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Apple unveils new line of 20- and 24-inch iMacs

Apple on Tuesday unveiled its new line of iMac all-in-one desktops, featuring 20- and 24-inch widescreen displays encased in elegant and professional aluminum and glass enclosures.

The entire new iMac line features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors and a new, ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard, built-in iSight video camera for video conferencing and iLife '08, making it the ultimate digital lifestyle desktop computer for both consumers and professionals.

The 20-inch iMac now starts at just $1,199, $300 less than the previous 20-inch model, and the 24-inch iMac starts at just $1,799, $200 less than the previous 24-inch model.

"This new iMac is the most incredible desktop computer we've ever made," said Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. "Our new design features the innovative use of materials, including professional-grade aluminum and glass, that are highly recyclable."

Redefining Apple's signature all-in-one design, the new iMac integrates the entire computer system into a sleek, professional aluminum enclosure for a clutter-free desktop. A glass cover joins precisely to the aluminum enclosure creating a virtually seamless front surface, similar to the company's iPhone handset.

The new iMac's 20- and 24-inch glossy widescreen displays provide incredibly crisp images, Apple said, ideal for photos and movies. Meanwhile, the new ultra-thin aluminum Apple Keyboard is just 0.33 inches thin at its front edge. A new optional Apple Wireless Keyboard is a compact design that, with Apple's wireless Mighty Mouse, offers customers a cable-free desktop.

Packing professional performance into the convenience of an all-in-one design, the new iMac includes the latest Intel Core 2 Duo processors running up to 2.8 GHz with 4MB of shared L2 cache and up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory. The iMac line features ATI's next generation of graphics with the ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB of GDDR3 memory and the ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB of GDDR3 memory. Each iMac also offers up to 1TB of internal storage to accommodate a user's growing library of digital photos, movies and music.

Apple also said each iMac features highly recyclable and durable materials including scratch-resistant glass and professional grade aluminum. The power-efficient iMac also meets the stringent new Energy Star 4.0 requirements, the company said.

New Apple iMac

Each iMac ships with iLife '08, the most significant update ever to Apple's award-winning suite of digital lifestyle applications, featuring a major new version of iPhoto and a completely reinvented iMovie, both seamlessly integrated with the new .Mac Web Gallery for online photo and video sharing. The new iMac also comes with the world's most advanced operating system, Mac OS X version 10.4.10 Tiger.

Pricing & Availability

The new iMac line is available immediately through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The new Apple Wireless Keyboard will ship by the end of August and will be available as a build-to-order option with the new iMac through the Apple Store for a suggested retail price of $30 (US), or $50 (US) when purchased along with the wireless Mighty Mouse, and as a standalone purchase for a suggested retail price of $79 (US) through the Apple Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

The new 20-inch 2.0 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,199 (US), includes:
  • 20-inch widescreen LCD display
  • 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
  • 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB
  • a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
  • ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT with 128MB GDDR3 memory
  • built-in iSight video camera
  • built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
  • 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm
  • mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately)
  • built-in stereo speakers and microphone and
  • the new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US), includes:
  • 20-inch widescreen LCD display
  • 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
  • 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB
  • a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
  • ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory
  • built-in iSight video camera
  • built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
  • 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm
  • mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately)
  • built-in stereo speakers and microphone and
  • the new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.
The new 24-inch 2.4 GHz iMac, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:
  • 24-inch widescreen LCD display
  • 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor
  • 1GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB
  • a slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW)
  • ATI Radeon HD 2600 PRO with 256MB GDDR3 memory
  • built-in iSight video camera
  • built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.0+EDR
  • 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm
  • mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately)
  • built-in stereo speakers and microphone and
  • the new Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

Build-to-order options and accessories include: a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive on the 24-inch iMac; up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to 750GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.4 GHz 20-inch iMac; and up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and up to 500GB Serial ATA hard drive on the 2.0 GHz 20-inch iMac. Additional options include: new Apple Wireless Keyboard and wireless Mighty Mouse; AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station (now with Gigabit Ethernet); the AppleCare Protection Plan; and pre-installed copies of iWork(TM) '08, Logic Express 7, Final Cut Express HD 3.5 and Aperture 1.5.

For photos of the new iMacs and keyboards, check out AppleInsider's photo gallery from today's Apple reception.