Apple rolls out Merom-based iMacs, new 24-inch model

[AppleInsider]

Ahead of expectations, Apple on Wednesday announced that its entire iMac line now features the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor in every model, delivering up to 50 percent faster performance than the previous iMac.

The new iMac with its 24-inch widescreen display joins the 17- and 20-inch models, and iMac prices now start at just $999, Apple said.

Every new iMac includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box; Apple’s breakthrough Front Row media experience; and iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications.

"Every iMac—from the $999 model up through the new dazzling 24-inch widescreen model—now features blazing Core 2 Duo performance," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "And the new 24-inch widescreen iMac is the fastest, biggest and brightest iMac we’ve ever made."

The new iMac lineup includes four models: a 1.83 GHz and a 2.0 GHz 17-inch, a 2.16 GHz 20-inch and the all-new 2.16 GHz 24-inch iMac, and features the new Intel Core 2 Duo processor which delivers up to 50 percent faster performance than the previous 20-inch iMac running industry standard benchmarks.

Ideal for both consumers and professionals, the 24-inch iMac features a 24-inch widescreen LCD display with a 1920-by-1200 pixel resolution that offers 30 percent more screen real estate than the 20-inch model and a brighter display to make reading text and viewing images even easier. It packs professional performance into the convenience of an all-in-one design and includes a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 4MB of shared L2 cache, 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, a 250GB Serial ATA hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 128MB of GDDR3 memory and a SuperDrive for burning professional-quality DVDs. Delivering greater customization for performance and expansion needs, users can configure the new 24-inch iMac with a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 3GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory, a 500GB Serial ATA hard drive and the NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT with 256MB of GDDR3 memory for outstanding graphics performance.



Every iMac includes a built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing out-of-the-box using Apple’s iChat AV software, or recording a video podcast or iMovie using iLife ‘06, and the breakthrough media experience of Front Row for a simple, intuitive and powerful way for consumers to enjoy their content. Providing the latest in high-performance connectivity options, the iMac includes built-in 10/100/1000 BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet for high-speed networking, built-in AirPort Extreme, a total of five USB ports (three USB 2.0) and two FireWire ports (including one FireWire 800 port on the 24-inch model).

Every iMac also comes with iLife ‘06, the next generation of Apple’s suite of digital lifestyle applications featuring iPhoto, iMovie HD, iDVD, GarageBand and iWeb, the latest iLife application that makes it super-easy to create amazing websites with photos, blogs and podcasts and publish them on .Mac for viewing by anyone on the Internet with just a single click. Every iMac also comes with the latest release of the world’s most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4.7 “Tiger” including Safari, Mail, iCal, iChat AV, Front Row and Photo Booth, running natively on the Intel-based desktop.



Pricing & Availability

The new iMac line is shipping today and will be available through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new 24-inch 2.16 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

24-inch widescreen LCD display;2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 3GB;8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);PCI Express-based NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT with 128MB GDDR3 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;mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);built-in stereo speakers and microphone; andthe infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

The new 20-inch 2.16 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:

20-inch widescreen LCD display;2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 3GB;8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);PCI Express-based ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 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;mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);built-in stereo speakers and microphone; andthe infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

The new 17-inch 2.0 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LCD display;2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 3GB;8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW);PCI Express-based ATI Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 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;mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);built-in stereo speakers and microphone; andthe infrared Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

The 17-inch 1.83 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $999 (US), includes:

17-inch widescreen LCD display;1.83 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor;512MB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 2GB;24x Combo drive;Intel GMA 950 graphics;built-in iSight video camera;built-in AirPort Extreme wireless networking;160GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);built-in stereo speakers and microphone; andMighty Mouse and Apple Keyboard.

Build-to-order options and accessories include: a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 3GB DDR2 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT with 256MB GDDR3 video memory and a 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 24-inch iMac; a 2.33 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 3GB DDR2 SDRAM, 256MB GGDR3 video memory and a 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 20-inch iMac; a 2.16 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 3GB DDR2 SRDAM and a 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.0 GHz 17-inch iMac; and up to 2GB of DDR2 SDRAM, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR and Apple Remote on the 1.83 GHz 17-inch iMac. Additional build-to-order options also include: pre-installed copies of iWork 06, Logic Express, Final Cut Express and Aperture; AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station; Apple Wireless Keyboard and wireless Mighty Mouse; Apple USB Modem; and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[bansal98]

Conroe or Merom?

