MacWorld has done a very thorough review of the two new iMac’s that were released last Tuesday. Since the article is rather long, we thought we’d sum it up for you. But if you prefer the long version instead, I suggest you head on over to MacWorld and read their excellent review.

Looks: MacWorld likes the color scheme of the new iMac and describes it as “pleasantly monochromatic”. They also write that it somewhat resembles an LCD TV. That the two look alike may be one more step towards TV/computer integration, don’t you think?

The thin design is pretty much an optical illusion though. The new iMac has about the same depth but it looks thinner because the back bulges more than it’s previous design. MacWorld writes that it’s an optical illusion, but a very effective such.

Glossy Screen: The new iMac features a glossy screen which means that a piece of glass covers the display. MacWorld reports that this makes the screen “bright and chrisp” and that “colors pop, the blacks look rich and images are very pleasing.”

There are some down-sides though. Color shifts occur when you look at the screen from extreme angles. The 20 inch iMac has a 10 percent smaller viewing angle than it’s big brother. For normal usage, however, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Keyboard: Finally, the new keyboard. MacWorld says it’s “perhaps the most radically redesigned element” and we have to agree. It features the same type of keys that are on the MacBook, but on an aluminum board.

The MacWorld author writes that “the keys feel soft and comfortable” and that he, as a MacBook owner, has quickly come to enjoy them. The keyboard also gives a sleek look that accompanies that of the new iMac.

A new feature of the keyboard is something that I’ve been waiting on: integrated USB 2.0 ports. The previous keyboard only featured USB 1.1. but now, finally, we’ll be able to charge our iPods and other devices through the keyboard.

Other news include multimedia (iTunes) controls on the functions keys as well as different positions for Exposé Dashboard and other hot keys. And, of course, the removal of the Apple logo from the command key.

MacWorld states that “the keyboard the design is more of a triumph than the Mac itself.”

Technology: All models come with 1 GB of RAM in a single slot. Putting it in a single slot makes it easy to add more. Perhaps the only thing about the MacBook that annoyed me was the two 256 MB sticks that came with it. No such problem with the iMac.

The new iMacs is available in 2.0 GHz and 2.4 Ghz configurations, both with Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Apple has also chosen to ship the new Macs with more storage space, 250 GB instead of 160 GB for the low-end version and 320 GB instead of 250 GB on the high-end.

MacWorld also reports that the built-in speakers sound “very good”, that all models come with SuperDrive and that dual-layer burning speed has increased.

Performance: The performance changes from the previous Intel iMacs are minimal but there were still inprovements. The new Macs did 11 seconds better on the Photoshop test and 16 seconds of the zip archive test. The new graphics cards also has some new features.

See full article for numbers and performance details.

Thanks to MacWorld for a great review ot of the new iMacs.

MacWorld, original article

Popularity: 3% [?]