Apple boosts iMac screen size to 27in

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By Barry Collins

Posted on 20 Oct 2009 at 17:22

Apple has bumped up the screen size of the iMac to 27in as part of a refresh of its Mac line-up.

The new 27in iMac boasts a LED-backlit display with a 16:9 aspect ratio and resolution of 2,560 x 1,440. It's an increase of 3in on the previous flagship iMac, which was restricted to a 1,920 x 1,200 resolution.

The internals have also been given a performance boost, with the entry-level 27in iMac containing a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processor and 4GB of RAM. A more powerful model includes a Core i5 quad-core processor running at 2.66GHz and 4GB of RAM. The 27in models will start from $1,700 (£1,038) - UK pricing has yet to be confirmed.

The company has also released two new 21.5in models, which start from $1,200 (£733).

All of the iMacs will ship with Apple's new "Magic Mouse", which uses the same multitouch technology as the iPhone. The entire upper surface of the mouse is described as "a seamless multitouch surface" that allows users to swipe through photo collections or web pages, for example. The mouse can be configured as either a single or dual-button mouse.

New-look MacBook

Apple's laptops haven't been neglected in the refresh. The new entry-level MacBook is both slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, thanks to a new unibody design - which is fast becoming standard on Mac laptops. That of course means it borrows the non-removable battery from its MacBook Pro brethen, which Apple claims offers seven hours battery life and up to 1,000 recharges.

The 13.3in MacBook has a 1,280 x 800 glossy display and sports a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor. There's only 2GB of RAM supplied as standard, although that can be boosted to 4GB. It will start at $999.

Mac mini refresh

The Mac mini has also been given a spruce up. The most interesting newcomer is the $999 model, which ships with Snow Leopard Server and somehow squeezes two 500GB hard disks into the device's tiny frame.

The entry-level $599 mini has been upgraded to a 2.26GHz Core 2 Duo processor, although the 2GB of RAM and 160GB hard disk is still a little sparse.