Apple introduces new iMac, new Retina MacBook Pro 13″




Today wasn’t all about the iPad – not by a long shot. Today Apple also introduced significant upgrades to two of their most popular computers, each with a beautiful (and, in typical Apple fashion, outrageously thin) all new design.

First up is the iMac. If it was thin before, it’s now practically anorexic – the new iMac is 40% thinner than the iMac it replaces and is significantly lighter as well. The new iMac comes with a powerful 2.7 GHz Intel Core i5 chip, which is upgradable to either a 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 or a 3.2 GHz Intel Core i7. The new iMac also comes with what Apple is calling a “lamented” display, which they claim is significantly less reflective as well as gives the illusion that text is popping right out on top of the screen, rather than underneath the glass. It comes with 8GB of RAM, 1TB HDD, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics card standard. Apple also announced a new software solution for invisibly combining an SSD drive and a traditional hard drive, offering unprecedented storage while still retaining most of the speed of a SSD. It comes in a 21.5″ model at $1299 and a 27″ model at $1799.

Next, Apple of course released the rumored Retina MacBook Pro 13″. Think the old Retina MacBook Pro 15″, size it down, and there you go. It’s got a 2560 x 1060 native resolution at 227 PPI and runs at either a simulated 1680 x 1050 or 1440 x 900. Inside is a 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5, which is upgradable to either a 2.3 GHz or a 2.5 GHz Core i7. 8GB of RAM is standard, as is a 128 GB SSD – though you can bump the SSD up to 256 GB. Pricing starts at $1699, as expected.

Apple also gave the Mac mini a much deserved spec bump. It’s now got a 2.5 GHz Core i5 standard, which can be upped to a 2.3 GHz quad-core Core i7 – a quad core being a first for the Mac mini. It’s also got a 500GB or a 1TB HDD, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics card (yes, integrated), 4GB of RAM (upgradable to 8GB or 16GB) and a thunderbolt port. Pricing remains at $599 or $799.

Both the iMac and the Retina MacBook Pro 13″, as well as the Mac mini, are now available to order and are shipping soon.