Apple iMac MB952LL/A 27-Inch Desktop

Manufacturer: Apple Computer
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List Price: $1,699.00
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Updated with a brilliant 27-inch LED-backlit widescreen display in a new edge-to-edge glass design and seamless all aluminum enclosure, the new Apple iMac is ideal for watching high definition movies and TV shows from iTunes, or editing and watching your own videos or photos using iLife. The iMac now also comes standard with a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse, which features Apple's Multi-Touch technology. And it's faster than ever with a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor.

The 27-inch iMac features a brilliant LED-backlit display with widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio.

The iMac declutters your desktop with a wireless keyboard and new Magic Mouse--the world's first Multi-Touch mouse.

The iMac's display offers an amazing 2560 x 1440-pixel resolution (for high-definition-plus viewing), and it uses IPS technology to deliver consistent color across an ultra wide 178 degree viewing angle. This 21.5-inch model also features improved graphics with the ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor with 256 MB of dedicated video memory. It's powered by a 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which provides an optimized, multithreaded architecture for improved multitasking, video, and gaming performance. This 27-inch model can also be attached to a wall mount, articulating arm, or other VESA-compliant mounting solution using an optional VESA Mount Adapter Kit.

It comes pre-loaded with Apple's Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system--an operating system custom-designed for the advanced technology inside--and it also comes with the iLife '09 suite of applications, including iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, and iTunes.

Key Features

27-inch LED-backlit glossy widescreen display with IPS technology, a 2560 x 1440-pixel resolution, 16:9 aspect ratio, 375 cd/m2 brightness rating, and 178-degree viewing angle (horizontal and vertical)
3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with 3 MB shared L2 cache for excellent multitasking
1 TB Serial ATA hard drive (7200 RPM)
4 GB installed RAM (1066 MHz DDR3; supports up to 16 GB)
ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics processor (with 256 MB of GDDR3 memory) for better gaming performance and better responsiveness for video and photo editing.
8x slot-loading SuperDrive with double-layer DVD support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/
Built-in iSight camera for video chatting
Wi-Fi wireless networking (based on 802.11n specification; 802.11a/b/g compatible)
Gigabit Ethernet wired networking (10/100/1000BASE-T)
Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) for connecting with peripherals such as keyboards, mice and cell phones
Side-loading SD card slot
Four USB 2.0 ports, one FireWire 800 port
Mini DisplayPort video output with optional adapters for DVI and VGA output; supports input from external DisplayPort sources (requires cables and adapters, sold separately)
Built-in stereo speakers with two internal 17-watt high-efficiency amplifiers along with built-in microphone, optical digital audio output/headphone out, optical digital audio input/audio line in
Wall mountable with optional VESA Mount Adapter Kit
Dimensions: 25.6 x 8.15 x 20.4 inches (WxDxH)
Weight: 30.5 pounds
Included Apple Wireless Keyboard and Magic Mouse

What's in the Box
iMac, Apple Wireless Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cleaning cloth, power cord, install/restore DVDs, printed and electronic documentation

Limited Warranty And Service
The iMac comes with 90 days of free telephone support and a one-year limited warranty. Purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan to extend your service and support to three years from your computer's purchase date. Only the AppleCare Protection Plan provides you with direct telephone support from Apple technical experts and the assurance that repairs will be handled by Apple-authorized technicians using genuine Apple parts.

Key Features

Big, Beautiful Display Combined with All-In-One Simplicity

The evolution of the Apple iMac.

The new iMac has come a long way from the first 15-inch iMac. The all-in-one design of the first flat-panel iMac cleaned up the desktop, and put everything you need--display, processor, graphics card, hard drive, optical drive, memory, and more--inside one simple enclosure. New technology inside and out makes the new iMac a worthy addition to the all-in-one dynasty.

This 21.5-inch model features an edge-to-edge glass display that covers nearly the entire front of the enclosure. When all you see is the display, nothing gets between you and what's onscreen. Movies, TV shows, websites, photos--everything looks stunning on the new 16:9 widescreen iMac display. And the LED backlighting in the new iMac helps push more light through the pixels with remarkable brightness and efficiency. And because the LED backlight doesn't take up much space, the iMac enclosure stays thin--even with all the high-performance components inside.

