iMac (early 2009) in-depth impressions
By Nilay Patel 
posted Mar 10th 2009 11:00AM
posted Mar 10th 2009 11:00AM
- Apart from the revised port layout, the only external visual cue that you're looking at a new iMac is the tapered foot -- the old ones were flat slabs.
- The display is as glossy as ever. We actually think it looks really nice in a dark room -- beautiful, even -- but anywhere else, it's a mirror.
- Final verdict on the tiny keyboard? It's ridiculous. We actually love Apple's full-size aluminum keyboard, and while the lite version feels just as sturdy, the smaller space bar and missing keys are disorienting. Apple says laptop users love it, but the whole thing feels like an unnecessary compromise -- if you have room for a 24-inch iMac on your desk, we're guessing you can spare an extra six inches for the full-size keyboard. Don't believe the hype, take the free upgrade.
- Similarly, the Mighty Mouse is still totally lame.
- The Apple Remote is no longer bundled in the box, you'll have to pay extra for it. Sorry, Front Row fans.
- We did some quick'n'dirty XBench testing and the results are solid but not unexpected: the midrange $1,799 2.93GHz unit is oh-so-slightly faster than the similarly-spec'd top-end 17-inch MacBook Pro we just tested, but it's not much faster than the outgoing iMacs. Graphics are a similar story: the GeForce GT 120 chip in the model we have is certainly faster on paper than anything else we've tested, but playing Call of Duty 4 didn't make us feel like we had to race out and upgrade. Sure, you can up the settings slightly and still get 60fps now, but at 1920 x 1200 with everything maxed out there's essentially no difference between the new iMac and our 2007 unit -- you're looking at 8-15fps either way.
- Although they wouldn't say it explicitly, Apple's PR basically told us that FireWire 400 is gone for good. Goodbye, old friend.
- Similarly, it's doubtful we'll ever see HDMI on the iMac -- Apple's committed to pushing mini DisplayPort as the new standard, particularly since it supports high resolution displays better.
Summary: not worth the upgrade, but worth it if you're in need of a new computer
Summary: You need this, its another over priced apple product.
Wrong.
The right conclusion is : not worth the upgrade, not worth even if you want a new PC and if you really want an AIO PC there are better and more convenient alternatives.
I was on the fence about getting an iMac for a long time, considering the old default configuration. I couldn't justify it with the default RAM and hard drive.
Now the default RAM on almost all the new iMacs are 4 GB and the high end model has a 1 TB hard drive. That sold it for me. Of course, I configured my model with the ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB and it changed the shipping time from 24 hours to 4 - 6 weeks. Ouch!
Called Apple and they told me the Radeon 4850 are on back order.
It's all good though. I can't wait to get this baby. And oh yeah, you can configure the iMac for the older keyboard with the number pad.
@Kilgore,
The fan boys are out to get you today.
Your comment is completely justified and in no ways is derogatory of Apple; you simply state a fact. You are then ranked low.
However low you go, you are still right though.
In memory of KilgoreTrout's comment...
@Kilgore
I'll bump you back up.
@THJ and others.
Well I have an HP Elite Desktop. I love might I add :) Also an HP Notebook. Both of which are fully upgradeable. I have no problems whatsoever with any of my machines EVER! Neither has any of my family. I don't understand how people get on these threads constantly and say. My computer is acting up and it is HP's fault. For #1 HP, Dell ETC. Do not make any of there hardware. People like ATI,NVIDIA,INTEL,AMD do. So blame them not HP or Dell. What you mean to say is. You don't know how to use a computer properly. You messed up the SOFTWARE. Not the hardware. Unless you are lame enough to mess up your hardware ( Spilling liquids on it or banging it around and not treating your equipment with care and respect ) Sometimes yeah ok, you get lemons with hardware. Thats hardly the fault of the manufacturer. Most likely the hardware supplier. So next time you get on here ranting and blowing smoke up our ass and out yours. Try going after someone that actually makes the brain and blood of your computer. We pretty much know the reason why your PC isn't working. Especially when you come on here and say stupid things. Kinda all comes into prospective then. I for one have never had a problem with my machine and when I have had minor problems I have had the knowledge to fix the problems and not run screaming and crying to some lame apple store to fix my problems for 300 dollars a whack. LOL. ( Love those batteries that you cannot replace yourself. What a wonderful idea. Can you hear the sarcasm? )
DON'T GET MY WRONG. I LOVE APPLE BUT NOT ENOUGH TO COME ON HERE AND BE RUDE TO OTHER PEOPLE AND NOT LET THEM HAVE AN OPINION. ALSO MAKE STUPID GENERALIZATIONS ABOUT ENTIRE TECHNOLOGIES AND BRANDS. LOL. PRETTY LAME!! PEOPLE ARE SO STUPID ABOUT CERTAIN THINGS. I THOUGHT POLITICS AND RELIGION WERE THE ONLY THINGS PEOPLE WANTED TO SLANDER AND BEAT EACH OTHER UP OVER??? I GUESS NOT.. I GUESS FANBOYS LIKE TO KILL EACHOTHER OVER WHICH IS THERE FAVORITE BRAND AND WHAT CORPORATE DICK THEY LIKE TO SUCK ON :)
^^^
TLDR
You're going to have to buy a different keyboard, though, because that POS keyboard in the picture doesn't have a real Delete key.
