Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz) comparison

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Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
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Sony Vaio JS190J (silver)
Sony Vaio JS190J (silver)
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Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition)
Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition)
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Dell Studio MT
Dell Studio MT
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Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)
Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)
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Price $1,718 to $1,828 at 11 stores $689 at 1 store $1,149 to $1,199 at 10 stores
CNET editors' rating
4.0 stars Excellent
    Overall score: ( stars)
Editors' choice 4.0 stars Excellent
    Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
Editors' choice 4.5 stars Spectacular
    Overall score: 9.0 (4.5 stars)
Editors' choice 4.0 stars Excellent
    Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
4.0 stars Excellent
    Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
Average user rating 4.0 stars out of 37 reviews 4.0 stars out of 6 reviews 4.0 stars out of 1 review 0 stars No reviews, write one! 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews
Release date April 28, 2008 September 03, 2008 November 17, 2008 October 24, 2008 April 28, 2008
The Bottom Line A slight bump to the specifications for the same price in addition to a much appreciated option to upgrade the graphics means the 24-inch iMac keeps the Editors' Choice it earned last year when the brushed-aluminum-and-glass design was first introduced. By virtue of its price, its desktop processor, and its Blu-ray drive, the Sony Vaio JS190J makes a case for itself as the new king of the all-in-ones. Its screen might be a bit smaller than some, but no other all-in-one, including Apple's iMac, can do as much, as fast, for the same price. Falcon Northwest's latest Mach V provides a model for the coming trends in high-end computing. From the latest Intel CPU, to solid-state storage, to copious amounts of memory, there's lot to admire about his PC. You will also have to pay for it, which unfortunately will thwart all but the most well-off gamers and enthusiasts. This off-the-shelf version of the Dell Studio Desktop reminds us of a classic Dell computer. This system is faster and better equipped than its competition, and at a better price. You can certainly get away with a cheaper everyday PC, but this one is a bargain among lower midrange desktops. Apple's smaller-scale iMac remains our favorite all-in-one. And while its looks, its ease of use, and its performance are all selling points, Windows PCs are starting to catch up (at least with the latter). A few components could also stand an update, but in general you'll find the 20-inch iMac a remarkable computer for its price.

Basic specs
Features See What's the Same or What's different
Graphics Controller PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon HD 2600PRO - 256 MB
 Intel GMA X4500HD
 ATi Radeon HD 4870
 PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon HD 3450 - 256 MB
 PCI Express x16 - ATI Radeon HD 2400XT - 128 MB
Storage Removable None
 None
 Info unavailable None
 None
TV Tuner Type Info unavailable None
 Info unavailable None
 Info unavailable
Floppy Drive None
 Info unavailable Info unavailable None
 None
Optical Storage (2nd) None
 Info unavailable Info unavailable None
 None
Storage Controller Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 )
 Serial ATA
 Info unavailable Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 )
 Serial ATA ( Serial ATA-300 )
Type Personal computer
 Personal computer
 Info unavailable Personal computer
 Personal computer
Hard Drive (2nd) - None
 Info unavailable Info unavailable - None
 - None
Memory Allocation Technology Info unavailable Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0
 Info unavailable