Apple Unveils New iMacs

Machines Get New Look And Lower Price; More Features For iLife And iWork Software

(CBS)  In the unusually intimate setting of a small auditorium at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, Apple Inc., on Tuesday unveiled a new line of iMacs as well as new versions of its iLife and iWork software. The event, attended by perhaps a couple hundred journalists and analysts, was far more low-key than Apple's usual high-profile announcements, but CEO Steve Jobs was as enthusiastic as ever about the company's new products.

New PCs don't usually get a lot of attention. But anything Apple announces these days is of interest because the company has been on a roll with record earnings — not just from iPods and iPhones, but from its Macintosh computers as well. Jobs reported a 36 percent jump in Mac sales, which he said were "more than three times the industry growth rate."

Apple is replacing its old white plastic iMacs with a new line made from "aluminum and glass." Aside from being lighter and having a more polished look, the new Macs, according to Jobs, are more environmentally friendly because they're made from materials that are more valued by recyclers.

The company will no longer offer a 17-inch iMac; instead, it will offer two 20-inch models and a 24-inch model. The iMac is an all-in-one system, with the monitor and all components in one chassis with an external keyboard and mouse. All units now have a glossy display that's optimized for digital photos and video. The chassis and keyboard are thinner than in previous iMacs.

At $1,199, the least-expensive 20-inch iMac is the same price as Apple's discontinued 17-inch model. It comes with a 2-GHz Intel processor, 1 gigabyte of memory and a 250-gigabyte hard drive. For $1,499, there's a 20-inch iMac with a 2.4 GHz processor and a 320-gigabyte hard drive. The 24-inch models start at $1,799 for a machine with 1 gigabyte of memory and a 320-gigabyte hard drive to $2,299 for the model with 2 gigabytes of memory and 500 gigabytes of storage. That machine can be equipped with up to 4 gigabytes of memory and 1 terabyte (1,000 gigabytes) hard drive for a total of $3,449.

While the new Macs are somewhat interesting, Apple's most important announcements focused on software. The company is releasing a new version of both its iLife and iWork applications. iLife, which is free with all new Macs and $79 for existing systems, includes GarageBand for creating and editing music, iPhoto for pictures, iMovies for video, iWeb for creating Web sites and iDVD for burning video to DVDs. The new version of GarageBand has a feature called "Magic GarageBand" that lets users add instruments and perform with a virtual band, almost guaranteeing that you’ll sound good. The new iPhoto now has a feature called "events" that semi-automatically organizes your photos by events. It does this by grouping photos by date taken. All pictures taken on a certain day would be assumed to be from a specific event. If so, you can name it, for example, "Sophie’s Birthday Party." If it turns out you had pictures from more than one event that day, you can split them into two or more events — and if you have an event (like a vacation) that spans several days, you can merge multiple days into a single event. Each event is represented by whatever picture you select from its contents, but you can quickly "skim" to other pictures from the event by moving your mouse over that initial photo. While there’s nothing really revolutionary about this — Microsoft's Photo Gallery, which comes with Windows Vista, can be sorted by date — the software does make it a bit easier to organize your photos, and the skimming feature is very gee whiz.

I was most impressed with what I saw in the new version of iMovie, probably because I've been struggling with other video-editing programs. Like other programs, the software automatically breaks your videos into discrete scenes. However, there's also a feature that lets you quickly skim over a scene to find a specific part. That alone can make editing quite a bit easier — it means you don't have to watch the entire clip in real time to find what you're looking for. Jobs said Apple has applied for a patent on the skimming technology used in both iMovie and iPhoto.

Apple also announced a new version of its iWork productivity suite. At $79, it’s a bargain compared to Microsoft Office (which is available for both Windows and Macs, typically for $200 or more). The new iWork has an improved version of the Keynote presentation program (similar to Microsoft PowerPoint), with new themes, transitions between slides and backgrounds. There is also an improved word processor for both page layout and general writing. Apple has also introduced a spreadsheet to iWork to compete with Microsoft Excel. The spreadsheet, called Numbers, is oriented towards creating what Jobs called "beautiful spreadsheets," with one feature that lets users easily format the look of one part a spreadsheet without affecting with other portions.

