Apple iMac range for 2011 revealed

Apple have just released the details on the 2011 refresh of their all-in-one iMac desktop computer range. Out with miniDisplay ports and in with superfast Thunderbolt connections is the order of the day, with Intel’s Sandy Bridge cores doing all the hard work.

Available in 21.5 and 27 inch models, the top-drawer model packs in quad-core 3.4GHz Core i7 processors and AMD Radeon 6970M graphics processors. With screen resolutions of 1920×1080 and 2560×1440 for the 21.5 inch and 27 inch models respectively, it’s a shame that the range stubbornly sticks with 8x SuperDrive DVD burners with 4x double-layer burning rather than a Blu-ray option.

HD FaceTime cameras are also included for the first time. Storage is between 500GB and 1TB as standard, with an option to boost up to 2TB as part of a custom order.

“With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing.

“Our customers love the iMac’s aluminum enclosure, gorgeous display and all-in-one design. With next generation quad-core processors, powerful new graphics, Thunderbolt technology and a FaceTime HD camera, we’ve made the world’s best desktop even better.”

Pricing starts at $1,199 for the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, going up to $1,999 for a 27 inch one with a 3.1 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD Radeon HD 6970M and 1TB hard drive.

Those looking out for the i7 models in-store will be out of luck; they’re configure-to-order models only, with eye-wateringly high prices to match.