In its base model configuration, the iMac with Retina 5K display comes with a 1TB Fusion Drive as the standard storage option, which offers a lot of performance advantages over a traditional spinning disk HDD on its own. The new iMac’s performance is impressive beyond just its ability to push pixels – though that’s nothing to sneeze at. In the end Apple’s latest iMac design may be a carry-over from previous models, but showcasing the 5K display is the role it seems born to play.
It’s also an upgrade that most users won’t need right away, but one that can make a big difference to the usability and performance of a computer after a couple of years of ownership. That’s a huge advantage, given the cost of RAM via Apple’s custom configuration options, as compared to the cost of RAM purchased after the fact. While inputs around back isn’t ideal, Apple has gone to great lengths to make sure that this new iMac retains its user-accessible RAM slots, which means you can upgrade after the fact. The SD card slot is still marginally less accessible around back than it was on the side of the older, thick-bodied iMac design, but the concessions of a sleek all-in-one are slightly inconvenient I/O port placement, and that’s a pill I swallowed long ago.
There’s also an SDXC card slot, a headphone port (which supports optical audio cable connections via mini-TOSLINK) and a Gigabit Ethernet port. The slimmer design also means that actually lifting and moving the iMac around isn’t all that strenuous of an activity, despite the display’s generous proportions.Īround back, you’ve got a fairly good selection of ports to choose from, including four USB 3 ports, and two of the new Thunderbolt 2 spec that promises even faster I/O transfer speeds.
Its edge-to-edge black bezel and minimal front-facing aluminum mean that the new Retina display almost floats on its own, and is free to show off its dazzling good looks without the presence of any extraneous visual distractions. The industrial design still sings, too, even after two years of availability. The use of the existing design actually makes the design accomplishments of this computer more impressive, however – Apple was able to completely re-engineer their display without adding any thickness or bulk, after all. Apple’s 5K iMac doesn’t look any different from the rest of the lineup on the outside – the tapered design it introduced in late 2012, which is thick in the middle of the back to house the bulkiest internals, and then tapers to a remarkably thin 5mm on the edge, is still in use here.