Apple Desktops

The Bottom Line: Despite its good looks and a few useful new features, Apple's new iMac is all about business. You can find a larger screen for less, not to mention all kinds of digital entertainment features, but no other all-in-one at this price can boast similar performance. If you need a modestly priced all-in-one for getting work done, we'd recommend no other system.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (3.06 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Apple's new 27-inch iMac will charm plenty of you with its screen size alone. Fortunately, that won't lead you astray. Behind its expansive display, Apple has packed one of the fastest all-in-ones available, and added a few useful extras to sweeten the deal. This iMac isn't perfect, but its positives far outweigh its negatives. We can think of few users to whom we wouldn't recommend this system.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (3.06 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4670, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Apple's new eight-core Mac Pro demonstrates marked improvements over the older model in high-intensity digital media and multitasking scenarios. We also love the design tweaks that improve on Apple's already industry-leading sensibilities. Any Apple-bound design professional would welcome this new tool in his or her arsenal.

Specs: Intel Xeon (2.26 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce GT 120, EPEAT Gold, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Apple's newest high-end Mac Mini maintains its small, stylish footprint, and as with the cheaper version, this $799 model has impressive multitasking capabilities. You'll like this desktop if juggling apps with attractive hardware is important to you, but you get much better all-around value in a Windows PC for the same price.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2 GHz), 2 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Gold, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Apple made a number of changes to this $1,499 iMac, but making a 24-inch screen available at this price is the most impressive. The rest of the updates are welcome, and Apple's multitasking capability remains unmatched. Provided you like your all-in-ones best as straightforward desktop computers, the iMac will meet your expectations with speed and elegance.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.66 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, EPEAT Gold, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Apple's smaller-scale iMac remains our favorite all-in-one. And while its looks, its ease of use, and its performance are all selling points, Windows PCs are starting to catch up (at least with the latter). A few components could also stand an update, but in general you'll find the 20-inch iMac a remarkable computer for its price.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.4 GHz), 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 2400XT, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer

Specs: Intel CORE I5 (2.66 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4850, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (3.06 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4670, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X 10.6, Personal computer

Specs: PowerPC G4 (1.25 GHz), 256 MB DDR SDRAM, 80 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 Ultra, EPA Energy Star, Apple MacOS X, Personal computer

Specs: PowerPC G5 (2.5 GHz), 512 MB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 6600, Apple MacOS X 10.4, Personal computer