Apple iMac 27-inch (2012) review

There are two iMac sizes available in the newly refreshed late-2012 line with the 27-inch positioning itself as the powerful big daddy of the two. While the 21.5-inch model we've recently played with suggested itself as a kitchen computer, to be shared among the family in a communal space, the 27-inch iMac is all about getting your work done.

This is an office machine through and through, and geared towards delivering an experience that is better than a laptop, albeit not as powerful as Apple's Mac Pro range.

So can it deliver, or has the introduction of a new shape and a few other changes along the way damaged the overall experience? We’ve been using one in the Pocket-lint office to find out.

Design
It's thin, really thin, and that's the first thing you'll notice if you glance at the new iMac from the side or the rear. Apple has ditched the optical disk drive and with it the need for a big and bulky chassis to house everything.

The design, which is tapered at the back, starts off with a 5mm thick edge, before getting gradually more bulbous as it heads towards the centre of the casing, and the stand on which it floats. Not that bulbous is anything to worry about here, because it's still stunning. The actual footfall of the new iMac on your desk is minimal too, even if you include the bundled wireless keyboard and mouse.