Computerworld reviews Apple 21.5-inch iMac: ‘Packs a punch for the price and, wow, what a screen!’

“Last month, Apple updated its iMac all-in-one desktop computers, revamping the internal architecture and refining the look of what was an already stylish design. Externally, the biggest change for the iMacs lay in the move to larger 21.5-in. and 27-in. LED-backlit screens and a 16-by-9 aspect ratio,” Michael DeAgonia reports for Computerworld.

“While early attention focused on the 27-in. model — rightfully so, according to Computerworld’s Ken Mingis, who found the bigger iMac “stunning” — the base 21.5-in. model is attractive in its own right. The entry-level model comes with a powerful 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB hard drive and the same Nividia 9400M video card that shows up in many of Apple’s laptops and the Mac mini. Recession-crimped holiday shoppers will want to note that it starts at $1,199 — $500 less than its big brother,” DeAgonia reports.

“First impressions are often lasting impressions, and my first impression of this iMac was: “Wow, what a screen!” While obviously not as massive as the 27-in. version, Apple’s least-expensive iMac packs a bright high-resolution screen fully capable of displaying full 1080p HD video (1920 x 1080 pixels),” DeAgonia reports.

“At the same time that Apple rolled out the new iMacs, it introduced its new Magic Mouse, Apple’s first redesign of the mouse since 2005,” DeAgonia reports. “I like the Magic Mouse; I like it so much that I have already replaced the mice on every Mac I support at work. While the two-finger swipes can be problematic (apparently, my hands aren’t flexible enough to swipe with two fingers while keeping the mouse in place), I’m totally sold on the scrolling support.”

DeAgonia reports, “Best of all, the iMac is fast — not as fast as the Core i5 and i7 models that finally shipped a couple of weeks ago, mind you, but impressively so for an entry-level unit.”

Full review here.