Apple today introduced a new 21.5-inch iMac starting at just $1,099, making the world’s leading all-in-one desktop even more affordable. Featuring an ultra-thin design, brilliant display, Core i5 processors and the world’s most advanced operating system, the new iMac is the perfect entry-level Mac desktop.
The new 21.5-inch iMac features a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost Speeds up to 2.7 GHz, Intel HD 5000 graphics, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. All iMac models include next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and two Thunderbolt ports and four USB 3.0 ports for excellent expandability and support for high-performance peripherals.
iLife and iWork come free with every new Mac. iLife lets you edit your favorite videos with iMovie, create new music or learn to play piano or guitar with GarageBand®, and organize, edit and share your best shots with iPhoto®. iWork productivity apps, Pages®, Numbers® and Keynote®, make it easy to create, edit and share stunning documents, spreadsheets and presentations. iWork for iCloud® beta lets you create your document on iPad®, edit it on your Mac and collaborate with friends, even if they’re on a PC.
Every Mac comes with OS X®, the world’s most advanced operating system, designed for ease of use while taking full advantage of the powerful technologies built into every Mac. Earlier this month, Apple announced OS X Yosemite, a powerful new version of OS X redesigned and refined with a fresh, modern look, powerful new apps and amazing new continuity features that make working across your Mac and iOS devices more fluid than ever. The final version of OS X Yosemite will be available for free from the Mac App Store℠ this fall.
The new 21.5-inch iMac is available today through the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. Starting at $1,099, the new iMac features a 1.4 GHz processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.7 GHz, 8GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Configure-to-order options include a 1TB hard drive, a 1TB Fusion Drive, and up to 256GB flash storage. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at www.apple.com/imac.
MacDailyNews Take: School systems, rejoice!
“available today”
man, I like that phrase.
Compare the specs to the current MacBook Air. This new iMac is basically a MacBook Air, as a desktop computer. Larger screen, more base RAM, more storage, better ergonomics…
Most users are perfectly fine with the performance of MacBook Air. This is a smart move, for that group of customers. I expect there will soon be a similar Mac mini introduced at the low end, for something like $499. For customers who want more power, get the more powerful (and more expensive) configs. Those are still “available today.” 🙂
Another incremental improvement under Tim Cook. Bold! (NOT!)
Ooh, and it boasts a 1.4 GHz processor. That’s fast at twice the speed.
Thanks for your input Captain Negative!
Shocking that a low-end machine would have incremental improvements and .. oh yeah, a much lower price.
*smh
When I said “incremental improvements,” I was being generous. It’s a downgrade. Should I be thanking Tim Cook for that?
It’s not really a downgrade since nothing was taken away. Think of this as reducing the iMac entry barrier. For many, many users the power of this machine will be more than ample. I still have a intel Duo MBA that can do everything the i7 MBA can do albeit not as fast but it gets the work done.
How can 1.4 Dual NOT be considered a downgrade from the 2.5 QUAD I have in my mid-2011 entry-level iMac, a machine I love and have used every day for three years!
…three years later, 2.5 QUAD to 1.4 DUAL ?!?
It’s not a downgrade because the machine you bought is still available (now 2.7). I’ll guess the price is the same.
This new machine targets a new audience – the new to iPhone current PC user used to sub $1000 prices – at a lower price point. As I said this will meet the needs of most users and a smart move to continue increasing Mac market share.
Amen. It feels like they’re putting the squeeze on Windows (haha, nice little 90s reference there) machines. Google is squeezing them on bottom.
To be honest, I stopped counting MHz/GHz ages ago. I really don’t think the market for this cares. No one who reads MDN daily should even consider such a low-end machine. It’s basically for schools. It’s not for high end gaming or pro software.
Oh, Georgey boy, I rate your trolling skills at 1.4 on a scale of 1 to 10. Nice try.
This is a new, low-end model, you idiot, not an upgrade.
Redesigned macbook air logic board inside
Those downvoting Victor: ignoring and denying facts doesn’t make them not true.
11″ Macbook Air:
1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor
Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
New entry-level iMac:
1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 2.7GHz
Intel HD Graphics 5000
Previous entry-level iMac (and still being sold, as next step up):
2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
Turbo Boost up to 3.2GHz
Intel Iris Pro Graphics
Thank you Mossman. I re-voted Victor.
Look at those specs. Dear oh dear.
*cringe*
*buy more Apple stock*
😛
Redesigned board means it is different board. Same CPU (which defines frequency, turbo boost and internal graphics), though.
I have no problem if they want to use MBA specs but at least go all the way and use PCIe SSD’s as standard storage instead of the lousy 5400rpm hard drives.
The intent of this new iMac is to keep costs down. Since swapping out the 500 GB hard drive with a 256 GB PCIe flash drive is a $250 BTO option, giving it even a 128 GB flash drive will cost around $125. A $75 price difference isn’t enough to differentiate the two low-end iMacs.
