Apple 21.5" iMac Desktop Computer

Design

21.5" Display

Today's iMac has come a long way from the first 15" iMac. Take one look and you'll see just how far. A 21.5" display with edge-to-edge glass covers nearly the entire front of the enclosure. When all you see is the display, nothing gets between you and what's onscreen. Movies, TV shows, FaceTime HD video calls, websites, photos -- everything looks stunning on the widescreen 16:9 iMac display.

LED Backlighting

The more pixels a display has, the more light those pixels need to achieve the best picture possible. And that's exactly what the LED backlighting in iMac does: It pushes light through each pixel with remarkable brightness and efficiency. Because the LED backlight doesn't take up much space, the iMac enclosure stays thin - even with all the high-performance components inside.

High Resolution

The 21.5" iMac features 1920 x 1080 HD resolution. That's equal to 1080p video -- making the iMac an excellent choice for an HD editing workstation, video playback platform, and more!

Evolution of iMac

It was a great idea then, and it's a great idea now. The all-in-one design of the first flat-panel iMac cleaned up the desktop. It put everything you need -- display, processor, graphics card, hard drive, optical drive, memory, and more -- inside one simple enclosure. Today, iMac is the gold standard for an all-in-one desktop computer.

Seamless Enclosure

While you'll find a collection of ports on the back of iMac, you won't find much else. A seamless, precision-forged enclosure makes the back one continuous aluminum surface. And there's only one cord: the power cord.

Cool, Quiet Components

The widescreen iMac display allows more room to separate the two hottest components, the CPU and the GPU. This keeps things cool inside the iMac enclosure. Apple engineers also implemented an intelligent control system that monitors temperatures and delivers just the right amount of airflow to critical components. And the three fans inside iMac have been tuned to be ultraquiet, so you hardly know it's on.

A Tidier Desktop

iMac comes with a wireless keyboard and either a Magic Mouse. With Magic Mouse, you get a mouse unlike any other. Its smooth, seamless design lets you control everything with simple gestures.

Edge-to-Edge Glass

The glass that surrounds the LED backlit display wraps around the edge of the aluminum enclosure.

Tapered Pedestal

Another victory over clutter, the finely tapered pedestal practically disappears on the desktop.

Integrated Speakers

Built-in speakers deliver loud, clear sound with notable bass response and very little distortion.

Features

LED Backlighting -- One Bright Idea

Full brightness with no waiting. That's the advantage of the LED backlit iMac display. Unlike displays that take time to warm up before they reach maximum brightness, a LED backlit display is instantly on and uniformly bright. LED backlighting also lets you finely tune the iMac display to suit the ambient light in even the dimmest room.

More Pixels, Better Picture

The 21.5" iMac features 1920 x 1080 resolution. These pixels mean images look crisp and true to life. A 1000:1 contrast ratio gives you more vibrant colors and blacker blacks. All in a 16:9 aspect ratio -- the same as an HDTV.

Stunning from Every Angle

The iMac display looks great from any seat in the house, thanks to a premium display technology called in-plane switching (IPS). IPS gives you a bright picture with excellent color -- even if you're viewing the display from the side.

Next-Generation Quad-Core Intel Processor

Powered by a quad-core processor, the iMac is the fastest yet -- up to 70 percent faster than the previous generation. This iMac is powered by a quad-core Intel Core i5 processor. It is configured with 4GB of DDR3 memory, and can be upgraded to handle as much as 16GB! Add in a 500GB 7200rpm hard drive and you've got an all-in-one that can handle just about anything.

Advanced AMD Radeon HD Graphics

With advanced AMD Radeon HD graphics processors across the line, iMac performs even better than before -- up to three times better, in fact. So you see more frames per second in 3D games, and you can edit HD home videos with more speed and responsiveness than you ever thought possible.

Thunderbolt -- Fast, Versatile I/O

Ultrafast and ultraflexible, the Thunderbolt port features two 10Gbps data channels for data transfer that's up to 12 times faster than FireWire-800 and up to 20 times faster than USB 2.0. And it offers unprecedented expansion capabilities for a new generation of high-performance peripherals. So in an instant, iMac can go from a family computer to a filmmaker's dream machine.

FaceTime HD Camera

Get more of your friends in the picture with crisp, widescreen HD video. The FaceTime HD camera lets you make FaceTime video calls in 720p resolution. The picture is so clear, it will look and feel almost like you're in the same room. Make HD calls from one iMac to another or to a MacBook Pro. You can also make video calls to other Intel-based Mac computers, iPad 2, iPhone 4, or the iPod touch with front-facing camera.

Multi-Touch Magic Mouse

Now you can choose the perfect cord-free setup. The iMac ships with Apple's Magic Mouse. It allows you to perform simple gestures across its smooth, seamless top shell. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere.

