21.5- and 27-inch iMacs (Late 2009)

Macworld - Featuring bigger and better screens and shiny new mice, the physical changes to the aluminum iMac in this update are the most dramatic since it was introduced over two years ago, but the speed improvements are marginal at best.

The new iMacs are currently available in three standard configurations. The entry-level $1,199 iMac and the $1,499 iMac both feature 21.5-inch displays and 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo processors; these models replace the 20-inch iMac ( Macworld rated 3.5 out of 5 mice ) released earlier this year. The current high-end Mac is a 27-inch model with a 3.06GHz processor. Apple also announced a new 27-inch iMac with a 2.66GHz Intel Core i5 processor that sells for $1,999, but Apple says it won't be available until later this month. The 27-inch models replace the "Early 2009" 24-inch iMacs ( Macworld rated 4 out of 5 mice ).

Ratio redo

The changes with the iMac start with the screen. Replacing the previous 20- and 24-inch screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio are 21.5- and 27-inch displays at 16:9, more suitable for widescreen HDTV video. The 21.5-inch display has a native resolution of 1920-by-1080, while the 27-inch display has a resolution of 2560-by-1440. The aluminum faceplate at the bottom of the screen is narrower than before, and the aluminum border around the screen is gone. At first glance, you might mistake the new iMacs for HDTVs--in fact, the new 27-inch iMac has support for a VESA Mount Adapter Kit ($29) for mounting on a wall.

Switch on the iMacs, and you'll notice that the LED backlit screens on both the 21.5- and 27-inch models are a bit brighter than their predecessors. Look even closer at the 21.5-inch iMac, and you'll notice that its colors are much better than the 20-inch iMac. That's because Apple thankfully now uses 8-bit displays across the iMac line--the 6-bit dithered display used in the 20-inch iMac is gone (we hope).

Both of the new displays use in-plane switching (IPS) technology, which is supposed to help maintain image quality when viewing the screen at extreme angles. Looking at the new iMacs at different angles, I had a difficult time noticing any color shifting. When compared side-by-side against the previous iMacs, the 20-inch iMac screen looks like a mess, while the new iMac screens maintained their color integrity.

There's one major issue with the screen that, for many, is a deal-breaker: the glass on the display and its glossy effect. The glossy effect makes colors pop and blacks deep and rich, but you can see your reflection in the glass. When using the iMac as a desktop computer, I've learned how to see past the glare and reflections, but many others cannot develop such tolerance--and I'm not saying you should. Glare is a problem if you're in a group gathered around the 27-inch iMac that's being used as an HDTV. In fact, because of the glare, you might reconsider using the 27-inch iMac as a HDTV. However, it's now been two years since the first aluminum iMac with glass was introduced, and there are no signs that Apple is interested in offering a matte screen option.