Another bite of the Apple with iMac 24’’
Easy on the eye, this super-slim reboot is an ideal home computer
When Apple launched the second model of the iMac in 1999, it wasn’t available in different colours. Instead Apple offered different ‘flavours’, including Blueberry, Tangerine and Strawberry.
It was a revolutionary change for the PC industry and consumers loved it. Buyers no longer had to buy the staid, beige boxes that housed a PC. Apple’s design supremo Jony Ive had crafted something that caught the eye of a new generation of PC users, many of them home users.
It also introduced a new naming convention for Apple, using the small letter ‘i’. First iMac, then iPod, then iPhone and then the world changed, with Apple growing from underdog to become the world’s biggest company.
LOOKS LIKE IT WAS CRAFTED IN THE FUTURE
Apple’s new iMac for 2021 harks back to this heritage, in colours at least. The 24” model is available in seven colours. However the entrylevel model reviewed comes in just four colours: blue, green, pink and a traditional silver, more in line with previous Apple desktops.
This new iMac is so breathtakingly slim that it seems unfeasible that it’s a whole computer. It’s the most striking display of Apple design wizardry in years, and as well as being slim it weighs just 4.46kg, making it easy to reposition around the house.
The retina display isn’t just thin, but packs good resolution of 4480 x 2520 with 218 pixels per inch. So, you’ll get support for 1 billion colours on the display and it has true tone technology.
Essentially, that means it’s easy on the eye, will reproduce graphics realistically and will double nicely as a second screen for movies or TV and the display will adjust based on the lighting in your room.
The iMacs are available in different memory and processor configurations – the entry-level model has Apple’s new M1 Chip with a 7Core GPU.
As standard there is 256GB of
SSD storage and 8GB of Ram. Even in these days of cloud storage, 256GB for a home-and-work computer is a little tight if you accumulate thousands of photos and videos over the years. Upgrading to the 512GB option costs €230 when ordering, but it’s worth considering.
Once you have the iMac and
Magic Mouse and keyboard out of the box (there’s also a power adapter, power lead and USB-C to Lightning cable) set-up is straightforward.
If you’re an Apple user already, whether iPhone or Mac, you’ll be ready to go in five minutes. Around the back of the iMac are the two Thunderbolt-USB 4 ports. There’s also a useful 3.5mm headphone jack, so you can connect traditional headphones or your desktop speakers.
Apple has thankfully improved the camera on this iMac to 1080P HD and, with updates to Apple Face Time, the video calling is the best it’s been. It’s also enhanced by exceptional new speakers, that aren’t just loud and punchy, but produce remarkably crisp and realistic sound.
This entry-level model does come up short in some areas. Having only two ports is frustrating and, while it doubles nicely as a workfrom-home computer if you’re planning on serious design or video editing it may be a little underpowered.
The best choice for professional users might be the next model up with two extra USB 3 ports, and a full 8-Core GPU for an extra €220. This entry-level version though, is probably ideal for younger users or those with moderate computing power needs. That it looks like it was crafted by a genius artist in the future, is a pleasant bonus.