TechnoMeter

Apple releases new cheaper iMac with low-end processor, priced at $1099

As rumored last week, Apple has today released a new model of iMac. These machines are considerably cheaper than their predecessors, priced at $1099. Previously, the cheapest iMac SKU was priced at $1299 (which is now the mid-range model).

The cheaper iMac features a 1.4 GHz dual-core i5 CPU, which represents a significant worsening in performance over the previous base model of iMac, which featured a processor clocked at 2.7 GHz. The CPU does Turbo Boost up to 2.7 GHz however, which does make up some of the difference.

Aside from the CPU, the hard drive has also been cut to 500 GB. The new model also features a lower-end integrated graphics chip. All other iMac models continue to use either Iris Pro integrated graphics or dedicated Nvidia cards. Otherwise, the internals of the new machine are unchanged.

If you were desperate for a slightly-cheaper desktop Mac, the product is ready to ship today. The rest of the iMac lineup remains the same — there is no equivalent ‘cheap model’ of the 27 inch iMac. The target market for this product is unclear, offering relatively minor cost savings yet yielding a big drop in performance and storage space. All three base models can be compared on Apple’s updated Specs page.