New iMac vs Old iMac: Is it Worth It?

July 27, 2010 By Nick Mokey

Take a deeper look at the new hardware in Apple's updated iMacs to see if the update is worth it for you.

Just in time for the upcoming back-to-school season, Apple has given its iMac line its perennial update. Although the newest iMacs look identical to their older cousins, a bit of retooling under the hood leaves them faster and more capable than ever. Will you notice? Here’s a rundown of what’s new, and what it means to you.

Core i3, i5 and i7 Processors

The trusty Intel Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad designations have disappeared in favor, appropriately enough, of Intel’s new i-branded Nehalemn-architecture chips. Although they share the same clock speeds, the new chips use a 32nm fabrication, which improves both performance and efficiency. Other technologies, including hyper threading and smart cache, should also improve performance, albeit incrementally.

ATI Radeon HD Graphics

Apple has jumped ship on the GeForce 9-series cards found in the last iMacs and switched to AMD’s Radeon HD cards. You’ll also notice no “mobility” or “M” designation tacked on there. These are the full-power desktop versions of the new cards, not the neutered notebook versions the last-generation iMac was using. Long story short: They should offer significantly improved gaming performance for folks hoping to install Bootcamp and get their Crysis on. Especially if you opt for the big-daddy Radeon HD 5750 with 1GB of onboard GDDR5 memory.

Support for dual hard drives

It used to be you could order an iMac with a standard magnetic drive, or a speedy solid-state drive. This time around, Apple has eliminated the either-or proposition with the option to equip your new iMac with both a 256GB solid-state drive and a conventional drive. Sound like overkill? For many users, it might be, but loading the operating system and certain programs onto the SSD can significantly improve load times, while a conventional drive keeps a terabyte or two handy for large video and music collections.

The Apple iMac continues to remain one of the most powerful all-in-one systems available. While it is not as upgradeable as a full on desktop system, Apple gives users the ability to upgrade most major components including hard drive and RAM. In our book, the new iMac gives users an experience worth paying for!

Showing 66 comments

David at 10:41pm 6th November 2010 WOW. some people need to check their facts. It hilarious when a PC user starts rattling off statistics which are FALSE!. 1)OSX is not based off of linux, its UNIX, similar but not the same. 2)Microsoft owes their whole "usability" to apple. because they basically loaned it from apple and continue to pay money for every license sold. 3)mac have been PROVEN to work faster than a pc, with hardware that is exact in both computers-it isnt the hardware(its the software) If u noticed, after a month or so after buying or reinstalling windows on a computer, IT SLOWS DOWN. a mac NEVER DOES. its like the energizer bunny! Windows has the holes it has because it was never created, if u know your history, windows is actually based off of mac. Windows 3.1 was a hacked copy or Mac 7.5.5. Bill Gates got the nickname, the Backward man, because he actually though he could rip off apple by copying their OS and deleting and changing a few lines of codes. And the paid out the Booty for it, and do every year. Also, Mac OS X has been out since 2001. it has had 6 "updates" they may be a new OS but being as it is still labeled at MAC OS X, its technically a update. Being that when you boot the OS disk, you can simply upgrade. lol Since 2001, Microsoft has had MANY new OS's ME, XP, Vista, and 7. 2 of them (ME and VISTA- have been the worst OS's ever produced, and Microsoft acknowledges it) So if ur a pc user, listen, you owe ALOT to apple, windows owes its whole existence to apple, that being said. dont go on about how you PC cost half of a apple and works just as well. because it just shows u haven't even used a mac. so save yourself the embarrassment and shut your trap. cuz ya obviously dont know what your talking about.
Biteme at 2:33am 30th July 2010 I'm sorry but, did anyone actually answer, New iMac vs Old iMac: Is it Worth It?
LOL at 8:18pm 28th July 2010 "TrueType/OpenType on the Mac: Recent versions of Mac OS can use the same TrueType/OpenType font files as Windows. Older versions of Mac OS require that font data be stored in a resource file. Each resource file can contain many types of resources. A Mac recource TrueType font file must have a FOND resource along with the TrueType data resource. " Thats from a Windows application maker's site. Don't you just love the coverups in the Windows. They make it sound like Apple just is catching up with Windows when in fact TrueType WAS INVENTED BY APPLE AND ADOPTED BY WINDOWS. There is a reason your PC is better these days - its because it HAS BEEN USING licensed APPLE TECHNOLOGY for OVER 10 Years. Thats a FACT so if you don't like Macs stop using your PC because its got a lot of Apples in it. LOL, that comment about Apple's current OS is based on Linux like technology developed on a PC. Were you born yesterday? Apple's OS is based upon a little company called Next - a hobby Steve Jobs had while he was away from Apple. What butt crack did you dig that "fact" out of Linux boy?
Your father at 5:33am 28th July 2010 The fact that the same company that designs the cpu architecture also design its OS is just brilliant! Thats why its so user friendly , clean and efficient. Thats what you are paying for. Yes, we know you can create a pc for 1/8 of the price but itll be 1/8 of an apple machine and thats a fact.
1. intelchipdesigner at 6:23am 28th July 2010 You all just need to get a life instead of carrying on a silly debate that comes down to what a person can afford and personal preference.
2. Anon at 2:20pm 28th July 2010 More like create a PC for 1/8 the price of an Apple and it will be equal to that Apple...and you can take that to the bank!
  1. ioman at 10:02am 28th July 2010 So if an iMac costs $1500, you can get a Windows PC for $187.50? Because that's 1/8th the price....
    