The iMac display is designed to look great from almost any angle. A technology called in-plane switching (IPS) makes this possible. Whether you're sitting in front of the display or standing off to the side, you'll get a perfect picture with superb color consistency and no loss of detail.

The wider iMac display allows more room to separate the two hottest components, the CPU and the GPU. This keeps things cool inside the iMac enclosure. Apple engineers also implemented an intelligent control system that monitors temperatures and delivers just the right amount of airflow to critical components. And the three fans inside iMac have been tuned to be ultraquiet.

While you'll find a collection of ports on the back of iMac, you won't find much else. A seamless, precision-forged enclosure makes the back one continuous aluminum surface. And there's only one cord: the power cord.

Wireless Magic Mouse and Keyboard
Forget the mouse as you know it. Every iMac comes with the wireless Magic Mouse: the world's first Multi-Touch mouse. Use it once and you'll wonder how you ever used anything else. There's no scroll ball, no clunky wheel, no cord, and no visible button. Instead, the Magic Mouse uses Multi-Touch technology to let you control everything with simple gestures. Give them a try and you'll find that Magic Mouse changes the way you interact with your computer. Built-in software lets you configure Magic Mouse any way you want. Its smooth, seamless design is ambidextrous, and it supports two-button clicking--without buttons.

The iMac banishes desktop clutter completely with a wireless keyboard to go with the wireless Magic Mouse. This low-profile keyboard takes up less desk space--24 percent less--than larger keyboards. There's no numeric keypad, so you can place your mouse comfortably next to the keyboard. And built-in Bluetooth means there are no cables to connect.

Built-in Wi-Fi
High-speed 802.11n wireless technology is built into iMac. And with Time Capsule or the AirPort Express Base Station, every computer in every room can wirelessly connect to iMac, the Internet, and each other. Over this network, everyone can print, surf the web, and play music on iTunes through your home stereo--wirelessly.

iSight Webcam
Hidden behind the glass display at the top of iMac is an iSight camera. Use it with iChat, and you can be anywhere without actually being there. Video chat with up to three of your friends, share a video with a colleague, or present to a client. Use iSight with Photo Booth for fun photo effects. And there's no need to waste valuable primping time installing software or configuring the camera.

Pre-Loaded with Mac OS X Snow Leopard and iLife '09

Every Mac comes with Mac OS X Snow Leopard, the world's most advanced operating system, and iLife, Apple's innovative suite of applications for managing photos, making movies and creating and learning to play music. Snow Leopard builds on a decade of OS X innovation and success with hundreds of refinements, new core technologies and out of the box support for Microsoft Exchange. iLife features iPhoto, to easily organize and manage photos; iMovie with powerful easy-to-use new features such as Precision Editor, video stabilization and advanced drag and drop; and GarageBand which introduces a whole new way to help you learn to play piano and guitar.

Installed software

Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard (includes Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spotlight, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, QuickTime, iCal, DVD Player, Photo Booth, Front Row, Xcode Developer Tools)
iLife '09 (includes iPhoto, iMovie, GarageBand, iWeb, iDVD)

Environmentally Friendly Design

Because Apple designs both hardware and software, we can reduce our environmental footprint in ways others can't. For starters, a highly efficient power supply reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your Mac. Unlike a lot of PCs, a Mac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power--even between keystrokes.

A Mac also doesn't contain a lot of toxic materials. All Mac displays are mercury and arsenic free, and the internal components are free of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs).

Efficient Power Supply
The iMac includes a highly efficient power supply that reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your computer. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Advanced Power Management
Unlike a lot of Windows-based PC systems, iMac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power. Mac OS X spins down hard drives and activates sleep mode on already energy-efficient LED-backlit displays. And it balances tasks across both central processors and graphics processors. Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That's just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.

ENERGY STAR Qualification
The iMac meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, making it ENERGY STAR qualified. ENERGY STAR 5.0 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption.

Ships in Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging
3.06GHz Intel Dual Core Processor
1TB Hard Drive, DVD SuperDrive, 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM
27" LED-backlit display with a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, 2560x1440 HD resolution, ATI Radeon HD 4670-256MB
Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard, includes new wireless Magic Mouse

Simply Amazing!

