New iMacs are here and with Thunderbolt

Apple released their new iMacs this week adding the new Thunderbolt Port. What is Thunderbolt? We will get to that, but first a quick look at the specs of these new computers.

Starting from the Low end, we have:

iMac 21

Screen

• 21.5-inch (viewable) LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display with support for millions of colors
• Resolution: 1920 by 1080 pixel

Processor

• 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with 6MB on-chip shared L3 cache

Memory

• 4GB (two 2GB) of 1333MHz DDR3 memory Configurable to 8GB

Hard hard

• 500GB (7200 rpm) hard drive

Graphics

• AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics processor with 512MB of GDDR5 memory

On the High-end

 iMac 27

Screen

• 27-inch (viewable) LED-backlit glossy widescreen TFT display with support for millions of colors
• Resolution: 2560 by 1440 pixels

Processor

• 3.1GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with 6MB on-chip shared L3 cache

Memory

• 4GB (two 2GB) of 1333MHz DDR3 memory Configurable to 16GB

 HardDrive

• 1TB (7200 rpm) hard drive Configurable to 2TB hard drive or 256GB solid-state

 Graphics

• AMD Radeon HD 6970M graphics processor with 1GB of GDDR5 memory

Configurable to AMD Radeon HD 6970M with 2GB GDDR5

All carry

Video Support and Camera

• FaceTime HD camera
• Simultaneously supports full native resolution on the built-in display and up to a 30-inch display (2560 by 1600 pixels) on an external display
• Support for extended desktop and video mirroring modes

Audio

• Built-in stereo speakers
• Two internal 20-watt high-efficiency amplifiers
• Headphone/optical digital audio output (minijack)
• Audio line in/optical digital audio input (minijack)
• Built-in microphone
• Support for Apple iPhone headset with microphone

Connections

• One Thunderbolt port on 21.5-inch iMac
• Two Thunderbolt ports on 27-inch iMac
• Mini DisplayPort output with support for DVI, VGA, and dual-link DVI (adapters sold separately)
• One FireWire 800 port; 7 watts
• Four USB 2.0 ports
• SDXC card slot
• Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with 4x double-layer burning (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
• Audio in/out
• 10/100/1000BASE-T Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45 connector)
• IR receiver

Wi-Fi

• 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networking;² IEEE 802.11a/b/g compatible

Bluetooth

• Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (Enhanced Data Rate) wireless technology

Input

• Apple Wireless Keyboard: Full-size keyboard with 78 (U.S.) or 79 (ISO) keys, including 12 function keys, 4 arrow keys (inverted “T” arrangement)

Magic Mouse
Smooth, seamless Multi-Touch surface with support for simple gestures (scrolling and swiping). Click and double-click anywhere. Ambidextrous construction accommodates left- and right-handed users.

and or

Magic Trackpad
Solid-state scrolling trackpad for precise cursor control; supports inertial scrolling, pinch and expand, swipe, three-finger swipe, four-finger swipe, tap, double-tap, rotate, screen zoom, scroll, click and drag, click drag and lock, secondary click A and B

Starting Price tag  1199 US for the low-end and 1999 for the high-end


Now Thunderbolt (originally codenamed Light Peak) is an interface for connecting peripheral devices to a computer via an expansion bus. Thunderbolt was developed by Intel and brought to market with technical collaboration from Apple. Thunderbolt essentially combines PCI Express and DisplayPort into a new serial data interface that can be carried over longer and less costly cables. The interface was originally intended to run on an optical physical layer using components and flexible optical fiber cabling. However, conventional copper wiring turned out to be able to furnish the desired 10 Gb/s Thunderbolt bandwidth at lower cost. Later versions of Thunderbolt are still planned to introduce an optical physical layer based on Intel silicon photonics technology.
Seeing that Thunderbolt is based on PCI Express technology, Intel/Apple can use existing USB and FireWire peripherals — even connect to Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel networks — using simple adapters. And because Thunderbolt is based on DisplayPort technology, the video standard for high-resolution displays, any Mini DisplayPort display plugs right into the Thunderbolt port. To connect a DisplayPort, DVI, HDMI, or VGA display, just use an existing adapter.

How does Thunderbolt stack against the rest?

You may have realized Apple does not carry USB 3.0 Ports and therefore hopes on the forward movement of Thunderbolt as the new Hi-Speed interface standard.

Thunderbolt-ready devices.

Storage

• Promise Pegasus R4 and Pegasus R6
• LaCie Little Big Disk
• Sonnet Fusion RAID

Video Capture

• Blackmagic UltraStudio 3D
• Matrox MX02

Adapters

• Promise SAN Link Fibre Channel adapter
• Sonnet Allegro FireWire 800 adapter
• Sonnet Presto Gigabit Ethernet adapter

Some quick specs of Thunderbolt

• Dual-channel 10 Gbps per port
• Bi-directional
• Dual-protocol (PCI Express* and DisplayPort*)
• Compatible with existing DisplayPort devices
• Daisy-chained devices
• Electrical or optical cables
• Low latency with highly accurate time synchronization
• Uses native protocol software drivers
• Power over cable for bus-powered devices

Some early tests done by Apple

Using the Promise Pegasus R6 RAID Drive these where the Read/Write Speeds

And using the same drive these where the number of 720p streams that where possible using Thunderbolt.

Early Demo of Thunderbolt on a MacBook Pro with a raid drive and a second Monitor

So what does Thunderbolt mean for me Today as a "normal' user... Nothing... I have not been a USB fan for hi-speed connects, and Firewire works very well for me when i have to connect my video camera or when connenting external Hard Drives. But i am very happy to know that the day in which i need to connect a second Monitor, back-up my iPhoto library (now at 420GB) or connect to some upcoming cool up and coming gear (all one one port), I already have that port siting there waiting.
As a "PowerUser" I can see no disadvantages in not using this port, even today, as two of my past-times are Photography and Video, working from home means there is a limit to number of devices i can put on my desk. We always need/want faster drives, and a second monitor is always a good thing to have. Being able to have these simple wants over "one cable" is a big plus. This means, Firewire camera to the Raid Drive to a (HDMI) 34' Sony and then to a iMac all on "one cable". Come on... And that is just the start and things to come.
I have always been a Power User, meaning that i always had to buy PowerMacs, but this line of computers have truly have moved me to really consider being a iMac user and not because of price, but because of performance. Starting at i5 4GB of RAM, Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt @ $7000TT, that is a very easy sell for me.