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Apple iMac family

Apple Magic Trackpad
Apple continues to overhaul its product portfolio

Apple had a blockbuster Q3 thanks to strong sales of its iPhone, iPads, and Mac computers. The Cupertino, California-based company was able to reel in revenue and profits of $15.7 billion and $3.25 billion respectively.

Apple is looking to keep its winning streak alive with a few updated products. Today saw updates to the iMac and Mac Pro product families along with a new Bluetooth-based accessory.

The new iMac family is still available in 21.5" and 27" screen sizes, but firepower for the entire line has been increased. The Core 2 Duo processors have been ditched on the base configurations in favor of dual-core Intel Core i3 processors.

21.5" iMacs start out with an Intel Core i3 processor running at 3.06GHz and can be optioned with a Core i5 processor running at 3.6GHz. The 27" iMacs start out with a 3.2GHz Core i3 processor and top out at a quad-core Core i7 running at 2.93GHz.

ATI graphics solutions blanket the iMac family with low-end machines getting a 256MB Radeon HD 4670 and top-ranging 27" iMacs receiving a 1GB Radeon HD 5750.

“We took the world’s best all-in-one and made it even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With the latest processors, high-performance graphics and signature aluminum and glass design, customers are going to love the latest iMac.”

The new iMacs start at $1,199 for the 21.5" model and $1,699 for the 27" model.

To complement Apple's new iMacs, a new Magic Trackpad accessory has been announced. This Bluetooth-based accessory operates exactly like the trackpad found on MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro notebooks. It retails for $69.

Also seeing an update after a long, stagnant period is Apple's Mac Pro. The Mac Pro is now available with quad- and six-core Intel Xeon processors running at 3.33GHz. When equipped with two processors, Apple's newest Mac Pros boast up to 12 physical cores and up to 24 virtual cores with Hyper-Threading.

“The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we’ve ever made,” said Schiller added. “With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want.”

The default graphics card on the new Mac Pros is now an ATI Radeon HD 5770 while a Radeon HD 5870 is optional. Another option that will surely set you back a pretty penny is a quad-512MB SSD array.

The new Mac Pros start at $2,499.

One final addition to Apple's new product onslaught is the new 27" Cinema Display. This beauty packs a screen resolution of 2560x1440, an iSight camera, MagSafe connector for your MacBook, and a three-port USB hub. Naturally, all of this doesn't come cheap -- the new display retails for $999.

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RE: Why?
By Flahrydog on 7/27/2010 9:14:29 AM , Rating: 5
Because Jobs says that you are holding your mouse wrong.


RE: Why?
By headbox on 7/27/10, Rating: -1
RE: Why?
By StevoLincolnite on 7/27/2010 2:33:26 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
No, because the OS is designed for 1, 2, & 4 finger trackpad use- gestures, etc. But hey, keep on being a PC fanboi. It's important to be a narrow-minded follower of something in life.


PC's have had USB track pads like the one Apple has shown here for about a decade, it's not a "New and exciting" technological revolution by any stretch of the imagination.


RE: Why?
By sprockkets on 7/27/2010 8:42:05 PM , Rating: 4
quote:
PC's have had USB track pads like the one Apple has shown here for about a decade, it's not a "New and exciting" technological revolution by any stretch of the imagination.


Wasn't until this past year that trackpads on PCs could track more than one finger though.


RE: Why?
By afkrotch on 7/27/2010 10:30:02 PM , Rating: 3
And? It doesn't somehow make the one for Apple "New and exciting." All you're saying is that PC still had them first.


RE: Why?
By erple2 on 8/1/2010 6:57:26 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Wasn't until this past year that trackpads on PCs could track more than one finger though.


That's got to be wrong - my Compaq 2800T that I bought in May of 2001 seems to read and do two finger scrolling just fine in Vector Linux.


RE: Why?
By marvdmartian on 7/27/2010 3:28:09 PM , Rating: 3
You know, it just occurred to me that the gesture in the trackpad picture is eerily similar to that used by Obiwan Kenobi, when he used the force to convince the Imperial Stormtroopers that the droids in question weren't the ones they were looking for. The only difference is that Darth Steve uses it to convince all you Apple fanboys that you need the "new" device he's selling.

Darth Steve: "This is the new device you're looking for."
Apple Fanboys: "This is the new device I'm looking for...."
Darth Steve: "It is magical, and you need it."
Apple Fanboys: "It is magical, and I need it...."
Darth Steve: "It has all the features you would ever need."
Apple Fanboys: "All the features I'll ever need...."
Darth Steve: "You will go buy one immediately."
Apple Fanboys: "I will go buy one immediately...."
Darth Steve: "That is all......" (followed immediately by trampling feet, as all the Apple Fanboys run as fast as they can to the nearest Apple Store, to stand in line for their new product they "need".

Being an Apple supporter, you won't get far calling anyone else a narrow-minded follower.


RE: Why?
By apriest on 7/29/2010 8:15:40 AM , Rating: 2
"I want to go home and rethink my life." :-)


RE: Why?
By heffeque on 7/27/2010 1:05:56 PM , Rating: 2
Well... when used as a HTPC, a mouse is terribly unconfortable to use on the sofa or on the bed.
This thing might be very handy for that.

Also I often catch myself letting go of the mouse to do some specific gesture with my MBP's trackpad because sometimes it's easier and more confortable to do some specific gesture with the trackpad than to do it with the mouse.

As an Engadget user comented...

"It's an unnecessary luxury.
I still want one."

Although in my case: I'm not going to buy one.


RE: Why?
By ians55 on 7/27/2010 2:05:52 PM , Rating: 2
I think that trackball mouse is absolute winner here.


RE: Why?
By afkrotch on 7/27/2010 10:33:51 PM , Rating: 2
That's why HTPCs have remotes. So you want to hold a trackpad in your hand, then use your other hand to make gestures? I'd much rather just use one hand with the remote and the other hand for...ummmm...other things.

If I'm sitting at a desk, mouse all the way. I can zoom in/out with the wheel, I can click on crap. I don't feel like doing stupid gestures for the same result.

When I'm mobile, I have my tablet. I have yet to use the touchpad on my tablet.


RE: Why?
By jvillaro on 7/27/2010 11:02:11 PM , Rating: 2
Okay so you want something better? More practical for that... Maybe you could get the Kinect for that. It will work for PC's too. It will be more expensive but if you can pay $65 for a track pad (and more for every crap that Apple comes out with) I guess it would be a problem for you...


"You can bet that Sony built a long-term business plan about being successful in Japan and that business plan is crumbling." -- Peter Moore, 24 hours before his Microsoft resignation











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