they have on their iMac -- including songs from their iTunes music library, slideshows of their photo albums in iPhoto, videos including Podcasts, iMovies and DVDs, and popular movie trailers streamed from apple.com -- all from up to 30 feet away. And with iTunes 6, users can now purchase and download music videos, Pixar short films and hit TV shows such as ?Desperate Housewives? and ?Lost? from the iTunes Music Store and watch them on their iMac using Front Row. Front Row is easily controlled using the Apple Remote, which has only six buttons, compared to remote controls for Microsoft?s Media Center which typically have over 40 buttons.
With its built-in iSight video camera, the new iMac G5 provides video conferencing right out of the box using Apple?s award-winning iChat AV software. The new iMac G5 also includes Photo Booth, Apple?s fun-to-use new application that lets users take quick snapshots with the built-in iSight video camera, add entertaining visual effects with the touch of a button, and share them via Mail, save them in iPhoto, or use them as icons in iChat or Address Book.
The refined design of the new iMac G5 is now up to 1/2-inch thinner and 15 percent lighter than the previous generation. Delivering even greater value, the new iMac G5 line includes a 17-inch model with a 1.9GHz PowerPC G5 processor for just $1,299 and a 20-inch model with a 2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 processor for just $1,699. Both models now come standard with a SuperDrive with double-layer support for burning professional-quality DVDs, 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory expandable to 2.5GB, hard drive storage capacity up to 500GB, and ATI Radeon X600 PCI Express-based graphics with 128MB of dedicated video memory for outstanding graphics performance and realistic game play. System memory is easily upgraded via a convenient access door along the bottom edge.
Offering the latest high-performance I/O, the new iMac G5s include built-in 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme for fast 54 Mbps wireless networking, built-in Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire 400 ports. The new iMac G5 includes Apple?s Mighty Mouse, featuring up to four programmable buttons and an ingenious Scroll Ball that lets users scroll in any direction?vertically, horizontally and even diagonally.
Every new iMac G5 also includes iLife ?05, Apple?s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications; Mac OS X version 10.4 ?Tiger,? the world?s most advanced operating system; and a collection of productivity and entertainment titles including AppleWorks, Quicken 2006 for Mac, 2006 World Book, Photo Booth, Nanosaur 2 and Marble Blast Gold.
Pricing & Availability
The new iMac G5 line will be available next week through the Apple Store, Apple?s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.
The new 17-inch 1.9 GHz iMac G5, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:
17-inch widescreen LCD display;
1.9 GHz PowerPC G5 processor;
512MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2.5GB;
8x SuperDrive? with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
ATI Radeon X600 Pro with 128MB DDR memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
ships with infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
The new 20-inch 2.1 GHz iMac G5, for a suggested retail price of $1,699 (US), includes:
20-inch widescreen LCD display;
2.1 GHz PowerPC G5 processor;
512MB of 533 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2.5GB;
8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);
ATI Radeon X600 XT with 128MB DDR memory;
built-in iSight video camera;
built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR;
250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
ships with infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.
Build-to-order options and accessories include up to 2.5GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250GB and 500GB Serial ATA hard drives, AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Apple Wireless Mouse, Apple USB Modem and the AppleCare Protection Plan.
Comments
my favorite part...
"Even when it?s sleeping, iMac thinks about what?s best for you. In low-light environments, a sensor detects the room?s ambient light and adjusts the sleep light to match ? so you and your iMac G5 can both catch some Zs."
And like other recent Macs, it can connect to TV and surround-sound speakers.
Can anyone confirm that the remote is IR rather than BT? Seems odd, but it really looks IR to me. (But it can be used with the new iPod dock as well--cool!)
I like the new port placement along the bottom.
Now how about a black option?
I can see the logic in iMac's though, as they outsell the PowerMac's. The iMac is likely at the point where Apple's investment in developing it has been paid off and now its pure profit. So Apple will now give it more expensive features.
The integration of iSight is a good idea. I only know a couple of people with an iSight camera and rarely use mine. I imgaine this is a sign that iSight will become apart of all Apple displays and laptops. Which would mean nearly everyone in the Mac community can video conference for the cost of an internet connection.
A good point was brought up above though. Do you have to position the entire monitor to optimally position the camera?
With Front Row Apple is clearly showing its move into multimedia presentation. without a doubt this software (some future variation) will eventually move onto the television.
I agree with the strategy of taking it slow on computer multimedia. You don't want to be too early before the market is interested as well as too late.
20" one I think. :-)
Pity no FireWire 800 though, but hey, it should sell extremely well.
Originally posted by nathan22t
great value. very solid and nice.
my favorite part...
"Even when it?s sleeping, iMac thinks about what?s best for you. In low-light environments, a sensor detects the room?s ambient light and adjusts the sleep light to match ? so you and your iMac G5 can both catch some Zs."
I use that technique to save power on battery powered outdoor devices with LEDs.
On another note, I like this update. I'm curious if there's any difference in the G5 processor, which I would assume to be the case given the form factor change. Anyway, I can see myself getting a decked-out 20" in the next few weeks. I will have to see the comparative difference of the expected dual core PMG5s. If this iMac indeed has a dual core G5, then I don't think there's much advantage to getting the PM.
Also, from the pictures, it looks like you could easily mix up that remote with the iPod Shuffle.
Originally posted by pmjoe
Does the Apple Remote use Bluetooth or some other technology???
I think it is infrared.
Originally posted by pix
This will be mine! I still have the original iMac G4 and it is showing it's age.
20" one I think. :-)
Same here. This new iMac is just the perfect upgrade for my 800Mhz FP iMac (15 inch). I was very tempted this summer to buy the new iMac G5, but i'm glad i waited. Christmas comes early this year :-)
Originally posted by exhibit_13
the addition of PCI-e and DDR2 ram are good signs for the future...
The benefits from DDR2 are questionable at this point (see latency), but more important is the fact that Apple changed the RAM slot design and now we have a module soldered on. Which makes the once affordable 2 GB mark (2.5 GB with the current design) prohibitively expensive.
And what happened to dual-channel memory? Was all marketing nonsense?
Other than that, it is clear that the iMac gets much attention and it is perhaps the best equiped out of the box Macintosh in Apple's history, serving a great variety of uses.
Originally posted by exhibit_13
holy frickin crap. didn't they just update the imac like 4 months ago??
On a somewhat unrelated note: didn't they do the same with the iPod? And where the hell is my updated PB?
Originally posted by pmjoe
OK, bummer, from the specs, it looks like the remote is IR instead of Bluetooth. Bluetooth would've been a great way to keep it compatible with other Macs.
Also, from the pictures, it looks like you could easily mix up that remote with the iPod Shuffle.
The thing about bluetooth is that devices need to be paired up. So, in the case of the bluetooth mouse, this means that the mouse has to be "on" to pair up, using power even when you're not actually using the mouse. That's why the Apple BT mouse has an on/off switch on the bottom. If you left it on all the time, it would run out of power, even if your Mac was left powered off, because the mouse would always be "listening", waiting for a signal from any device (your mac in this case) to contact it, wanting to pair up. So, for this remote, it would have to either have an on/off switch, or else it would use power even when not in use. I think this is a pretty good argument against using bluetooth for a small and simple remote like this.
- JonYo
As for powerbook / powermac updates...I think we'll be seeing them soon. Somewhere between 1-3 weeks is my guess.
- JonYo