Now is the time to buy a new Mac

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By Philip DiStefano

If you've been jonesing for a new Mac, now would be a good time to take a look at Apple's most recent offerings. Last week, Apple updated quite a few products across their line and introduced a few new gadgets as well.

On the lower end of the scale, the Mac Mini saw a refresh and now includes a server option with two hard drives and no optical drive. The MacBook took a hint from its older brother and is now built out of a durable unibody enclosure, and it now includes a non-removable, longer lasting battery, with an estimated 7 hours of life. The bottom of the notebook is made out of a non-slip material to help keep the computer on the surface you want it to stay on.

The real story, however, is with the new Magic Mouse and the new iMac. The Magic Mouse, in essence, is a normal Apple desktop computer mouse combined with the trackpad you'd find an in Apple notebook. Apple calls it the "world's first Multi-Touch mouse," as it allows Mac desktop users to perform all of the same finger gestures that Mac notebook users can use.

With the new iMac, Apple has stepped up the display game. Not only do the new iMacs have bigger screens - 21.5" and 27" models - but they are also IPS panels, which are arguably the best consumer LCD panels in terms of the display specs that really matter. It's also got new upgrade options for all of the important components, including a Quad Core CPU, up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of disk space - all in a computer that is no bigger than a normal LCD monitor. You may even ask yourself, "Where is the rest of the computer?"

So why is this new iMac such a big deal? Apple has pushed the industry forward before, and this is a prime example of them doing just that once again. It wasn't too long ago that you were lucky to have a 17" CRT monitor on your desktop, and now a beautiful 27" IPS display panel comes standard on one of the two models available. For years, Apple has included "luxuries" in their computers as standard, and though users have to pay a premium for that extra technology, it's helped to push the industry forward.

If you're interested in any of these new Apple products, check out their Web site for pricing and more information. If you're skeptical about the Magic Mouse or the iMac, Apple has posted videos on each of those respective items that can help you decide if they're right for you.

Originally Published: Issue 822 - November 4, 2009

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