New iMac range hit the Apple store – Sandy Bridge Intel inside

If you’re like me, and purchased an iMac in the last 12 months (or more) – LOOK AWAY NOW, you’re not going to like this.

But overall, it’s great news for Consumers, and for Apple buyers.  Apple has updated its iMac range, with new Intel Sandy Bridge Processors, Thunderbolt I/O and so-as not to get too ‘intel’ friendly, a new AMD Radeon graphics processor.

And the price, lower.  From what I can see thus far, likely $200 lower at the entry level, with the 21 inch coming in at $1399, and the 27inch starting at $1949.

More thoughts on pricing, and a reality check for the whingers of the world on the full post below.

Nothing much more to say other than if you’re in the market for a PC, now’s a good time to consider an iMac.  Click continue reading for the full announcement from Apple.

Before I share the full Apple release, I’ve already read some posts online complaining about the Australian Pricing.  For some reason, people with no understanding of business and market size seem to think that because something is $1000 in the USA it should be $1000 or less in Australia. Yep, the dollar is good, but has anyone had a look around and realised that Australia is a country of 22million people or so.  America has something like 300million – so please, if you can’t understand why the cost of doing business, the overheads that can be spread across a broader sales base in that market compared to here have some affect on price – you shouldn’t be publishing comment.

Let’s compare the real value we are seeing here.

• 28 July 2010 – 21.5-inch 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a recommend retail price of AUD$1599 inc GST
• 3 May 2011 – 21.5-inch 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive for a recommended retail price (RRP) of AUD$1,399 inc GST;

• 28 July 2010 -21.5-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a recommend retail price of AUD$1999 inc GST
• 3 May 2011 -21.5-inch 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$1,698 inc GST

• 28 July 2010 – 27-inch 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 iMac, for a suggested retail price of AUD$2199 inc GST / AUD$1999.09 ex GST
• 3 May 2011 – 27-inch iMac is available in two models: one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$1,949 inc GST;

• 28 July 2010 -27-inch 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 iMac, for a recommended retail price of AUD$2599 inc GST / AUD$2362.73 ex GST
• 3 May 2011 – 27 inch 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$2,299 inc GST.

The real value appears to be at the entry level, despite losing the i3 processor and going with the faster i5 – there is a much better price.  At the higher level, you’re getting a decent spec machine

 

 

Here’s the full release from Apple:

SYDNEY, Australia —4 May 2011—Apple® today updated its signature all-in-one iMac® with next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, groundbreaking high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology and a new FaceTime® HD camera. Starting at recommended retail price (RRP) AUD$1,399 inc GST, the new iMac is up to 70 percent faster and new graphics deliver up to three times the performance of the previous generation.*

“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminium enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better.”

The new iMac features quad-core Intel Core i5 processors with an option for customers to choose Core i7 processors up to 3.4 GHz. These next generation processors feature an integrated memory controller for an amazingly responsive experience and a powerful new media engine for high-performance video encoding and decoding. With new AMD Radeon HD graphics processors, the new iMac has the most powerful graphics ever in an all-in-one desktop.

iMac is the first desktop computer on the market to include groundbreaking Thunderbolt I/O technology. The 21.5-inch iMac has a single Thunderbolt port while the 27-inch model features two ports for even greater expansion. Developed by Intel with collaboration from Apple, Thunderbolt enables expandability never before possible on an all-in-one computer. Featuring two bi-directional channels with transfer speeds up to an amazing 10Gbps each, Thunderbolt delivers PCI Express directly to external high performance peripherals such as RAID arrays, and can support FireWire® and USB consumer devices, and Gigabit Ethernet networks via adapters. Thunderbolt also supports DisplayPort for high resolution displays and works with existing adapters for HDMI, DVI and VGA displays. Freely available for implementation on systems, cables and devices, Thunderbolt technology is expected to be widely adopted as a new standard for high performance I/O.

iMac includes a built-in FaceTime HD camera and Apple’s innovative FaceTime software for crisp, widescreen video calling the whole family can enjoy. The new camera supports high definition video calls between all FaceTime HD-enabled Macs and standard resolution calls with iPad® 2, iPhone® 4, the current generation iPod touch® and other Intel-based Macs. The iMac continues to feature its signature aluminium and glass design, gorgeous IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, SD card slot and comes with Apple’s innovative Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.

Continuing Apple’s commitment to the environment, Apple’s desktop line is a leader in green design. The iMac meets stringent Energy Star 5.2 requirements and achieves EPEAT Gold rating.** iMac features LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass. iMac uses PVC-free components and cables, contains no brominated flame retardants, uses highly recyclable materials and features material-efficient system and packaging designs.

Every Mac comes with Mac OS® X Snow Leopard®, the world’s most advanced operating system, and iLife®, Apple’s innovative suite of applications for creating and sharing great photos, movies and music. Snow Leopard builds on more than a decade of innovation and includes the Mac App Store℠ for finding great new apps for your Mac. iLife ’11 features iPhoto® with stunning full screen views for browsing, editing and sharing photos; iMovie® with powerful easy-to-use tools to transform home videos into fun theatrical trailers; and GarageBand® with new ways to improve your playing and create great sounding songs.

Pricing & Availability
The new iMac is available through the Apple Store® (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorised Resellers. The 21.5-inch iMac is available in two configurations: one with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6750M and 500GB hard drive for a recommended retail price (RRP) of AUD$1,399 inc GST; and one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$1,698 inc GST. The new 27-inch iMac is available in two models: one with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6770M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$1,949 inc GST; and one with a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive for a RRP of AUD$2,299 inc GST.