$999 is a magical price point for Mac computers, even though Apple rarely reaches that number. Perhaps that’s why it’s newsworthy that the company has quietly introduced a 21.5-inch iMac model aimed at the educational market -- with a few compromises, naturally.
MacRumors is reporting that Apple has introduced a $999 21.5-inch iMac on Monday morning, but before you go rushing for your wallet, the new entry-level offering is branded as an “Education only model,” which means that it only appears on Apple’s Higher Educational online store.
Needless to say, the new 21.5-inch iMac is a bit underpowered when compared to its siblings starting at $1149. The new offering includes a 3.1GHz Intel Core i3 dual-core processor with AMD Radeon HD 6750 GPU with 256MB, 2GB RAM, a 250GB hard drive, a SuperDrive and OS X Lion installed.
Notice anything missing from that specs list? According to MacRumors, Apple has removed the Thunderbolt I/O port from this bargain basement model, perhaps feeling that it may not be of use to educational customers or possibly as a cost-saving measure.
Speaking of saving money, the new 21.5-inch iMac actually isn’t the cheapest version -- Apple’s educational outlet also offers a 20-inch iMac with Intel Core 2 Duo processor (and sans OS X Lion) for $100 less.
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(Image courtesy of MacRumors)
