APPLE IMAC 24IN

If your home is also your office your computer doesn’t need to be portable, but Apple’s latest imac is so slim and light it’s almost like having a laptop that’s been torn in two, or an ipad Pro fixed to its own stand.

Of course, you can’t get a Macbook or an ipad with a 24in 4.5K Retina screen; so if it’s pixels you’re after, the imac delivers in spades, with impressive brightness and superb colours.

Speaking of colours, it comes in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple, blue and silver, so you can choose one to match the decor of that home office you carefully converted the spare bedroom into when it looked like lockdown was here to stay. Even the mouse, keyboard and magnetic power cable are co-ordinated. Nice.

M1 can fall in love

The new imac is powered by Apple’s M1 chip – and it’s just as much of a success here as it is in the Macbooks, particularly with apps that are optimised for it. Even with only 8GB of RAM it makes light work of almost anything with not a whisper of complaint from the fan. It can’t be upgraded, though, so go for 16GB if you might need a bit more oomph in the future.

Apple reckons this imac has the best camera, speakers and mics ever. You won’t want to record an album or shoot a movie with one, but even though the screen can’t be adjusted vertically, Janet from marketing is unlikely to complain that she can’t see or hear you on Zoom. Whether that’s a good thing or not is your business.

KEY SPECS

● 23.5in 4480x2520 Retina ● Apple M1

● 8/16GB RAM ● 256/512GB/1/2TB SSD ● macos Big Sur ● 2x Thunderbolt 3

(USB 4), 2x USB 3 (8-core only), 3.5mm

● Mains power ● 547x461x14.7cm, 4.46kg