Apple's pre-configured 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs both ship with 1TB hard drives, but if you're willing to wait a day or two for a custom model to ship, two new flash storage options are now on offer. Any iMac configuration can now be had with either a 256GB or 512GB flash upgrade, priced over the base drive at $300 and $600, respectively. A 768GB flash option remains available with the 27-inch model only, for an additional $900. Education and corporate discounts still apply, but even with a modest price drop, be prepared to fork over quite a bit of cash for the turbo-charged drives, available through Apple's online store at the source link below.

Filed under: Desktops, Storage, Apple

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Via: AppleInsider

Source: Apple Store

Lusting after Apple's giant, yet shockingly thin 27-inch iMac? The object of your desire just got a little cheaper -- well, as long as you don't mind refurbished goods. The extra large all-in-one is the latest Apple product to hit the company's certified refurbished store, offering as much as $270 the product's regular price. The iMac's 2.9GHz Core i5 base model can be had for $1,529, replete with 8GB of RAM, a 1TB HDD and that luxuriously large 2560 x 1440 display. Apple is also offering refurbished versions of the 3.2Ghz model for $1,699 and 3.4GHz Core i7 rigs for $1,869 and $2,199, depending on the configuration. As always, Cupertino promises that the machines have gone through a rigorous restoration process, but offers a included one-year warranty to put the concerns of cautious buyers to rest. Mosey on over to the source link to consider your savings. Still too rich for your blood? Well, there is a 21-inch model, too.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: MacRumors

Source: Apple

Bemoaning the fact that those new slimline iMacs weren't compatible with your VESA mounts? Well, the problem has now been (kind of) solved, with Apple's online store adding the option to buy its desktop models with built-in VESA mount adapters. You'll have to pay for that reclaimed deskspace, however, with $40 added to the prices of both the 21.5-inch and 27-inch families. You'll also need to purchase the stand separately, although your old VESA arms will be compatible. Alas, if you've already paid up for your new iMac, there's still no word on any transformation kits just yet.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: Pocket-lint

Source: Apple

We've already seen Cupertino's 21.5-inch iMac up for sale on the company's refurb store, and now it looks like the smaller model of the new all-in-ones is ready to be taken at a cost tailored for educational institutions. Unlike with previous education-only deals, however, Apple's pricing its newly redesigned iMac starting at $1,099 instead of $999 -- and that includes Intel's 3.3GHz, dual-core i3 CPU alongside HD Graphics 4000, a 500GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM. While the aforementioned specs are different than the ones found in the pricier entry-level variant for every-day consumers, it's worth mentioning Apple does offer the ability to upgrade some of the iMac's internals, such as memory and built-in storage. Those with the proper credentials can start ordering now from Apple, with, as MacRumors points out, orders being expected to ship within 5-7 business days.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: MacRumors

Source: Apple

It's a rite of passage of sorts -- Apple's "skinny" iMac has now spent enough time on Earth to be deemed an appropriate addition to the company's refurb ranks. The base late-2012 configuration, which sports a 21.5-inch 1080p IPS screen, a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 gigs of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and that new super-svelte housing can now be had at a $200 discount, priced at $1,099. As with many Apple refurbished products, you likely won't be the device's very first owner, but it will arrive in tip-top condition, with a one-year warranty to boot. As always, "supplies are limited," so if you don't mind having a second-hand system on your desk, in exchange for a slightly thicker wallet, you best make your way over to the source link to snag your very own discounted machine today.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: MacRumors

Source: Apple Store

This is the mother lode, folks: we're starting off the new year by offering a brand-new iMac with 1TB hard drive, 8GB RAM and Magic Trackpad! What's more, this fully-decked all-in-one also comes preloaded with Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac, so you'll be able to run Mountain Lion and Windows 8 (as well as Win7, in case you're not in love with Microsoft's latest) simultaneously.

