Apple introduces all-new, super thin iMac

Apple revealed a new, redesigned iMac Tuesday, the first update to come to the all-in-one computer since May 2011.

That, by the way, is a doozy of a wait, though it seems to be well worth it.

The all new iMac is just 5 millimeters thin at the sveltest parts. It's 8 pounds (3.5kg) lighter than the previous iMac, too.

With screen sizes measuring 21.5- and 27-inches, the iMac stands tall among the miniature devices Cupertino also introduced at its San Jose event.

Sleek, not meek

The monitor, by the way, has managed to fit in more pixels per inch and a 1,920 x 1,080 and 2,560 x 1,440 for the two sizes.

Anti-glare coating coupled with the air gap provide for 75 percent less reflection overall, according to Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing.

The computers also feature Core i5 or i7 processors, Nvidia Kepler graphics and up to 768GB of flash or 3TB of HDD.

Those specs are impressive, but even more interesting is Apple's new "Fusion Drive," with 128GB of flash storage combined with 1TB or 3TB of HDD.

Schiller said the new iMac's optional Fusion Drive delivers faster reads and writes and more storage, and here's the kicker: Mountain Lion will supposedly shuffle things on your hard drive around automatically depending on what you access most.

And Schiller said this new functionality is totally automated: "All transparently to you. You just use it and it works," he explained.

More iMac

In addition, the new iMac packs a 720p FaceTime HD camera and dual mics and speakers, though like its predecessors, it lacks any form of optical drive.

But the new iMac does pack four USB 3.0 ports and three Thunderbolt ports in that minuscule frame.

"So much work has gone into fitting all that into a computer this thin," Schiller said on stage.

The base model starts at $US1,299/£1,099/AUD$1,429 with a 2.75GHz i5 processor and 1TB HDD, plus 8GB of RAM. It ships next month.

The 27-incher begins with a 2.9GHz i5, 8GB of RAM and 1TB HDD for $1,799/£1,499/AUD$1,999. That starts shipping in December, just in time for Christmas.

Via Engadget