Up until recently, Apple customers looking to purchase a new iMac were given a choice between a 1 terabyte (TB) hard disk drive and a Fusion drive that combines the traditional hard disk with 128 gigabytes (GB) of flash memory storage. Customers who wanted the 27" model could select a 768 GB solid state drive, but this option wasn't available on the 21.5" iMac.

However, MacRumors, a tech news website that closely tracks Apple products and announcements, reported today that the company is now offering 256 GB and 512 GB solid state drive (SSD) options on both the 21.5" and 27" models of their all-in-one PC.

This change is a boon for anyone who wanted the power of an iMac computer combined with the speed of solid state storage, which uses chips instead of a spinning disk to store the information. The benefit of this technology is faster read and write times, as well as lower energy consumption.

Previously, Apple had made SSD's a major priority on their MacBook Pro and Macbook Air notebook models, which can be upgraded to include 128, 256, and 512 GB drives.

Because solid state storage uses less power, customers will experience extended battery life and faster load times for data. In addition, the lack of moving mechanical parts in flash memory means these drives will do a better job of protecting information if you accidentally drop your notebook or if it is physically damaged.

PortableOne carries all Apple notebooks, including the Macbook Pro 13" Retina Laptop and Macbook Pro 15" Retina Laptop, which we can customize with a variety of solid state storage options.