Once again, the rumor mill has gotten the better of Apple. As widely reported in the last week, Cupertino has released a refresh of their iMac line on Tuesday, complete with quad-core Intel Sandy Bridge processors, beefed-up AMD Radeon HD graphics and the new Thunderbolt I/O.
Apple announced Tuesday that its signature all-in-one iMac computer has been refreshed for 2011. Starting at $1,199, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster thanks to next-generation quad-core processors, with powerful new graphics delivering up to three times the performance of the previous generation. The new iMac line also gets a FaceTime HD camera as well as the latest Thunderbolt I/O technology as well.
“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we've made the world’s best desktop even better.”
The iMac now features a quad-core Intel “Sandy Bridge” Core i5 processor, with customers having the option of choosing a Core i7 processor at speeds up to 3.4GHz. Thanks to the new AMD Radeon HD graphics processors, the new iMac touts the most powerful graphics ever in an all-in-one desktop.
Perhaps the biggest news is the inclusion of Thunderbolt, the new I/O technology that Intel and Apple first debuted on the MacBook Pro back in February. While the 21.5-inch iMac comes with a single Thunderbolt port, the new 27-inch model features a pair of them -- meaning it’s more than ready for all of the cool peripherals about to be unleashed this summer.
Finally, the new iMac includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera and comes standard with FaceTime software for crisp, widescreen video calling the whole family can enjoy. You’ll be able to ring up family and friends in high definition with other FaceTime HD-enabled Macs, or in standard definition with the iPad 2, iPhone 4, fourth-generation iPod touch and other Intel-based Macs.
The new 21.5-inch iMac starts at $1,119, with the base model 27-inch iMac starting at $1,699. Apple’s online store is currently showing ship times “within 24 hours” for all models, so what are you waiting for?
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