This week's giveaway comes to you thanks to Parallels, which is promoting its Apple-in-the-Workplace campaign. While PCs have traditionally been the computer of choice in a majority of business environments, Macs and iOS devices are starting to crash Microsoft's party -- and a program like Parallels (and Parallels Mobile) makes it much easier to accomplish everything on one computer. If you want more Apple support in your office, head to the Apple-in-the-Workplace Barometer and take a short survey to see how your company's adoption rate compares with that of others, and you can get info that will help you figure out how to make Mac adoption a reality.

Filed under: Announcements, HD, Mobile, Apple

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You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 7 days -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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Having moved its manufacturing to China across the past decade, the recent discovery that at least some of Apple's new, ultrathin iMacs are being assembled in the USA is an interesting one. Reports from TechCrunch and 9to5Mac source the discovery to the standard FCC / serial code / point of origin stamp found on the new iMacs, just below the stand (the two models we have, a 21-inch and a 27-inch, were both assembled in China). The stamp uses the same hyper-specific verbiage that Apple uses on its other products, noting that the new iMac is "Designed in California," and "assembled" in the USA -- "assembled" meaning that the device still sources some foreign-made parts during assembly. The US Federal Trade Commission requires products carrying an "Assembled in USA" moniker to be "substantially transformed" by the manufacturing process, and can only employ a percentage of foreign materials to the creation of said product. In so many words, many more criteria than geographic location determines the validity of an "Assembled in USA" claim. The Google Nexus Q touted the same point of origin for design and manufacturing, endearing good will on Google in the company's largest market.

It's unclear if Apple's reviving its Elk Grove, CA. manufacturing plant, or working with a third-party, or a whole variety of other options, though reports of a hiring increase at the Elk Grove location are not tied directly to manufacturing gigs. We've reached out to Apple for more info on the change. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be listening to a ton of Bruce Springsteen.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Source: 9to5Mac, TechCrunch

Better, faster, stronger. The new iMac claims to be better in all the ways you'd expect a refreshed product to be better: it steps up to Ivy Bridge, and packs NVIDIA Kepler chips for stronger graphics performance. It sports an improved display that cuts down on glare by 75 percent.

But thinner? For the first time in the product's history, the iMac is missing a built-in optical drive, which allows it to measure just 5mm thick around the edges. We can't say we've been waiting for a desktop quite that skinny, but if the new iMac delivers substantive improvements over the last-gen model, we won't begrudge Apple a little eye candy. So, does the iMac do more than just sit pretty? Are the performance and display as good as we've been led to believe? In a word, yes. Here's why.

Gallery: Apple iMac review (2012)

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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We got an early teardown of the latest 21,5-inch iMac thanks Japanese site Kodawarisan, but now it's had the full iFixit treatment. The overall verdict? Well iFixit weren't overly enthused with some of the new design's internal fixings, making a special reference to the use of glue to bind the LCD and glass to the rest of the frame, instead of magnets as found in previous models. Likewise, those two major components are now fused together meaning if you want to replace one, you'll be replacing the other, too. This adhesive also contributes to the trickiness of general repair. Beyond the glue-based concerns, there's the usual intense poring over of internal like the dual mics found at the rear, or the 2.5-inch HGST / Western Digital hard drive. Overall, though, the tone is a definite thumbs down when it comes to repairability, with the device getting just 3 out of 10 on it's now famous meter. Prise open the source link for the full internal tour.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Source: iFixit

We're currently putting Apple's latest "skinny" iMac through its paces here in New York, but an eager Japanese customer has already popped open the 21.5-inch desktop's case, revealing a serviceable hard drive, removable logic board and even a bit of room to spare in the tapered silver housing. There's not much in the way of details over at Kodawarisan, a scant Japanese-language site, but there are plenty of interior pics to gawk at, tiding us over until the experts at iFixit manage to dissect an iMac of their own. Head on over to the source link below for a dozen or so undressed snaps of Cupertino's latest creation.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: Gizmodo

