Mac Desktop Gift Guide - Holiday Buying Guide to Mac Desktops
Mac desktops, from the tiny Mac mini, to the all-in-one iMac, to the workhorse Mac Pro, make great gifts for Mac enthusiasts.
If you would like to tickle the fancy of a friend or family member with a shiny new Mac desktop, this is the place to start your search for the right Mac to wrap up for the holidays.
Mac minis are a great choice for first-time Mac users, for college-bound students who want a desktop Mac, for individuals and families who want to include a Mac in their home theater system, and for home and business users who want to set up a Mac mini as a server for their home or small business.More »
The 2010 Mac mini is easily the best of the mini series. It offers user upgradable RAM, a first in the mini, as well as improved graphics, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot. Apple has also kicked up the processor speeds, making this Mac a mini power dynamo.More »
Buying an iMac: The Apple iMac is a superb desktop computer that combines the power of an Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processor with your choice of a 21.5-inch or 27-inch display, plus a large helping of Apple's well-deserved reputation for style. The result is a gorgeous, all-in-one desktop Mac that has been setting industry trends since its debut in 1998.More »
Apple's latest update to the popular iMac brings Intel's i3 and i5 line of processors to the 21.5-inch model. The 21.5-inch iMac gets three processor options: a 3.06 GHz or 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 in the two standard models, and a 3.60 GHz Intel Core i5 in a build-to-order configuration.
Apple has kept the best features of the previous iMacs and added more speed and better graphics performance. What's not to like?More »
The 2010 update to the 27-inch iMac is mainly a speed bump, slipping in higher clock speeds for the Quad-Core i5 and Quad-Core i7 models. The more drastic change, and one for the better I might add, is that Apple finally left the Intel Core 2 Duo line of processors behind, and now supplies an Intel Dual-Core i3 in the entry-level 27-inch iMac.More »
Apple introduced the 2010 version of the Mac Pro in July, and started accepting orders and shipping in August. This version of the Mac Pro predominantly centers around new, faster processors and upgraded graphics options. Lacking in this update are any new peripheral ports, such as USB 3, FireWire 1600, or FireWire 3200. Nevertheless, this update is a welcome addition to the Mac Pro family, one that has been eagerly awaited by many Mac users. Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, though, take a moment to consider how to configure a Mac Pro for your needs.More »
Apple last updated the Mac Pro in March of 2009. The 17-month span between the 2009 and 2010 Mac Pros was the longest wait for an update in the Mac Pro's lifetime. With that much time to spend on designing the 2010 version, Apple should have been able to wow us with new features and capabilities. Instead, we get a warmed-over 2009 Mac Pro, with new processor configurations.
While I'm sad that we didn't get a genuinely new Mac Pro, I'm happy to report that the new processors breathe new life into the Mac Pro. The processors are available with 4, 6, 8, or 12 cores, in speeds from 2.4 GHz to 3.33 GHz.More »
If you would like to tickle the fancy of a friend or family member with a shiny new Mac desktop, this is the place to start your search for the right Mac to wrap up for the holidays.
•2010 Mac mini Buying Guide
Mac minis are a great choice for first-time Mac users, for college-bound students who want a desktop Mac, for individuals and families who want to include a Mac in their home theater system, and for home and business users who want to set up a Mac mini as a server for their home or small business.More »
•Review of the 2010 Mac mini
The 2010 Mac mini is easily the best of the mini series. It offers user upgradable RAM, a first in the mini, as well as improved graphics, an HDMI port, and an SD card slot. Apple has also kicked up the processor speeds, making this Mac a mini power dynamo.More »
•2010 iMac Buying Guide
Buying an iMac: The Apple iMac is a superb desktop computer that combines the power of an Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 processor with your choice of a 21.5-inch or 27-inch display, plus a large helping of Apple's well-deserved reputation for style. The result is a gorgeous, all-in-one desktop Mac that has been setting industry trends since its debut in 1998.More »
•21.5-inch iMac 2010 Review
Apple's latest update to the popular iMac brings Intel's i3 and i5 line of processors to the 21.5-inch model. The 21.5-inch iMac gets three processor options: a 3.06 GHz or 3.2 GHz Intel Core i3 in the two standard models, and a 3.60 GHz Intel Core i5 in a build-to-order configuration.
Apple has kept the best features of the previous iMacs and added more speed and better graphics performance. What's not to like?More »
•27-inch iMac 2010 Review
The 2010 update to the 27-inch iMac is mainly a speed bump, slipping in higher clock speeds for the Quad-Core i5 and Quad-Core i7 models. The more drastic change, and one for the better I might add, is that Apple finally left the Intel Core 2 Duo line of processors behind, and now supplies an Intel Dual-Core i3 in the entry-level 27-inch iMac.More »
•What to Consider Before You Buy a 2010 Mac Pro
Apple introduced the 2010 version of the Mac Pro in July, and started accepting orders and shipping in August. This version of the Mac Pro predominantly centers around new, faster processors and upgraded graphics options. Lacking in this update are any new peripheral ports, such as USB 3, FireWire 1600, or FireWire 3200. Nevertheless, this update is a welcome addition to the Mac Pro family, one that has been eagerly awaited by many Mac users. Before you plunk down your hard-earned cash, though, take a moment to consider how to configure a Mac Pro for your needs.More »
•Mac Pro 2010 Review
Apple last updated the Mac Pro in March of 2009. The 17-month span between the 2009 and 2010 Mac Pros was the longest wait for an update in the Mac Pro's lifetime. With that much time to spend on designing the 2010 version, Apple should have been able to wow us with new features and capabilities. Instead, we get a warmed-over 2009 Mac Pro, with new processor configurations.
While I'm sad that we didn't get a genuinely new Mac Pro, I'm happy to report that the new processors breathe new life into the Mac Pro. The processors are available with 4, 6, 8, or 12 cores, in speeds from 2.4 GHz to 3.33 GHz.More »
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