The New iMac: Breathtaking or Deceiving?

Wow. Apple has always succeeded in making products that look as good as they perform, but never before has Apple made a product so thin yet powerful. After a year and a half of waiting, Apple fans were really anticipating what the new product would provide. To their joy, the new iMac has more than the old iMac had, in less space, and is quite simply beautiful.

Now, not to get too carried away, we must remember how well of a job Apple does at advertising their products as well. It is important to look beyond the delicately taken photos and intense lines of text, and see what Apple has really done to improve the old product. If you were to look at the new iMac from a front view, it would look so similar to the older model, that it would be difficult to decide which model was which. However, change your point of view to a side angle, and you find a beautifully crafted work of art that thins itself down to a few millimeters.

Now, another misconception is that the iMac is the same thickness all throughout. Unfortunately, the computer must have some components inside and therefore requires more space than a few millimeters. The back of the iMac is beveled and opens up to about 6.9 inches. While this may seem relatively large as compared to the 5 millimeter edge, it is still a whole inch thinner than its predecessor. As far as weight goes, Apple decided to knock off a whole 8 pounds. All of this leaves us with a spectacular desktop that is thinner, lighter, and better looking than the older desktop. 

When it all comes down to reality however, is the iMac a better computer technologically. The new iMac is more or less the old iMac in a smaller casing. With some improvements on the screen, graphics are better. However, as far as the hard drive, CPU, or RAM goes, the new iMac can be fitted with the same components as the previous. 

Why then, would Apple release this new iMac? Is it for the sole purpose of meeting a demand for thinner, lighter, and finer products, or something more? Surprisingly, Apple has a secret motive concealed within the computer. The CPU. Intel is coming out with a new processor in 2012 called the Ivy Bridge. Ivy Bridge will replace Sandy Bridge, its old counterpart. The newer Ivy Bridge processor is said to be significantly faster and energy efficient. Computer companies all around the world are waiting for the release of this revolutionary component. But how does this apply to Apple? Apple right now is stuck in a situation where they have an over stock of Sandy Bridge processors that the company desperately needs to get rid of to make way for the newer Ivy Bridge Processors. To facilitate the usage of the Sandy Bridge Processors, Apple came up with the new iMac running on the old Sandy Bridge Processor in hopes that the increase in iMac sales will use up their unwanted stock of processors. 

Thus, the new iMac could be seen as "breathtaking" or classified as a scam. Whether the iMac is an intentional trick by Apple, or the next stage in Apple's development of the iMac, is a mystery. While it is not necessarily faster than the older version, and doesn't run on the newer Intel processor, it is definitely better looking than any other desktop Apple has made before.