Source: Kodawarisan

This is more of a PSA than anything else: just like Apple said they'd be, the new iMacs are on sale today, with the 21.5-inch model available right away and the 27-inch version shipping in December. The smaller guy starts at $1,299, though there's also a more tricked-out $1,499 version; the 27-incher starts at $1,799 and goes up to $1,999. Whichever the model, a few key design principles apply. For staters, both measure just 5mm thick at the edges, and neither has a built-in optical drive. Both promise a 15 to 20 percent performance boost fueled partly by Ivy Bridge, and partly by Apple's new FusionDrive, which combines an HDD with a 128GB solid-state drive, with everything stored on the SSD by default until you run out of space. Finally, both promise 75 percent less screen glare, thanks to a manufacturing process that eliminates the gap between the LCD and the glass. (Apple and other OEMs already use a similar technique on smartphones; we've just never seen it done on a screen quite this large.)

So what separates the two, then, aside from screen size? Specs, mostly. And also, resolution. The 21-inch version has a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel count, while the 27-incher steps up to 2,560 x 1,440. (In other words, the same resolution as last year's offerings.) While both pack quad-core Core i5 processors, the 21.5-inch model starts with a 2.7GHz clock speed, compared with 2.9GHz for the bigger guy. As you might have guessed, the graphics are slightly better on the larger version: NVIDIA's GTX 660M is standard there, versus GT 640M on the 21-incher. Both offer 1TB of storage, but the smaller machine uses a 5,400RPM drive while the bigger one has a 7,200RPM disk. The 27-incher can also be configured with a 3TB drive or 768GB SSD. As for RAM, both come with eight gigs standard, but the 21.5-inch model goes up to 16GB, while the 27-inch version goes up to 32GB and has user-accessible memory slots.

As it happens, we have two new iMacs here in house (one in each size, natch) and you can expect a full review very soon. For now, though, we've got some unboxing shots and first impressions just past the break.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Source: Apple

Apple's announced that its updated 21.5-inch iMac range will be in stores and online on November 30th. The bigger 27-inch version will arrive later and start shipping next month. This year's refresh manages to cram a 1TB Fusion Drive, quad-core Core i5 processor and NVIDIA graphics into that oh-so-slim redesigned chassis. The 21.5-inch version is available with a 2.7GHz processor and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M, priced at $1,299. However, bump the processor up to the 2.9GHz variant and NVIDIA's GeForce GT 650M and you can expect to pay $1,499. If you're willing to wait for the 27-incher, build options start with a 2.9GHz processor and a GeForce GTX 660M at $1,799, moving up to $1,999 for the top-of-the-range 3.2GHz Core i5 model with GeForce GTX 675MX graphics. A shame it missed those Black Friday sales, though.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Source: Apple

There's a growing trend of Apple KIRFs arriving well head of the devices they've been designed to imitate. While Sir Jonathan's latest desktops meander towards stores, the Windows 7 or 8-running Lavi S21i can be yours right now. The 21.5-inch machine has a 1,920 x 1,080 display, 4GB RAM and a choice of a 3.3GHz Sandy Bridge Intel Core i3 or a 2.9GHz Core i5, and your pick of a 500GB HDD or a 128GB SSD. The only real differences between this and its Californian counterpart is that the ports are tucked on the base of the display and its 4mm thicker, but it will only set you back 3,350 yuan ($540) or 3,850 yuan ($621). The only thing this KIRF is missing is the ability to fry your eggs for you in the morning, unless, you know, the manufacturers were scrimping on the safety features that day.

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Via: MIC Gadget, (2)

Source: Shanzhaiben (Translated)

Apple teased that it had "a little more to show" us prior to today's San Francisco event, but it's clear now that the phrasing was humble at best. Not only has the much-anticipated, rumored and leaked 7.9-inch iPad mini been officially revealed, but so has a smattering of new and refreshed offerings across its range of gizmos. The standard iPad is seeing its fastest refresh yet (about six months) to a Lighting port and A6X-packing fourth-generation model, and the iMac has ditched its optical drive to go Air-thin in its Ivy Bridge-driven seventh-generation. Mobile power users should be especially be pleased, too, as a 13-inch variant of the MacBook Pro with a 2,560 x 1,600 Retina Display is now a reality. Lest we forgot that the iBooks app and iBooks Author have both been updated -- right on cue with that book-like iPad Mini. Hop past the break for a full listing of all the news and all of our on-scene coverage that came out of today's event.

