This Friday, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will start shipping the new iMacs. On Tuesday morning, Apple reported that their 21.5 inch iMac computer would be available via Apple’s online store, their retail stores, and select Apple resellers. The 27-inch version will be available at the Apple online store and will start shipping sometime in December.
This year’s edition of the iMac features 8GB of memory, a 1 terabyte hard drive, Nvidia GeForce Graphics processor, IntelCore i5 processor with quad-core, FaceTime HD camera, two microphones, Thunderbolt, Gigbit Ethernet, SD Card, three USB ports, and the new Fusion Drive.
Rich Brown from CNET offered the following description of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s design aesthetic for the new iMac, ” In person, you can see that the design is amazingly thin at the edges, although it tapers out to a thicker portion at the back of the system. From the front it looks about the same as the earlier iMacs, chin included. Aesthetically, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) leads the pack here as usual. In terms of functionality, other than the Thunderbolt port, there’s not too much going on here that you can’t also find in a well-equipped Windows all-in-one, like the Dell XPS One 27.”
The new computers were unveiled last October. The 21.5 inch iMac starts at $1,299 and the the 27-inch starts at $1,799.
It’s expected the both iMacs will probably be huge sellers this holiday season, although not quite as much as the iPad or iPad Mini. I wouldn’t be surprised if in the next eight to ten years, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stops making iMacs, as their tablets may end up replacing traditional computers. It makes a lot more sense to spend $500 on a smaller, more portable computer than it does to spend $1,300 on a less portable desktop. I predict this sentiment will catch on before long but it won’t stop with Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL). I also predict that the iPad will continue to grow in popularity and eventually they may introduce three or four different versions of the iPad.