Even with the new iMacs, Apple computers tend to be more expensive than models from competitors such as Dell and Hewlett Packard. But considering all the bundled hardware (like a built-in video camera on all Macs) and the free iLife software, the price delta between a fully loaded PC and a Mac is no longer as big as it once was. In fact, Jobs argues that Macs represent a better value than comparable PC — and, when asked why he doesn't offer cheaper machines, he quipped, "we don’t ship junk."

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A syndicated technology columnist for over more than two decades, Larry Magid serves as on-air Technology Analyst for CBS Radio News. His technology reports can be heard several times a week on the CBS Radio Network. Magid is the author of several books including "The Little PC Book."

[michellem99-2009]

Mr Jobs yer apple is nice but yer got 'member not everybody is rich. I don't see Dell as junk...Yet there are bad in everything just never who built it IF they had a bad day or a good day. It beats what I have but you buy what you can afford.Good luck.

[nothappyatall]

Dell and gateway are junk, when a hard drive costs over $100 alone and a monitor twice that and you are getting a whole system for like $499.95 that should tell you something isnt right.

Buy USED Macs on Ebay or elsewhere, once a year I ONLY buy a USED Mac G4, one that is faster than the one I am retiring. In the process I upgrade my speed by doing that. I replace the drive with a new one, back everything up to the new drive and retire the former machine to a backup/acrchive storage unit, or use it as a secondary machine on my network with a router.
In 10 years, I've never had a problem with any Mac, and every used machine I bought on Ebay from reputable sellers of course- were exactly as described, in mint condition and typically under $500- 1/4 what they cost new just a year or two earlier.

[ivandrago]

I only really wish I had a new Mac at work. The main designer at my company uses a Mac and some of the translations (*.ai, *.psd, etc) are brutal. Other than that I don't really like Macs. They smell of trendy. They don't have the software I like. They cost double what I get for a solid PC($1800). With my rig I'd be looking a $3800 mac that couldn't run all my software without Boot camp running Windows anyway. That's just me.

[brianbwb-2009]

As a service tech (sometimes) who hated to deal with Apple because they would not allow vendors to stock spare parts (had to wait 4 to 6 weeks to order from Apple) and we had to deal with seriously P'd off customers (yes, Macs do break) waiting entirely too long.

Also one could not replace the horrid sound card, one had to instead buy a more expensive IEEE 1394 version of the audio DAC to use the machine with a limited choice of pro audio software (the best was written for the AMD or Intel "PC", a cheaper and more tech friendly concept.

At least the price is now starting to show common sense, even if one can still buy a more powerful AMD, or Intel based "PC" for the same money.

[nothappyatall]

I dont know what software you run modemmack, but on my Mac's I have Vectorworks CAD sofware, microsoft office full install, netscape and Internet explorer though I use firefox exclusively, full featured Eudora for email, Real player, Adobe Photoshop, acrobat, Google Earth, Neooffice, AOL, AIM, YIM, video editing software, audio players and editors, and scores of others. I was a former PC user, switching to Mac was simple, it still has the same scrollable resizable windows you are used to, file directories, searches etc
OSX is totally stable, I never crash or lock up, the stuff just plain works.
Like I said- buy USED never buy new! "last years" model is HALF the price of new, only fools buy new computers, smart people wait a year and buy good used machines hardly used and sold half price when the sheeple upgrade to the next model they don't need!
I never paid more than $500 for a Mac G4-933 with a 90 day warrantee, or $300 for a G4-533, and a couple were under $200
I have a 750k broadband and it's all plenty fast.

The sellers I bought from all had large numbers of positive feedbacks on Ebay- like over 1,000, some sell previously leased business units, or units from trade ins from schools, universities and offices.
Probably next spring I'll be ready to get another G4, with twice the processor speed as the 933 I use daily- by then those $1800 units will be $500 or 1/4 what they cost new.

