iMac Early 2006

Sharing the same all-in-one enclosure as its predecessor, the iMac G5/1.9 17-Inch (iSight), the Apple iMac "Core Duo" 1.83 17-Inch houses its entire computer behind the flat-panel display. This model, however, marks a significant shift by replacing the PowerPC G5 processor with an Intel "Core Duo" processor, making it part of the first Intel-powered desktop Mac series.

It is equipped with a 1.83 GHz Intel "Core Duo" processor (T2400), featuring two independent cores on a single chip, a 2 MB shared L2 cache, and a 667 MHz system bus. The system includes 512 MB of RAM (667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM, PC2-5300), a 160 GB (7200 RPM) Serial ATA hard drive, a vertical slot-loading 8X SuperDrive with 2.4X dual-layer burning, and ATI Radeon X1600 graphics with 128 MB of GDDR3 memory (PCI-Express). A built-in iSight camera and stereo speakers are located beneath the 17" TFT Active Matrix LCD (1440x900 native) display.

Connectivity options consist of three USB 2.0 ports, two Firewire "400" ports, integrated AirPort Extreme (802.11g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, and Gigabit Ethernet. A mini-DVI port, a first for iMac, allows a second display in "extended desktop" mode, not just mirroring.

Like the model before it, this iMac was bundled with the Apple Mighty Mouse, a six-button Apple Remote, and software like Apple "Front Row" for media playback and "Photo Booth" for use with the iSight camera.

Marking a major turning point in Mac history—the transition to Intel processors—this model was highly praised for its performance improvements. The Core Duo processor delivered a dramatic speed boost compared to the PowerPC G5, allowing many applications to run smoothly. The ATI Radeon X1600 graphics were also sufficient for the standards of the time. Multimedia features like the iSight camera, Front Row, and Photo Booth remained, enhancing its appeal as a home all-in-one PC. It was a crucial machine that heralded the dawn of the Intel Mac era.