USB and FireWire

Bring on your iPad, iPod, digital camera, mobile phone, and external hard drive -- there's no shortage of ports on iMac. Four USB 2.0 ports and a FireWire-800 port give you plenty of peripheral possibilities.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth

The dual-band 802.11n wireless technology in iMac makes it effortless to connect to a Wi-Fi network -- regardless of whether it uses 2.4GHz or 5GHz technology. iMac automatically finds available networks and lets you join them with a click. Bluetooth wireless technology is also built in, so you can use your favorite wireless accessories right out of the box.

SDXC

Transfer photos and videos to your iMac as fast as you take them. The built-in SDXC card slot supports SD and SDHC cards with capacities up to 2TB. Just insert your camera's memory card and import your photos to iPhoto.

Performance

Up to 1.7x Faster at the Core

A quad-core 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor is installed in this iMac. The CPU uses Intel's recently refined chipsets. That means the iMac performs nearly twice as fast as the previous generation, adding a new dimension of speed to everything you do. And since Mac OS X is designed to take advantage of each core, it captures every last bit of performance from the processor.

Turbo Boost 2.0

Say you're using a processor-intensive application like Aperture 3 or Final Cut Pro that benefits from extra power. Turbo Boost 2.0 automatically increases the speed of the active cores -- up to 3.3GHz. And by shifting core frequency in small increments, Turbo Boost allows the processor to manage performance without sacrificing efficiency. All this takes place behind the scenes, so your work (or play) goes smoother and faster.

Fast Single-Chip Microarchitecture

Watching a movie, updating your blog, editing photos. Tasks like these require data to travel from place to place. The latest Intel Core architecture puts the processor, cache, memory controller, and graphics engine on a single chip. Since data doesn't have as far to travel, you get faster performance and greater efficiency.

Integrated Memory Controller

With faster access to memory, each core gets right to work on your data, rather than waiting for it to arrive. That's why Intel Core architecture uses an integrated memory controller to connect fast 1333MHz memory directly to the processor. Together with 6MB of shared L3 cache, that helps your applications run at peak performance.

Advanced AMD Radeon HD Graphics

When you need performance for things like playing 3D games, editing HD video, or running design software, the discrete AMD Radeon HD graphics in iMac go to work. You see more frames per second and experience better responsiveness. But no matter which iMac you choose, you're guaranteed superior graphics performance. The iMac's AMD Radeon HD 6750M GPU features 512MB of dedicated GDDR5 video memory, providing up to three times faster performance than the previous generation.

Software

Mac OS X

At the heart of every iMac -- and every Mac -- is Mac OS X, an operating system custom made for the Intel multicore processors and advanced graphics inside. Mac OS X comes with all the apps you need to do the everyday things -- send and receive e-mail, browse the web, edit and share photos, and more -- the moment you turn on your iMac. And Mac OS X does something else that's pretty remarkable: It backs up your data for you automatically, thanks to an app called Time Machine. Time Machine backs up your entire system to your external hard drive or Time Capsule. It keeps a spare copy of every file, and it remembers how your system looked on any given day. So you can revisit your Mac as it appeared in the past.

Viral Immunity

Trojan horses, worms, e-mail viruses. The digital world can be a scary place. Thankfully, a Mac isn't susceptible to the thousands of viruses plaguing Windows-based computers. Mac OS X comes with built-in defenses that keep you safe, without any work on your part. And when a potential security threat arises, Apple responds quickly by providing software updates and security enhancements you can download automatically and install with a click.

Mac App Store

More than a thousand Mac apps are a click away at the Mac App Store. Find the ones you want and simply click to download and install. No more boxes. No more disks. No more hassle. You can browse apps by category or search for something specific. And you can easily keep your apps up to date, because your Mac will let you know when updates are available.

FaceTime HD

iMac comes with the FaceTime HD camera and easy-to-use FaceTime for Mac software. Just click to make HD video calls to another iMac or MacBook Pro. You can also make video calls to other Intel-based Mac computers, iPad 2, iPhone 4, or the iPod touch with front-facing camera. FaceTime automatically displays your contacts from Address Book, so you don't have to build a buddy list. And calls ring through to your Mac even when you don't have the FaceTime app open.

iLife '11

With iLife '11, you'll do more with photos, movies, and music than you ever thought possible. iPhoto lets you browse, edit, and share your photos with full-screen views. iMovie turns your home videos into epic movie trailers. And GarageBand gives you everything you need to make a great-sounding song -- including tools for keeping your song in perfect rhythm and guitar and piano lessons.

The Environment

Efficient Power Supply

iMac includes a highly efficient power supply that reduces the amount of power wasted when bringing electricity from the wall to your computer. Lower power consumption reduces energy bills and lessens the environmental impact of greenhouse gas emissions from power plants.

Advanced Power Management

Unlike a lot of Windows-based PC systems, iMac uses energy-efficient hardware components that work hand in hand with the operating system to conserve power. Mac OS X spins down hard drives and activates sleep mode on already energy-efficient LED backlit displays. And it balances tasks across both central processors and graphics processors. Mac OS X never misses a power-saving opportunity, no matter how small. It even regulates the processor between keystrokes, reducing power between the letters you type. That's just one of many ways Apple manages small amounts of power that add up to big savings.

