Apple unveiled yesterday the new line of Apple iMac All-In-One computers.
I mentioned several times in my iMac rumors coverage over the last weeks that a Core i7 iMac would give me weak knees and get my credit card number typed into the Apple Store checkout page at light speed.
Now Apple did announce a new iMac that can be had with Core i7, the fastest CPU Intel currently offers. The problem that stands between me and the 27-inch Core i7 iMac besides the November shipping date is the price.

Some say that 27-inch is too big, but I know it is just a matter of getting used to and then you are hooked. I currently work with a 26-inch Monitor and have a 19-inch as 2nd display next to it. The first 2 days I got seasick looking at the 26-inch screen, but now I can not work on smaller screens anymore. Therfore 27-inch just sounds very right to me.

Configuring an 27-inch iMac on the Apple Store with 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM (4GB does not seem adequate for Core i7), 1TB (enough is enough), and the new Apple Remote (hey, its only $19 and it fits to the look of the new iMac) you end up with a stunning $2,418.

You cannot really compare a Microsoft Windows based Core i7 system with the iMac as there is no 27-inch All-In-One Windows PC as far as I know. The only thing you can do is take a Core i7 2.8Ghz Desktop and add a 27-inch monitor to it. Lets take the iBuyPower Core i7 rig offered on NewEgg for $1,339 and add the HP 2709m monitor (cannot find 27-inch LED-backlit monitor ) offered on Amazon for $349.99. This system amounts to $1,688.

The Windows Core i7 system offers more RAM and more Graphics power on top of the lower overall price, but the screen is by far not as nice and of course the setup is not nearly as sexy.

Maybe there is just nothing to compare the new iMac to in the market today. So I just look at the amount of money: almost $2,500 - sigh - well back to work on my 5-year old XP machine and Ramen Soup until Christmas.