iFixit, the teardown site have laid hands on the new 21.5 inch iMac. While most of it is ‘business as usual' the interesting news is that they are being ‘Assembled in USA'.
Nearly all of Apple's gadgets and computers are assembled in China, however the new product shows that Apple are working within America now as well. Mashable add “Most of Apple’s gadgets from the last decade or so were assembled in China, which makes this marking quite unusual. Per FTC’s rules, “a product that includes foreign components may be called “Assembled in USA” without qualification when its principal assembly takes place in the U.S. and the assembly is substantial.”
The FTC give an example which relates directly to an iMac “Example: All the major components of a computer, including the motherboard and hard drive, are imported. The computer’s components then are put together in a simple “screwdriver” operation in the U.S., are not substantially transformed under the Customs Standard, and must be marked with a foreign country of origin. An “Assembled in U.S.” claim without further qualification is deceptive.”
9To5Mac have said that Apple, or their contractors now have as assembly plant in America, which is unusual as most components are built and assembled in the Far East.
Google previously released the Nexus Q, which was ‘designed and manufactured in the U.S.A.'. Clearly it is a viable move for companies and one which will strengthen the US economy over time.
Kitguru says: On less positive news, the new thinner iMac is much more difficult to repair than the older model, and many of the components such as memory are hidden behind the main board making access a more time consuming experience.