Here we highlight the reasons why we love the iMac, and one reason why we don't. From the fact that Apple has fitted so much power in side the thin screen, to the beautiful design and the super fast graphics, along with everything that comes with OS X and the other services from Apple. Read our 2013 iMac review for more information about Apple's new iMacs.
1) The computer is in the screen.
There is no separate box to power your iMac, the computer is built into that incredibly slim display - display, processor, graphics, storage, memory and more. That may seem obvious to you, but we've seen PC users scrambling about under desks looking for the tower to turn on. When you are considering whether to buy an iMac or a different desktop computer you should consider the fact that the monitor, as well as the keyboard and mouse are included in the price. If you were thinking Macs are expensive add on the price of a monitor to a cheaper PC, and it may not sound so bad.
2) It's so thin
It's no wonder that some people don't realise that everything that powers your iMac is built in to that screen - it's incredibly thin! The edge is just 5mm!
3) That beautiful design
We have Apple's UK born Jonathan Ive to thank for the beautiful design of the iMac. Made from aluminium and glass this is a computer that says something about you to anyone who sees your desk. It's not just a pretty face though; there is impressive technology behind this design. Apple actually invented new technologies and pioneered new manufacturing techniques to make it possible to squeeze in everything necessary to make this iMac incredibly powerful into such a small space. You can appreciate just how much of a feat the thin edge of the screen is when you compare it to the iMacs of just a couple of years ago.
4) That display
One of the criticisms of earlier iMac models was that the screens could be a bit too reflective. Not every designer wants to gaze at their reflection all day. The great news about the recent generations of iMacs is that they are 75% less reflective. This doesn't mean that images on your iMac display are any less striking, Apple's iMac delivers vivid colours, perfect for perusing your holiday photos. Some designers who rely on colour accuracy may still feel the need for a more advanced display, luckily it's easy to plug a second monitor into the iMac, having two monitors can be a real bonus for productivity.
5) It's powerful
The iMac offers the latest Intel Haswell processors and 8GB RAM as standard (upgradable to 32GB on the 27in model). This new processor is more efficient and higher-performing that the processor in the previous generation of iMacs. This means that even though it doesn't look like you are getting many more GHz when compared to last year's models, the processor is so much better that we've seen very impressive results from our speed tests.
2013 iMac models 2012 models
21.5-inch, 2.7GHz 21.5-inch, 2.7GHz
21.5-inch, 2.9GHz 21.5-inch, 2.9GHz
27-inch, 3.2GHz 21.5-inch, 2.9GHz
27-inch, 3.4GHz 21.5-inch, 3.2GHz
6) Graphics
The entry-level 21.5-inch iMac offers integrated graphics, in the past integrated graphics meant that the graphics processor shared RAM with the CPU, however this graphics processor has its own 128MB of additional memory cache and in many cases this new entry-level iMac actually saw better results in our graphics tests that last year's equivalent iMac model, despite the fact that the older model had a separate graphics card.
As for the other iMacs in the range, these come with the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics processors with 1GB or 2GB of dedicated memory (in the case of the high-end model, you can configure the graphics with 4GB memory).
7) Great storage options
iMacs come with 1TB of storage as standard, but you can configure it with up to 3TB on the 27in model when you order it from Apple. An exciting build-to-order option is to configure your iMac with super fast flash storage - up to 1TB for an extra £800. Thanks the internal PCIe connection you can get even more out of your flash storage upgrades - PCIe-connected flash storage is considerably faster than SATA-connected flash. There's also a Fusion Drive option that combines a 128GB flash drive with a 1TB hard drive so you get the best of both worlds.
2013 iMac models
1TB hard drive as standard
3TB hard drive + £120
1TB Fusion Drive +£160
3TB Fusion Drive +£280
256GB Flash Storage +£160
513GB Flash Storage +£400
1TB Flash Storage +£800
8) It runs OS X
If you are a PC user you may be worrying about the switch from Windows to OS X. Fear not! Apple's operating system is easy to learn and easy to use with features such as the Mac App Store built in so when you want to buy an application you can purchase and download it just as easily as you do on your iPhone or iPad. Also it's much safer than Windows, OS X won't let you download or install malicious software on your Mac. Other built in features include Time Machine for simple backing up of all your files, FaceTime for video calling your friends and family for free, and Safari for browsing the web.
9) Every Mac comes with great software already installed
You iMac will ship with iMovie and iPhoto installed. iPhoto makes it easy to manage and edit all your photos while iMovie makes editing your home movies fun. There's also Garageband for all you budding musicians. Apple makes plenty of other software that you can download from the Mac App Store for a very small price including word processor Pages, spread sheet application Numbers, and presentation software Keynote. If you'd rather continue to use Microsoft Office, there are Mac versions of those apps.
10) You can get support from Apple
One of the benefits of buying a Mac from Apple is that the company has a shop at nearly every major shopping centre, so they are never far away if you have a problem that needs solving. Apple offers various free training sessions that you can sign up for, or you can buy one-to-one training for £79 a year and Apple will create a whole curriculum just for you.
One reason not to love the iMac
The only problem with the iMac is that it's not very portable. If you need a computer that you can carry around with you, Apple offers lots of options including the incredibly light MacBook Air.