The new low-cost, 17in version of the iMac was marred by a couple of short-sighted, cost-cutting measures, but this 24in model is another matter. It's a no-holds-barred, everything-including-the-kitchen-sink effort from Apple.

The most obvious feature is that great big 24in widescreen display. Of course, a screen that size is completely unnecessary if all you want to do is write a few emails and just do a bit of work in Microsoft Office. However, the size of the screen and its excellent image quality are a delight when watching DVD films.

The 24in Apple iMac is equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, which runs at 2.16GHz and provides all the power any home user is likely to need for digital photography, video-editing or music composition.

There's 1GB of memory, a 250GB hard disk and the multiformat DVD writer that was missing from its cheaper, 17in stable-mate.

It's also got a built-in webcam and some surprisingly beefy internal stereo speakers, along with digital audio inputs and outputs, allowing it to be connected to external speakers. Apple also includes a tiny remote control for playing music or DVDs through the Front Row.

And, unusually for an Apple, it can even pass muster as a pretty decent games computer, thanks to the inclusion of a Geforce 7300 GT graphics card.

Of course, Apple being Apple, you'd expect one of its computers to carry a fairly hefty price tag. At £1,349 it's almost twice the price of the 17in mo del. However, it also comes with iLife '06.

Even so, that's not a bad price for a top-of-the-range computer, especially when you take into account the sheer size of the screen. It's expensive and over the top, but just for once we don't think Apple is taking liberties with the pricing.

There's also a smaller version with a 20in screen that costs £999 if you're looking for something a little less extravagant.

Also consider:
Evesham Visto
Overall: An excellent home PC that combines strong performance with versatile multimedia features.
Rating: 5
Price: £1,299

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