The Intel iMac Part 2: By the numbers

Computerworld - There is a debate of sorts raging these days among Macintosh fans about whether they should upgrade to the new Intel-based Apple hardware now on the market. Sure, Intel is the future for Apple Computer Inc., and there’s little doubt that within a year or so, all Apple laptops and desktops will be using its zippy chips -- and most of the software Mac users need will be updated to run on them at full speed.

But that’s next year, not now. So the question remains: Should you buy now?

After spending a few weeks with Apple’s new top-end iMac (and a few days with my own new MacBook Pro), I’d say the answer is a qualified yes.

The iMac, offered by Apple for review purposes, was the 20-in. model with a 2-GHz Core Duo processor, 1GB of PC2-5300 (667-MHz) Double Data Rate 2 RAM and a 250GB hard drive (see ”The Intel iMac arrives: A first look at Apple’s new Mactel machine“). It sells for $1,699 -- $400 more than the smaller, 17-in. version with a slightly slower Core Duo chip -- and yes, it’s fast, very fast in day-to-day use. But there is an important caveat: If you rely heavily on big-league software such as Adobe Photoshop or Macromedia Dreamweaver, neither of which has been recoded to take advantage of Intel inside, you might want to wait before rushing out to buy new hardware.

That’s because those programs will actually run somewhat slower on Intel-based Macs because they require Rosetta, Apple’s emulation software, to run at all. Now, we’re not talking molasses slow. It’s just that in comparison with Apple’s software, most of which has already been converted to “Universal” status and jumps to life when launched, older applications suffer. (In case you haven’t been following the transition to Intel Corp. chips, “Universal” applications are those that have been updated to run on PowerPC machines as well as the latest Core Duo hardware. At last count, there are already more than 1,100 such apps, and the list grows daily.)

But with major players holding back on Universal updates, the programs you use should play a major role in any buying decisions in the short term.

The opposite is also true. If you’re sitting in front of an older iMac, Mac mini or a PowerBook G4 -- and you spend most of your time in Safari, iPhoto, Mail, iMovie and other consumer-oriented software from Apple -- then the decision is easier. If you want speed, get thee to a store.