Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Late 2012)

size, usability

71% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

usability, design

size

93% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Speedy Intel Core i5 quad core processor. Discrete graphics. No power Brick. Svelte chassis

No touch-screen option. Entry-level pricing isn't so entry level. No HDMI-in. Magic No user upgradability. No height adjustment

Slimmer and faster, the Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Late 2012) is the desktop PC to buy if you're looking to avoid the whole touch-screen conundrum. The new iMac upgrades components, looks great, and has the power to do real work in a business or at home.

Attractive, slim design ; Good all-round performance ; Better than expected discrete graphics ; Fusion Drive technology ; USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt ports ; Brilliant display

Expensive ; No optical drive bay ; No user upgradeable components ; Audio subsystem is weak ; Screen tilt limited

So from a functional and versatility aspect, the iMac doesn't fare well for its asking price. If you can look past some of its limitation and asking price, it excels in the design and performance departments so much that the new iMac is hard to resist...

Speed and processing power are only one aspect of performance. The iMac also scores high in another respect: audio/visual performance. The new model comes equipped with dual mics, which did indeed seem to help me come across clearer to FaceTime call...

Gorgeous design ; Great looking display ; Good performance

Limited post-sale upgradability ; No optical drive ; BTO upgrades are expensive

As an everyday home computer for most day-to-day tasks, the 21.5in iMac is an excellent choice. The gorgeous design comes with some trade offs, however, including the lack of a built-in optical drive, limited upgradeability of internal components and a...

Thinner design, better screen ; Update to Ivy Bridge processors ; Fusion Drive tech compromises speed and space

As usual, pricy for an all-in-one ; Questionable upgradability

Apple’s reinvigorated iMac has the expected updates to processing and graphics performance, but the move to a hybrid flash- and traditional-disk hard drive is an interesting one. These class-leading all-in-ones are also predictably pricy.

Gorgeously thin design ; Fusion Drive Tech ; Hardly any screen glare

Minimal footprint reduction ; No FireWire ; More power for money with PCs

Screen, thinness, build quality, power,

SD card reader cumbersome to use, screen isn't Retina, it's hard to upgrade the memory and hard drive, do you still need a desktop?

During our time with the 21.5-inch iMac we did a number of daily tasks. Watched a movie, wrote this review, surfed the web, played some games, watch some more movies, and listened to music via Spotify. It's all good. Very good.