One of the most striking things about Apple's latest all-in-one iMac computer is its dazzling screen.
The 24in glossy widescreen LCD is stunningly bright and makes photos and videos look vivid. The resolution of 1,920x1,200 pixels means it can display 1080p high definition video. Our high-definition WMV files looked sharp and clear but, disappointingly, there's no built-in Blu-ray drive, and Apple's DVD Player program doesn't yet support Blu-ray playback.
The iMac isn't much larger than a standalone 24in monitor, so it doesn't take up much space on your desk. It isn't designed to be upgraded internally, though. There aren't any free drive bays or PCI slots, but it does have three USB ports as well as a FireWire 400 and a FireWire 800 port for adding peripherals.
These ports are essential for adding more storage, since the 320GB hard disk could quickly fill up if you use the bundled iLife 08 software to edit lots of videos, photos and music. We'd expect at least 500GB of storage in a computer at this price.
We were disappointed by the ATI Radeon HD 2600Pro graphics card. It's just powerful enough to play current 3D games, but you'll have to settle for less detailed graphics to get smooth frame rates. A more powerful Nvidia GeForce 8800GS card costs £90 extra.
Unlike previous iMacs, which used laptop processors, this new model appears to have a desktop version. CPU-Z reported it as a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo E8235 with a frontside bus of 1,066MHz. Apple wouldn't confirm if this was one of Intel's brand new processors, but its performance in our Windows applications tests was close to that of a 3GHz Core 2 Duo E6850, so it's more than capable of handling demanding tasks. The 2GB of RAM should be enough for most people, but an extra 2GB can be added if you need more.
Draft-N wireless networking and Bluetooth are built in, which is unusual in desktop computers. A remote is included for controlling Apple's Front Row software, but there's no built-in TV tuner. The headphone jack also doubles as an S/PDIF socket for connecting a surround-sound amplifier, but there aren't any 5.1 analogue outputs.
We were impressed with the iMac's quiet, slim design and great display. It's better suited as a space-saving alternative to a tower PC than most laptops thanks to its large, high-resolution screen and fast performance. However, if you're not satisfied with its hard disk space and graphics card, then consider paying extra for Acer's well-specified Aspire 8920G laptop.
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