Just the same old Backspace key that Apple mislabels "Delete."
WTF, Apple? FIX THIS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yS4Pt6hhECY
sam, look at this video please
That video was pointless.
First you don't buy those processors at retail prices.
Second the dell had a desktop processor the imacs have notebook processors.
No need to watch the rest because he doesn't what he is talking about. Well don for making yourself look stupid.
that video outdated and was a waste of my time
I'm glad all of you have just decided to hate it before actually watching it. It's a fairly compelling arguement if you just look at the numbers, and I'm sorry the guy wasn't nerdy enough for you guys to accept simple facts. Can't dispute the faster ram, faster processor, bigger HD. I personally hate mac's, but I can't argue with numbers like that.
I kinda took the video as an argument against all in ones than anything, because you could put together much better systems for under $500.
Plus you all don't seem to realize that a quad core is practically useless. Even with a dual core, one core does almost all of the work. Until the software catches up, I wouldn't bother with quad core.
Pete,
One word: No.
Pete,
have you ever used Handbrake (windows)? All four core pegged at ~100% when transcoding.
I'm certainly not regretting buying this late 2008 iMac then.
wait till it breaks down. take a good book to the genius bar, preferably a trilogy, or maybe the "Complete Works of J.K Rowlings".
You can make appts for the Genius Bar in advance, online. Since they started taht, I've never had to spend more than 5 minutes waiting for someone to help me.
Of course, if you just 'show up' be prepared to wait a while.
Regardless, it's better than any other computer manufacturer - I can't exactly take my HP 2510p to the HP store when it acts up.
There is no Apple store where I live, actually.
Are you in Philly?
I can't believe Philadelphia does not have an apple store yet! C'mon get with it apple, Lancaster has one for jebus' sake!
@THJ,
What !!!!!!!
You have to take your PC to the store ? Dell sends a tech round to my house or my work and replaces anything that I need right there and then, no questions asked.
Mate, if seems that you should be choosing Dell as your PC manufacturer of choice.
Dell are excellent.
@kccboy2004
Under no circumstances should Dell ever be recommended. I've had various Dell's over the years (desktops and laptops) and they've all be universal in being utter crap. Perhaps I've been unlucky but they've left a lasting impression.
@Kelmon,
I am sorry to hear that. I agree that your own personal experience is paramount. I will go on though to reiterate that Dell provides an excellent warranty system, which makes it virtually painless to have hardware issues rectified. I think that this is borne up by the 'almost' exclusive use of Dell as a preferred supplier for all the companies that I have worked for and with. ( I am talking >250 employees ).
"There's really not enough to say about Apple's newly spec-bumped iMac to warrant a full-on review."
Agreed. Why post it?
"in-depth impressions"
not full review
Whether it is a significant upgrade or not it is still worth posting about. They post about upgraded HP's, Dells, etc. a good amount of the time. That is if you're hinting at some kind of Apple bias, of course. (Like everyone else on this site.)