[aznyron-2009]

I never owned a Imac but i am looking forward to buying one later in the year when the new O/S (leopard) comes out as for what I read about vista and my own personal experence with vista basic upgrade I am very disappointed in it and as for there C/S they need to be replaced I have my own horror story dealing with win/xp replacement disc so it time to invetigate Imac and it looks great to me

[usayesterday]

Apple saw a niche and grabbed it. They saw a need, and created a solution.

Too many non-technical, everyday humans were getting tired of having to call tech support or their geeky friends/neighbors everytime a Windows machine did not do a simple task that some company claimed it would do, (such as easy home networking)!

The iMacs, iBooks, and other Mac machines that utilize the Macintosh operating system answers the need of so many people who just want to turn on and use, then turn off and go, type of computing. Only a select few enjoy having their face burried deep into the 'guts' of a computer and their minds burried deep within a command-line prompt.

If OS types were like religions:

Apple would be the religion that actually PROVES their GOD exists, and is all powerful, all good, and almighty!

Microsoft...

...not exactly.

[melcarnahan]

A 17" model with RAID 5 or RAID 6 or Intel Matrix RAID weighing in under 14lbs would be interesting. But these models are too big and bulky to fit anywhere but in a McMansion. 20lbs is too much with only one hard drive. Quite frankly these iMacs should also have included DVI input and obsoleted the Cinema Display line. And the old models looked just fine. It is also ridiculous that the 17" Macbook Pro does not include a third or even a second hard drive. And what's with the CD player still in 2007. CDs and DVDs are obsolete. Get rid of the optical drive; we need more hard drives.

[rafterman1]

===Dell and gateway are junk, when a hard drive costs over $100 alone and a monitor twice that and you are getting a whole system for like $499.95 that should tell you something isnt right===

That's just it though. Hard drives don't cost $100. That's what they may charge, but we all know that's not what they actually cost. So when you stick it in a system (as opposed to selling a hard drive or a monitor as a standalone add-on, which will always cost more), it will only cost $25-$50 part of the whole system cost. $500 is cheap, but it doesn't mean it's junk.

[michellem99-2009]

I use CDs to load progams that I buy. I don't have the floppy drive as I told Dell no as I would never use it. But we all use computer differently. I was given an old computer THAT was in some one else's name and so I could not do,,
Add prrgrams my cards, bowling,
e-mail,
go DSL
put on dial- hate dial up.
Nno sound card a must for me
on and on.
I put together a library for my use on computer Windows XP platform.
So a year ago got my own computer that IS in my name so them books came in handy.
newster1,you buy used. BUT do they have junk on the drive and no OS cd and sinse it is not in your name that must be a pain..BUT I DON'T TRUST EBAY AS THEY HAVE A SHADY SIDE.

[toolmangler-2009]

"CDs and DVDs are obsolete. Get rid of the optical drive; we need more hard drives."
Posted by MelCarnahan at 09:01 AM : Aug 08, 2007

Flash drives (memory chips) are the new tech and the Industry knows it, I carry 2 Gig USB in my pocket at all times. Very soon, nothing will move, turn, spin or slide. The new Hard drives have no moving parts, so keep your eyes open and Portfolios flexible.



"If OS types were like religions:
Apple would be the religion that actually PROVES their GOD exists, and is all powerful, all good, and almighty!"
Posted by USAyesterday at 07:25 AM : Aug 08, 2007


When I tried Apple and later Mac the biggest complaint I had was upgrading and keeping it working. I did everything to no avail, there was always something wrong with them. I now have a total of 7 working PC's in my home. 1 HP laptop AMD 64, 2 Intel processored unit which are good and 4, AMD 64 processored towers and mini_towers (the best). If one goes down it takes me about a half hour to get it up and running again with 'Off the shelf' replacements. All are running XP Pro and are very stable and reliable. I will not go to Vista for at least 2 years or more. Open source is King!!!

