Digital Trends

Apple iMac 17-inch

April 3rd, 2003 | by Ian Bell

Performance and Testing

The Apple iMac handles most tasks with ease, but there were several times during multitasking situations when the system felt bogged down. This is due mainly to the 256mb of memory. We really felt that the system should have included more memory to begin with, especially if it is to handle multimedia projects. On the upside, the 17” iMac comes with a faster processor than the previous 15” version, stepping up from an 800 MHz to a 1 GHz CPU.  The new iMac also benefits from a faster 133 MHz system bus, an ATA/100 hard drive, and an Nvidia GeForce4 MX with 64MB of RAM.

We do not have any particular testing software for the iMac other than time test software. Our Quake 3 Arena test showed the 17” iMac ahead of the 15” version by 21 frames per second; this is primarily due to the extra 32mb of memory on the graphics adapter. In our iTunes test, the 17” Apple iMac was able to convert a 7 minute CD track to MP3 in just under 50 seconds; the 15” Apple iMac did it in 70. The 17” iMac is noticeably faster than the 15” version in every application we ran. Click on the performance link to see how the 17” iMac performs next to the 15” iMac.

Conclusion

Overall the 17” iMac is a welcome improvement from the 15” predecessor. The upgrades and features of the 17” model are substantial enough to gain the attention of those looking for a serious long-term system. Our testing and use shows a significant increase in power and performance from the 15” model, and the inclusion of expansion capabilities for both 802.11g and Bluetooth connectivity is a smart move by Apple. We would like to see more memory for the price, as well as USB 2.0 support; these two additions would have merited a 10/10. As lifestyle computing continues to emerge in the home, we have no doubt that Apple will be at the forefront. The 17” Apple iMac will not disappoint anyone looking for both style and substance.