Apple’s new iMac looks like a flat-screen TV and makes Zoom calls easy

BEFORE iPhones, iPads and even iPods came the iMac – the all-in-one computer that looked like a bedroom telly in a colourful case.

It was the first computer I used as a reporter for a local paper, and nearly 20 years on I am reviewing the latest version – which looks like sleek flat-screen TV.

Computers need big displays and powerful brains, which the iMac has.

But this year it has become vital they have great video cameras and speakers for Zoom calls, too.

Here, I reveal what you can expect from the new model.

Apple’s first iMac – the all-in-one computer – looked like a bedroom telly in a colourful case

No new look?

A REDESIGN would have been nice, but it still looks great and is a million miles from that first iMac from 1998.

It’s powered by Intel’s tenth-generation processors, which are backed up by AMD’s latest Radeon graphics chip, meaning it has two huge brains.

And if you’re wondering how you plug a mouse in, the answer is you don’t.

The keyboard and mouse are wireless so there’s no annoying cables to get tangled.

They even come charged and paired to your iMac, which sums up the Apple approach of making stuff dead easy to use.

Zoom time?

THE camera, mics and speakers have been given big upgrades – perfect for video catch-ups, which we are all doing more than ever.

The video camera is HD quality and is backed up by a special T2 chip that keeps you well-lit and in focus.

There are three studio-quality mics, so you sound crystal clear.

One is for noise reduction.

With the big screen, I was able to Zoom with colleagues, while having a document up to take notes – and another tab open to keep an eye on the cricket.

Feeling creative?

I asked my musician wife to put it through its paces with video editing – and test out those big brains.

She said it made a dramatic difference having so much screen space.

But the real win was all the processing grunt when editing a video in Premiere Pro – a software application that brings normal laptops to their knees.

When exporting the half-hour video – crunching all the edits and effects into one file – it raced through it in 20 minutes.

On her normal laptop this takes two-plus hours.

More and more kids and teens are making video as they bid for YouTube stardom – and will make use of this.

And the best part? It’s awesome to be able to bask in the glory of your creations on that massive screen.

Big screen

The display is 27 inches measured diagonally – about the size of a bedroom TV set.

That’s huge – like having four laptop screens in front of you.

This is a 5K screen – think of it having the detail of an “ultra-high definition” 4K telly, and a bit more.

So it’s not just big – it is detailed.

Having that huge screen estate changed how I work.

There’s no moving between different applications or tabs.

Right now, I have windows for emails, this review, a website to check the iMac’s history and the music app.

How much?

OK, so there is a catch with the best computer you can buy.

It’s not cheap.

The version with a 21-inch screen costs from £1,099 and the 27-inch version reviewed here is from £1,799.

But the price is the same as it was before all the upgrades – meaning you are getting the better camera, mics and faster brains for no more.

And it’s something the whole family will use – a lot.

Everyone will use it for different stuff since it’s all-rounder – my wife and I were battling to use it!

Earn £10 helping small firms

SAVVY Amazon Prime shoppers can help small firms bounce back from the Covid crisis – and earn an extra £10 to spend.

It is part of the online giant’s annual Prime Day, when it slashes the prices of a million products in its early pre-Christmas sale.

Often these deals are from big brands such as Samsung, Lego and Nescafe.

But Amazon says it must do more to help smaller firms reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic.

This year, shoppers who buy anything costing £10 or more from an independent seller ahead of this year’s TWO-day sale Prime Day, this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, get a tenner in credit to spend on Prime Day deals.

The “Spend £10, Get £10” promotion means buying from independent firms today or tomorrow.

To find out which sellers are included, see amazon.co.uk/supportsmall or find out more on HOAR’s website.

It will help people such as Scott MacDonald founder of London-based Sandy Leaf Farm, which sell kits for families to make their own food and drink at home, from cheese and chilli sauce to gin and ginger beer.

HELP BUSINESSES

Scott says: “This year’s focus on small businesses for Prime Day will be critical to help them continue to grow throughout the rest of the year.

“It’s great to see Amazon support small businesses for Prime Day. Every pound spent really does support the creative manufacturing and retail businesses that are so important to the economy.

“Small businesses getting started on Amazon today may become household names of the future. It’s great to see both the public and Amazon being so willing to support small businesses like us.

“It gives us a chance to get our brands in front of Amazon’s huge customer base, which is especially useful in the run-up to Christmas.”

HOAR issued a call to save small shops on our high streets – and we can all do our bit by spending just £5 at local stores.

To help, a national Fiver Fest campaign has pulled together thousands of shops across 110 towns – and persuaded all to offer a special £5 deal to reward shoppers for buying locally.

Meanwhile, Amazon is also helping small firms that sell online – and many have taken to selling on the tech giant’s online marketplace as well as in physical stores.

Amazon’s UK boss Doug Gurr said: “After a tough six months for everyone, we’re committed to making this the most successful Prime Day ever for small businesses.

“We’re excited for members to discover the very best from artisans and entrepreneurs in the UK, while saving big on everything they need and love from the comfort of their homes.”

HOAR thinks it is a great idea – and it comes on the back of our Bounceback Britain campaign to get the country back on its feet.

Note that only Amazon Prime users, not occasional shoppers using Amazon, can access these deals. You have to sign up for Prime, which costs £79 a year or £7.99 a month.

Shield from Covid with Beko range

NEW fridges and washers that zap viruses may help homes fight Covid.

Beko’s new “anti-coronavirus” HygieneShield range has what it calls a “disinfection cabinet” for everyday items.#

The £199 ultraviolet light-cleaning cabinet looks like a microwave.

There is also a fridge with a disinfection drawer and a tumble dryer that features an ultraviolet setting to blast germs on clothes.

The full range comprises:

A UV cleaning cabinet to purge your phones, wallets, keys, toys, bought goods, baby bottles, bags, toys and more in 40 minutes.

A fridge with a UV drawer that disinfects food items in their sealed packaging and eliminates 99.9 per cent of germs in just under an hour.

A tumble dryer with UV-light technology that kills bacteria and viruses inside it.

The dryer also disinfects clothes that may have the virus on them.

HygieneShield washing machine and dryer uses a “hygiene therapy” cycle to keep clothes at 60C without water and kills 99.9% germs.

Beko oven with built-in saturated steam, with two heat & steam cleaning routines, working at 70C and 120C to disinfect inside.

HygieneShield dishwasher generates steam mist using high temperatures and uses heated rinsing so every dish surface is hygienic.

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