Apple iMac gets first-ever 5K display

With high-resolution 4K monitors barely making their way into the computer world, Apple today went steps ahead and introduced the first 5K display—which is actually a 27-inch iMac all-in-one computer.

The iMac with Retina 5K display has a screen resolution of 5120x2880 (seven times the resolution of a 1080p TV). But to take full advantage of that new iMac, you'll need 5K content. And that's not something most people, except for professional photographers and videographers, can access.

Here's another way to look at it: That 5K display resolution translates to 14.7 million pixels. The more important number, though, is pixels per inch. On a 27-inch display at 5K, there are 218 pixels per inch. If you're sitting about 16 inches from the monitor and have 20/20 vision, you'll be looking at a perfect picture. In other words, you won't see individual pixels. The further from the screen you sit, the less that will matter. The average person sits two or more feet from their monitor, so they'll get the same benefit from a monitor with lower resolution.

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Of course, if you are a graphics pro with a need for the highest-resolution monitor yet, the iMac with Retina 5K display could be a good fit. With photos shot at a very high resolution, you'll be able to see much more detail than you would with a lower-res monitor.  

Processor options include a 3.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor, or a 4GHz Core i7. The desktop comes standard with 8GB of memory and a 1TB Fusion drive. It uses the latest version of OSX, Yosemite, which is also now available to other Mac users free.

But you'll have to fork over some extra bucks for that 5K display. The new iMac starts at $2,500, which is $500 more than a similar non-5K version of the 27-inch iMac.

—Donna Tapellini