    Anon at 4:32am 29th July 2010 For an equivalent, yes. Have you seen a $1500 iMac? Outrageous!
    
    ioman at 5:36pm 30th July 2010 hah nice try.
LOL at 8:25am 28th July 2010 There is no debate. Just as the Woz said - pcs are really just a "perverted" version of Apples. Microsoft invent DOS? Nope, they bought it. After that they were successfully sued in court by Apple for copying Apple's OS; yes Apple won, but at that time the laws were not up with the technology so Apple only got $1.00. After that they bought Apple technology to make Windows more like a Macintosh - every PC since 1998-99 era with Windows has Apple technology in it. LOL, so your pc is great because you have have more freedom to custom build it. Well why not build your car also? In the time it takes you to build your pc (which will be outdated by faster hardware every 3 months or so) I can make a fortune on my Mac. You guys work cheap. You need to pay people to do the cheap jobs (assembly computer instantly at factory for you) while you do the jobs that pay well. By building you own pc you working for peanuts.
Jay at 6:56am 28th July 2010 I have been using a Mac for 12 years-- Yep they cost Twice as much $$ and Worth Every Penny - In 12 years I have wasted Zero time doing Daily Windows virus updates-- I have edited about 300 TV programs-- Zero Crashes or lost time -- Lots of $$$ made-- Iphones are now being used to program CNC metal machining equipment wirelessly--Very Cool-
Hardware Expert at 6:54am 28th July 2010 It's not even about affordability; it's about not knowing how to actually build a computer, and thus not understanding that the OS X environment can run on a computer that is 1/3 the cost of an APPL branded machine, yet performs as well if not better.
vern at 6:53am 28th July 2010 I use Mac and WIndows. I recently got a brand new Mac mini. Since my first Mac 2ci I paid $5000 for many years ago (which still works by the way) I have been a hard core Apple/Mac fan boy up the wazoo. I still feel the same about the hardware but I am no longer a fan of the company. A while back I after applying online I was invited to a small "job fair" at a local Apple Store with about 10 other people. I didn't get the job at the Apple store but I didn't expect to having no retail experience. It was a long shot but I was hopeful. After avoiding my calls for a week to find out if the job was filled I was finally told over the phone by the person in charge of hiring, that all of the employees refused to work with me. I was told that everyone HATED me (her words) I was basically a horrible person, annoying, I talked too much... etc etc... this went on for about 20 minutes in agonizing detail, in a soul destroying hurtful happy tone of voice, as if she was talking about the weather.. I was in shock by the brutal "honesty". It was an agonizing experience and took support from my family and friends to convince me I was not the awful hideous obnoxious troll the "Apple Zombies" told me I was. I was very depressed by the incident and it took me a while to get over it (it still kind of hurts a bit when it pops into my head). Since then, I still use Apple products. However that is all. I use them, I don't "live them" like I use to. I don't care what kind of computers aquaintences buy anymore. If they want a PC buy one. If they want a Mac buy one. They are quality products. They are good products, but my 5 year old Windows PC has been my main production machine for a while now and it it works too (not as much fun I admit). I prefer the Mac but would never shop at an Apple store. I can barely walk by an Apple store without the memory of that horrible incident popping back into my head.
1. Nancy at 11:07am 28th July 2010 Try not to base your opinion of the company on one insensitive manager.
Hardware Expert at 6:46am 28th July 2010 It is very possible to run OS X on a custom built PC, but at that point the user is proficient enough to use a real operating system, and not kid around with Snow Leopard. Yes, let's build a system that can boot every OS known to mankind and has an 8 disk RAID 0 array. Now tell me, which OS do you spend the majority of your time with?
Yogie at 6:14am 28th July 2010 children! children! Play nice! besides we all know Linux is the best. : p
