New iMacs on schedule for November-December launch

Over the past few days, rumours have indicated that the new range of iMacs has been delayed, and that it would land on shelves only in 2013. However,  9to5Mac now reports that the redesigned iMacs will be launched this month or the next.

According to the report, the website’s sources have informed it that Apple has already begun shipping the 21.5-inch iMacs to its distribution centres across the US as well as several other countries across the world. The sources have also informed them that these 21.5-inch models will be able to be ordered by the end of this month, and they may reach Apple retail stores by the end of November itself.

Much slimmer than the previous generation

Speaking about the 27-inch model of the iMac, 9to5Mac’s sources have said that Apple will allow those interested in purchasing them to pre-order the computer online at around the same time the 21.5-inch model becomes available this month. The report states that the 27-inch iMac computers are expected to be launched in December, and they will be in short supply outside the US.

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Tim Cook in Apple’s latest earning’s call stated, “On the iMac we’ll be constrained for the full quarter in a significant way… there will be a short amount of time to manufacturer and ramp those and I expect demand to be robust… we will have a significant shortage.”

The report ends by stating that in all likelihood, these units will not be delayed, and will be available in the time frame specified by Apple when it announced the products.

Available in two sizes

At an event in October, Apple unveiled a completely new iMac with a new design, improved display with reduced reflection, third generation Intel quad-core processors, NVIDIA graphics, and a new storage option termed as Fusion Drive. Apple has stressed that the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac is built of an aluminium and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor, and an edge that measures 5mm. As per an official statement by the company, the new iMac also features a completely re-engineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining colour and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a plasma deposition process. Apple claims that every iMac display is individually calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer.

The new iMac features third generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors that can be upgraded to Core i7. According to the official statement by Apple, the NVIDIA GeForce processors found here deliver up to 60 percent faster performance needed for gaming and graphics intensive apps. Every new iMac now comes standard with 8GB of 1600 MHz memory, and a 1TB hard drive. Customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32GB of memory and a new 3TB hard drive or 768GB of flash storage. With two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports, the new iMac offers further expandability and support for high-performance peripherals.

Slim from all angles

Fusion Drive is a new storage option that gives customers the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive. It combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume. Fusion Drive adapts to the way one uses their iMac and automatically moves the files and apps they use most often to flash storage to enable faster performance and quicker access.

The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speed of up to 3.2GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of Rs 85,900, and with a 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speed of up to 3.6GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of Rs 99,900 including taxes (VAT). The 21.5-inch iMac will be available in November through Apple Authorized Resellers.

The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speed of up to 3.6GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of Rs 122,900. Another variant of the 27-inch iMac with a 3.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speed of up to 3.6GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX will be available for a suggested retail price of Rs 134,900. The 27-inch iMac will be available in December through Apple Authorized Resellers.