Hands on: New iMacs' form, function a 'fabulous combo'

Computerworld - There is, in the design world, always a natural tension between form and function.

Sure, that favorite desk, couch, car or computer might look like a million bucks. But does it do what it's supposed to do, in the way it's supposed to?

When it comes to marrying form and function in computers, no one does it better than Apple Inc. -- although even it offers up the occasional clunker. One-button mouse, anyone?

Such is most definitely not the case with its latest all-in-one computer, the revamped, beefed up and very, very stylized iMac, released just last week and already available on store shelves at prices ranging from $1,199 to $2,299.

The iMac sitting on my desk -- sent by Apple for review purposes -- hits the sweet spot at $1,499, with all the Intel power most users would need, a gorgeous 20-in. screen, a new (and thinner) aluminum case, and the new iLife '08 digital suite of software.

The newest iMacs feature brushed aluminum casings, shiny screens and a redesigned keyboard. View larger image.

Oh, and speaking of thinner, be sure to note the new keyboard. Thin is most definitely in when it comes to the iMac's restyled keyboard, which has an aluminum finish and white chiclet-like keys like those used on the MacBook line. It also sits flatter on the desk, something that some typists might need a little time to get used to. More about the keyboard in a minute.

Unboxing and setting up the iMac is a case of ease-of-use incarnate. There were the usual ooohs and aaahs in the office when I pulled it from the box -- "Quick, get a video camera," someone yelled -- and in five minutes, I was online and ready to go. (I could have been up and running faster except that several office mates wanted to see the new keyboard.)

As for the changes internally, the processors in all four models -- two with 20-in. LCDs and two with 24-in. screens -- have been upgraded. The standard hard drives generally hold more data (ranging from 250GB in the entry-level $1,199 model to 500GB in the top-end $2,299 model) and all but the basic version come with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO video card with 256MB memory. All except the most expensive model come with 1GB of RAM; the $2,299 version has 2GB of RAM, and you can double that to 4GB -- for a steep price: $700. (It's even more, $850, to bump up the RAM in the lesser iMacs.)

Word to the wise: Buy extra RAM from a third-party vendor and save yourself some serious bucks.