Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing

Apple Updates iMacs, Gives MacBooks a Seven-Hour Battery

Geoff Duncan
By
Apple iMac Family October 2009
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fresh off wowing Wall Street with its its fourth quarter financial results, Apple is rolling out updates to its consumer-oriented desktop and notebook lines just in time for the holiday buying season…plus introduced a new multi-touch “Magic Mouse” that handles multi-finger gestures for things like scrolling and panning—without the need for gizmos like scroll wheels.

First up, Apple’s new iMac all-in-one desktop computers feature built-in 21.5-inch and 27-inch LED-backlit displays, with a new edge-to-edge glass design and aluminum cases. The 21.5-inch model offers a 1920 by 1,080 pixel resolution, while the 27-inch display scoots all the way out to 2,560 by 1,440 pixels, making for some serious work area—and both displays offer a 178° viewing angle. In addition to big screens, the new iMacs pack some power under the hood, featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors at speeds up to 3 GHz, 4 GB of RAM (expandable to 16 GB), Nvidia GeForce 9400M or ATI Radeon graphics, 500 GB to 1 TB hard drives, a slot-loading 8× dual-layer Super Multi DVD burner, and (in a first for an Apple desktop) an integrated SD card slot. The iMacs also sport Apple’s Mini DisplayPort video output, gigabit Ethernet, 4 USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, an integrated iSight webcam, and 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.1 wireless networking.

Recommended Videos

Pricing for the new iMacs starts at $1,199 for the low-end 21.5-inch version—although that does pack the 3 GHz processor and the 4 GB of RAM. The 27-inch version starts at $1,699 and sports 1 TB of storage and ATI Radeon HD 4670 graphics. If you really want a top-flight iMac, Apple is also offering a $1,999 version with the 27-inch display, ATI Radeon HD 4850 graphics, and a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5 quad-core processor…and there’s a built-to-order option for a 2.8 GHz Intel Core i7.

Related

Next, Apple has revved up its diminutive Mac mini, offering three models: a $599 unit with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, a base 2 GB of RAM, Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, and a 160 GB hard drive, and a $799 Mac mini with a 2.53 GHz Core 2 Duo, 4 GB of RAM, and a 320 GH hard drive. All the minis feature five USB 2.0 ports, along with FireWire 800, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n networking, and a SuperDrive DVD burner. Folks looking for mini servers will not be disappointed either: for $999, Apple is offering a mini pre-configured with Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server and two 500 GB hard drives…all in the same tiny case.

Apple MacBook October 2009
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple has also refreshed its MacBook consumer notebook, adding a unibody polycarbonate case and a glass multi-touch trackpad to the unit…along with some of the same battery technology Apple packed into the 17-inch MacBook Pros to give the MacBook a claimed 7-hour battery life. The new MacBook features a 1.3-inch 1,280 by 800-pixel LED-backlit display, a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo CPU, Nvidia GeForce 9400M graphics, 2 GB of RAM (expandable to 4 GB), a 250 GB hard drive, a slot-loading 8× dual later superdrive, a Mini DisplayPort video output, gigabit Ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking, an integrated iSight webcam, and two USB 2.0 ports—built-to-order options include more RAM and storage, and pricing starts at $999.

Apple Magic Mouse
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Finally, Apple also debuted the Magic Mouse, which the company claims is the world’s first multi-touch mouse. Instead of using scroll wheels and a flurry of buttons, the Magic Mouse uses multitouch technology to enable users to pan, zoom, scroll, and navigate their documents and computer using gestures rather than gizmos. The Magic Mouse features a seamless no-button surface and a laser tracker for operating smoothly on a wide variety of surfaces. And, of course, it’s wireless, relying on Bluetooth to talk to a computer. The Magic Mouse is shipping now with Apple’s new iMacs, and will be available for $69 at Apple Stores; it can be configured via System Preferences, and requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 or newer.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
How to connect a MacBook to a TV
MacBook on a chair with the TV app on the screen.

Apple’s MacBooks are excellent content-consumption machines, but even the roomiest 16-inch MacBook Pro can’t compare to viewing your favorite shows on a large TV. Whether you’re watching a movie or playing one of the best Mac games, it’s much better to enjoy it on a spacious TV than on a constrained MacBook display.

Read more
If you buy one MacBook Air alternative, make it this one
The MacBook Air on a white table.

I see you. You're considering a flashy new MacBook Air -- perhaps one of the new M3 models or even the cheaper M2 configurations. I'm not going to sit here and pretend like that isn't a wise option to consider for your next laptop. These are excellent laptops, and that M2 model in particular is a solid value at a starting price of $999.

But let me make an appeal to you about a laptop that upends the value proposition of the MacBook Air in a number of ways. The laptop I'm talking about is the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (Q425MA). This is a laptop we reviewed earlier this year, but it continues to be the king of value. No other laptop you can buy right now offers this much bang for your buck -- the MacBook Air included.

Read more