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Displays, Misc, Laptops, Tablets, Storage, Software, Apple

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Apple decided to broadcast its event live this time around (provided you had an appropriate Apple device), but those that missed it as it happened expectedly aren't out of luck. The company has made the video of the event available for replay at your leisure, although you'll once again need to view it in either the new Events channel on your Apple TV or in Safari on OS X 10.6 or later (at the source link below). Of course, you can also catch up with the event courtesy of our liveblog for our own running commentary on the proceedings.

Filed under: Desktops, Tablets

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Source: Apple

Look out, world -- Apple just unleashed its latest iMac, and we agree that it might just be the biggest leap in the platform since we left Bondi Blue. It's hard to overstate just how phenomenal this machine looks in the flesh. It's also unbelievably thin -- we'd be impressed if it were simply a new Cinema Display, but the fact that a computer is in there really takes it over the top. At $1,299, you'll be hard-pressed to find a sexier all-in-one (assuming you don't need an inbuilt optical drive, of course). Have a look at the eye candy below; we'll be spending a fair amount of time with this guy in the weeks ahead.

Gallery: Apple iMac (2012) hands-on!

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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So you want the performance of a new-fangled SSD with the extra storage of a good 'ole HDD? Apple has you covered with Fusion Drive for its new iMac. Unlike existing standalone hybrid drives the company is apparently "fusing" together a separate SSD and HDD with custom software in Mountain Lion. Better yet, the OS and all the pre-installed applications live on the SSD by default, while your documents and media reside on the HDD. This sounds similar to the software RAID functionality in OS X, but cranked to the next level. Stay tuned for details as we find out more.

For more coverage, visit our Apple Special Event hub!

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Who said Apple's event was all about the little things? Apple just unveiled its first redesign to its iMac desktop in three years. The new all-in-one makes the widely expected leap to Intel's Ivy Bridge Core i5 and Core i7 processors, but also represents a much leaner and meaner replacement for the 2009-era template -- its edges are just 5mm thick, and it's constructed with "friction stir welding" as well as a gapless, less reflective display that's laminated together with the glass. Screen sizes remain the same and include both a 21.5-inch, 1080p model and a 27-inch, 2,560 x 1,400 model -- sorry, no Retina displays this year. They share 720p-capable front cameras with dual mics as well as NVIDIA's GeForce 600-era graphics, up to 32GB of RAM and a panoply of storage options that peak at 3TB of spinning storage, a 768GB SSD or what Apple calls a Fusion Drive that mixes both 128GB of flash with 1TB or 3TB of conventional storage (a hybrid drive, for those of us who've seen it before). There's no optical drive unless you plug in a USB option.

The 21.5-inch model ships in November, and will set you back $1,299 for a 2.7GHz Core i5, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive; pony up for the 27-inch model at $1,799 and you'll get a 2.9GHz Core i5 as well as the same memory and storage. Apple's larger iMac doesn't ship until December, however, which will give some impulse buyers at least a brief respite.

Gallery: iMac (2013)

Gallery: iMac (2012) press shots

For more coverage, visit our Apple Special Event hub!

Filed under: Desktops, Apple

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Don't worry, we know. Odds are, there will be one or two surprises when the Apple Store returns this afternoon.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Apple

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Source: Apple

Last year, faulty 1TB Seagate drives living in 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs purchased between May and July of 2011 were at the heart of Apple's HDD replacement program. Now, Cupertino has extended the initiative to encompass rigs sold between October 2009 and July 2011. Customers with an affected iMac are eligible to receive a free drive until April 12, 2013 or for three years after their desktop's original purchase date. Curious if your machine contains an afflicted hard drive? Simply visit the source link below and plug in your computer's serial number to find out. If you do need a replacement, an Apple Store or authorized service center will be happy to help -- just remember to back up your drive before parting with it.