Paul at 6:06am 28th July 2010 What's with all this hostitily. Just dual boot.
LOL at 5:58am 28th July 2010 Lets see a PC run Max OS X and Windows at the same time. Been doing that for years on a Mac - can even run Classic Mac in addition to X and Windows - 3 OS's at the same time. Yes, please stop with the Apple's cost more. You ever think what your time is worth. Next time you have problems with your PC - viruses, looking for a driver file, hardware problems, blah, blah, blah - think how much time that takes to fix. What, you work for free or something? Subtract that from the cost of a Apple. I got like 10 year old Apples here running equipment; all updated to X. Reliable, and no I do not need newer computers - the machines they are connected are not going to any faster. Wow, when the power goes out on a Mac I just turn them on and I am off an running as opposed to a Windows machine which has a good chance of displaying a blue screen of death and requiring a complete install of the os and all software, drivers, blah, blah. Windows PCs are nothing but trouble, that's why they have IT departments - don't need one for my Apples. Can't get quality with too many cooks in the kitchen - MS doesn't tell the PC makers what hardware to put in while Apple controls the hardware and software to go in.
Bari at 5:41am 28th July 2010 Okay, usual debate of PC vs. Mac is as old & boring as biblical debates. Those of us who have them, LOVE them - 'nuff said. Would love to see an intelligent list of pros & cons for the new iMac vs. the previous generation. Thank you in advance to the person to steps up!
LOL at 5:39am 28th July 2010 "A UI is a UI, and apparently many people prefer the "dufus" operating system, as windows is still being used in over 80% of the computers in the world. Macs are nice and all but they cost way too much for the hardware they have and they are not customizable enough, some of them are very nice computers, its just that for their price you could get equivalent or better hardware for a PC." I cannot believe how ignorant Windows users are. Guess what Windows user you've been using Apple technology in your PC for over 10 years! Duh! Back in 1998 before Apple came out with the iMacs, iPods, iPhone, and all the goodies they were hard up for cash so old Stevie boy did a deal with the devil - Mr. Gates gave Apple approximately $1 billion and in return Microsoft got some really neat goodies to make the Windows operating system MORE LIKE APPLE - just little stuff like drag and drop technology that allows for a modern graphical interface. PC users do know they've been using Apple for over 10 years! LOL! I think you need to go back to your old PC days of entering command codes and hitting enter instead of using a mouse if you don't like Apple!
Zorro5 at 5:19am 28th July 2010 I was a PC holdout, diehard, and would not give in. Over the past few years all most of our employees who use Windows PCs at work all day long have personal Mac Pros, Macbooks, iPhones, iPods at home. We work on Windows servers, UNIX and Linux systems but use Windows for desktops at work as corporate standard. I kept telling myself I'd get a Mac for home use, and held out on the decision until it became obvious. For my purpose at home, I finally bought a nice hi-def monitor, and swapped out the nice new PC with Windows7 and gave it to my wife as an upgrade to her old PC, and swapped in the new Mac Mini. All I can say is WOW, I can't believe how good it really is. Across the board from the moment I power it up or it comes out of sleep mode its so much cleaner and fun to use across the board from simple surfing the net, looking at and locating photos with Coverflow, finding files/programs with Finder, and I even like how MS Office 2008 works on my Mac vs. my PC better. The only problem I have with it is I waited too long to get it. This is one holdout reporting I will never go back to a Windows PC for home use again. Its only a matter for time before the employees win at work and we switch to Macs there too for desktops. Now the wife wants to pitch the W7 machine so it looks like there will be yet another Mac in the house soon. No hype, its the real deal and its amazingly better for our use and needs.
1. Milli at 5:34am 28th July 2010 Dude. You gave the PC to your wife, some love you showed her. LOL.
