On October 16th at their latest keynote event Apple showcased the iMac with retina display, the iPad Air 2, the new iPad mini 3 and the new Mac mini. With these new updates Apple is now back on track with some impressive hardware after a bit of a lull with no real new updates other than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
It’s been said by some in rumorville that Apple would give their iMacs a retina update and finally that day has come. The new iMacs are same powerhouses they always were and now they get a beautiful 5K retina display to add to what is arguably the best personal home computer available now. It’s a stunner and it comes right on time just as Apple has released the public version of their OS X update Yosemite 10.10. If you really want to know what’s going on these new kick ass iMacs you can take a look at some of its guts in the specs below.
Processor
3.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.9GHz)
Configurable to 4.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 (Turbo Boost up to 4.4GHz).
Memory
8GB (two 4GB) 1600MHz DDR3 memory (four SO-DIMM slots, user accessible)
Configurable to 16GB or 32GB.
Display
27-inch (diagonal) Retina 5K display with IPS technology; 5120-by-2880 resolution with support for millions of colors
Graphics
AMD Radeon R9 M290X graphics processor with 2GB of GDDR5 memory
Configurable to AMD Radeon R9 M295X with 4GB of GDDR5 memory.
Wireless
802.11ac Wi-Fi Wireless networking;
IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
The new iMacs are starting at $2499 which may seem a little steep for a base model iMac retina but if you consider the average costs for a 4K monitor are anywhere between $400 and well into $1000 plus, Apple is giving you a 5K display coupled with their beautifully designed hardware, high-end internal hardware and OS X Yosemite all rolled into one machine. That makes it a bargain like no other.
Mac Mini
The new mac Mini was also released and given a mild update but it’s still a great machine to have as a starter and it was released with a 1.4Ghz, 2.6Ghz and 2.8Ghz option with the latter two having configurable i7 options. Each version has an affordable price at $499 to start $699 and $999 respectively. As always you can pick one up at your local retailer or go to Apple directly and configure it as you wish.
iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3
The iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 the standard-bearer for all tablets (say what you want) also got a refresh not so much internally (although Apple will tell you differently) but more so cosmetically. The newest iPad comes outfitted with the latest A8 processor also found in the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus while the iPad mini 3 has the A7 processor. Touch ID is now a part of both iPads to add security. Most striking though is the “new” look and design which mimics the iPhone 6. It’s super thin, super light, well made and both the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 come in the same color schemes as the iPhone 6 which are Space Gray, Gold and Silver. Regardless of whether or not the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 look like big iPhones and they always do, it never takes away from how well made and beautiful they are when Apple refreshes them. You can pickup your iPad Air 2 for the same prices as always at $499 for the 16gb, $599 for 64gb and $699 for 128gb. You can pickup the iPad mini 3 for $399 for 16gb, $499 for 64gb and $599 for 128gb
With iOS and OS X becoming more and more involved with each other via iCloud, AirPlay and Continuity. Apple’s ecosystem has gotten stronger and that much easier to use
