Apple today announced that the new 2012 21.5-inch iMac will go on sale this Friday, November 30. You can also order the new 27-inch model now, but it won't be delivered until sometime in December.
Courtesy of Apple
The 21.5-inch model will be available Friday from Apple's online and retail stores, as well as Apple-authorized dealers.
The 21.5-inch standard configurations:
- $1,299: 2.7 GHz Intel Quad-Core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M graphics, and a 1 TB hard drive.
- $1,499: 2.9 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M, and a 1 TB hard drive.
For the basic configurations, you can use the custom build option to add RAM (up to 16 GB). For the higher-end model, you can upgrade the processor to a 3.2 GHz Quad-Core i7 and add a Fusion drive system.
The 27-inch standard configurations:
- $1,799: 2.9 GHz Intel Quad-Core i5, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 660M, and a 1 TB hard drive.
- $1,999: 3.2 GHz Intel Quad-Core i5, 8 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 675M, and a 1 TB hard drive.
Build-to-order options for the 27-inch model include RAM upgrades (32 GB max), hard drives up to 3 TB, SSDs up to 768 GB, and Fusion drive options. The high-end model also offers an upgrade to a 3.4 GHz Intel Quad-Core i7, and a graphics upgrade to an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680MX.
Is RAM Still User Upgradable?
In Apple's attempt to make the iMacs thinner, it appears the 21.5-inch models may not have user-upgradable RAM. I won't know for sure until the 21.5-inch iMac is officially released, so I recommend holding off on purchasing it for now, unless you think you'll never need more than 8 GB RAM, or you don't mind paying Apple's out-of-this-world prices for RAM upgrades.
The 27-inch model still has user upgradable RAM, so there is no issue with buying the 27-inch iMac with the least amount of RAM, and saving a few bucks by performing your own upgrade.