  1. J. Gibson at 6:43am 28th July 2010 hahahaa!
Doug at 5:18am 28th July 2010 The "Apple tax" is a myth that needs to die. I have personally compared prices of various computers that are similarly spec'd to the iMac. Yes, you can buy the box for less, but if you factor in the cost of a display that is of the same size and quality to the one built into the iMac, the cost of anti-virus software as well as the software required to make a PC have anywhere near the functionality that a Mac has out of the box, then you actually end up paying more. I have found the same to be true when I compared prices for notebooks that were similarly spec'd to my MacBook Pro and work stations that matched my Mac Pro.
1. Sherman Glenn Chua at 6:09am 28th July 2010 Not to mention every 3 years M$ comes out with a new OS and Office Version, and if you upgrade, the cost supersedes that of a Mac. The last I looked, Snow Leopard cost $20?
2. kevin at 6:17am 28th July 2010 cost of antivirus? The best ones are free.
Your father at 5:17am 28th July 2010 You are all idiots no one has even commented on Mac's bus technology. None of you know wtf you are talking about! Fact IS MAc Architecture is better than any pc wannabe computer alive!!
joe p. at 5:11am 28th July 2010 my iMac has a neutered graphics card, basically a notebook graphics card? Funny that Steve Jobs never mentioned that during his keynotes. I wonder what's been neutered in the current iMac lineup.
1. ioman at 5:00pm 28th July 2010 It's an all in one system Joe, not a desktop.
Shea Cardinalli at 4:49am 28th July 2010 Ive had an imac for a few years now and love it. The decision really comes down to how long you plan on keeping it. If you're the type that buys a new computer yearly then the price of an imac would not be worth it due to the apple tax. Macs are great computers but you have to be ready to want one.
1. Tony at 5:07am 28th July 2010 Exactly my iMac g4 is just as fast and reliable as the day i got it, using a mac isn't simply computing its an experience in itself. Once you get over the cost you will love it because they're dependable and always do whats advertised.
2. Chris at 5:16am 28th July 2010 The nice thing is you don't have t replace your computer every year because of OS bug's.
LP8 at 4:40am 28th July 2010 As a PC user for most of my techy life, I switched to iMAC and would never go back to that crappy PC world ever! The 80 percentile someone mentioned is quickly shrinking as those smart enough to make the switch realize it is worth the extra money as you save in the long run with much less headaches and fewer to no viruses or even the need for that software. PC users are so damn bitter it becomes amusing.
1. Anony at 4:46am 28th July 2010 There are many others who share that opinion, now that they have switched. Want to experience techno-wow, go into an Apple Store and witness all the people.
2. Mike at 4:53am 28th July 2010 I agree completely with your assessment. I have about 10 PC's laying around including a dell precision 490 and 690, and my kids bee line it for the imac first. My daughter begged for a macbook pro for college which she loves.
Schmoe at 3:46am 28th July 2010 lol @ iMacs
Wafflehaus at 3:43am 28th July 2010 @anon, Apple's mac pro line has offered multiple hard drives for years, so it's nothing new for them as a company, just in the imac world. Just so you know.
Erik at 3:35am 28th July 2010 Definitely improved. But a 5750 is a "big daddy"?
Anon at 3:30am 28th July 2010 Dual hard drives...Apple is truly the future of computers! Oh wait, I've had four hard drives in my computer for years.
1. Orgirl at 3:45am 28th July 2010 Yeah, but you have had to use a dufus operating system and a wannabe user interface.
  1. mad_max at 4:15am 28th July 2010 That would be a sick burn if you knew what you were talking about.
  2. Person at 4:20am 28th July 2010 A UI is a UI, and apparently many people prefer the "dufus" operating system, as windows is still being used in over 80% of the computers in the world. Macs are nice and all but they cost way too much for the hardware they have and they are not customizable enough, some of them are very nice computers, its just that for their price you could get equivalent or better hardware for a PC.
    
