iMac: Now up to 3.06 GHz

Apple Computer

The iMac has been an icon of Apple’s computer line for years; the new iMac takes that tradition of style and quality and adds a dramatic, powerful punch with the addition of new features, new technology and an amazing new design. It’s truly the “all-in-one for everyone.” In addition, the price is much less than one would expect (or at least those PC users).

So, what makes the new iMac so impressive? Let’s take a quick look at the improvements, starting with the all new look of the apple computer.

Once upon a time, the iMac was a white, polycarbonate machine that appealed to some, though not all, of Apple’s customers. The new iMac is something different altogether. The sleek, modern aluminum case is a thing of real beauty. It exudes style and power and is crafted from a single sheet of aluminum, which means no screws or bolts in view. Combine that look with the fact that all of the hardware is integrated into the monitor case (for space saving) and you have a look that is unique on today’s market.

What else is new with the iMac? The Intel Core 2 Duo Processors pack a bigger punch than older Apple machines. With up to 3.06 GHz worth of power, these workhorse processor chips provide much more computing power for the serious user. The addition of Intel to the Apple lineup has been a great improvement over older models and provides far more than standard operation.

Standard on board memory is another area in which the new iMac generation has improved. With up to 2 GB of standard onboard memory, the iMac runs faster than ever before, though you can configure them with much more, if that’s your desire. You can decided to get one with two SO-DIMM slots to support up to 8GB of memory. The hard drive capacity has also been increased. The iMac now offers three different hard drives. A 320GB hard drive is standard with optional 640GB or 1TB hard drives for expanded hard drive space.

The OS of the new iMac is Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard, billed as the world’s most advanced operating system. Whether it blows past other OS’s out there or not, Leopard does not disappoint. The other software additions, such as iLife and iWork make this software solution one of the best on the planet. The iMac also has great NVIDIA graphics cards available and video support for premium movie watching.

So, how does the iMac stack up with real consumers? To find out, just try to find a real negative review of the machine. With astounding reliability and performance that a PC just cannot touch, this new machine is a winner with Apple lovers the world over.

First 2TB Hard Drive Announced

Last Tuesday, January 27th Western Digital announced that they would be the first company to produce a 2TB hard drive in a single 3.5” unit. Is this really a big deal, you ask? The truth is IT IS for Western Digital and for the rest of us. Western Digital, known for top-selling hard drives such as their Western Digital My Book Series, is typically not a leader in direct jumps in hard drive capacity technologies. Seagate Technologies, on the other hand, is usually the driving force. The last example of this was their Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5 TB hard drive, which was the largest hard disk drive on the market. However, this accomplishment was tainted for Seagate subsequently due to product flaws including a self-bricking malfunction. This means the product appeared to be “normal” until, after some use, the product suddenly stopped being recognized by the user’s computer. Seagate states they are currently “working with customers to expedite a remedy. This is unfortunate for Seagate, a top-quality Hard Drive Manufacturer, but a golden-opportunity for Western Digital as they step out from under their #2 position in the hard disk drive manufacturing industry and outshine their competition.