Return of the iMac

The iPhone may have been the Apple product hitting the headlines in recent weeks but the launch of the new iMac reminds consumers that the desktop is where it all started.

Amidst much excitement this week, Apple unveiled the brand new version of its desktop computer. Gone is the familiar white plastic façade we have come to associate with Apple, and in is a sleek, sophisticated brushed metal casing. The chief executive of the company was keen to point out the positive recyclable qualities of the materials used to create the new computer, seemingly spurred on by the fact that in recent months Apple has been criticised for its lack of green credentials. Although the new iMac has been awaited with keen anticipation, fans have been somewhat disappointed. The updates are very slight and barely noticeable in some cases; the ‘open apple’ key has been renamed the ‘command’ key apparently to avoid confusion, but enthusiasts would have preffered more intrinsic changes. Some alterations have been made to the iPhoto application, with a new feature called Event being added. This allows user to group photos according to the day they were taken on, and represent that day by a single photo. Other changes include the introduction of a new programme entitled Numbers, which is a spreasheet application featuring some of the common graph and chart templates. This is an apparent admission by Apple that its consumers do need to use their computer for mundane tasks as well as for the enjoyable pastimes to be had using the iLife and iWeb applications. The new 4GB memory and terabyte of hard disk space are impressive, but much more was expected from the software of the new model.

The only other innovations are the Web Gallery, which allows users to share their iLife photos and videos direct to other people’s Macs, PCs or iPhones; the rebuild of iMovie, which now allows users to upload their files direct on to YouTube; and the ability to now include live web widgets such as Google Maps into websites created using the iWeb application. Although only slightly altered, it doesn’t seem as if this will affect the popularity of the new iMac, as in the last quarter alone, iMacs outsold PCs by a third.

Sources:

Times Online

Guardian