In the end, you’ll need to pay at least $1,499 for four ports.ĭespite these drawbacks, the iMac has a lot to offer for folks who want a Mac with a big screen, a sharp webcam and a compact design that includes all the accessories you need to get up and running right away.
That’s slightly better than the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro (which comes with only two ports) but not quite as expansive as the mix of connections you’ll get on the Mac Mini. It’s also not the best overall Mac for connectivity, as Apple’s new desktop starts with just two USB-C Thunderbolt ports on the $1,299 model (which allow for very fast file transfers and seamless connectivity with external 4K displays), and maxes out with just four USB-C ports overall on the more expensive models. If you’re the type of person who works with lots of large photo and video files, the iMac could fill up fast if you don’t have a good external hard drive handy. Apple’s new desktop can be configured with up to 1TB of free space, which is notably less than the maximum of 2TB that the MacBook Pro and Mac Mini support. While the latest Macs start with more overall storage at 256GB compared to 128GB for the previous generation, the new iMac is on the weaker side of Apple’s lineup when it comes to maximum space. Regardless, though, it will be color matched to your iMac along with the mouse.
Apple’s new desktop ships with a wireless Magic Mouse and Magic Keyboard, the latter of which comes in a choice of three different models depending on whether you want extra features like a Touch ID fingerprint scanner and a full numerical pad.
By comparison, the MacBook Air and Pro sport a less-sharp 720p camera, and the Mac Mini requires you to provide your own webcam.
The iMac looks to be the best Mac in Apple’s lineup for video calls, packing a 1080p camera with advanced software smarts for making you look bright and true to life. That should make for a good canvas for doing intensive creative tasks, as the iMac has an Apple M1 processor that the company says can give you the ability to edit up to five streams of 4K footage in Final Cut Pro at the same time if you opt for the more powerful 8-core graphics processor option. It has the tech specs to back it up, with a super-crisp 4.5K resolution (4480 x 2520). So if you want a full computer experience within a big, vibrant screen that won’t take up much space, the iMac is likely for you.Īt the center of the iMac is a 24-inch display that’s designed to make videos, photos and games look as vibrant and detailed as possible.
It also comes with a keyboard and mouse, giving you everything you need to start working and playing right out of the box. IMac: For big-screen convenience at home ($1,299 and )Īpple’s new iMac is an all-in-one computer, meaning everything it needs to run is packed right into its incredibly slim display. Here’s a breakdown of Apple’s powerful new laptops and desktops, and the kind of person each one is suited for. The big difference is that the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini and iMac get the added bonus of a fan, which can keep things a bit cooler (if occasionally louder) than the fanless MacBook Air.Ĭhoosing between these similarly beastly machines can be tricky, but we’re here to make that decision easier for you. Apple’s new M1 processor replaces the Intel chips found in older models, something we’ve found to deliver a major increase in performance in our testing. The good news is that all of these machines offer a similar amount of power - and you get a lot of it. That begs the question: Do you go with the all-in-one convenience of the iMac, the portability of the MacBook Pro or Air, or the flexibility of the Mac Mini? With the arrival of the gorgeous new 24-inch iMac, Apple now has a full suite of compact and ridiculously fast computers powered by the company’s M1 processor. Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account