Mac Creative > All Reviews > Hardware > 21.5- and 27in iMacs review (Late 2009)

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 21.5- and 27in iMacs review (Late 2009)

Apple's all-in-one boasts new wide screens

Karen Haslam and Roman Loyola, Macworld.com

Manufacturer: Apple
Pros: Product: 21.5in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz (Nvidia GeForce 9400M) Pros: Impressive image quality from display at any angle; improved speaker system; new SD card slot. Product: 21.5in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz (ATI Radeon HD 4670) Pros: Impressive image quality from display and any angle; improved speaker system; new SD card slot. Product: 27in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz Pros: Impressive image quality from display and any angle; mini DisplayPort has video-in support; improved speaker system; new SD card slot.
Cons: Product: 21.5in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz (Nvidia GeForce 9400M) Cons: Glare and reflections from screen may frustrate some users; FireWire 400 peripherals require an adapter; Apple Remote not included. Product: 21.5in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz (ATI Radeon HD 4670) Cons: Glare and reflections from screen may frustrate some users; FireWire 400 peripherals require an adapter; Apple Remote not included. Product: 27in iMac Core 2 Duo/3.06GHz Cons: No significant performance increase over previous top-of-the-line model; Glare and reflections from screen may frustrate some users; FireWire 400 peripherals require an adapter; Apple Remote not included.
Price: £949, £1,199, £1,349
We rate this 4 out of 5.Star rating:

Macworld Buying Advice

Overall, there isn’t much of a performance difference between the Early 2009 iMacs and these new machines. The Late 2009 iMacs are really about the new displays – and the displays are impressive (as long as you can adjust to a glossy screen). The screens in the 21.5in iMacs are a welcomed change over the 20in, 6-bit displays, and the IPS technology in the new iMacs preserves the image quality at any viewing angle. The £949 21.5in iMac is a very attractive deal, but you’ll get more storage space and better graphics performance if you step up to the £1,199 21.5in iMac. The £1,349 27in iMac can do double duty as part of a home entertainment centre for watching videos. If you want the very best performance and you can’t wait, consider the £1,199 21.5in iMac or the £1,349 27in iMac. However, if you can wait, and performance is your top priority, hold off until we get the new £1,599 quad-core, 27in Intel i5-based iMac. We’ll have a full review of it when we get our hands on one.

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