Apple refreshes its iMac and Mac Pro desktop lines and introduces an LED Cinema Display and a larger, freestanding multitouch trackpad.
Apple is refreshing its iMac and Mac Pro and introducing a new Magic
Trackpad and LED Cinema Display as part of its periodic hardware update. The
devices appeared on the company's Website July 27.
The refreshed Mac Pro includes an
option for two Intel Xeon "Westmere" six-core processors, for a
12-core system that runs at 2.93GHz, along with an integrated memory controller
for quick access to data stored in memory. With Hyper-Threading, that becomes
24 virtual cores. Chances are, you would have no trouble playing
"StarCraft II" on a system like that.
Apple is also introducing a 27-inch LED
Cinema Display, with 2560 by 1440 resolution, which can be
connected to other devices via three USB
ports. It includes a built-in iSight camera and microphone.
The new iMacs feature either a 21.5-inch or 27-inch screen and a choice of
processors ranging from an Intel Core i3 for one of the two 21.5-inch versions
to a quad-core Intel Core i7 for the 27-inch. Apple also offers the Intel
Core i5, paired with either the 21.5-inch or 27-inch iMac; the company claims
that the processor architecture has resulted in
"new performance
benchmarks" for the iMac. The 21.5-inch screen boasts 1920 by 1080
resolution, while the 27-inch has 2560 by 1440 resolution.
The Magic Trackpad-that adjective is Apple's favorite, particularly when it
comes to the "magical" iPad as described in nearly every press release-is
a larger, freestanding version of the multitouch trackpad already integrated
into the company's laptops. Surfaced with wear-resistant glass, and wirelessly
connected to a desktop or laptop, it allows users to scroll with two fingers,
swipe with three fingers or rotate by "twisting" the thumb and
forefinger clockwise.
It retails for
$69.
Apple is also introducing a battery charger, which it claimed in a note on
its corporate Website has "the lowest standby power usage value-or
'vampire draw'-of any similar charger on the market." Each charger comes
with six AA batteries: two spares, two for a wireless keyboard and two for a
mouse or trackpad. Apple also claimed
the batteries have a service life
of up to a decade.
Apple recently announced that it
sold
3.47 million Macs in the third fiscal quarter, on its way to earning total
revenues of $15.7 billion and a net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion. Much of
the focus of analysts, though, seemed to be on Apple's mobile products,
including the iPad, of which the company sold 3.27 million units during the
same period.
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