When Apple updated its notebook lineup earlier this calendar month we were eager to notice out how well the new MacBook Air stacked upwards next to a couple of Ultrabook alternatives. Turns out the so-called "Apple Taxation" wasn't every bit much of an issue as Apple detractors oft claim. In fact, when it comes to its base models Apple tree is relatively in line with the contest, although upgrades from Apple tend to carry a bigger premium.

At present nosotros're taking a look at another surface area of the PC market that's experiencing good for you growth in recent times, comparing Apple'south 27-inch iMac to all-in-one alternatives from the likes of Dell, HP and newcomer Vizio. As we've said before, nosotros don't expect this comparison to exist representative of the entire Apple Taxation argument, but it will help paint a better motion picture as nosotros dissimilarity it with our previous findings.

Right off the bat you lot'll discover that when it comes to all-in-one desktops at that place are much cheaper alternatives to Apple tree'south iMac. But in all cases shown here, going with the base of operations model means sacrificing discrete graphics, and sometimes making do with a less powerful processor or less RAM likewise. That may be an advantage if y'all don't need a more powerful system, merely for the purpose of this article we've configured each option as closely equally possible to the iMac so we can make a off-white comparing.

Apple iMac Dell XPS One 27 HP Omni 27 Vizio All-In-One 27
Starting price $1700 $1400 $1100 $1100
As configured $1700 $1600 $1541 $1350
Resolution 2560 x 1440 2560 x 1440 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
CPU 2.7GHz Cadre i5-2500S 2.8GHz Core i5-3450S ii.8GHz Cadre i5-3450S two.3GHz Core i7-3610QM
CPU Family Sandy Bridge Ivy Span Ivy Bridge Ivy Bridge
Graphics AMD Radeon HD 6770M 512MB Nvidia GeForce GT 640M 2GB AMD Radeon Hd 7670A Nvidia GeForce GT 640M LE 1GB
Storage 1TB HDD 1TB HDD 2TB HDD 1TB HDD + 32GB SSD
Memory 4GB 8GB 8GB 8GB
Optical Slot-loading 8x SuperDrive Slot-loading 8x DVD burner Slim-slot SuperMulti DVD None
Ports 2 ten Thunderbolt,
4 x USB 2.0,
i x Firewire 800,
Gigabit Ethernet,
SDXC card slot,
IR Receiver		 4 10 USB 3.0,
HDMI out,
HDMI in,
Gigabit Ethernet,
IR equalizer,
RF receiver,
SD card reader		 2 10 USB iii.0, 4 x USB 2.0,
Gigabit Ethernet,
vi-in-1 bill of fare reader		 iv 10 USB 3.0,
one x eSATA,
2 x HDMI in,
Gigabit Ethernet,
SD card reader
Other 720p webcam,
Stereo speakers,
Wireless keyboard and Apple Magic Mouse (touch)		 720p webcam,
Stereo speakers,
Wireless mouse & keyboard		 720p webcam,
Stereo speakers,
Wireless mouse & keyboard,
Tv tuner: ATSC-NTSC with PVR,
IR remote		 720p webcam,
Stereo speaker with 6W external subwoofer,
Wireless keyboard,
Wireless touchpad,
IR remote

If you are looking for a infinite saving desktop just don't want or care to spend a few actress bucks on discrete graphics and other improvements, both HP and Vizio offer very capable machines starting at $1,100 without likewise many compromises — the recently announced Vizio AIOs get-go with a Cadre i3 and none offers an optical drive. Dell's XPS I starts at $ane,400 but includes a higher resolution display that matches the 1 on the iMac.

Fifty-fifty after sprucing upward the specs on competing all-in-one systems, Apple'due south iMac came out as the more expensive alternative. It's too the only ane still using a Sandy Bridge processor. Although in terms of functioning it won't make a huge difference, it'due south something to keep in heed when making your purchase.

Overall, the Dell XPS Ane 27 seems like the most rounded out culling in the side-by-side spec comparing. For $100 less than the iMac yous get a beautiful 27-inch, 2560 x 1440 resolution brandish, better processor, the aforementioned 1TB of storage, twice every bit much RAM, a not bad port selection and comparable GPU power — you'll get decent gaming operation merely none of these is past any means a gaming car.

If y'all can sacrifice a few pixels and live without an optical drive (I can't call up the terminal time I used one, anyhow) the maxed-out Vizio All-In-One costs $1,350 and offers plenty of bang for the buck.

Besides the usual raw specs here are a few other things to consider:

  • Blueprint: This one is going to exist subjective and volition vary on a example-by-instance basis. All the choices listed hither characteristic attractive designs. Apple favors a cleaner await past keeping all ports on the back, but users may adopt the convenience of having an easily accessible USB port or bill of fare reader on the side.

  • HDD / SSD: Equally configured, but the Vizio AIO combines a traditional hard disk drive drive with SSD caching to boost performance, while the Dell XPS One 27 offers a similar organisation with their $two,000 model — unfortunately you lot are limited to a few fixed configurations so you tin can't just make a storage upgrade. Apple lets you swap out the HDD for a 256GB SSD but that will cost you lot an obscene $500, while HP offers 160GB and 256GB SSD upgrades for a more than palatable $275 and $300, respectively.

  • TV Tuner / HDMI-in: The HP Omni ships with an optional TV tuner, which we've included in our configuration, and there's also an optional HDMI input for $50 that tin be used to watch programming from a ready-tiptop box or play console games. Dell includes a Digital ATSC/QAM analog Television tuner besides as an HDMI input at no extra price. Vizio likewise offers an HDMI input but Mac users are out of luck here. The iMac works equally monitor but with devices that output video through DisplayPort, such every bit a MacBook Pro.

  • Accessories & extras: All models transport a wireless keyboard and mouse, except for the Vizio which replaces the mouse for a wireless touchpad alike to Apple's Magic Trackpad. Vizio also includes a subwoofer unit of measurement to complement the sound of its built-in speakers and an IR remote.

Closing Remarks

Whereas in our last comparison it was a close telephone call between the MacBook Air and similarly spec'ed Ultrabooks, the differences are more than apparent when it comes to All-in-One desktops. Putting bated the fact that the iMac hasn't been upgraded with Intel'south Ivy Bridge processors or the latest generation of graphics, at that place are several aspects in which Apple's motorcar is matched or bested by the competition.

That may change in the coming months with a hardware refresh, and if Apple starts feeling the pressure, maybe even a slight price drop like they did with the college-end MacBook Air recently. But for now it's safe to say the "Apple tree Tax" is existent in the AIO market — less noticeable when you consider the higher resolution screen compared to about of the competition but there'southward notwithstanding a premium.

In brusk, not only there are more options to accommodate different budgets in the Windows camp, at that place are existent loftier-end models that will give the iMac a run for its money. For those that are besides invested in the Mac platform and won't consider an alternative it'd notwithstanding be a wise move to wait for an update if possible.