Apple iMac Range Gets New Enhanced iMac Models – Same Design, More Power

As universally expected, Apple have updated its iMac range with a number of new, more powerful models packing faster processors and graphics solutions including a 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor paired with Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS 512MB graphics card which, according to Apple, will serve to further underpin the iMac as ‘the ultimate all-in-one desktop computer for both consumers and professionals’.

Apple’s press release details three new ‘off the shelf’ iMacs ranging in speeds from 2.4GHz to 2.8GHz with the aforementioned 3.06GHz / GeForce 8800 GS model being one of many build-to-order options as detailed below:

20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac Base Model

• 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
• 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 1GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
• 250GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 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 2.1+EDR;
• mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
• the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

Build to Order Options: up to 4GB of DDR2 SDRAM and up to 500GB Serial ATA hard drive

20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac Base Model

• 20-inch widescreen LCD display;
• 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 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 2.1+EDR;
• mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
• the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

Build to Order Options: up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM and up to 750GB Serial ATA hard drive

24-inch 2.8 GHz iMac Base Model

• 24-inch widescreen LCD display;
• 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor with a 1066 MHz front-side bus;
• 2GB of 800 MHz DDR2 SDRAM expandable to 4GB;
• 320GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm;
• 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 2.1+EDR;
• mini-DVI out (adapters for DVI, VGA and Composite/S-Video sold separately);
• built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and
• the Apple Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and infrared Apple Remote.

Build to Order Options: 3.06 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, up to 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS with 512MB of video memory and up to a 1TB Serial ATA hard drive.

Further additional options (across all models):

• Apple Wireless Keyboard and Wireless Mighty Mouse
• AirPort Express and AirPort Extreme Base Station
• AppleCare Protection Plan
• Pre-installed copies of iWork ’08, Logic Express 8, Final Cut Express 4, Aperture 2

Announced by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, who states that ‘With the latest Intel processors, a faster new graphics option and more memory, customers now have even more reasons to love the iMac’, the new iMac models as detailed above will retail for around $1200, $1500 and $1800 respectively excluding optional extras and upgrades.

Apple