First Look: Apple's 27 inch iMac

Apple's new 27-inch iMac can be described in one word: stunning...

Ken Mingis

I do wonder what this iMac's introduction means for Apple's beautiful, but now aging, 30-inch Cinema Display monitor. Sure, it has a slightly higher resolution because of its 16x10 aspect ratio. But it costs only a littl more than the 27-in. iMac and it's just a display. With the iMac, you get 90% of the Cinema Display's screen real estate, and a high-powered computer built in. You'd have to really need that 30-in. screen to justify the expense. I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple update the Cinema Display soon, either by bumping up its resolution or by downsizing it to 27 inches and cutting the price. That's just speculation; Apple doesn't talk about future product plans.

Conclusions

Apple's flagship iMac comes in a variety of flavors and two sizes, with the model I've been using being the sweet spot. It offers the most value for the price and could spur desktop sales. In recent years, more and more Mac buyers -- including me -- have opted for Apple's popular line of laptops. Desktops, in some ways, have fallen out of favor, given the prevalence of wireless connections and the public's desire for mobility.

But with an absolutely stunning screen, a lot of under-the-hood performance improvements, the wireless keyboard and the new mouse, and flexibility that makes it fit in at work or at home, this new iMac could lead to a resurgence in desktop sales for Apple.

With the holidays soon upon us, I know of at least one laptop owner who's waiting to check out those quadcore models when they arrive next month. Me.



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