Apple $999 iMac For Education On Sale: Thunderbolt And Bluetooth MIA

As expected, Apple has quietly announced a new iMac variant targeted at education users, bringing the sticker price down to under $1,000. The 3.1GHz iMac uses a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor paired with AMD Radeon HD 6750 256MB graphics and 2GB of memory, and offers a $999 entry point to the 21.5-inch all-in-one desktop machine.

Storage is a conservative 250GB, and there's a SuperDrive DVD burner though – unlike the refreshed iMac models earlier this year – no Thunderbolt port for high-speed data connectivity. Instead, external displays connect via Mini DisplayPort, as per the last-gen model. You still get a FaceTime HD webcam, stereo speakers, SDXC card reader and all the usual ports, however, along with gigabit ethernet and WiFi a/b/g/n. Bluetooth is also absent.

Apple includes its wired keyboard (complete with numeric keypad) and mouse, rather than wireless versions, and the new iMac will also have OS X Lion preinstalled. It's available to order from Apple's Higher Education store, priced at $999.

[via MacRumors]