Review Date: December 13, 2009

Reviewer: Joseph Binotto,

I wanted to write this review not only because this is the most amazing iMac ever, but largely because I see way too many reviews with the expensive i5 or i7 chips versus the Intel Core Duo. I purchased my iMac via Apple site in order to upgrade the specs to 3.33GHZ INTEL CORE 2 DUO processor and increase the memory to 8GB 1066MHZ DDR3 SDRAM - 4X2GB.

For those that never owned an iMac, let me tell you how easy and amazing it is to get started. After you unboxed it, the only cable required is the power cord into an outlet. Hit the power button hidden behind the screen and sit back. Within minutes it finds your wireless router (if you want, you can connect Ethernet direct with the built-in 10/100/1000), the wireless keyboard, and the new magic mouse. If you owned a prior iMac like me, the iMac asked you to connect a fire wire cable to the old machine and it will copy all your files, folders, programs, and settings for you.

Once all this was done (approximately 45 minutes for all my files and programs to move over), I was simply AMAZED! The screen is flawless. The picture is unlike anything I have ever seen before. The use of this Mac for reading mail and the web is simply unmatched. The large screen easily allows two browser windows open at the same time. The clarity of the letters and colors on this super bright LCD screen will simply blow you away. It is a joy to use and work on.

Now the specs. My machine is super fast and the SD card slot is a welcome addition. There isn't anything it can't do for the average user like me (& I would guess for anyone else). I like to keep dozens of widgets on my desktop including several weather radar screens, multiple city weather forecasts, and my favorite widget of all = the June Cloud delivery status for Macs. I used to be a PC person and enjoyed Yahoo widgets. But it would consume 90% of my memory and cause the system to crash constantly. But Macs and its widgets don't take more than a 3-5% of my total memory & work flawlessly. I also use Macs for iPhoto and the thousands of my digital pictures. Here again, no performance issues and the pictures load lighting fast. I could go on and on, but it just works flawlessly.

I can't recommend this machine highly enough. Not only for its Mac OS but the 27" screen is simply AMAZING! For you PC users that never thought about using a Mac, you should give this one a try.

Bye Bye Windows

Review Date: December 11, 2009

Reviewer: Derek J. Banas, Pittsburgh, PA USA

I've used a Pentium 4, 3.4GHz Dell XPS as my main computer for the last 4 years. I had no reason to complain with it's overall performance. I was drawn into the Mac world mainly because of my interest in I-Phone development. I started with a Mac Mini and was blown away by the Mac OS. I now have this amazingly beautiful 27" iMac. Let me do my best at explaining why I'm going 100% Mac.

The setup of the Mac consisted of 2 steps. Plug it in and hit the power button. The wireless networking, sets up in seconds. I was worried that I would have pairing issues with the wireless mouse and keyboard, but after using this computer for 2 weeks I have had zero issues there. My mail, video conferencing (iChat), and calendar also where set up within minutes of turning the computer on. According to one reviewer, who couldn't get Safari to open 2 web pages at a time hit Command + T.

In reference to speed, Photoshop and other Film Editing software runs quicker than on my PC and loads in a tenth of the time. Oh, by the way, the computer starts up and is 100% functional in about 10 seconds! iPhoto works like a dream. With facial recognition, it will organize your photos with ease. iMovie gives you the ability to create fun DVD's of your home movies. I personally love working with iWork. Others who have worked with Office for years do seem to dislike it though. I believe this is just a preference thing, however it definitely may be a deal breaker. I like it because of the ease of use I found in Keynote (Presentation Software) and the fact that it has never crashed on me.

I've found in this computer the original joy I found when I first began using computers 18 years ago. I've read reviews stating that the mouse is hard to get used to, but I've had no problem on that end. As stated before it remains connected with the computer, the right click definitely works, and the multi-touch surface provides the user with an ease of use that is amazing. The screen is quite simply the most beautiful computer screen I've ever seen.

The keyboard however, is a bit hard to get used to. Some people hate the fact that there is no number pad. Simple, lose the wireless capabilities and get a wired keyboard. My issue with the keyboard is that the keys are flat. Most keyboards have a indentation in them. The Mac wireless keyboard doesn't. While I won't be giving it up, because having a wireless keyboard like this is amazing, I have to note I am a bit uncomfortable with it.

