Great Price Apple iMac MC814LL/A 27-Inch Desktop (NEWEST VERSION) – Review & Rating
- 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with 6MB on-chip shared L3 cache
- 4GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM
- 1 TB Serial ATA hard drive, 8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD
- 27″ LED-backlit display with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics processor
- Mac OS X v10.7 Lion
Introducing the new iMac. The ultimate all-in-one goes all out. The new iMac features next-generation quad-core processors and the fastest graphics ever in an all-in-one computer. It also brings Thunderbolt I/O technology to the desktop for lightning-fast data transfer. And a new FaceTime HD camera lets you make full-screen HD video calls.* All from a beautiful widescreen LED-backlit display that takes up just a sliver of your desk. It’s everything you want in a desktop. Now more powerful, mor
Incredibly fast, beautiful screen, great design,
A disclaimer of sorts: I write iOS and Mac apps for a living. I have written a few apps that I sell in the store, so I work full time with a Mac. I tend to buy a new computer every year, because that spinning rainbow wheel begins to eat away at my productivity as my projects grow in size, so I like to have the latest and greatest as it becomes available. I previously owned a Macbook Pro 17″ (actually reviewed previously on Amazon by me) but decided to switch to a desktop for the added power and screen real estate. I used “Migration Assistant” to bring over my entire user account to the new iMac so that I was up and running in a few hours.
THE SHORT VERSION
Without going into too much back history, I can say the “short version” of this review is that it is a fantastic, speedy and powerful computer. I loaded it up with an extra 8GB of memory (Apple offers you an 8gb upgrade for a lot of money…you can buy an additional 8 to bring this machine up to 12 for half of what they charge you) and it just flies. I notice that apps that used to bounce for several seconds (sometimes 10+ bounces) now just bounce once before being fully open and operational. The screen is gorgeous, the all-in-one design is great and and the 1TB drive is spacious for all kinds of media.
THE LONGER VERSION
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SPEED/MEMORY
As mentioned, I have upgraded the machine to 12GB of memory. (Corsair 8 GB DDR3 Laptop Memory Kit CMSO8GX3M2A1333C9) I highly recommend to buy at least an additional 4 to put into your computer. It has 4 slots, which is great, because that’s a lot of room for memory expansion. I’m letting you know all this because I haven’t actually booted the computer up with only 4GB. I imagine it’s still pretty speedy (thanks largely in part to the new Intel CPU) but it won’t be able to load up as many apps at once with ease. Installing memory is really very simple (took about 60 seconds start to finish) so I can’t recommend it enough.
The new processor is unbelievable. It tears through tasks. My app projects that would literally sometimes take 1 to 2 minutes to build on my Macbook Pro take a fraction of the time on here (as fast as 10-15 seconds)–and these are projects that are really very large in size. I also noticed that ripping DVDs to mp4s was a lot smoother and faster on the new iMac. It could go through about 2 hours of video in ~20-30 minutes (at a very high quality). There are tons of benchmarks floating around on the internet, so I recommend searching around for the speed of this particular iMac. It’s impressively fast.
SCREEN
One of the major reasons I went for an iMac over a new Macbook Pro this year was to gain access to the super high res 27″ screen. Whenever I see these in the Apple store, I am always in awe at just how much you can fit, and with so much clarity. Its native resolution is 2560×1440 which is much higher than the usual “1080p” (1920×1080 or the MBP’s 1920×1200). This means you can fit many windows side by side, or blow up your Safari window to full size and experience the web in a whole new way. I manage multiple windows of Xcode side by side now with ease and still have room to space for chat programs and Twitter.
The size really is enormous. You have to stand in front of one and use it to really appreciate just how much screen real estate you get when you go to this size–especially at this resolution.
ALL-IN-ONE DESIGN / PORTS
So one of the other benefits to the iMac of course is its “all in one” design. The box it comes in has styrofoam (which is unfortunate, given Apple’s commitment to being green) but you just pop those out, and then slide out your computer, unravel your power cord, plug in, and you’re good to go. With this particular model, you get the wireless keyboard and the “magic mouse.” If you can afford the extra seventy dollars, I’d pick up the trackpad. It’s so much better than the mouse, and really easy to use. It also has a huge tracking surface letting you manipulate your apps in interesting ways.
There are four USB ports and two thunderbolt ports. Thunderbolt is great, but it’s so new that I haven’t found anything to really test it. You’re supposed to be able power up to two other full size screens which is awesome, but I haven’t tested it personally and I also don’t own any native thunderbolt devices. I’m waiting for external hard drive makers to come out with Thunderbolt enabled drives too, because it will be way faster than USB.
Speaking of USB, the four are all lined up right next to each other but what’s nice is that they are lined up vertically–so it’s a little bit harder for a fat device to get in the way of two ports, so that’s great. You’d have to have something that is very wide (which I’m sure is…
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|An amazing machine what else can be said?,
The other reviews have hit it right on and I’m not sure I can add anything more, but I’ll give it a shot.
