This PC redefines a home computer: M1 iMac review

The new iMac with Apple M1 has been released.IMAC, which has a single M1 performance and colorful and compact design, is usually worrisome for people outside the range.

Gizmodo's Caitlin McGarry reporter has been using it for about a week prior to the official release, so please see below!

When I started using a personal computer, my computer was a family computer, and a huge tower and a thick monitor were installed on the dining room desk.There is no cute machine at all, there is no privacy, everyone's shared machine.I used it with my brothers to do my homework at school, chat with my friends, and downloaded MP3 files full of viruses from a terrible file sharing site ... it was a golden age.

Apple is trying to redefine home computers with the first IMAC equipped with a unique silicon.The 24 -inch new iMac can be easily moved from home office to kitchen and living room, not just because the color is colorful and matches the interior.It's really light, and it's no problem to use it while traveling in my house every day.

Mac sales have increased rapidly as a result of many people seeking remote work and remote school under the corona.But now, as vaccines are spreading and lockdowns are relaxed (translated in the United States), we are thinking about what will happen to work and living at home.

The 24 -inch iMac is a very competent and adorable machine, but I still can't find it in the computer world.Recent young generations use Chromebook at school, and in other situations, smartphones are all sufficient.If you are a member of society who has survived a corona on a notebook PC, it may not be time to buy a new desktop machine now, depending on whether you have already prepared your home work environment or return to your former office work.。

I personally use M1 iMac for almost a week and like almost all aspects.Still, I'm not sure if this all -in -one type is right for me.

Apple iMac (24 inches, M1 installed)

what are these?: Apple's first M1 IMAC.

Price: $ 1,299 (Japan price 154,800 yen / tax included).The review machine is $ 1,499 (¥ 177,800).

Favorite place: Beautiful colors, portability, high performance, 1080p web camera.

I don't like it: For all -in -one, there are few choices for configuration.

Nine years after the iMac finally overhauled the design, the new iMac has transformed a lot.The white bezel, which heads the 24 -inch display, is similar to the black bezel of the old iMac, but is more slim.The lower side of the bezel, the "chin" part of the display is thicker than the other side as the predecessor, but the Apple logo is gone.Instead, the bottom is bright from here.This "chin" is not just for appearance, but this part is clogged with the brain of iMac.

On the back, there are four ports on the $ 1,499 (Japan Price 177,800 yen) model on the back.The Thunderbolt port has two as standard, and you can transfer ultra -high -speed data by using Thunderbolt accessories such as external displays.In addition, there are two USB 3 ports on the review machine, but I want you to put the port a little more generous.After that, there is a power button and a headphone jack on the left side of the frame.

The new iMac has seven beautiful colors, and I chose blue as a review machine.The aluminum stand also matches the main color, but the side and back are contrasted with a darker aluminum.The back is beautiful cobalt color for a blue review machine, and the "chin" part and the stand are pale baby blue.It has changed from the business -like expression of the predecessor IMAC, and I feel that Apple was assumed to be used in the living room or kitchen.If you think about it, it is more meaningful to make the desktop PC that you can see from people at home in a colorful smartphone that is hidden in the case.

This colorful design will make the iMac G3 bondive blue fluffy.At that time, I felt that the gadget was warm and personality.IMAC's white bezel was divided at the time of the presentation event, but I remember the iMac I bought for the first time.It was an Intel version of white polycarbonate around 2006.I think it's very good, but a little nostalgic new iMac design.However, Apple stopped the rounded design this time, and the thickness of the body is 11.It was very slim with 5mm.The weight is incredibly light and you can easily move as needed.

The new iMac is cute, colorful and compact.For those who want to do so, it can be a statement more than a smartphone.People who do not want to adventure have silver.

M1 came to the desktop

Apple also lists the same M1 on the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro, which is not normal in the PC world.Chip manufacturers such as Intel and AMD have separate CPUs on laptops and desktops so that they can choose various configurations.There are not many choices for M1 machines.The 16 -core Neural Engine is common to the entire M1 device.The M1 also integrates GPUs, which has an option of 7 or 8 cores.There are also 8GB and 16GB memory.Memory is not particularly large, but it is integrated into chips, so it is a level that can be used enough in creative work.I would like to use 16GB of memory as standard, but at present it costs $ 200 (Japan price 22,000 yen).

In the detailed article of the M1, we talk about chip architecture or Apple's ARM -based processor's uniqueness, but it is not deep here.In short, the difference in the performance of the M1 machine is determined by the number of GPU cores and the type of cooling system.The fanless MacBook Air is as efficient as the M1 IMAC with a heat pipe on the two fans I reviewed.($ 1,299 = Japan's 154,800 yen version is one fans and GPU is 7 cores.)

This difference appears on the benchmark.When I tested CPU and GPU performance using Handbrake and Blender, which is optimized for M1, M1 iMac exceeded M1 MacBook Air.In the Handbrake GPU performance test, the task that converted 4K videos to 1080p was 7 minutes and 48 seconds on iMac, but MacBook Air was 8 minutes 52 seconds.By the way, the MacBook Pro was just less than 8 minutes as iMac.According to Blender's 3D image rendering, the iMac was 5 minutes 13 seconds for the CPU, 6 minutes and 18 seconds for GPU, while the MacBook Air was 6 minutes and 24 seconds for CPU, and 7 minutes 54 seconds for GPU.

I heard the sound of the new iMac fan only when I was testing CINEBENCH R23 CPU / GPU.When the lower side of the Mac touched it, it was warm, but not as hot.The AMD desktop CPU / Ryzen 9 5950X has a single -core score of Cinebench's single core 1620 and 25114, but the M1 iMac has a single core 1512 and a multi -core 7622.

