The all new Apple iMac is finally here! I personally have been an iMac user for the past ten years. For me it started with the ground breaking iMac version that looked much like the Pixar lamp in their logo. There was nothing like it.  It had this awesomely bright white base and that arm that held the screen was so futuristic and cool.

From there I decided to upgrade to the iMac that I still use.  It was the first version to feature the aluminum look.  I have loved every second of working and owning it.

When you’re a computer or tech enthusiast it is often times a battle between what you want and what you need.  I have this problem all the time due to my career being in graphic design.  I am constantly wanting to stay up to date with the latest and greatest technology but as we all know technology usually does not come cheap.  This is even more true of a statement when we are discussing Apple products. Apple definitely makes superior products; but you do pay for it!

To Upgrade or Not To Upgrade?

I struggle with this each and every time anything new comes out.  Not just in computers, but in all of my devices and software.  I have finally reached a point in my life where I just can’t keep up all of the time.  I have definitely won my own battle of want verses need.  Of course I always want the latest and greatest thing.  That goes without saying; but do I really need it?  Each person’s answer to that question is going to be different because each of us use our computers for different things.  I am of the power user variety. I work as a graphic designer and am always using my computer to run my pro-design software and do just about everything for me.  My current set up has completely maxed out at 4GB of RAM.  So my reasons for upgrading are pretty much set in stone.  4GB of RAM just isn’t what it was even two years ago.  Many of the large software packages that professionals use for their work are requiring much more RAM and power to run smoothly. This is why my first point on whether or not you may or may not need to upgrade is answered by asking this simple question:

Are you maxed out? There may be a more politically correct and technical term than this; but basically “maxed out” means that your computer has been upgraded as far as it can be upgraded.  This is the case for me.  I simply can not put any more RAM or get a better chip to run my computer. It’s as good and as fast as it’s going to get unless I upgrade.

In my opinion this is the only practical reason why anyone would upgrade. The other reason is that you can afford it and you want the latest and greatest thing out there.  If that’s you then more power to you and I’m seriously jealous of your new computer!

A look at the all new iMac:

Thin Thin Thin –  So the iMac went on a diet. Yeah it did that Apple thing where they make it a few hairs thinner than the previous version.  Personally I don’t see the point in this.  I was fine with my old iMac being just the size that it was.

No More Optical Drive? –  Apple killed music stores across the globe almost over night by creating the iTunes Store. Now they are set to put the final dagger into digital media.  To the clouds we go people!  Yes, you can still get an optical drive for your new iMac. That will run you roughly $79 and is an external drive that plugs in to the back of your computer.  Personally I’m not really going to miss the optical drive that much but I would go ahead and buy the external one just to be safe.  We all know how Apple likes to just stop selling things without notice. So my advice for those that buy this computer would be not to wait on purchasing the optical drive if you plan on doing a lot of disc burning any time soon.

RAM RAM RAM – The new iMacs can be upgraded to a whopping 32GB of RAM. That’s 6x the RAM that my current iMac can hold! I wonder how long it will be before we are saying, “remember when iMacs could only hold 32GB of RAM. ”

Fusion Drive – This is the upgrade that I am the most excited about.  Let me explain what the Fusion Drive is and why you will love it.  When it comes to hard drives there are basically two types of technologies.  There is your everyday common hard drive that spins and runs just like every computer you’ve ever used.  Then there is the newer technology called, “SSD”.  SSD stands for Solid State Drive.  So instead of having a disc full of information that is spinning like the older hard drives; the solid state drive has no moving parts.  This means that it dramatically speeds up your computer.  What the new Apple Fusion Drive does is give you the best of both worlds. It is both a regular spinning hard drive and a solid state drive.  The Fusion Drive is smart and it is able to see what applications, files, and folders that you use most often.  The drive automatically stores these files on the SSD section of the drive leaving your other non used items on the much larger regular portion of the hard drive.  If all of this seems too technical then just know that if you opt to have this drive put on your new Mac. You won’t be disappointed. Your Mac will be speedier and run smoother than ever before.

Final Thoughts:

I think that all of the new Macs are beautiful. From the Mac Mini all the way to the new iMac.  I plan on upgrading as soon as I can to the 27″ iMac and I can’t wait.  I can tell you from over ten years of experience that there is no finer all in one computer on the market today.  Apple continues to give you exactly what you need when you need it; and they do it with style and beauty.

For more information on on the all new iMac and all other Apple computers. Simple visit: apple.com/store