You know how I know Mac's don't crash? They don't have reset buttons on their devices =)
Yeah, but there is the power button, which is the same as every other computer. Sometimes it is necessary to use it when things get totally fouled up and, yes, this does happen sometimes. I definitely think this problem is more prevalent in 10.5 than it was with 10.4, particularly since this version of the OS managed to introduce unkillable processes. Here's hoping that 10.6 delivers on its promises...
That tiny little keyboard really does look ridiculous.
Yeah it does. It's a shame they've switched them. The full-sized keyboards were very nice.
One step closer to the Macbook Wheel
The smaller keyboard is a sop to the greenies. You can still get the bigger one with a keypad at no extra charge.
I like my Model M:
http://pckeyboards.stores.yahoo.net//customizer.html
Does the industrial prison desktop wallpaper come with it?
Damnit, you beat me to it.
Heh, no, that's just a picture I took on Sunday after a crazy day of weather -- there was a pretty great rainbow over some old projects here in Chicago.
Haha, gotta be quick like a mongoose! If this thing came packaged with a series of drab barbed wire themed backgrounds I might consider purchasing it.
@Nilay
Darn. Thought it was a teaser for Half-Life 3.
roundgob,
A teaser for HL3 running on a Mac?
If hell freezes over first...allow me to rephrase that: if hell freezes over at 10 frames per second first...
Actually, you can run Half-Life 2 on Macs using Crossover Games. I saw this video on YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPrWplpCQUQ
Of course, my friend runs Team Fortress 2 using boot camp. It runs much faster. Windows runs at natives speeds on boot camp.
PAC Man,
Yeah, good luck running it at its' native res on that slow as molasses video card.
Heck, good luck running any modern game that came out in the last 2 years at *respectable* frame rates on this system.
For the near $2,000 after taxes and shipping, a person would indeed have to be a fool to purchase this unit for anything remotely as intensive as gaming, even if that game is HL2.
A self-built PC for several several hundreds less than this would run circles around this thing.
Another video of Crossover Games and Half-Life Episode 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4LPPP32byI
The great thing about Crossover Games is that you don't have to have Windows to run it.
Here are the cards that currently run on Macs. Those poor Mac users.
Mac Pro
NVIDIA Quadro FX 5600 1.5GB
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT 512MB
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128MB
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB
iMac
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS 512MB GDDR3
ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO 256MB GDDR3
ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT 128MB
Retail Cards for Macs
ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB
Radeon HD 3870 512MB GDDR4 RAM
ATI Radeon X1900 XT 512MB
ATI Radeon X800 XT 256MB GDDR3
Oops, I should have added these cards as retail options.
NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 512MB GDDR3
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT features 512MB
ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT 256MB GDDR3
PAC man,
Please stop.
You are only exacerbating your case here by displaying your ignorance.
Take the Mac Pro for example, every single one of those cards is slow and outdated, generations old by now.
The newest card in that line up is the old 9500gt rebranded as the GT120.
Even so, it's a relatively weak card compared to NV's latest offerings.
(We are on the 2nd iteration of the GTX 2xx series now by the way, welcome to 2008, scratch that, make that 2009, glad you could join us, but not with that 9500 GT you dont!)
Then you bring up the ATI 2400/2600/4850 series cards.
You are aware that ATI have 2GB 4870 X2 cards for PC's right, and that they run about 400% faster than the 4850 512MB cards in many a game. Then of course we can Crossfire them for quad-card action.
Same goes for the GTX 295 Quad SLI configs that exist for PC's.
It sounds to me like you're pretty new to this stuff.
Macs always have and always will lag behind PC's in terms of technology.
What do you expect when one company design and releases them, and sticks to a 18-24 month release schedule versus the day-to-day schedule that exists over on the PC/Windows side of things.
Team Fortress 2 on an iMac via Crossover Games. I just love this Scottish kid in the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhoetusC9YE
I bring my Macbook Pro over to my friends house to play Left 4 Dead (I believe that uses the HL2 engine) with Bootcamp. It runs fine at native resolution and medium detail settings. It's not the best gaming laptop out there, but it is fine for offing zombies and it's easier than lugging around my Windows desktop. If you have a friend with the employee discount the price isn't that bad either.
@Hamidxa
Thank-you, Rationalization Man. You have saved the village!
Now, let's move on.
Call of Duty 4 on a Mac. Natively.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0mCLieTDhY