ENERGY STAR Qualification

iMac meets the stringent low power requirements set by the EPA, giving it ENERGY STAR qualification. ENERGY STAR 5.2 sets significantly higher efficiency limits for power supplies and aggressive limits for the computer's typical annual power consumption.

Fewer Toxins

The greatest environmental challenge facing the computer industry is the presence of arsenic, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), mercury, phthalates, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in products. Apple engineers have worked hard to eliminate BFRs and PVC from iMac circuit boards, internal and external cables, connectors, insulators, adhesives, and more. And they've eliminated many other toxins that are a common part of desktop computer manufacturing -- choosing, for example, mercury-free backlighting and arsenic-free glass for the iMac display.

Recyclable Materials

Apple has minimized the waste when iMac reaches end of life through its ultraefficient design and the use of aluminum and glass, which recyclers can reuse for other products.

EPEAT Gold

Through its innovative and environmentally friendly design, iMac has earned the highest rating of EPEAT Gold. The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool, or EPEAT, evaluates the environmental impact of a product based on how recyclable it is, how much energy it uses, and how it's designed and manufactured.

Life Cycle Impact

Apple's life cycle analysis accounts for all emissions associated with their products. That includes raw material extraction, manufacturing, packaging, transportation, a three- or four-year period of use, and recycling. In the course of this analysis, they have determined that more than 95 percent of Apple's total greenhouse gas emissions come from the products they make.

Thunderbolt -- In Depth

Powerful Technology from a Powerful Collaboration

Thunderbolt began at Intel Labs with a simple concept: create an incredibly fast input/output technology that just about anything can plug into. After close technical collaboration between Intel and Apple, Thunderbolt emerged from the lab to make its appearance in the MacBook Pro and the iMac.

Intel co-invented USB and PCI Express, which have become widely adopted technologies for data transfer. Apple invented FireWire and was instrumental in popularizing USB. Their collective experience has made Thunderbolt the most powerful, most flexible I/O technology ever in a personal computer.

One Small Port -- One Giant Leap in Possibilities

Both MacBook Pro and iMac now give you access to a world of high-speed peripherals and high-resolution displays with one compact port. That's because Thunderbolt is based on two fundamental technologies: PCI Express and DisplayPort.

PCI Express is the technology that links all the high-performance components in a Mac. And it's built into Thunderbolt. Which means you can connect external devices like RAID arrays and video capture solutions directly to MacBook Pro or iMac - and get PCI Express performance. That's a first for any computer. Thunderbolt also provides 10 watts of power to peripherals, so you can tackle workstation-class projects on the go with MacBook Pro or from your home office with iMac. With PCI Express technology, you can use existing USB and FireWire peripherals - even connect to Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre-Channel networks - using simple adapters.

And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, the video standard for high-resolution displays, any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port. To connect a DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA display, just use an existing adapter.

Performance and Expansion Made Ultrafast and Ultrasmart

Thunderbolt I/O technology gives you two channels on the same connector with 10Gbps of throughput in both directions. That makes Thunderbolt ultrafast and ultraflexible. You can move data to and from peripherals up to 20 times faster than with USB 2.0 and up to 12 times faster than with FireWire-800. You also have more than enough bandwidth to daisy-chain multiple high-speed devices without using a hub or switch. For example, you can connect several high-performance external disks, a video capture device, and even a Mini DisplayPort display to a single Thunderbolt chain while maintaining maximum throughput.

High Performance on Display

Thunderbolt I/O technology provides native support for Mini DisplayPort displays. It also supports DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, and VGA displays through the use of existing adapters. So you can connect your Apple LED Cinema Display or other existing display, along with multiple high-speed devices, all from a single port.

No Project Is Too Massive

Now you can create a professional video setup for your MacBook Pro or iMac, just as you would for your Mac Pro. If you're a video editor, imagine connecting high-performance storage, a high-resolution display, and high-bit-rate video capture devices to handle all the post-production for a feature film -- right on your MacBook Pro or iMac. Thunderbolt I/O technology allows you to daisy-chain up to six peripherals - such as the Promise Pegasus RAID or LaCie Little Big Disk -- plus an Apple LED Cinema Display.

And that's just the beginning. With Thunderbolt technology, peripheral manufacturers finally have what they need to take high-performance devices from workstations and top-of-the-line desktops to just about any computer.

Support and AppleCare

Tech Support

Have a problem with your Mac? Get support and advice at the Genius Bar, located at every Apple Retail Store. Apple also provides online tutorials, troubleshooting forums, and 90 days of phone support for users who aren't able to make it to an Apple store.

Optional AppleCare

Apple provides 90 days of free phone support and a 1-year limited hardware warranty on the computer. You can opt to add an AppleCare Protection Plan, at additional cost, which covers support and repairs for 3 years from the date of purchase. AppleCare can be purchased at any time within the first year of ownership of the computer.