Apple now taking orders for 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMac (Late 2012) models

Nov 30, 2012 10:58 GMT  ·  By

Apple has officially opened sales of its stunning new iMac with a super-tapered design, crisp display and raw computing power matching the roar of OS X Mountain Lion.

Available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers, the new iMacs start at $1,299 in the United States for the 21.5-inch 2.7GHz configuration with Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics with 512MB.

In Europe, the same system retails for a wallet burning €1.349 and ships in 1-3 days, the same as in the States. A 2,9 GHz configuration sells for $1,499 / €1.549.

The 27-inch model with 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz), 8GB of memory, 1TB hard drive and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M with 512MB goes for $1,799. / €1.879. The 27-inch 3.2GHz configuration sells for $1,999 / €2.049. These models will ship in 2-3 weeks, Apple says.

The new iMac has been redesigned from the inside out to pack high performance into an aluminum and glass enclosure with 40 percent less volume than its predecessor.

The display has been reengineered to reduce glare by 75 percent yet still maintain a stunning visual experience.

The 2012 iMac introduces a new feature called Fusion Drive, which combines the performance of flash storage and the capacity of a hard drive (128GB of flash with a standard platter-based drive) to create a single storage volume. Fusion Drive manages files intelligently, optimizing read and write performance.

“With a stunning design, brilliant display and faster performance, we’ve made the world’s leading all-in-one desktop computer better in every way,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

“The all-new iMac is unbelievably thin, yet packs an incredible amount of performance and technology into our most innovative desktop,” added Schiller.