[vorm-krijger]

cool ....... FW800 and a 24w amp

[ascii]

Graphics card options! I guess they have been hearing people when it comes to underpowered graphics card. Good job Apple.

[shanmugam]

love that 1GB across the board except the low end model

Kudoas to APPLE !

[luv2playtenis]

now i'm pissed...i spent a total of $1200 for a core SOLO mac mini, a 19" display and 1 gb RAM... now i can get a $20 iMac with 2.0 GHz core 2 duo and 1 gb RAM for $1199...what the hell...ugh!!!!!! whatever, i'll live

[godrifle]

24" includes Firewire 800! W00t!

[othello]

odd not to have a remote included on the 17"

like the vesa option on the 24" -- a good telly!

[irchs]

Absolutely.... awesome

[ZachPruckowski]

3 GB of RAM? Have to check the docs when they come out later - how do you do that with dual channel?

[BRussell]

New minis are here too.

[ronn]

Forget a Mac mini now! You'd have to be crazy with these updates.

[ZachPruckowski]

Guys... it's a wednesday, not a tuesday.

[luv2playtenis]

Originally Posted by BRussell

New minis are here too.

i'll just roll up into a corner and cry...i new it would happen, and i do the most mimimalist of work (internet, extremely simply games, work processing, AIM), so it'll hold me for the next couple of years, but it's always a shame when this happens...it's almost worst when the entire product dowsn't actuaally change, but what used to be more expensive isn't anymore!!

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by ZachPruckowski

3 GB of RAM? Have to check the docs when they come out later - how do you do that with dual channel?

The only machine that needs or uses dual channel is the version with integrated graphics because the IG steals video memory.

[Kishan]

As others have said, this looks to be the iMac I have been waiting for. Does anyone know if you can place a BTO order through one of the retail locations?

[satchmo]

Originally Posted by othello

odd not to have a remote included on the 17"

like the vesa option on the 24" -- a good telly!

Maybe I'm just blind, but where do you read about the vesa option? Thanks

[ZachPruckowski]

Originally Posted by BRussell

New minis are here too.

Yeah, not a big deal - same graphics chip, same prices, same HDDs, just a processor bump to 1.66 and 1.83 Duos.

Hey - Apple's all dual core now!!

[akerman]

Now get on with the Macbook Pro upgrade please

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by ZachPruckowski

Guys... it's a wednesday, not a tuesday.

It is a holiday week.

Announcements that happen on weeks with a US holiday on Monday or Tuesday have been done on Wednesday.

[othello]

Originally Posted by satchmo

Maybe I'm just blind, but where do you read about the vesa option? Thanks

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs.html

read near the bottom of the specs table -- extras for 24" include optional VESA support

[Ireland]

1G RAM across the board, and look at the price of the RAM??

[irchs]

Ordered, 20-inch iMac, 2.33 Core 2 Duo, 2 GB of RAM, 256MB gfx

[ZachPruckowski]

If they released these today, they must have big guns coming up on Tuesday.

Just ordered a 24" with 2.33, 2GB ram, 500 GB HDD, 256MB vRAM!!!

[thedonga]

looks like they are using the same panel as the dell 2407? too bad it sucks for photo work...too bright

[eAi]

Indeed. Its almost as if they did it just to keep everyone guessing It must be something pretty big if they're dragging a load of journos to a theatre somewhere to watch them announce it!

[kim kap sol]

Freescale/IBM days:

Everyone happy because their Mac retained its value very well. Yet mad because Apple could not deliver speed boosts to its lineup because Freescale/IBM were sittin' on the arses all day with a thumb up their butt.

Intel days:

Everyone happy because Macs (iMacs and Mac minis in particular) have gotten more speed updates in the last 9 months than there ever was in the last 5 years when Apple was stuck with Freescale/IBM. Yet mad because they bought a Mac last week and discovered that a new Mac was released this week...and it's 50% faster and 50% cheaper.

Fun times!