I could go in to greater detail, but in my opinion it comes down to this. A Window's PC is a partner that gets the job done adequately while constantly nagging about its needs and occasionally breaking down completely when you need them the most. This iMac is there instantly when you need them, creatively stimulating, while being the life of the party. Just buy a Mac and be happy with computers again.

A Beauty!

Review Date: November 16, 2009

Reviewer: Tim Challies, Oakville, Ontario

I upgraded from the 24" iMac to this 27". Let me give just a few of my impressions:

The screen has gone up in size by 3 inches but, perhaps more importantly, has changed in perspective from 16x10 to 16x9. This means that the monitor is significantly wider than the 24"--more than you would expect based on merely the 3" addition in monitor size. This thing is MASSIVE in its width and in the comparison of width to height. The resolution has changed significantly, going from 1920x1200 to 2560x1440. This leads to small text on the screen--not ideal for older eyes but a treat to those of us who want to maximize our use of screen real estate.

The new iMac ships with a new version of the wireless keyboard (which uses only 2 batteries instead of 3) and the new Magic Mouse. The keyboard has a great feel to it (very good tactile feedback) but lacks the numeric keypad, the extra delete key, and so on. After two days I reverted back to the old wired, full-sized keyboard. I just found myself missing those extra keys too much. I may try the wireless again, though, just because it is so nice to be completely wireless and to take up less desk space with keyboard and cables. The Magic Mouse takes a little getting used to but is a very nice little gadget. I have had trouble consistently right-clicking (I just don't move my finger far enough to the right) but beyond that have found it very easy to use. For now it has fairly limited functionality but I expect that to change as time goes on. I'm sure it won't be long before software allows the mouse to perform many other functions.

In terms of hardware, the new iMac is a bit beefier than its predecessor. The hard drive is a nice, big 1 TB and there are now four GB of RAM standard with the ability to add more without removing what is already there. In previous iMacs you had to completely replace the existing RAM--now you can add to it, saving a few bucks along the way. The processor keeps things moving well, though I don't notice any really obvious speed increases. The same is true of the standard video card. It gets the job done and runs The Sims 3 in full resolution without any real problems.

Overall, this is a very sweet computer and a good upgrade from older iMacs. I wouldn't recommend moving from the 24" for the time being (just not worth it for most of us) but would recommend this to anyone in the market for a solid desktop PC.

My first MAC

Review Date: November 27, 2009

Reviewer: J. W. Knecht,

A great looking desktop. No more wires connecting your keyboard and mouse to the computer. Very fast internet access. As a novice to movie making and film editing, I was able to make great home movies combining my video, stills, and music.
The large 27inch screen is great for watching Hulu and your own videos and photos. I don't like the usb2 ports on the rear of the computer so I bought a 4 port usb2 port adapter to allow easier access.
No more unintelligible error warnings which occur all of the time on my PC.

Why did I wait this long to get one?

Review Date: April 21, 2010

Reviewer: Sandy D. Scott, Seminole, FL USA

First a little background. I have been a computer hobbyist long before the advent of commercial computers such as the TRS-80, Commodore PET and Apple II. BTW, I have owned all three of them. I had my own computer consulting business, and developed a medical office management system that worked on an Apple IIE computer, a removable 10 MB HD (Bernoulli Box by iOmega), and an Okidata printer. When the so-called PC came out, I started using various models and had one of the first Dell computers. I also owned the first laptop, well let's call it a portable computer available (The Osborne) which ran under the operating system CP/M. I resisted Windows for a long time and continued to run DOS long after Windows became available. I wish I would have waited forever in that over the years, I have found Windows to be a nightmare.

I hesitated buying one of these after reading about the flicker issue here in an Amazon review. I have no such issue with this computer and it apparently has been resolved. I finally stepped up to the plate, and I have never been so happy with a piece of any kind of hardware. Not only does the Apple iMac make a fashion statement simply sitting on the desk, it makes a fashion statement when it runs. As everyone knows, the video display is simply the best available.

I have had the computer for about a week. I have found the transition painless, and when I had a couple of questions, I could reach Apple telephone support very quickly. I have not had one glitch, one hang up, or one error message in the multiple hours that I have been computing every day. I love the wireless keyboard and mouse. I enthusiastically recommend the iMac 27" to anyone who wants to run the best!

AppleCare Protection Plan MC245LL/A - iMac