Don’t forget this price point will help in the affordability index to get persons into the Apple Ecosystem……..
Wireless AC and USB 3.0 will be great for schools as well……
Available as an option – 1TB Fusion Drive.
I can’t say enough about the fusion Drive. It really makes everything almost instant while giving me the space of a hard drive.. I wish they would make that an option for the MacBook Pro.
Mac Mini, 399, would have more impact, methinks.
Not necessarily… the hassle-free allure of all-in-one systems are directed at those types of people that may not want to deal with cobbling together other peripherals to make a complete system.
These newer low-end systems are obviously catering to people with an iPhone who probably don’t need super-duper computers, but will want the seamless integration between their iPhone and computer that Yosemite and iOS 8 promise to offer.
Probably a better deal to buy a refurbished higher spec iMac.
I wonder if Apple’s update plans have been significantly derailed by Intel delaying Broadwell until Q1 2015?
Agreed. I have a 2011 refurbed Mac Mini with 2.5 i5 Quad Core I got at a lovely price, less than $700. A nice LCD monitor was another $140. Full keyboard and Magic Track Pad for another $150. I can’t imagine Apple is celebrating putting a 1.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor into even the lowest end iMac. Intel is not on the ball.
I couldn’t work on a machine like this, but I guess it could serve for a lot of others. Apple just needs to careful not to ‘oversell’ it, because it has no choice but to be the worst current example of the Mac experience.
I guess it’s sort of the thing people like me would get for their Mom, who pretty much just go to news websites, Facebook, and check email. That’s what I’d do, except Mom’s using my old 2007 24″ iMac which is still running great!
Depends on what you’re using it for. Schools and the average person surfing the web and doing eMails, sorting their photos, etc. will have no problem with this new Mac for years. I have a loaded 27″ iMac from Dec. but my kid hogs it for games so every night I’m web surfing, doing eMail, and an occasionally using old InDesign 4 (for basic designs) on my now 8 year old MacBook Pro. And the old buddy is really is not that slow, it’s lag time is minimal and in the tolerable range. Has to stay on Snow Leopard which is a bummer in one way, but in another SL was a great OS so I don’t mind. Only negative is Flash sure cranks it’s processors to scorching hot, so I have to be careful with not letting it overheat it’s little self. I put a little towel wrapped bag of ice under it if there is a Flash video I really need to run on it. Thankfully most vids aren’t Flash anymore.
Could be why it was quietly introduced, no fanfare at all. Nothing on homepage, nor their Hot News section. Any post-release attention is in the hands of traditional and social media.
Just got my mom a 13″ Macbook Air for her birthday, so yes this class of machine (spec-wise) can easily serve those who don’t need as much power from their computer.
I agree, I can’t understand what seems to be a big step back. I have the entry level mid-2011 iMac, and it has a 2.5GHz QUAD-core i5.
Is the current 1099 a drop in price? I guess mine was 1199.
I’m more than happy with mine and use it constantly. I haven’t yet seen the iMac I would consider a good upgrade, even 3 years on.
When’s the new Mac Mini coming out? Sitting here with my credit card!
Yup, me too.
The New Mac mini is the “Mac Pro” aka the Black Trashcan. Very nice HTPC- just damned expensive.
Reports today say Apple cut prices on the TV and the MacMini all across Europe. New ones, they are a coming!
Ditto….I’m not buying a 2 year old computer at full price, its severely due for an update! I was figured it was coming today as well. I guess not!
I can get twice the power for a PC at $800 while the same price from Apple is roughly $1400. Apple should have simply dropped the price on the current models and took the $1299 model to $999. That would have been a great price point and unbelievable move on Apple’s part! I work in IT and its a nightmare building a PC comparable to a Mac and pricing and trying to sell the Mac.
A PC that is twice the power with a quarter of the operating system.
Microsoft should have given the money back to the shareholders.
The problem with a PC is it’s crippled with a crappy Windows OS. I recently built one for gaming getting quad core, 1tb hard drive, 2 GB video card, Windows 8, etc for less than $1000.
Consumers are speaking with there wallets and not purchasing Windows PC’s because they suck. For most users this “entry” iMac will be more than powerful enough and will last for many years.
As for you business acumen, reducing the price of a $1299 iMac to $999 makes no sense. Pulling numbers out of my … If Apple’s margin is 50% on this iMac the $300 price drop would change this to only 35%. Apple is NOT going to give profit away if profit is to be had. The company is a master in price point product positioning. For only $100 more I can get .
That’s a pretty darn good price. I mean pretty awesome price for that….I need a new iMac just for the family to use and hmmmm this may be it!
Vampire Video and a blazing 1.4 GHz Intel CPU. Is this a 2003 Dell?
The screen sounds virtually anti glare. Does anyone know if the others have the same screen?
Price of this new iMac in Portugal: €1.129,00 (around $1,530.00).
It is expensive for the specs.