Apple iMac 21.5-inch (2.5GHz, spring 2011)

Pros: Best value out of the iMac Family
Speedy performance
Thunderbolt port
Best all in one design
Wireless keyboard and mouse are awesome
Good speakers
Clear display

Cons: Graphics should be better for the money
Only 500GB HD
4 gigs of Ram seems a bit small now a days

Summary: So if you can look past the okay but not stellar graphics card and the small hard drive you have one of the best Apple values and defiantly one of the best all in ones in the industry. I can see how CNET gave the 27" a Editors Choice since it has an option for an amazing i7 and good graphics, but consumers should remind themselves, dollar for dollar the i5 2.5 21.5" is the best value. Macworld has stated, "The $1199 entry-level 21.5-inch 2.5GHz Core i5 iMac offers the most bang for the buck, keeping up with its more expensive siblings in most tasks." Just Because the entry level iMac doesn't have an i7 don't think it's not fast. Macworld found it was nearly 24 percent faster
overall than last year's entry-level 21.5-inch iMac, which had a 3.06GHz Core i3 dual core processor. Furthermore, this years entry level beat out t last year's high end configuration, a 27-inch 2.8GHz Core i5 quad core iMac by nearly 10 percent. In this case. Additionally Macworld noted that performance wise the entry level performs fairly well compared to the higher end iMacs by stating: "Surprisingly, when compared to each other, the new iMacs logged similar performance numbers. In fact, only 12 Speedmark points separate the entry-level $1199 21.5-inch 2.5GHz Core i5 iMac and the top-of-the-line $1999 27-inch 3.1GHz Core i5 iMac."

Macworld shouldn't be the end all way to judge if a computer is good but as you can see from their findings the entry iMac holds it own. The only discouraging parts of the system I can't get past is the small hard drive. 500 GB is small for any desktop especially for a desktop that goes for $1200, yet their are ways around this. You could buy a external hard drive, live in the cloud, or third party hard drive it.

The case the same modern aluminum frame, which has a great screen and good speakers. The back has added a thunderbolt port which promises to be a great leap forward. But why didn't they put two of these like the 27" I could see using one as a dual display port and the other as transfer port. The lack of item supporting thunderbolt doesn't surprise me as much as the choice to put it in the iMac since Apple rarely puts in consumer tested features.

When buying a computer and especially a Mac a consumer really needs to evaluate what they will use their computer for, how log they want to own it, and the cost. Life and buying if about compromises. unless your willing to spend $2K the iMac 27" is not in everyones round house. I buy a new computer every year give or take, so buying a top of the line anything is out of the question. Overall the new processors are that much better compared to previous models that the new quadcore processor iMacs are a must have.