The Optical unit present on the iMac 20 is a Pioneer/Matshita slim UJ-875 reader that has a slot-in mechanism as well. The unit is able to read DVD-ROM, DVD-VIDEO (Single/dual layer), DVR-R, DVD-RW, DVD+R (single/dual layer), DVD+RW, DVD RAM, CD-ROM, CD-ROM XA, CD-DA (CD audio), Video CD, PhotoCD (single/multisession), CD EXTRA, CD-Text, CD-R and CD-RW.

The mastering are done up to these speeds: -DVD-RAM (4.7GB) Write 5X / Read 5X; DVD-R (4.7GB) Write 8X / Read 8X; DVD-R DL (8.5GB) Write 6X / Read 8X; DVD-RW (4.7GB) Write 6X / Read 8X; +R (4.7GB) Write 8X / Read 8X; +R DL (8.5GB) Write 6X / Read 8X; +RW (4.7GB) Write 8X / Read 8X; CD-R/RW Write 24X / Read 24X; DVD-ROM Read 8X
-CD-ROM Read 24X.

For the cable network, the iMac 20″ features a Marvell Yukon 88E8058 controller, as for the WiFi, Apple trusted a Broadcom solution compatible with the 802.11n standards.

As for the video managment, the model tested uses an ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro GPU, with dedicated 256 MB GDDR3 RAM and a 128bit interface. The frequency on the GPU is 680 Mhz while the memory works at 750Mhz. The GPU clock is dynamically regulated according to the workload on the system.

On the storage area, the iMac 20″ is built with a Western Digital Caviar Series, more precisely the WD3200AAJS model, with the storage capability of 320GB and an 8MB buffer. The HD works at 7200 rpm and features a 3GB/s SATA interface.

Hardware Features

The 20″ iMac on this review is equipped with a Intel Core 2 Duo 2,66GHz with a front side bus frequency of 1066Mhz. The L2 cache split between the two cores is 6MB. The processor seems to be a variant of the Intel Core 2 Duo E8190/E8200 models, that are in fact identical to the one used on this system, except for the FBS frequency that on the models previously mentioned arrives to 1333Mhz. The processor works together with a chipset Intel PM964 northbridge and ICH8M southbridge.

The memory on this system is 2GB, organized in two So-DIMM modules manufactured by Nynix. The memory frequences correspond to the DDR2 PC-6400 specifications, which is 800Mhz. In order to access the slots for a maintenance or expansion, it’s necessary to remove a small cover placed on the base of the display and use the handles that keep the two modules in place.

With the new iMac system line, the new edition of Apple’s keyboard is offered, which shows a completely different design from the previous ones. Differently from the old models that were characterized by a transparent polycarbonate frame and keys in white plastic, the new keyboard shows a very slim profile and a frame made in anodized aluminium. The structure follows the line of those in the MacBook Pro and MacBook Air systems, with slim embossed keys separated by a small distance. The keyboard also features two USB 2.0 ports, placed on each side.

In order to keep the cleanest style possible, Apple decided to place the on/off button on the back side of the monitor. In fact, for the same reason, the company chose a Slot-in Optical Unit, placed vertically on the right side.

The choice of offering the small Apple Remote remote control was interesting and practical. On the back side of the iMac there’s a magnet that keeps the remote control attached to the system.

Design - Part 2

The expansion ports for the iMac system can be found on the back part of the monitor, all lined up on the bottom left part. The first two are the audio mini-jacks, able to manage optical and analogical connections, then following are 3 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire 400 and 800 ports, a RJ45 connector for the network and a Mini-DVI connector that is compatible with DVI, VGA, S-Video and Video Composite through the use of appropriate adapters.

In the center of the pedestal that holds the monitor, there’s a large round opening that can be used to pass the cables through. On the upper part of the system there’s a slim opening that allows the air to circulate inside in order to cool the components inside.

Surprisingly, Apple has updated the entry-level MacBooks. These are the hardware updates:

- Intel Core 2 Duo with 2.0 GHz
- 1066Mhz Frontside bus (previously it had 800 Mhz)
- 2GB RAM (previously only 1GB)
- nVidia GeForce 9400 instead of the Intel GMA X3100

The Hard Disk is still the 120GB one, the FireWire port still remains, and the price remains unchanged. The new configuration can be found on the American Apple Store. No announcements on the availability for other regions yet.

The hardware platform that could be the base for the development of the new Mac Mini seems to be nvidia’s Ion, the solution that the Californian manufacturer has proposed with the implementation of Atom processors.

According to a series of rumors that go around on the net, the next Mac Mini systems will feature an Nvidia 9400M integrated chipset (the same that is already featured in all Apple’s portable systems) and an Intel Atom 330 processor, a dual core solution that works at 1,66GHz and 533Mhz for the FSB.

According to the rumors, Apple has been working on this platform for a while now: in fact, they claim that the company has received prototypes before any of the other partners from nVidia that have expressed their interest in Ion.

The use of an Atom processor for a system such as the Mac Mini could also have a future reason: with the launch of the Mac OS X 1.06 “Snow Leopard” on the marketp, Apple will have all the needed technology in order to make use of the GPU hardware acceleration thanks to Open CL. This feature allows the company to compensate the Atom processor’s performance level and would give Apple a way to build an economic yet flexible system.

Apple’s interest on the Ion platform could, however, be completely different. The new nVidia platform’s features seem to be quite adequate for a device such as Apple TV, where the low energy costs and the low noise are key elements that should be paired with the ability to handle high-definition contents. And those are tasks that Ion is more than capable of.

Intel has presented a new series of their efficient COre 2 Quad yesterday, more precisely the 2.33 GHz, 2.66Ghz and 2.83 GHz operating with 65W that could be used on the next iMacs. The lower energy consumption doesn’t translate into a lower performance when compared with the same chips that work at 95W, according to Intel’s press-release.

Even though it’s not yet certain that Apple is interested on these processors, rumors continue to claim that Apple is already in line for them. Apple hasn’t yet confirmed or dismissed those rumors, so we will have to wait for an official confirmation on the matter.

Design

Also for the iMac, Apple shows their standard quality, starting with the packaging. The image on the pack is a real-size picture of the system, while in te box, the hardware accessoreis are placed in order together with manuals and reboot CD.

The front cover is made in aluminium, while for the back cover, Apple chose a plastic cover in an opaque black color, where Apple’s logo is printed in a contrast effect with a different shade of black. The iMac 20″ sizes are 46,9 cm x 48,5 cm x 18,9 cm (included the base support and its angles). The whole system weighs 9,1 kg.

Differently from the old iMac models, the LCD display is now covered by a plexiglass panel that works as a protection for the LCD panel, surrounded by a large black frame on the visible display area.

The iMac line

The offers in the all-in-one desktop solutions from Apple are divided into two categories: 20″ and 24″ that make four different models, constituted by two models for each one of the display sizes. For all four models, the main different element is the processor, with some other changes concerning the video cards and storage units.

In all models, however, there’s a noticeable lack of balance between the video card and the display. In almost all situations, the video solutions proposed by Apple seem slightly under the native panel resolutions. In fact, only on the 20″ panel + ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro solution it’s possible to achieve a decent playability without having to lower the game quality settings.