Apple iMac 20-inch All-In-One Personal Computer

Jun 29 2009 - Apple's latest version of the 20-inch iMac offers a mix of upgrades that are both good and bad. In one way they increased performance by moving from the older DDR2 memory standard to the new DDR3 that most all-in-one systems still avoid. The downside is that they moved from a dedicated ATI graphics to an integrated NVIDIA solution. The GeForce 9400M is still quite good it just takes away from system memory and falls behind dedicated parts. Still a good overall choice for someone who wants an all-in-one with strong performance.

Jun 29 2009 - Apple's spring refresh of the iMac is mostly an internal reworking of several components while keeping the price of the 20-inch at the same $1199 price tag. It retains its original sleek aluminum clad design that is one of the best in the industry while boosting its performance over the previous generation. The only real external change is the removal of the FireWire 400 and a fourth USB 2.0 added in its place.

While the system still uses the same speed Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor as the last version, performance is gained through the use of higher speed DDR3 memory over the older DDR2 memory. This makes it the first all-in-one to use the new memory standard. The downside is that memory upgrades are more expensive but Mac OS X runs better than Vista on smaller memory sizes.

The other significant change in the iMac 20-inch is the graphics. Previous versions used an ATI Radeon 2400 XT graphics part. This was quite dated of a part but still a dedicated processor. The new iMac moves to use the NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics. This is one of the better integrated graphics solutions that easily outperforms the Intel GMA 4500 solution used by many companies, but it does take away from system memory and trail the dedicated graphics parts.

The Apple iMac maintains its very minimalist profile that really lets the system stand out. The keyboard and mouse keep this appearance up, but some may find the design to get in the way of functionality. The system also includes Bluetooth wireless support for use with wireless peripherals if you want to keep the cable clutter down.

Overall, the Apple iMac 20-inch still retains some of the best overall performance and design in the all-in-one market that make it an excellent choice, it just would have been nice to see a bit more upgrades from Apple.