We could go on at length about the superior design and build-quality of iMac, if we had space. Clearly in a league of its own iMac is the all-in-one to buy if quality, style and desirability are anywhere in your list of priorities. This new version is slimmer and more covetable than ever. See: more reviews of all-in-one PCs.
It may be the baby iMac, but the 21.5in model can certainly hold its own against the competition. Its IPS display delivers the same 1920 x 1080-pixel image as 23in models; and does so with far superior results and much more accurate colour reproduction.
It also features a 2.7GHz Intel Core i5-3335S low-power quad core processor which delivers excellent productivity and creativity results in the PCMark 7 benchmarks.
The nVidia GeForce GTX 640M graphics processor enables casual gaming at a much higher level to those systems relying on Intel’s graphics, although this can’t be upgraded to even gamer-friendlier levels like the 27in iMac.
Our review sample was the £1099 entry-level version. A faster version, featuring a 2.9GHz processor and faster graphics, will set you back £1249.
Both models can also be customised with increased memory or an external optical drive (there isn’t one fitted internally). The faster model can also accept an even quicker 3.1GHz processor.
Connectors include four USB 3.0 and a pair of Thunderbolt ports, along with an SDXC memory-card reader and a headphone jack. Apple’s built-in FaceTime HD webcam allows easy Skypeing and video conferencing.
For space reasons, the 21.5in Apple iMac (Late 2012) is fitted with a 2.5in notebook hard disk which is noticeably slower than the 3.5in version found in the 27in iMac, and this was reflected in our benchmark scores.It scored 3100 points in the PCMark 7 test this time.
But performance would be really improved by opting for the hybrid Fusion drive. This boosts storage performance by adding 128GB of flash memory, and an extra £200 to the asking price.
