iMac |
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Last Updated: May 23, 2008
The Apple iMac offers a computer and monitor in a single thin frame.
24 Inch iMac for $1,800
Bigger is better.
| Part | Model | Comment |
| Screen | 24 inch | You can never have a big enough monitor. 1080i or 1080p HD video requires a 24 inch monitor to see the video full size. |
| Processor | 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo | The 3.06GHz upgrade for $250 for a 9% improvement in processing speed, not overall computer speed, is better spent elsewhere. However, if you plan on editing HD video on a regular basis, then 3.06GHz might be worth it. Rendering a one minute video clip will take more than a minute, so you'll sit there waiting for it. It's nice to have the fastest computer. Full length DVDs take hours to render, so you might as well render the video over night. A computer that is 15 minutes faster than another won't matter at that point. They'll both be done in the morning. HD video in the AVCHD format on hard drive based video cameras requires 2.8GHz. |
| Memory | 2GB | |
| Hard Drive | 320GB | Most people don't need more than 15GB for OS X, the software applications, and the data files. The music files from iTunes may take 80GB if you download 100 songs a month or have a 400 CD collection. 10,000 digital photos with a 10 megapixel camera will take about 50GB. Video files are why people need a hard drive bigger than 160GB. Take a guess on what you'll need. If you need more room, you can always plug in an external hard drive in a matter of seconds. Again, Apple is making a nice profit on upgrades. A 320GB drive is $70, 500GB is $90, 750GB is $130, and 1TB is $200. Opening the case of the aluminum iMacs is major surgery and not recommended. Here are photos of the iMac with the case removed. |
| Keyboard | wired or wireless | The wired keyboard adds a numeric keypad and two USB ports compared to the wireless version. One USB port is for the mouse. The other port is for a USB flash drive, iPod or digital camera. The USB ports on the back of the monitor are not as convenient to use. |
| Software | iLife '08 | iLife is installed on every Mac. It includes iPhoto, iWeb, GarageBand, iDVD and iMovie. iMovie is strictly for beginners. |
| Software | Photoshop | Although iPhoto is great, Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6 are the best in class for photo editing. |
20 Inch iMac for $1,200
Affordable iMac.
| Part | Model | Comment |
| Screen | 20 inch | Smallest iMac you can buy for crowded spaces or tight budgets. |
| Processor | 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo | This computer will run everything except HD video in the AVCHD format (hard drive based video cameras). |
| Memory | 1GB | iLife doesn't require 2GB. |
| Hard Drive | 250GB | Good size for iLife, business applications, iTunes, digital photos, and light video editing. |
| Keyboard | wired or wireless | The wireless keyboard is good for cramped spaces while the wired keyboard is for more serious work. |
| Software | iLife '08 | iLife is installed on every Mac. It includes iPhoto, iWeb, GarageBand, iDVD and iMovie. iMovie is strictly for beginners. |
| Software | Photoshop | Although iPhoto is great, Photoshop Elements 6 is the best photo editor under $100. |
Here are the technical specs.