Cheap iMac computers released by Apple for Education sector

Apple does some great computers, especially their all-in-one iMac line, but they have one major disadvantage: they’re expensive, very expensive, which is a deterrent for many looking to buy one. That’s why Apple just released an iMac for Education, the 21.5 inch model, which is basically a cheap iMac computer with lower than usual specs (some specs from last year’s model) and a very user friendly $999 starting price.

So what’s the catch with Apple charging so little for a 21.1 inch all-in-one iMac computer? Well, Apple has done some ‘tweaks’ to the configuration to ensure a lower starting price: it uses last years’ Intel Core i3 CPU, comes with only 2GB RAM (expandable up to 8 GB) and a 7200 RPM 250 GB Hard drive (user replaceable too).

The rest of components remain pretty much the same: 21.5 inch Full HD display, Facetime camera, 20W stereo speakers and so on. No Thunderbolt port is supported, but since there are no peripherals for it right now it’s a good trade off considering you’re getting the new AMD Radeon HD 6750M graphics processor with 256MB of GDDR5 memory.

So here’s a glimpse of the most important specs of the iMac for Education cheap computer:

• 3.1GHz Intel Core i3 Dual-Core, 21.5-inch LCD 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution
• AMD Radeon HD 6750 with 256 MB, 2GB RAM
• 250GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive, OS X Lion

iMac for Education cheap computer

As you can see this is a very powerful all-in-one computer, especially for student needs and can be upgraded to 8 GB RAM and a larger hard drive in a Do-It-Yourself project that costs less than $100. That’s what I call a cheap iMac. Here’s the complete specs page on Apple’s website. Expect the product to appear in the online shop soon, until then here are a few links to more powerful versions:

• Apple iMac MC309LL/A 21.5-Inch Desktop for $1199
• Apple iMac MC813LL/A 27-Inch Desktop for $1699

Note:  There’s another $100 discount if your institution decides to buy in bulk the new cheap Education iMacs. At $899 this is an extremely good deal, considering the power, software and construction you’re getting, plus industry leading support from Apple’s technicians.

Here’s a video review of the 21.5 inch iMac 2011 edition: