Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

27″ iMac and HP ZR2740w 27″ Monitor First Impressions

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iMac

I picked up a new 27″ iMac a couple weeks ago when B&H dropped the price of the previous generation iMac by $300. Specifically, I bought the 3.2GHz Core i5 unit with a nVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1GB GPU. I paired the iMac with a HP ZR2740w 27″ IPS display.

After using it for a couple weeks, I thought I would take a few minutes to share my thoughts on my new setup. I figured this would be an appropriate time since we have an active “Mac or PC” thread going on over on our Facebook page now.

I am generally not an early adopter. In fact, I often purchase a product near the end of its market life cycle (there are exceptions though – e.g., the 5D Mark II). This has worked well for me with Mac desktops and laptops over the years for a couple of reasons. [Read more…]

 

Apple Updates iMac Line for Fall 2013

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iMac

Apple updated its iMac line with a rather modest refresh. Key new specs include an update to fourth generation Intel quad-core processors – i5 is the base offering on all models; however, it is upgradeable to i7 processors up to 3.5Ghz.

Video editors will be pleased with the upgraded graphics cards, including the ability to upgrade to a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M with 4GB of video memory. However, the displays did not receive the 4K/Retina upgrade that had been rumored and hoped-for in recent months. [Read more…]

iMacs up to $150 Off at B&H

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iMac

B&H has a sale on 21.5″ and 27″ iMacs right now with up to $150 off and free shipping.

Macs are always a good deal at B&H due to the solid prices on AppleCare that are substantially below what Apple charges at retail. I’ve been buying Macs from B&H for years for myself and they’ve always beat Apple’s pricing on both the Mac and the AppleCare. I’m not sure how they offer the cut rate prices on AppleCare, but that’s a key reason why I stick with B&H for any Mac or other Apple hardware that I buy.

I had a conversation with one of the Mac sales guys at B&H a year or so back and he told me that B&H was the biggest Mac retailer in New York state – selling more Macs that even Apple in New York.

Check out all the iMac deals here at B&H Photo.

New iMacs with Core i5/i7 Processors and Thunderbolt

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Apple unveiled the new iMac desktops today.  The new models keep the 21.5? and 27? screen sizes and step up to Core i5 processors across the board in the base configuration – with Core i7 processors available as an upgrade.

As expected, the iMac now has Thunderbolt I/O ports (like the recently announced MacBook Pro models), which deliver data transfer rates at a whopping 10 Gbps – up to 20x faster than USB 2.0 and up to 12x faster than FireWire 800.  The 21.5? models sport one Thunderbolt port, while the 27? models offer two ports.  Four USB 2.0 and a Firewire 800 port round out the I/O options on the backside of the new iMacs.

Continue reading at Tech Tilt: New 2011 iMacs Announced.

Apple Refreshes iMac and Mac Pro Lines

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Apple has updated its iMac and Mac Pro line to include the latest Intel processors, adding Core i7 as an iMac option and a dual processor 12-core Mac Pro option.

Additional product releases include a Magic Trackpad for adding MacBook trackpad functionality to desktops, and a new 27″ LED Cinema Display.

Full details at Tech Tilt: Apple Updates iMac and Mac Pro, Introduces Magic Trackpad and New 27-inch LED Cinema Display.

Also, working pros who demand serious horsepower should checkout this insightful post from digital imaging technician, Brook Willard: The State of Apple’s Professional Line.  I’m not trying to pile on by any means; however, I think Brook makes some important points about the lack of USB 3.0 and limited PCI slots, among others.  Your thoughts?

New iMacs and Macbook . . . and Some Weekend Thoughts About Apple Stuff

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Apple 27-inch iMac

No bones about it, Apple makes some nice computers.  The new iMacs offer a very sleek package and take up a tiny footprint compared to the typical desktop.  Additionally, the new MacBook adds the popular unibody design of the Macbook Pro laptops and keeps the same smidgen-under-$1000 price tag.

Photographers seem to love Macs.  Sure, there are plenty of “Windows photographers” out there, but the thought of a 27″ backlit LCD screen on the new iMac powering Photoshop Lightroom or CS4 makes us all a little giddy inside, right?  While I opted for a Windows-based computer on my last update, the recurrence of driver issues and small niggling bugs lately has prompted me to consider another Mac.  I still have my 1st-gen 17″ G5 iMac on the desk that sees occasional use; however, it’s begging for more horsepower when it comes to processing images nowadays. [Read more…]