Apple unveils new iMacs, Mac mini

 

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Posted on 3 Mar 2009 at 13:59

Apple has announced updates to its two consumer desktops, the iMac and Mac mini.

The new iMacs have faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors up to 3.06 GHz, double the memory and up to one terabyte of storage.

The line-up starts with the 20in iMac at £949 (inc. VAT) with a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive and Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics powering a 1680x1050 display.

The 24in iMac has a 1920x1200 widescreen display that offers 30% more screen real estate than the 20in model, and starts at £1,199 (inc. VAT) for the 2.6GHz model rising to £1,799 for the 3.06GHz version. All three configurations come with 4GB of RAM and 640GB or, in the case of the top model, 1TB of storage.

Each iMac has a built-in iSight video camera, mic and speakers in the aluminium and glass design. They also include Apple’s Mini DisplayPort connector for a pure digital signal to Apple’s new 24in LED Cinema Display with adapters available for DisplayPort, VGA, DVI and Dual-Link DVI displays. Other features include built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; Gigabit Ethernet; and four USB 2.0 ports and one FireWire 800 port.

The updated Mac minis now features the same Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chip as the aluminium unibody MacBooks introduced late last year,
delivering up to five times better graphics performance.

Both models now have 2GHz Core 2 Duo Processors and a SuperDrive (DVD and CD read/writer), as well as larger hard drives providing 120GB or 320GB of storage, 1GB or 2GB of memory, five USB 2.0 ports, and one FireWire 800 port. The Mac minis comes without a display, keyboard or mouse and costs £499 and £649 respectively.

Both the iMac and Mac mini exceed current Energy Star 4.0 requirements, use PVC-free internal components and cables and contain no brominated flame retardants. Apple says that in using less than 13 watts of power at idle, up to 10 times less power than a typical desktop PC, the new Mac mini is the most energy efficient desktop in the world.

All models come with Mac OS X Leopard and the iLife ?€09 software suite.

Author: Simon Aughton