In multi -core, the M1 iMac looks like it is useless at all, but it is natural, Ryzen 9 5950X has 16 cores.

Looking at the 27 -inch iMac with the 10th generation Intel Core i9 last year for comparison, it was a single core 1234 and a multi -core 14183 on the same benchmark.It is clear that M1 is powerful when compared with a single core.

No one will replace the 24 -inch iMac instead of a gaming PC, nor do you recommend it.But I also tried a game benchmark (AI benchmark of "Shadow of the Tomb Raider" and "Civilization VI"), both have moved on Apple's emulation layer Rosetta 2, so it's not M1 native.The result was the same as the M1 M1 MacBook Air / MacBook Pro.I hope that the number of games optimized for the M1 will increase, but when I searched for Apple Silicon Games, most of the major titles seem to be able to play via Rosetta 2.I would like to see how well the performance goes up when playing directly in M1.

Nevertheless, if you want to strengthen the number of cores, the number of threads, overclocking, or want to strengthen the specifications in every budget, I think that's fine, not the M1 iMac target layer.There are many other manufacturers doing such customization.From a bird's -eye view a little, I think it's very good that AMD is enhancing the limit of performance, and I think it's going to do your best.The fact that Apple makes his own Mac chips is also good for different reasons.Apple has proved that hardware and software can be integrated closer without sacrificing performance.

The new iMac is suitable for those who want to do a creative job, and want to use simpler options, and want to use MacOS.It is terribly fast to add effects with Photoshop optimized for M1, which is important.

Upgrade audio and camera

The new iMac is equipped with a three -microphone array with oriented beam forming, and this microphone performance is effective for video conferences on ZOOM.In other words, your voice should be more likely to be heard by others, and it will be difficult to cover it.

There are six speakers, two pairs are force cancelling woofers, one pairs are high -performance tweeters, and space audio (Apple Sound Sound) is realized.Space audio is really the best.I tested it in detail in the AIRPODS MAX review, but IMAC has the same effect.

Even when dancing with DUA LIPA, even when immersing in "Wolf Walker" in Apple TV+, iMac speakers are well balanced, shining treble, warm medium, and bass are powerful.

Speaking of "Wolf Walker", as well as in the whole movie, especially colorful and magical animations like this work are visible on the new iMac.24 inch 4.The 5K Retina display is compatible with the wide color range of DCI-P3 and can express more than 1 billion colors.Of course, it is not a substitute for a large screen TV, and it is not suitable for a large number of people, but it is enough to see something alone.

But what I liked most in M1 iMac is definitely a 1080p web camera.This is really wonderful.

I have a long time to meet the video, fortunately I have my own work room and there are big windows, but it is facing north.So the sunlight does not enter directly.The light on the ceiling is too tight, and if you put a lamp or a ring light on the desk, it should be fluttering, but you can do that.In the 720p Facetime camera of the M1 MacBook Air, even though the M1 image signal processor is improving, the particles are still noticeable and the lightness of light.Last year's Intel iMac 1080p camera was a considerable progress, but the new iMac 1080p lens and M1 image signal processor have achieved further divinity.Even in my room, it looks like a movie like a movie set.Even if the light of the ceiling is tight on a greater day, if you look at Google Meets, it looks as if you had a different kind of light, and it would be like a writing image above?

Nevertheless, I think some people have given up on the camera reflection in ZOOM's life for a little year.Even if you look at this iMac lens, you may feel like it is good.But I really like it.

Attached accessories like Apple

Like Apple, the colorful design of the iMac is not limited to the machine itself.All accessories that come are designed to match the color of the main unit.I feel overkill, but I'm happy for me.

How to match the color is casually exquisite.The key on the Touch ID keyboard (described below for details) remains white, but the silver aluminum part is the same color as the new iMac, and my blue is blue.Magic Mouse and Magic Trackpad are also white, but the side is blue.The Lightning cable that charges these is also blue.However, when charging the mouse, the port is still in this super inconvenient position, so it can't be used while charging ...

So, about the Touch ID keyboard.I recently used Apple Watch for Mac unlock, sometimes it doesn't work, and I can't unlock in an instant.But in the Touch ID, if you put your finger on the sensor, the Mac will start up soon.

You can set multiple users on your Mac, and you can also switch users with the Touch ID.To do so, it is necessary to turn on the "Fast User Switch" in the Touch ID setting for each user.Also, when you log in, you have to click the user icon on the menu bar on the screen, so it is not as quick as when using a Touch ID for one user, but you can avoid password input to the login screen.

So, who is it?

The 24 -inch iMac is cute and powerful.All tasks can be done quickly and easily.In particular, creative workers should be satisfied with the performance of the M1 optimized app, but honestly, I like the 27 -inch IMAC last year for creative work.This is a super powerful configuration, the screen is large, nano-texture coated is perfect (in my ideal world, everyone has nano-texture coated).Of course, the huge Intel iMac costs more than 200,000 yen, nano-texture glass is more than 30,000 yen, and Intel is a past for Apple, so it may not be the best now.However, Apple Silicon has just begun, so if it comes out with a 27 -inch iMac / 12 core M2, I'm looking forward to it.

What I've always been thinking about using this iMac is that Apple will make an affordable, stylish and beautiful external display.The point is an iMac without the contents.If you have it, you can connect the M1 MacBook Pro to a beautiful display at home or at work.In my workflow, it can be the best.

In the United States, it is time to resume a normal life soon, so many people may be better to be a portable.For those people, it is good to focus on one machine, connect to the display at home or work, and use it alone while moving.But I think some people want a beautiful all -in -one for home offices, or want a computer for families that I used as a child.With such a situation, the 24 -inch new iMac is definitely perfect.