C|Net gave the new Apple iMac itis Editorsi Choice Award on Wednesday. The iMac was cited for its best-in-class design, solid feeling, thin but solid keyboard, iLife i08, and performance in multimedia benchmarks.

C|Net noted that, regarding the internal hardware, the changes have been simply generational, with new CPU speeds and graphics card updates. Except for extreme gaming, the iMac holds its own. "Now that the Intel-compatible Mac version of Photoshop CS3 is out, Apple can compete on a level playing field with Windows desktops," Rich Brown wrote for C|Net.

"And as expected, the new iMac dominates on Photoshop and on multimedia multitasking, and it also does very well on iTunes and CineBench, the latter as much a measure of overall multicore processing power as it is an indicator of a systemis ability to process movie files. Compared to a wide range of competing mainstream desktops, the new Apple iMac more than holds its own, with one typical exception: gaming."

Fourth Generation iMac

C|Net noted that Appleis implementation of 802.11n was a deciding factor in the Editorsi Choice Award: "If you spec out a system from any other PC vendor, youill get within $100 or so of a comparable iMac, but of all the major computer vendors, only Apple offers Draft N wireless in a desktop."

In addition, the keyboard was well received, and the reviewer noted a smooth response that made it a pleasure to type on.

Mr. Brown also had a few complaints. Apple was criticized for not making its upgrade plans more clear regarding Leopard and even went so far as to suggest waiting until October to buy one of the new iMacs when Leopard will be free. Appleis 90 days of phone support was also criticized, and "always feels like a slap in the face when we read it." However, it was pointed out that, as compensation, the Apple community is so strong that it can often make up for that deficiency.

Overall, the iMac received a score of 8.2 out of 10, which is an excellent score for a C|Net review. The final conclusion was notable. "Unless youire a gamer or an upgrade enthusiast, we can think of very few reasons not to make an iMac your next desktop."