New Apple Hardware

Apple rolled out new iMac’s, new Mac Mini’s a new low-end MacBook, and a new Mouse. The iMac’s are interesting because:
  1. 16:9 screens
    They changed the aspect ratio of the screens to 16:9. Which is great if you’re working with 16:9 video. Otherwise, not too sure how it really helps/hinders the average user.
  2. 21.5 inch display is exactly 1920 x 1080
    The previous model - the 20 incher - had a resolution of 1680 by 1050 pixels, not so good for watching/editing 1080 video.
  3. Core i5 and i7 quad-core processors
    If you have the cash, you can get a quad-core processor. Unfortunately, not a whole lot of software makes full use of these…it will be interesting to see whether these chips make a significant improvement in compression times
  4. 21.5 model has 8-bit video
    Previously, the lower-end iMac video was only 6-bit, so for those looking to use a low-end iMac for video or image editing, that’s good news.
  5. You can connect a second external display using the mini DisplayPort
  6. 27-inch can be used as an external monitor for MacBook using the same miniDisplayPort
    It appears that you can't do this with the 21.5 model.


The bad news: No Blu-ray. Can’t say I’m really surprised, and yet I had been hopeful!

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