Filed under: Apple

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Via: MacRumors, TUAW

Source: Apple

Today, Tim Cook made his first major apology as the CEO of Apple. It probably won't be his last. Despite the obvious knee-jerk reaction regarding the Maps debacle, it's actually interesting that this particular scenario is yet another example of humans having extraordinarily short-term memories. It's the same reason that whatever game we most recently saw is the "best or worst ever." (Packers v. Seahawks 09.24.2012, I'm looking at you.) In truth, Apple has a fairly solid history of ingesting pride in the iPhone era, when it surged headfirst into the realm of serving consumers in a way that it never had before. And moreover, hearing Cook apologize isn't something that should be mocked or berated; one can only hope that more companies of all shapes and sizes develop a policy of listening and reacting. Allow me to explain.

Filed under: Cellphones, Apple

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Source: Apple

Many of those who buy iMacs and Apple-designed displays are eager to avoid clutter in the first place, which makes an organizer all the more logical for those who'd like Desk Zero almost as much as Inbox Zero. Accessory maker Twelve South's newly available HiRise aims to clean it all up -- and lift it up. The aluminum-and-steel frame elevates Apple's modern all-in-ones and screens to any one of six points while conveniently leaving storage space that goes with the local computing decor, whether it's to hold external hard drives or car keys. Although the HiRise is no trivial expense at $80, it's better for propping up an iMac than an old college textbook, and arguably more useful as a whole.

Filed under: Desktops, Displays, Peripherals

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Source: Twelve South

These days, just about every Apple product is defined by a non-removable battery. It's with no small hint of irony, then, that Apple just received a US patent for a universal removable battery system. As proposed, the technique would let Apple cut batteries from lithium-polymer or similar materials into commonly sized packs that could then be swapped between devices, providing all the benefits of removable, rechargeable batteries with a longer lifespan than an old set of AAs. Batteries could have serviceable cores for when they finally give up the ghost, and computers could even alternate between charging the batteries (when plugged in) or using them to extend the runtime of MacBooks. We'd recommend against basing any purchasing strategy around Apple's filing, though. The Cupertino team originally applied for the patent in 2010, and in turn broke out the technology from a patent it had filed in 2007 -- there's no guarantees Apple is still interested in replacing those disposables, let alone any sealed-in batteries. That won't stop us from yearning for the day when a Magic Mouse lasts for more than a week of heavy use.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Source: USPTO

Over the years we've come across a few signs that pointed to the possibility of touchscreen-enabled iMacs, but Steve Jobs had already dismissed this as a possibility for current Mac form factors. Quoting the man at the "Back to the Mac" keynote from two years ago: "It gives great demo, but after a while your arm feels like it's going to fall off. Touch surfaces want to be horizontal."

So perhaps our fantasy's still stuck in the "research project" phase.

Luckily, the more adventurous touchscreen lovers can look to third-party solutions. For MacBooks you have Axiotron's Modbook, except you lose the keyboard and you can't perform the modification yourself. As for iMacs and Cinema Displays, we've been following Troll Touch for its resistive touchscreen replacement panels, but they aren't exactly affordable and most of them have to be installed by the company. Even its user-installable SlipCover series starts from $899, anyway.

This leaves us with the Zorro Macsk, a cheekily named iMac accessory hailing from TMDtouch of Shenzhen, China. The 21.5-inch model is priced at just $199 on Amazon with no modifications required. Plus, it supports multitouch -- a glaring omission from Troll Touch's Mac lineup. So is this truly a bargain? Or is it just a case of "you get what you pay for?" Follow past the break to see how we got on with the Zorro Macsk.

Gallery: Zorro Macsk review

Filed under: Peripherals

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