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Apple’s 27-inch iMac, which uses quad-core Intel processors, has begun shipping to customers who placed orders in October, according to tech site Apple Insider.
“Readers have said that Apple has notified them that their hardware has finally shipped from Shanghai,” the site reported Nov. 9. “One order said to have been placed a day after the systems were announced was processed last week and shipped Monday.”
It seems the rest of us, however, will have to continue waiting. Apple’s site says the 27-incher with a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor “Ships: 7-10 business days,” while the quad-core 27-incher, with a 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 processor “Ships: November.”
When asked over Apple Store Chat on Nov. 10 if the 27-inchers were shipping, “Apple Expert” Coreen N. replied, “That’s a great question. The 27″ iMac has not started shipping. It will begin shipping during the month of November.”
Click here to see images of the newest iMacs.
Apple introduced the 27-inch all-in-ones on Oct. 20. They feature edge-to-edge glass and LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT active-matrix liquid crystal displays with a 16:9 ratio and 1,560-by-1,440-pixel resolution. The chassis is seamless aluminum, and the machines measure 20.4 by 25.6 by 8.15 inches and weigh 30.5 pounds.
The dual-core processor model offers a choice of an ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR3 memory or an ATI 4850 graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR3 memory.
There’s built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + Enhanced Data Rate (EDR), and a built-in Gigabit Ethernet port. Also included are a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support, a Mini DisplayPort for video input and output, an iSight camera and support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes.
Stereo speakers and a microphone are built in, and the iMacs come with a wireless keyboard and Apple’s new Magic Mouse-the world’s first mouse with Multi-Touch.
For anyone considering placing an online order, there is still an advantage. In the customer support Chat, Coreen N. added, “These will likely begin to ship before the retail stores have them in stock.”
The 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo 27-inch iMac is priced at $1,699, and the quad-core model, with the 2.66GHz Intel Core i5, is priced at $1,999.