This computer is amazing. Not only is it a sleek and sexy machine, but wow is it powerful! I upgraded from an older Macbook mainly because I wanted a Mac with a powerful video card for video editing, photo editing and even some gaming. So far this computer has handled everything I’ve thrown at it. It’s fast, quiet and takes the imac to the next level. I was going back and forth between this and the cheaper versions and even the smaller screen. I’m glad I made the choice I did and got the 27″. After spending a few hours on the computer, looking at my Samsung 1080p looks the way standard definition did after you first saw HD! The clarity of the ultra high resolution monitor is by far the best looking screen on the market. I finally decided if you are going to spend the money, go for the best. Sure there is one model higher that can be purchased directly from Apple, but as usual Amazon delivered on the best price out there! For all the Mac haters out there that question the premium price Apple charges, there is a reason they can command the $$$ they do. They are powerful machines and works of art. No Windows based machine has the same lines as these beautiful machines. Apple has by far the best designers and engineers in the world.
The computer is much heavier than I expected, mainly because the aluminum case is solid. The great part is even though it is a heavy computer, it tilts with the push of a finger and stays exactly where you moved it. I’ve read complaints that this computer doesn’t come in a matte screen. Sure the glossy screen does cause reflections in bright light, but so far I think the reflections are worth the trade off for the absolute dazzle the glossy screen provides.
Immediately on its arrival I upgraded the RAM to 16 gigs. It’s as easy as removing 3 screws, popping out the old memory and filling all 4 slots with 4 gigs of DDR3 1333 mhz RAM.
The only negatives I can even list are that the computer runs hot. I did buy an app to monitor the temps and so far it’s in line with my macbook. I think it just seems hotter because the aluminum disperses the heat through the top of the computer. When you touch the top of the computer you are amazed at the heat coming out. I also wish Apple supplied this computer with a wireless keyboard with the number pad. They do sell the corded version with the number pad, but I really wanted to stay wireless. I do miss the number pad, I’m not going to lie. Entering passwords is weird using the numbers on the regular keyboard! At some point I hope they offer a wireless keyboard with the number pad. The sound is also not overly amazing but I always use external speakers anyway so it’s not a problem. It’s a step up from the sound out of a macbook for sure, but it is aimed downward and not at you. The bass is decent though for built in sound if you don’t want to add 2.1 speakers.
I can’t end my review on a negative note though. The built in isight camera in HD is an awesome touch. I can’t believe the quality of the camera to be honest. I look at myself on the screen and every imperfection of my face is captured. Do I really look that old!
I expect this computer to last me the next 5 years and I’m sure it will have no problem doing just that! I can’t wait to see what accessories the Thunderbolt ports wind up supporting. I’d love to run and additional 2 27″ screens at the same resolution using the ports eventually. Apple is usually way ahead of the curve so I have no doubt it is a technology that will catch on and will be amazing! There are many manufactures with products in the pipeline that will support Thunderbolt so I hope to see stuff hitting the market in the next few months.
You only live once, and life is short. You deserve the best, and this machine will not disappoint!!
Update: I upgraded to the same memory that JFLY referenced in his post. It was cheap, it is fast, and I have no complaints at all about it! Better than paying Apple $600 for a 16 gig memory upgrade! Also I can’t wait to see what this computer will do with the newest version of OS X being released in July! No one really has mentioned that this computer is truly a 64 bit machine. I’ve installed windows 7 64 bit and I am amazed at how it also runs on this computer. XP on my older macbook was never 100%. It was good, it just never seemed natural. Windows 7 on this machine running in bootcamp is amazing.
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|New Apple User For Life,
I am a long time PC user. I had my doubts about switching to a Mac but I have had such good luck out of iPhones and iPads it seemed like it was worth the risk, I just wish I had done it sooner. The 27″ iMac is a thing of beauty. No cables for keyboard, mouse, and Internet keeps a tidy work/play space. The screen is HUGE and the colors are beautiful. I opted to purchase an additional 8 MB of RAM from cossair and installed it before I even plugged the thing in. Installation took minutes and this thing is very speedy. I do a lot of amateur photography using lightroom 3. My pictures look great on the screen and lightroom responds super fast. Some people have complained about the glossy screen, and I see where they are coming from. But I do all my editing in low light so it just doesn’t make any difference to me. The operating system is actually very easy to use and the transition from windows has been painless. It is AWESOME to be able to use my computer without constant popups, antivirus updates, or the plethora of unwanted programs that love to run in the background of a windows system. The best way to describe the experience is clean. If I want it, it is there, if I dont, it stays out of the way. The only issue I have had is some Internet connectivity problems. The iMac connected to my wireless network with no problems but I would sporadically lose connection while browsing the web. A ten minute call to apple support had the problem resolved. I didn’t drop any stars because I am actually glad that I got an opportunity to call on apple support. The experience is by far the best I have ever had with ANY technical support. I went to the apple website, used “express lane support”. The website asked for the type of equipment I was using, what type of problem I was having, and the serial number of the computer. They then gave an option to have a technician call me (no waiting on hold!). I opted for someone to call me “now”. Literally the phone was ringing before I could get up from the computer and find it. The tech was from the US, very knowledgeable, and had the problem fixed in minutes. I was so impressed I signed up for the 3 year warranty over the phone. I have nothing but good things to say about the entire experience. I am now a Mac user for life.
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