“If you’ve been waiting to upgrade a G4- or G5-powered iMac, or even if you’re looking to replace a G4 or single-processor G5 Power Mac, the new 24-inch Apple iMac ($2,794 direct) should be at the top of your list. Powered by Intel’s zippy Core 2 Duo processor, it’s a system that photo, video, and music enthusiasts—even graphics professionals—could love,” Joel Santo Domingo reports for PC Magazine.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s 24-inch iMac does not start at “$2,794.” It is US$1,999 ($2,249 Canadian).
Santo Domingo continues, “The 24-inch iMac also runs Boot Camp Beta, just like other Intel-based Macs. Windows on the iMac is as snappy as I expected, with initial numbers that are pretty good. The iMac provides a much better gaming platform with Win XP, since Doom 3 for Windows runs natively on the Intel platform. With Boot Camp, the iMac turned in a stellar 127 fps at 1,024-by-768 on Doom 3, though its scores were less than ideal at 1,600-by-1,200. This didn’t surprise me, because a dual-card graphics solution is preferable if you want to play smoothly at higher resolutions, but it’s nice being able to run 1,600-by-1,200 at all on an all-in-one (the iMac’s display supports up to 1,920-by-1,600 resolution). And the system played Splinter Cell at a smooth 48 fps at 1,024-by-768. The iMac completed the Windows Encoder test in five and a half minutes, landing it in the high-end multimedia class—which is fitting, considering its almost $3,000 price tag.”
MacDailyNews Note: Apple’s 24-inch iMac does not have an “almost $3,000 price tag” starting price. It is US$1,999 ($2,249 Canadian).
Santo Domingo continues, “If you need a high-powered all-in-one PC or replacement desktop, look no further than the new 24-inch Apple iMac.”
Full review (4.5 stars out of 5) here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Pete” for the heads up.]
Related articles:
Computeractive review: Apple iMac 24-inch Intel Core 2 Duo (5 out of 5 stars) – September 20, 2006
CNET reviews Apple 24-inch iMac Core 2 Duo: ‘an unparalleled bargain’ – September 12, 2006
Crave at CNET: Apple’s gorgeous 24-inch iMac should tempt you to switch – September 07, 2006
Mossberg: Apple makes ‘best desktop computer on the market’ iMac even more attractive – September 07, 2006
Apple iMac line gets 64-bit Intel Core 2 Duo processors; pricing starts at $999; new 24-inch model – September 06, 2006
Digital Trends Review: Apple iMac 17-inch Core Duo ‘silent, beautiful, very fast and reliable’ – July 12, 2006
Seattle Times: Apple iMac is ‘so beautiful with its simple, yet elegant design’ – July 08, 2006
Wired names best media center: Apple 20-inch iMac with Front Row – June 08, 2006
Review: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo ‘an outstanding feat of engineering, a high-precision instrument’ – February 16, 2006
Apple iMac the finest, most reliable, stable, elegant and intuitive personal computer available – February 14, 2006
Review: Apple 20-inch iMac Core Duo 2.0GHz – February 06, 2006
BusinessWeek: Apple’s new iMac Core Duo is an iMac on Steroids – February 02, 2006
Thurrott: ‘I highly recommend Apple’s new Intel-based iMac’ – January 31, 2006
Thurrott: ‘Nothing on Windows approaches the quality of Apple’s iLife ’06’ – January 31, 2006
Computerworld: Apple’s MacBook Pro ‘fast, really fast – looks like a real winner’ – January 28, 2006
InfoWorld: Apple perfects the desktop personal computer with new iMac Core Duo – January 25, 2006
PC Magazine review gives Apple iMac Intel Core Duo 4.5 out of 5 stars – January 20, 2006
Mossberg: New Intel-based iMac the best consumer desktop with the best OS and best software bundle – January 18, 2006
If you look in the comments area of the linked article, the author, Joel Santo Domingo, makes a post that the “price has been confirmed by Apple.” What an idiot. I wish his email address was posted in the article so that he can get some more “comments” about this intentional misinformation.
Buy it from Amazon and get a $150 rebate. So the price is actually $1849, “on the street.”
The author’s (Joel Santo Domingo) email address is actually listed on this contacts web page:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1895,1329765,00.asp
Once upon a time, Macs really were outrageously expensive. Later, they were still more expensive, but they usually had high-end features (even on low-end models) to justify the higher cost. These days, they are less expensive than their Windows counterparts, period. Apparently, the only way to perpetuate the “Macs are more expensive” myth now is to add upgrade costs to the base $1999 price that most users would not need, and compare them to reasonably configured PC systems. Such tactics only serve to perpetuate the “myth” that PC Magazine is the paid-and-bought PR arm for Microsoft, Dell, and HP.
I priced 3gigs of Ram, upgraded Graphis card and apple care. Drum roll please… $3500.
Now I’m waiting for Apple’s Photokina presentation next week to see if something will be released, if not I’ll be heading to the Apple store.
MW getting
-that’s freaky-