Apple's new iMacs now available online and in-store
The 21.5-inch model is slated to ship in one to three business days, according to Apple's Web site, while the 27-inch model won't be sent out for two to three weeks.
Apple's newly redesigned iMacs are now available for order.
Apple has started selling the 21.5-inch model today both online and in its stores. As of this writing, Apple is saying that online buyers will have their 21.5-inch model shipped out in one to three business days. The 27-inch model is a bit of a different story. Although customers can preorder the 27-inch option today, Apple's site currently lists its ship date as two to three weeks.
At the flagship 5th Avenue Apple Store in New York City, the new iMac was an invisible presence at 8:00 a.m. ET, when the 21-inch version of the latest all-in-one Mac desktop became available for purchase. The older generation iMacs were still on the display table, and no one was lining up to be first to walk out with a new iMac.
According to a store employee, customers could buy the new iMac but it wouldn't actually be on display for a few hours. The machines were only recently received and needed to be loaded with the software used for the Apple products on display. Of course, the iMac doesn't have the buzz of the iPhone or iPad, and it's easier to have it delivered to you door than to lug it up the glass steps of Apple's 5th Avenue store.
The new iMacs were unveiled last month during a press event. The computer is just 5 mm thick at its edge around the display, but is thicker behind the screen where the PC components are. The 21.5-inch model starts at $1,299 for a 2.7GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 processor and 1TB hard drive. The low-end 27-inch option starts at $1,799 for a 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 and 1TB hard drive. All of the models come standard with one of a few Nvidia GeForce graphics cards.
CNET senior editor Rich Brown today posted his review of the new iMac and gave the computer four stars out of five. Brown was pleased with the computer's "thin new design and a competitive, logical set of core component updates." However, he was frustrated by the iMac's lack of HDMI support.
Still, Brown said that the device's "overall polish [helps it] to maintain its leadership among high-end all-in-ones."
CNET's Dan Farber contributed to this report.
