Apple announced an upcoming update to its popular iMac desktop computer line in October, but on Tuesday the Cupertino-based company finally confirmed that the 21.5-inch version of the new, ultra-thin desktop will be available on Nov. 30.
"Isn't it amazing how something new makes the previous generation instantly look old?" asked Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller, when he first unveiled what a press release calls "the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made." The new iMac looks quite similar to the previous generation from the front, but from the side, it is incredibly clear that the desktop has undergone a significant redesign: It has an edge that's a mere 5 millimeters thin. There is, of course, a bit of a bulge in the middle of the computer's back, for the sake of some internal components, but it still has about 40 percent less internal volume than its older siblings and weighs about eight pounds less, as NBC News' contributor Joel Johnson pointed out when we first heard about the new iMac.
The new iMac is offered in 21.5-inch and 27-inch versions, which start at $1,300 and $1,800, respectively. The new desktops have displays with 75 percent less reflection than the prior generation and a Fusion Drive option (which combines a standard hard drive and a flash-based one to offer up to 60 percent faster performance).
While the 21.5-inch version of the new iMac will begin arriving in customers' homes on Nov. 30, its 27-inch counterpart won't begin shipping until December, according to a press release issued by Apple.
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