Updated Apple has launched the iMac G5.
Just unveiled at Apple Expo Paris, the machine is indeed an all-in-one device that integrates the system into the display unit as per the original iMac but to an extent discarded with the second-generation, 'angle-poise' design.
The new machine looks like Apple's latest LCD monitor line-up, though the main body of the machine is iMac white rather than Power Mac aluminium.
The optical drive is a slot-loading DVD-ROM/CD-RW or DVD-RW unit mounted vertically on the right-hand side of the screen. The new iMac's VGA, composite video, 56Kbps modem, 10/100Mbps Ethernet, digital audio/analog headphone, analog audio in, twin 400MBps Firewire and three USB 2.0 ports, along with the power connector, are placed on the rear of the unit.
Apple will offer three models, based on 1.6GHz and 1.8GHz PowerPC G5 CPUs, respectively, both with 512KB of L2 cache. The 1.6GHz model runs across a 533MHz frontside bus; the two 1.8GHz machines run 600MHz FSBs. All three ship with 256MB of 400MHz DDR SDRAM, expandable to 2GB. The two lower-end models ship with an 80GB Serial ATA hard drive, the top-end machine with a 160GB SATA HDD.
Graphics across the line comes courtesy of Nvidia's AGP 8x GeForce FX 5200 Ultra with 64MB dedicated DDR video memory. The chip drives a 17in 1440 x 900 display in the lower-end models and a 20in 1680 x 1050 job in the top-of-the-range iMac.
The 17in models measure 42.6 x 43 x 17.3cm (width x height x depth) and weigh 8.4kg. The 20in model is 49.3 x 47.2 x 18.9cm and weighs 11.4kg.
All three machines are Wi-Fi ready, with AirPort Extreme 802.11g available as an optional extra. Bluetooth support is likewise optional.
Pricing was not fully available at press time, but the three machines are expected to be priced at £919, £1049 and £1349, respectively. UK prices include VAT. US pricing is $1299, $1499 and $1899, respectively. All three models are set to ship mid-September. ®
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