Hasta La Gadget!

One Thunderbolt port on your new MacBook Pro? Pah. The new 27-inch iMac has twice that many — two. When we got ours out of the box we just had to do the natural thing: fire up as many pixels as possible. Two 30-inch Dell displays and a couple of dual-link DVI display adapters later and we have what you see above: a wide swath of LCD covering 11,878,400 pixels. Sure, any average desktop can do this, but how many all-in-ones can push that many dots? The iMac’s 27-inch, 2,560 x 1,440, LED-backlit IPS panel is definitely a highlight, but flanked by another two monsters the combination is, honestly, a little overwhelming. We tried working this way but only made it about 30 minutes before retreating to smaller fields of view.

Other tid-bits we’ve learned about the updated iMac: those who’d rather swipe than drag can now choose to order theirs with a Magic Trackpad instead of a Magic Mouse, though we’re sure Apple would surely be happy to sell you both. Additionally, the 21.5-inch model can now be configured with a 256GB SSD, just like its big bro. The bigger news, of course, is what’s on the inside, with updated Radeon HD graphics featuring GDDR5 memory and Sandy Bridge processors all-round. We’ll be back with a full review later to get a feel for just how powerful this thing is, but until then dig all those pixels in the video below.

Continue reading Apple iMac hands-on, with dual 30-inch displays! (video)

Apple iMac hands-on, with dual 30-inch displays! (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 11:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The last time Apple updated its iMac line we were treated to Intel Core 2010 processors. So it’s no surprise — really, no surprise at all — to see Apple refreshing the lineup today. Prices start at $1,199 (as usual) for the 21.5-inch (1,920 x 1,080 pixel IPS panel) model with new 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 512MB of AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics. Prices soon jump to $1,999 for a 27-inch (2,560 x 1,440 IPS) model with 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU and 1GB of AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics, or optional 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7 proc and 2GB of HD 6970M graphics if you so desire. We’re talking Intel Sandy Bridge, of course, but Apple never goes into specifics. New owners will also be treated to a Thunderbolt jack (one on the 21.5-inch model and two on the 27-incher) and FaceTime HD camera with 24 hours shipping. Yeah, it looks the same, but it’s the insides that count.

Continue reading Apple iMac refresh official: Thunderbolt and next gen quad-core processors

Apple iMac refresh official: Thunderbolt and next gen quad-core processors originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 May 2011 08:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This one is obviously still very much in rumor territory, but a couple of separate reports have cropped up today that suggest Apple could be set to debut some updated iMacs as soon as next week. That includes a report from 9 to 5 Mac that iMac orders are being delayed until May 2nd, despite the fact that they’re still listed as shipping within 24 hours on Apple’s website, and a separate confirmation from a trusted source of the site, who says that Apple will stop shipping iMacs to retailers this week in advance of next week’s supposed release. That’s further backed up by a report from Mac Rumors, which cites another source who says that Apple will be changing the promotional materials in its retail stores for a launch on Tuesday, May 3rd. Details are comparatively light on the rumored new iMacs themselves, but the safe money seems to be on Sandy Bridge processors and Thunderbolt ports.

iMac rumor mill suggests new models could be coming next week originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Apr 2011 17:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Embedding an antenna in the external body of a phone? Maybe not such a good idea. Hiding it behind the logo sounds a little more practical, and that’s the idea Apple wrote up in a patent application dated June 17th, 2009, back before we knew antennas and gates could be so wickedly conjoined. That was also before we knew about the iPad, which seems to have one of these so-called “logo antennas” within it, as found when iFixit did their dirty thing. The same can be said for iMacs, which also have antennas peering through an apple-shaped hole to avoid any reception issues caused by an aluminum chassis. It looks to be a good solution, but not exactly a novel one. In roaming around the USPTO archives we found a similar 2003 patent from Dell also called “Logo Antenna,” the big difference being that while Apple’s logo forms a window for the antenna the logo in Dell’s patent actually is the antenna.

Apple applies for ‘logo antenna’ patent, hides your resonator behind the brand indicator originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Dec 2010 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We know, it’s shocking, but some people think that Apple might actually introduce some new home and mobile computers next year. DigiTimes is reporting that MacBook Pro and iMac refreshes are coming, the latter specifically getting “a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market.” That certainly screams “smaller” and “cheaper” to us, but don’t let us rain on your desktop-crushing, 55-inch all-in-one dreams. Regarding the MacBook Pro rumor, there are said to be four or more revised models arriving with “a slight change in chassis design” and Mac OS X 10.7 Lion onboard. Both sets of revisions are said to be due sometime in the first half of next year, which won’t be “next” for very long at all.

New iMac and MacBook Pros coming in 2011? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 16 Dec 2010 06:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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