[nothappyatall]

Michelle; Every used Mac Ibought on Ebay had the drive wiped and the OSX installed, they were al ready to use.
In fact, the surprise on the one I bought last summer that I use now- it came with a brand NEW drive- the date on the drive proved it, the OSX was already preinstalled on it though I own a complete disk set and don't need preinstalled.
I used it as it came out of the box, but I recently installed a new drive in it.
I don't like to use drives more than one year and they are cheap enough to replace annually. Drives are the weak link on any computer and they ALL will die, not if but WHEN. their expected life is around 5 years of use and I never shut my Mac off, it's on 24/7 unless there is a storm. The MAC OS based on linux is MADE to just run and I know people who Mac servers on 24/7 for years. It is better for the computer to just leave it on.
There are also internal software maintenance routines that automatically run once nightly, once weekly and once mon

[nothappyatall]

Michelle;
There are many good Ebay computer sellers, look for those who have a BUSINESS, maybe even the powerseller designation i.e. not some 'joe' selling his old computer as is. look for them to have joined Ebay several years ago and have a LOT of feedback, like 1,000 or more, and look for the positive feedback to be over 97% higher is better still, there's ALWAYS a stick in the mud who can't be pleased no matter what, but you shouldn't see say; 47 negatives in the last 6 months out of 300 feedbacks, followed by numerous complaints of poor shipping, broken machines, not as described etc- stay away from someone who has a bunch of those.

I have mac-lover bookmarked on Ebay to look at for future purchases, he has been there since 2000 and has 230 feedbacks 100% positive.

Here's another one; nakata99 since 1999 with 1374 feedbacks and 99.5% are positives, I would definitely check that one and his shipping cost appears to be about at cost not jacked up like others do to $75 to make extra money off shipping.
He has a store as well as powerseller designation- so he sells a lot; stores.ebay.com/Megsales-store

Per their about page, this is what you want to look for in a seller;

WE ARE AN USED COMPUTER WHOLESALER BASED IN LOS ANGELES. WE SPECIALIZE IN EXPORTING USED PCs, LAPTOPS, COMPONENTS, MONITORS AND OTHER COMPUTER-RELATED PRODUCTS. WE DEAL WITH OFF-LEASE EQUIPMENTS MAINLY.

[nothappyatall]

toolmangler; flash drives will be a great way to go, hopefully they will eventually make mechanical drives obsolete, but right now their capacity is limited to I think 32 gigs and they cost a fair amount.
By contrast I can buy a new Western Digital drive, 160 gigs for around $100 I think I paid, but it sure would be great to have a little playing card sized thin flat flash card to take it's place, but this boon would be something best for laptops.

If you look at drive options on some of Dell's Latitude notebook PCs, you'll see a "32 GB Solid State Drive" for an extra $549.

That's pretty spendy, but give it a year or two and the prices will drop.
I'm not convinced flash drives are 100% failure proof either, tho the ones in the digi cameras seem pretty rugged.

[michellem99-2009]

I do have have the monitah and hard drive set to turn off after 30 min but just put COMPUTER on standby when not in use. I had Dell build it to my needs have a Pentum 4 and lot of RAM

[nothappyatall]

Yeah Michelle, the power saver standby, the drive spins down and stops MAC has this as well, this is less stress on the drive than cold starting but more than just leaving it running.

computers don't use much power to begin with and I never use that feature. I simply switch off my stereo amp and monitor with a wall switch for them, the computer stays running, but with no input or operations it doesn't use much power anyway.
Since my two main computers, printer, amplifier and router are remotely located on a shelf in the basement it all stays cool and clean and I never have to hear fans running or get the heat from them.
A third Mac and LCD flat screen monitor is located in the studio, it's only turned on maybe once a week and is a duplicate of my main machine, and hooked to the router and internet the same.

[michellem99-2009]

fORGIVE ME. I WISH CBS WOULD DARKEN THEIR BUTTON TO MAKE IT EASIER TO SEE.
OF 1024 but some of that is used up with programs. As for Vista not for me. The only thing they do is they send an image CD and not the Microsoft one one.
But why would they care to have a fancy computer other than it is needed to run that new fancy power hunrey Vista. If you ask me from what I have read it need to be overhauled. XP works. Have Home and it does more than Vista. Won't go Vista if they gave it to me. My thots.