family of Macintosh desktop computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Inc.

Apple refers to these as iMac (Early 2006), but we also call them iMac Core Duo, the first iMacs based on Intel’s Core Duo processor.

Three months earlier, had Apple introduced an updated iMac G5 – slimmer, lighter, a bit faster, with built-in iSight and sporting a remote control. In January 2006, Apple replaced it with what looks like essentially the same computer from the front, but with an Intel Core Duo CPU instead of a single-core PowerPC G5.

There was a lot of debate about which model would be the first with Intel inside, and the iMac is a good choice. The Core Duo processor offers 2-3x the power of the G5, and it would be unseemly for the new Intel-based Mac mini to outperform the iMac. Which raises the question: Will the new Intel iMac outperform the Power Mac G5 Dual ?

Specs (via Low End Mac)

• Cpu: 1.83/2.0 GHz Intel Core Duo Yonah, Socket M makes upgrades possible (see CPU Upgrade Options for 2006 iMacs )
• Bus: 667 MHz
• Performance: Geekbench 2: 2542 (2.0 GHz), 2363 (1.83 GHz)
• Ram: 512 MB, expandable to 2 GB using two PC2-5300 DDR2 SODIMMs
• L2 Cache: 2 MB shared cache on CPU
• Hard Drive: 160/250 GB 7200 rpm SATA drive
• Vram: 128 MB GDDR3 SDRAM (expandable to 256 MB on 20″ model)
• Display: 17″ 1440 x 900 flat panel display 20″ 1680 x 1050 flat panel display
• Ethernet: 10/100/gigabit
• Usb: 3 USB 2.0 ports
• Model Identifier: iMac4,1
• Latest Efi Version: EFI 1.1
• Geekbench 2: 2542 (2.0 GHz), 2363 (1.83 GHz)
• Graphics: ATI Radeon X1600 with PCI-Express support, supports up to 23″ external display and monitor spanning
• Video Out: mini-DVI, VGA, S-video, composite (requires adapter)
• Hard Drive Bus: 1.5 Gbps SATA Rev. 1
• Optical Drive Bus: Ultra ATA/100 (operates at ATA/33)
• Superdrive: writes DVD±R discs at up to 8x speed, dual layer at up to 2.4x; DVD±RW at up to 4x; reads DVDs at up to 8x, writes CD-R discs at up to 24x, writes CD-RW discs at up to 8x, reads CDs at up to 24x
• Firewire 400: 2 ports
• Modem: optional 56 kbps USB modem supports v.92
• Wifi: 802.11g AirPort Extreme included
• Ir Receiver: supports Apple Remote (included)
• Microphone: internal
• Power Supply: 180W
• See: Online resources and links for the iMac (Early 2006)