Intel iMac for consumers, not Pros
updated 12:40 am EST, Fri January 20, 2006
Intel iMac gets 4.5 stars
Apple's new iMac Core Duo received 4.5 out of 5 stars from PC Magazine in its latest review, but the magazine says that machine is best suited for consumers due to software performance on the new Intel architecture. The magazine notes that Apple's Front Row application is much more responsive: "Front Row is now a totally natural user interface and has less of the irksome pauses we saw in the last iMac G5. You still have to load iTunes/iPhoto/video content manually in their respective programs, but now the content comes up smoothly and almost instantaneously." The review also notes that watching 1080p high-definition movie trailers without the annoying audio or video stutters is now possible without Apple's highend dual- and quad-processor G5 desktops. Interestingly, the review also focuses on the "cool" new features of Apple's iLife '06, which is bundled with all new Macs, as well as its improved performance; however, as most have found, Photoshop only performs well for the most casual users, tiggering a caution flag for Pro users.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2001
It's for "consumers"
Hey... it's an iMac. It's the "consumer" desktop model. Of course "pros" should wait. If a "pro" currently has a Power Mac G5, he or she is not going to trade it in for an iMac, whether the pro apps are Intel-native or not.