    J.Gibson at 4:28am 28th July 2010 You do realize that as All-In-Ones, the iMacs are very configurable, although not expandable after purchase by the purchaser. The MacPro however is. Coming to the conclusion that Macs suck because they're not customizable enough, based on the iMac, and leaving out the MacPro, is narrow-sighted.
    
    Orgirl at 4:34am 28th July 2010 You obviously have never used the two, if you make that statement. A Ui is not UI - only in the PC world is that a belief. And honestly, percentage is no basis on which to make claim superiority _ if that were true, McDonalds would have the best food in the world. As far as the price comment, yes you can buy dirt cheap PC hardware and, you get a crappy computer with a patched together OS that has been limping along for decades. Which company is ascending and which in decline?
    
    Abnormalmind at 4:48am 28th July 2010 Interesting. You can buy a crappy computer and load ubuntu (free of course), and the computer works like a charm.
    
    Anon at 4:50am 28th July 2010 And you still have a crappy computer.
    
    gh0stXwr1t3r at 5:45am 28th July 2010 I think my Gentoo machine would put to shame whatever you're using in a heartbeat. Also, to everyone here who thinks they're professionals in computer knowledge the only important things to know about operating systems are as follows: 90%+ of the world's computers run Windows. 5%+ run MacOSX 2%+ run GNU/Linux 1% run iOS If you ask a Windows user why Windows is better, they'll tell you it's because they control 90% of the market share. Mac users will tell you it's because their machines look pretty and are more "secure." GNU/Linux users just laugh. You can't ask iphone4 users about they're OS, they'll drop the call. And, do tell me good sir, what makes a computer built using off-the-shelf components a 'crappy computer.' I have built many computers that have outlasted my friends' cheap little white pieces of overpriced 'perfection.' Apple is a classic example of mindless consumerism. Oh, and to everyone who thinks Apple is really dominating in the computer market. Microsoft considers poor little GNU/Linux to be a greater threat to their market-share than OSX. Apple fanboys and Windows fanboys make me laugh. As if either one really knows anything about their operating system... Oh and before someone posts, "lulz I can h4x windoze" and "m@c is 1337" or some variation, just remember: the most secure browser of 2010 is Internet Explorer 8.
    
    Orgirl at 3:30pm 28th July 2010 The percentage argument is moronic and loaded with false logic. Under that logic, Ford would be a far better car than lets say an Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Bugatti Veyron, Audi, Porsche, etc. I'm sure that none of those manufacturers are saying, "Hey let's find the cheapest components we can and build a dirt cheap car." gh0stXwr1t3r, your post shows you are limited in your knowledge but willing to wield your partisanship as knowledge.
    
    Xiromisho at 6:39am 28th July 2010 I find it very funny you can even claim a Mac is still better than a PC since the differences are diminishing every 5 years. Or did you not know that as of OSX it's built on a Linux style kernel (PC born), and then they went and switched from their baby IBM Power PC CPU which was so much better than a PC's CPU for... Intel, which was quite part of the whole "Wintel" products... and now Macs even run Windows! So... I now just see an over priced PC - granted the iMac's are very nice, and very well designed PC's. Also glad to see ATI is the graphics chip of choice after the last model had all those heat related issues with the screens. As for a "patched together OS" I guess it'd be better when Mac is the more popular OS... and then the viruses start hitting Apple and the entire thing falls apart. (quick note: Mac has no virus protection... just far fewer viruses than Windows has had thrown at it. thus why Mac's consistently fail the Pwn2Own contest.) I'll stick with the security of PC's. Most infections are PEBKAC errors anyway...
    
    a2ed at 5:24pm 30th July 2010 Having used pc since 1999 to 2009, and finally moving over to mac, i can say that the difference between the two is significant. And that is especially if you're using heavy duty software such as Adobe cs5, Final Cut pro, and Logic pro. Half of that gives me a major headache on my previous PCs, even if they sported superior hardware. That gives one the impression that a PC experience is not unlike a well-ornamented house located on the San Andreas fault. I've been using my macbook pro 17inch for 6 months now, and am throwing everything i can at it, and its still smirking at my attempts to prove that it is as bad as any PC i've used.
    
    Jack Wong at 1:48pm 8th November 2010 Obviously being a PeeCee Weenie, you'll never change your attitude about the Mac. Would you call a Ferrari an overpriced VW? Putting down Apple is just your way of compensating for a small....pc.
    
    Jon at 4:45am 28th July 2010 Not custiomizable in what way???? You can change hard drives, optical drives, memory, and any other cards that you wish. It is true that the iMacs are less able to do this, but people do it all the time. I have both a Mac Mini and a HP laptop running Vista. I like both. The Mini however is incredible.
    
