Apple's new 27-in. iMac is 'stunning'

The only thing missing from this would-be multimedia showpiece is a Blu-Ray player. For whatever reason, Apple has been reluctant to add Blu-Ray drives to any of its hardware, and this iMac really cries out for it. Regular DVDs look a little soft and can show digital artifacts, but if the HD movie trailers I viewed are any measure, Blu-Ray would be flat-out awesome. Of course, then you might be less inclined to buy or rent HD movies through iTunes.

(According to Apple, it's possible to connect up an external Blu-Ray player -- but an adapter will be needed to convert the HDMI signal coming from the player to the MiniDisplay Port on the iMac. And a scaler would be needed because of the screen's high resolution. Apple doesn't sell those, though, so it'll be up to another company to come up with a solution.)

I do wonder what this iMac's introduction means for Apple's beautiful, but now aging, 30-in. Cinema Display monitor. Sure, it has a slightly higher resolution because of its 16x10 aspect ratio. But it costs $100 more than the 27-in. iMac and it's just a display. With the iMac, you get 90% of the Cinema Display's screen real estate, and a high-powered computer built in. You'd have to really need that 30-in. screen to justify the expense. I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple update the Cinema Display soon, either by bumping up its resolution or by downsizing it to 27 inches and cutting the price. That's just speculation; Apple doesn't talk about future product plans.

Speaking of cost, it's important to note that the 27-in. model is $100 less than the $1,799 24-in. iMac that preceded it. And the $1,999 quadcore model to come costs $200 less than the old top-end iMac. Apple has been dinged for too often holding the line on prices, so the price drops are noteworthy in these recessionary times.

Conclusions

Apple's flagship iMac comes in a variety of flavors and two sizes, with the $1,699 model I've been using being the sweet spot. It offers the most value for the price and could spur desktop sales. In recent years, more and more Mac buyers -- including me -- have opted for Apple's popular line of laptops. Desktops, in some ways, have fallen out of favor, given the prevalence of wireless connections and the public's desire for mobility.

But with an absolutely stunning screen, a lot of under-the-hood performance improvements, the wireless keyboard and the new mouse, and flexibility that makes it fit in at work or at home, this new iMac could lead to a resurgence in desktop sales for Apple.

With the holidays soon upon us, I know of at least one laptop owner who's waiting to check out those quadcore models when they arrive next month. Me.

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