“The most remarkable thing about Apple Computer’s newest iMac is that, even after using it for a while, it’s hard to tell just how different it is from the identical-looking iMac G5 introduced last fall. Don’t be deceived by the similarities. Hidden in the new iMac is a processor that will let this line of Macs grow and meet the increasing performance demands of software,” Stephen H. Wildstrom reports for BusinesWeek. “The real payback of the new Intel-based Mac will be down the road when software developers have time to catch up.”

“Intel’s Core Duo is the first design in a new generation of processors that has lots of growing room. Apple is now well-positioned to handle the ever more demanding media applications that are coming. The MacBook will probably show more impressive performance gains than the iMac because PowerBooks today are actually relative weaklings,” Wildstrom reports. “In coming months, Apple will bring out Intel versions of the Mac mini, the education-oriented iBook laptops, and the professional Power Macs. The polish with which Apple has managed the transition bodes well for Mac fans.”

Full article here.

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