 "A Beauty!" | 2009-11-16 |
| - Reviewed By challies |
I upgraded from the 24" iMac to this 27". Let me give just a few of my impressions:
The screen has gone up in size by 3 inches but, perhaps more importantly, has changed in perspective from 16x10 to 16x9. This means that the monitor is significantly wider than the 24"--more than you would expect based on merely the 3" addition in monitor size. This thing is MASSIVE in its width and in the comparison of width to height. The resolution has changed significantly, going from 1920x1200 to 2560x1440. This leads to small text on the screen--not ideal for older eyes but a treat to those of us who want to maximize our use of screen real estate.
The new iMac ships with a new version of the wireless keyboard (which uses only 2 batteries instead of 3) and the new Magic Mouse. The keyboard has a great feel to it (very good tactile feedback) but lacks the numeric keypad, the extra delete key, and so on. After two days I reverted back to the old wired, full-sized keyboard. I just found myself missing those extra keys too much. I may try the wireless again, though, just because it is so nice to be completely wireless and to take up less desk space with keyboard and cables. The Magic Mouse takes a little getting used to but is a very nice little gadget. I have had trouble consistently right-clicking (I just don't move my finger far enough to the right) but beyond that have found it very easy to use. For now it has fairly limited functionality but I expect that to change as time goes on. I'm sure it won't be long before software allows the mouse to perform many other functions.
In terms of hardware, the new iMac is a bit beefier than its predecessor. The hard drive is a nice, big 1 TB and there are now four GB of RAM standard with the ability to add more without removing what is already there. In previous iMacs you had to completely replace the existing RAM--now you can add to it, saving a few bucks along the way. The processor keeps things moving well, though I don't notice any really obvious speed increases. The same is true of the standard video card. It gets the job done and runs The Sims 3 in full resolution without any real problems.
Overall, this is a very sweet computer and a good upgrade from older iMacs. I wouldn't recommend moving from the 24" for the time being (just not worth it for most of us) but would recommend this to anyone in the market for a solid desktop PC. |
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| "Not for everyone, but definitely a solid performer." | 2009-11-14 |
| - Reviewed By User: AZBMYG1KETWWI |
Apple's latest entry in the iMac line is stunning - simply stunning. Not just in the way that it looks and performs, but also because it finally adds nearly of all the improvements that iMac users have been clamoring for.
What's new?
Core i7 architecture. This model comes with the Core i5 chip, which is a toned-down version of Intel's latest quad-core processor. The iMac has almost caught up to the Mac Pro in terms of performance.
A dedicated SD-card slot. Finally, you can load up SD cards without a hassle.
Mini Display Port - most users are probably wondering what this is, and why it's so important, but it's one of the best new additions to the iMac. One of the problems with owning an iMac is that you're stuck pretty much with what you buy - the only upgrade available is your RAM, and once you toss the computer, the screen goes with it. Mac users have been lusting for at least an OPTION to reuse their iMac monitors somehow, and this is the ticket. When your iMac becomes obsolete in the future, you can still use the gorgeous display as a monitor for a new computer - or even as a small home theater.
The front display is now all glass. There are upsides and downsides to this. It definitely makes the computer and display more attractive and easier to clean, as well as more durable. Glass won't mar, scratch, or tear compared to an exposed LCD screen. However, glare on this screen is incredibly bad. In a well-lit room, you can expect to see reflections of almost everything in your surroundings - and in bright sunlight, the display can almost completely wash out. It's nice they the screen is more attractive, but constant glare creates eye strain, and can be a pain to deal with over time.
The new keyboard and mouse are both wireless. The new keyboard resembles a laptop keyboard, with minimal functions and multiple functions mapped to the same key. The new Magic Mouse uses multi-touch gestures in place of actual clicking and using a scroll wheel. It works well for the most part, but most of the pinch-zoom functions are still weak. But as far as working like a basic mouse, it's a huge improvement over the old Mighty Mouse, which had problems with right clicking and a notoriously unreliable scroll ball. Since both are included at no premium, and you can actually downgrade to the old mouse/keyboard for free (which I recommend for the keyboard), it's not a knock against the product.
