Apple is well known for its incredible devices that also come at outstanding prices. While it may be true that prices are slightly over the average, the products that they manufacture are also some of the best on the market. The same rule applies to the 21-inch 1.4Ghz Core i5 iMac. Last week, Apple announced that it is making its all-in-one desktop iMac a bit more affordable. Apparently, the latest 21-inch iMac will be 200$ less than its previous low-end counter-part.
Obviously, this cost cut will also mean less storage capacity and weaker performance. The new iMac may be significantly slower than the previous 21.5-inch iMac, but it is still a notable device that you may consider purchasing. This low-end iMac comes equipped with half of the hard drive storage capacity of its predecessor (which had 1TB), and a Core i5 dual-core processor which operates at 1.4 Ghz.
Review of the 21-inch Core i5 iMac Low-end Device
1. Speedmark Score
According to MacWorld’s Speedmark 9 scores, the new, low-end iMac is considerably slower than the iMac/2.7Ghz, MacBook Air/1.Ghz, iMac/3.2Ghz and iMac/2.9Ghz models. The fact that it was slower isn’t at all shocking. What was shocking was just how slow it was. The high-end model scored 54% higher than its low-end counterpart (which means that it forfeited a lot of speed in favor of better pricing). The Intel Isiris integrated graphics of the 1299$ iMac also scored better than the Intel HD Graphics 5000 system of the 1099$ iMac. In addition to this, even after adding a 1TB Fusion Drive (fusion drives add more value and capacity to standard drives), the device still performed worse than the 1299$ iMac.
2. Performance
For its price, this iMac is truly a performance king. It is faster than most desktops (even if it is slower than its counter-parts). As a matter of fact it is the fastest all-in-one desktop in the mainstream price range. Not everybody needs a monster of a laptop to get the job done, so the 21-inch Core i5 Mac can definitely take care of business without breaking a sweat.
3. Design & Appearance
The iMac 21.5-inch Thunderbolt laptop sports the same design as many of the other iMacs on the market (including a glass-covered 1080p panel, the same row of I/O ports, and a wireless keyboard and mouse). There is one difference: The mini DisplayPort was replaced with a ThunderBolt port.
Key Features
Speedmark scores aside, the new Apple iMac 21.5-inch is still one of the better products on the market right now. Here are a few key features that you might be interested in:
- 1.4 Ghz dual-core Intel core i5
- Turbo Boost up to 2.7Ghz
- 8GB memory
- 500GB hard drive
- Intel HD Graphics 5000
Is it Worth it?
The brand new, low-end iMac is considered the “perfect entry-level Mac Desktop” by Apple manufacturers. It uses the same elegant and slim design, and popular features such as 802.11ac Wi-Fi, two Thunderbolt ports, and USB 3.0 ports, among many others. Basically, for 200$ savings, users will be downgrading their device from the ultra-fast quad-core chip to a dual-core CPU. In spite of its slightly more advantageous price, there are better offers for iMacs (example: the 2.7Ghz, core i5 model with 1TB hard-drive and Nvidia GeForce GT 640M graphics) on the market.
The last time that Apple offered a 1.099$ was last year, but that model was only available for sale to educational institutions. This means that Apple is taking steps to make their devices more accessible for people with lower budgets. The truth is that not everyone needs the sheer horse-power of a quad-core iMac to get the job done. Also, iMacs look a lot more professional than other laptop brands. This product is aimed at low-end consumers who are looking for better value in the iMac (examples: schools, educational systems, entrepreneurs, business people etc.).
So a new iMac at a lower prices means that people (and businesses) buying Macs have another option that can save them money. If it suits their needs, that’s a good thing. (Source: www.imore.com/apples-1099-imac-who-should-buy-one)