subject: IMac 27 Quad Core - The Choice For Professionals [print this page] IMac 27 Quad Core - The Choice For Professionals
The iMac has been around for a very long time and grew to be a popular choice for all kinds of computer users because it uses Apple's friendly Mac OS X operating system and combines simplicity with functionality. The whole idea of the iMac is to put all of the powerful hardware components in a very slim package and also have a clear display built right in so it takes up as little space as possible. Set up is easy and you won't have any wires in the way. With a simple and powerful configuration like that, there might be little room for improvement. But as processors started to become faster, Apple began rolling out new models. They still hang on to Intel's reliable processors today and Apple reserved their largest iMacs for some of Intel's best processors. The end result is the large Apple iMac 27 Quad Core model.
Product Overview and Performance:
The iMac 27 Quad Core uses Intel's Arrandale architecture which includes the first generation Core i3, i5, and i7 processors. Although the smaller iMac models feature the same architecture, the 27-inch version gets the benefit of 4 cores resulting to a massive performance increase that even rivals the powerful Mac Pros. Even in the initial configuration, the Intel Core i5 2.8 GHz processor is fast with all four cores working together when intensive tasks are being performed. Adding $200 gives you the faster Core i7 2.93 GHz which is also quad core but the faster clock speed is something that professionals will enjoy. Both configurations use Intel's Turbo Boost which effectively combines all 4 cores to reach higher clock speeds in order to boost the performance of applications and games that do not use multiple cores.
To balance out its multitasking capabilities, the iMac 27 Quad Core is outfitted with 4 GB of memory and that can be expanded to a maximum of 16 GB which is amazing for an all-in-one system. The 1 TB drive runs at 7200 rpm so you can access files faster and you can optionally change to a solid state drive to dramatically increase your boot time performances.
Extra Features:
The iMac 27 Quad Core is more than just a speedy beast as it features some nice improvements over the previous generation of iMacs. There is now an SD card slot so you can quickly transfer photos and videos from portable devices that rely on SD memory. The audio quality has improved thanks to the improved speaker system and the image quality retains its beauty on every angle. It uses a special technology known as in-plane switching or IPS so you can get the full 178 degree viewing angle and 16:9 aspect ratio. Watching HD movies look great and the LED-backlit display manages well depending on your ambient lighting.
This is very important for creative professionals that frequently do design work where printing accurate colors is involved. Multimedia tasks are more than possible because of the speedy ATI Radeon HD 5670 GPU and that opens up the gaming possibilities too. The built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi also means that you can transfer files across the network and blazing speeds as long as other systems and routers support 802.11n. Finally, the iSight camera is built right into the device so you won't need a separate webcam. With four USB ports and an available FireWire 800, should be able to connect Apple accessories to the iMac 27 Quad Core without issues.
