Читать книгу iMac For Dummies - Mark L. Chambers - Страница 12

Until recently, the iMac was offered with an Intel processor, identified by the year it was produced and the size of the screen. With the arrival of the M1 processor (often called Apple Silicon), our venerable computer is now available in two models:

 The Intel iMac is the standard home and small-office version, offering enough power for all the Apple applications I cover in this book — as well as gaming, entry-level photography, music production, and video editing work. This is “the iMac for Most Of Us,” as I call it, with the right mix of performance and affordability. The Intel iMac currently offers two display sizes: 21.5″ and 27″.

 The M1 iMac is the equivalent of a sports car, suitable for high-end, expensive applications that demand the best performance possible: professional-level video editing, 3D modeling, image editing, and other processor-intensive programs. The downside? You’re going to pay more for an M1 iMac, of course, and I would recommend that you opt for the 16GB of RAM for the best performance.

Because both iMac models can run the applications I present later in the book, I won’t be differentiating much between the two processor families (except when I’m describing hardware features in this chapter). If you haven’t purchased your iMac yet, remember that the standard iMac model offers plenty of performance for the average Mac owner.

Here’s a good yardstick for comparing the Intel iMac to the M1 iMac, presented as a Mark’s Maxim:

If you need the power of an M1 iMac, you’re likely to know that already.