Hey...here's my story. I didn't want an iMac because the largest display was 20" at the time. I didn't want a Mac mini, 'cuz Mac minis are for sissies (kiddin'...I just want something with a real video card), I didn't want a MacBook or MBP because I don't care about lugging a computer around...so I had no choice but to buy the Mac Pro to get the option to upgrade the video card a bit of expansion and my choice of monitor and an extra dual-core processor.

For 500 less than what I bought...you get a 24" iMac with a decent processor. Sure, I woudn't be getting the extra processor or an amazing video card but this 24" iMac made me think twice about Mac Pro purchase. I still love my Mac Pro though.

[orange whip]

it's showtime.....


1920 by 1200

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by thedonga

looks like they are using the same panel as the dell 2407? too bad it sucks for photo work...too bright

If so...I hope they don't have the same banding problems that are present on the 2407.

Either way...the 24" iMac is a sweet deal.

[Darth_Apple]

Originally Posted by bansal98

Conroe or Merom?

I guess you didn't read the article or headlines... anyways I'll humor you there Merom

Anyways can anyone tell me how much better the new graphics card on the iMac (NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT and 7600 GT) are compared to the ATI Radeon X1600?

I want that 24" iMac so bad!!!!!!!!!!!! ~drools~

[b3ns0n]

Oh for god's sake. This really angers me. They must know that the college/university (europe, at least) season approaches like NEXT WEEK, yet they've decided to throw their meroms into desktops? This is completely ridiculous. If there's no MBP by saturday, I'm buying a dell. I doubt there's anyone on such a tight timescale right now as prospective university students, and the majority of those will want a notebook, not a desktop.

BAD MOVE APPLE.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by vorm-krijger

cool ....... FW800 and a 24w amp

I suppose FW800 makes sense in a consumer Mac now that it's both obsolete and irrelevant. I just bought an enclosure that is FW800 compatible but I am almost certain that my next external enclosure will be some form of eSATA.

[ZachPruckowski]

my understanding is that the 7300GT isn't that much better - it's the base Mac Pro card, and was criticized on release.

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by orange whip

it's showtime.....


1920 by 1200

It's showtime...

852 x 480



I doubt we're going to see downloadable HD movies...we're talking about dozens of gigs of data here.

If Apple does offer HD movies though, I'm changing my subscription to unlimited upload/download with my cable company.

[a_greer]

Anyone who has read these forums for a while knows that I hate AIOs, but I really have to say, for everything in the 24 inch, it is a great price, and I would acctually concider buying one were I in the market, however for that many pixels, the 7600 should be standard; that is the one BTO option I would go for.

[mikef]

Originally Posted by orange whip

it's showtime.....


1920 by 1200

Yeah, it's the year of High Definition... oops, that was last year

[a_greer]

Originally Posted by kim kap sol

It's showtime...

852 x 480



I doubt we're going to see downloadable HD movies...we're talking about dozens of gigs of data here.

If Apple does offer HD movies though, I'm changing my subscription to unlimited upload/download with my cable company.

? there are limits? who is your provider?

also: how did you fudge that post count number? more than a quarter million posts? yea right

[ZachPruckowski]

Originally Posted by b3ns0n

Oh for god's sake. This really angers me. They must know that the college/university (europe, at least) season approaches like NEXT WEEK, yet they've decided to throw their meroms into desktops? This is completely ridiculous. If there's no MBP by saturday, I'm buying a dell. I doubt there's anyone on such a tight timescale right now as prospective university students, and the majority of those will want a notebook, not a desktop.

BAD MOVE APPLE.

Are Dell Merom systems shipping any sooner than 2 weeks from now? I mean, if Apple releases MBPs shipping immediately in a week, it's just as good as releasing now for shipping in a week.

[kim kap sol]

Originally Posted by b3ns0n

Oh for god's sake. This really angers me. They must know that the college/university (europe, at least) season approaches like NEXT WEEK, yet they've decided to throw their meroms into desktops? This is completely ridiculous. If there's no MBP by saturday, I'm buying a dell. I doubt there's anyone on such a tight timescale right now as prospective university students, and the majority of those will want a notebook, not a desktop.

BAD MOVE APPLE.

Hehe, sucker.