One more thing - this screen has to be seen to be believed. It is an absolute MONSTER of a screen, yet the computer wraps very tightly around it, so it doesn't actually take up a whole lot of desktop space. A very nicely designed all-in-one computer.
If you're looking for a new Mac, this is definitely the one to get. |
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 "Ships in 2 - 5 weeks" | 2009-11-09 |
| - Reviewed By bonvid |
| Why does it take 2 - 5 weeks to ship this machine that can be bought from every Apple store immediately? |
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| "Near perfection" | 2009-11-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A291M19ACT90ZT |
| What can I say, best screen in the business, best OS and best customer service that can be had. If I could change one thing, I would add a number keyboard to the wireless keyboard that comes with the iMac but I guess I can add that myself. It is amazing the things I have been able to do in just 2 days since getting this one and I can't wait to learn what other little hidden gems this baby has. There is no competition now and despite some reviews of problems surfacing on the net, I have not had any yet. |
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| "New stunning Imac 27'" | 2009-11-07 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1H4LL7JVN6IIU |
I am very excited with this new imac 27 inch model. Few months back i was not able to buy the 24inch because of lack of money. Amazon emailed me about the new imac and i went to Apple store and fell in love at first sight with the stunning graphic quality of2560x1440 HD which is very higher then HD TV.
I was planning to buy quad processor and hook up with TV but when i went in the store i didn't liked the whole system looked so dull.
From 1499 to 1699 + Tax what you get is 27" screen, 1 TB of hard drive and 3.06 GHz of CPU, SdHC slot with a very sexy magic mouse feels the same as you are moving pages from iphone, Snow leopord, wireless keyboard. The screen doesn't get as hot as 24'
Some flaws-:
-Snow leopord makes the rebooting time slow Approx 54 seconds where as leopord is just few seconds.Overall faster processor. Called customer service and had excellent excellent experience with that also and mentioned engineers are working on that and this would be resolved soon.
-Pricey-$1700/- but you get high end computer and best of all. You can get the same deal with the PC for $900 + blue ray player.Yoy pay $99/year for mobile me and some more bucks for extended service plan.
-Wish we had same applications as iphone.
-A blue ray play would have been nuts in the cream. But Hd is almost same as Blue ray player.
So overall i liked the system and main reason i don't have to worry about is the antivirus, anti spyware. I bought mine from Best Buy with 18 months no interest. If you fall in love with this new imac, get some good deals.
Still learning Mac. Very user friendly. If you have any questions,please feel free to discuss. |
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| "Solid performer, to die-for screen" | 2009-11-04 |
| - Reviewed By User: A1W1AGR9MB76N9 |
I am a longtime Mac using, having started running Photoshop on a Macintosh IIfx back in 1992. Recently I had been using a MacBook Pro on my desk alongside a 21" RGB monitor, running a two screen setup. My desk was always cluttered with wires (they go in the sides on a MacBook Pro) and extra hardware - ie: the second monitor. Having a laptop is great when I travel, but like most people it's for two weeks a year on vacation.
Recently I've been doing a lot of graphic and web design work. The need for a large screen was apparently and I had been looking at the older 24" iMacs until I heard these new 27 inchers were coming. Ordered from Amazon Prime and opted for next day delivery for $[...] (very reasonable cost for a 40 pound box). When it arrived, opened up the as-usual flawless packaging and set it on my newly cleared desk. Wow - that's a big screen.
After restoring all my applications and files using Time Machine, I rebooted and went to work. Estimate it took less than an hour to open the box, to setup, to transfer all the files and be working again. My desk looks all minimalistic now with the cables hidden and the clutter gone. Fantastic.
From a performance standpoint, there have been some problems running Flash Video player, which I use to stream music from [...]. After an hour or so, the Flash Player is using 100% of the CPU cycles and it starts to stutter. Found out that if you put the machine to sleep and then back on, the issue is fixed and work continues. Suspect there is a glitch with the firmware somewhere and Apple will fix it soon enough.
Like someone else's review I read, I have to complain that the machine should have come with a Blu Ray player - Apple is part of the BD consortium afterall. But other than that and the flash player thing - all is well with this new machine and I would thoroughly recommend one to anyone who asked.
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