    Sherman Glenn Chua at 6:06am 28th July 2010 After you factor in MS Office, yearly Anti-Virus, and a new Windows OS and Office version every 3 years, the Mac is cheaper.
    
    xiromisho at 6:50am 28th July 2010 Windows doesn't charge for Service Packs... unlike Apple... Also you don't NEED to update each OS, nor Office Version. As for Anti-Virus, well to be honest, Mac's time in the Malware sun will come - there are already large botnets using apple's and with Apple's 90+ day response time to security holes that are found in the Mac, I'm just waiting for a talented malware programmer to go and blow the house of cards that is the OSX security system down. Also... they already make Norton for Mac OSX... and Internet Security Suites... if that doesn't tell you what the security companies already know I don't know what will. But lastly, let me check... Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista SP2 and Windows 7 SP 1... Free! Mac OS X Snow Leopard - $29.99... Can't believe they took a Service Pack and passed it off as a "New" OS - I mean really... this actually flew by with no outrage because they disguised it as an OS "Upgrade." - the next update I'll guess also will cost this much - unless they choose another kitty! Then it'll cost even more.
    
    Anon_1_topowerof_100 at 7:06am 28th July 2010 "There are none so blind as those who will not see" - describes you pretty well. If you think Snow Leopard is a service pack, and a Microsoft service pack makes Windoze an improved OS then... And what about the service pack called Windows 7 (now there's a service pack made to 'fix' the pig called Vista) how much did that cost? Microsoft internal conversation... "How can we make Windows look like it's booting faster?" - "Lets delay many of the bloatware drivers etc. from starting until later" -- "Perfect! The doofuses will never know"
    
    ioman at 4:59pm 28th July 2010 Since when have you had to pay for a service pack for the Mac? Snow Leopard is a new OS bro....
    
    Dan Gaul at 6:22pm 28th July 2010 Not only that, but the price of OS X, is super cheap and in one configuration. You don't have multiple versions to unlock other features, and the upgrade price is less then most packaged software.
    
    anony at 8:19pm 28th July 2010 The 19th-century educator Horace Mann once too-loftily said: "Ignorance breeds monsters to fill up the vacancies of the soul that are unoccupied by the verities of knowledge." Thus... xiromisho's post
    
    Ice net at 5:22am 28th July 2010 Listen if you can't afford a Mac then get proper job. Stop complaining and except a fact that the Mac is just a better product.
2. Florian at 4:59am 28th July 2010 You missed the fact that they are talking about a solid state hard drive and a regular drive. The solid state drive comes with a huge performance boost. Multiple HDs have been common in both Mac's and Pc's since the 80s
  1. Anon at 2:15pm 28th July 2010 Again, I could have had 3 solid state drives and 3 traditional drives since solid states have existed. It's just Steve-O trying to pass off old technology as new and invented by him. And all these arguments about Macs vs. Windows (not PC, since technically they are both PCs) are moot. They are both shiny, crappy UIs. For the all of the things 98% of people do, there's Linux.
Peter at 3:21am 28th July 2010 OK, that's all good and wonderful, but why can't we have a choice of a Matt screen? Please!
1. Anon at 4:43am 28th July 2010 Because the iMac screen is polarized for increased clarity.
  1. Xiromisho at 6:30am 28th July 2010 Polarizing does reduce glare in some ways but soft light and general reflections are going to show on the glossy... it would be easier (and cheaper) to just stick with the matt screen.
    
    Anony at 3:12pm 28th July 2010 Of course it would be cheaper, but that isn't the point. The issue is stunning clarity. It is the same reason why Sony used it in their TVs. Sony TVs were more expensive but had the best picture. Take an iMac or Apple Cinema Display and put them next to another monitor and you will see. Apple isn't about making the cheapest, they are about making the best.
2. Anon2 at 10:16pm 28th July 2010 The iMac display is a high definition 2560 x 1440, 32-bit color. In photography, the reason that you use a matte finish photo paper is that it hides the lack of sharpness of the photo. The same is true of some big screen televisions _ they use a matte finish to hid the quality of their picture. Apple has a resolution that is greater than most high-def monitors. In order to have highest quality picture, you have to move away from matte surfaces. If you want to have the matte finish, buy a new Mac Mini. They are amazing computers. Then you can get whatever display you want to use with it.