As expected, today Apple updated its lineup of all-in-on iMac desktops with faster processors and improved graphics cards. In addition, the new iMacs now feature the Thunderbolt I/O port first introduced in the most recent MacBook Pro updates as well as the new Sandy Bridge chipset.

The new, improved, iMac comes in two 21.5-inch and three 27-inch models. Here’s the specs:

iMac 21.5″

• CPU: 2.5 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 or 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5
• RAM: 4GB (2 x 2 GB)
• HDD: 500 GB or 1 TB hard drive
• GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6750M or AMD Radeon HD 6770M
• Other: Single Thunderbolt port, FaceTime HD camera, aluminum and glass design, IPS LED-backlit high resolution display, Mini DisplayPort, One FireWire 800 port, Four USB 2.0 ports, SDXC card slot, Slot-loading 8x • SuperDrive, Audio in/out, Gigabit Ethernet, IR receiver, 802.11 a/b/g n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and an Apple wireless keyboard with a Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad.
• Price: Starting at $1,199

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Instead of commenting on the latest TV show, comic book, or superheroine, I’ve decided to fire a shot in a war that’s raged for decades: PC or Mac? For 5 years I’ve had one HP desktop PC at home and used several Mac desktops and laptops in the office.

I’ve finally decided to buy a new computer and because I work in the business of show, I will soon be drafted into the Mac army. I will use my new laptop for both home and work to edit, create flash animations, surf the net, write columns, listen to music, and watch TV.

Before apple juice is spilled and I’m forced to yet again hear about the greatness of Macs, you need to know I do not consider myself to be a tech guru or a first adopter. I have, however, been on computers since the age of 2, I’m an avid user of CNET, I’ve programmed in HTML, and I’ve troubleshot excel and everyday computer glitches for my co-workers.

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As Apple often does, everyone’s favorite fruit-flavored computer company quietly give their flagship line of professional computers, the Mac Pro, a bump in speed. They also included new storage options such as 2 TB 7200 RPM drives for the towers as well in this bit of enhancement magic. For the quad-core Mac Pro (but not the eight-core model), you can now order a 3.33 GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon “Nehalem” processor which, if you don’t know, is pretty darn fast.

This baby has 8 MB of fully shared L3 cache, Hyper-Threading technology, an integrated memory controller, Turbo Boost for short bursts of speed up to 3.6 GHz and can really blow the doors off any kind of intense rendering tasks like you find in Photoshop, After Effects, Final Cut Pro or similar. In short, if you’re a high-end graphics or video professional, your job, and making those tight deadlines, just got easier.

We were wondering what had happend with Apple’s top of the line Mac since the introduction the new 27″ Intel Core i7 iMac in October. Traditionally, the Mac Pro is the performance king and it was a bit odd that the line had not had an update. Fortunately, Apple has remedied that situation now. The new Mac Pro options are available today at Apple’s online store.

Unfortunately, at least according to the buzz over at Apple’s support discussion forums, it seems there’s somewhat of a pattern where brand new Quad Core i7 iMacs are showing up DOA or with a cracked screen, mostly in the lower left corner. As if waiting weeks to receive a custom ordered Core i7 iMac wasn’t bad enough, now you have to deal with these issues as well. It just doesn’t seem fair.

Still, anyone buying a first generation product as advanced as the Quad Core i7 iMac should be aware that these types of cutting edge products can have issues. The first model of anything is usually not the one you want to go out and get. That is, unless you like to be a de facto “Beta Tester’ for the product.

Some around the Internets have speculated that the packaging might be inadequate for the giant 27″ computers and the bumpy journey from China to the USA is what’s causing the screen cracking issue, but one would like to think that Apple wouldn’t make such an amateur mistake, especially given their penchant for innovative and thoroughly reliable packaging. Fortunately, according to reports, Apple is taking care of customers in these situations but it is a bit of a bummer after watiting several weeks or months for a new iMac, only to have it need to go in for service.

With the holiday season upon us, its also not a great time for Apple to be shipping products with problems. Still, given their track record with sales and their ever increasing share of the marketplace, this one little (or two little) issue probably won’t have much of an effect on their bottom line. In short, I think Apple is gonna be just fine.

Apple rarely, if every, discounts its products so this latest “leaked” brochure, which seems to showcase the consumer electronics giant doing just that should be taken with one of those ginormous grains of salt. Still, if true, these deals do look pretty sweet and seem far more reasonable than other reported “deals’ being shown around the Internets.

If its a little difficult to see the fine print, we’ll give you a hand and highlight some of the deals. They are available only at Apple’s online store, and include iMacs starting at $1098, iPod nanos starting at $138, iPod touch starting at $178, MacBook Pros starting at $1098, Apple TVs starting at $208, Airport Express starting at $88, Magic Mouse and Wireless Keyboard going for $64 each, and a whole lot more.

We realize that the deals are pretty hard to read over there on the right, so be sure and click through to see a much larger version. Good luck on Friday and be safe out there.

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Apple announced new models of the iMac desktops and MacBook laptops earlier today, much to the joy of Apple enthusiasts everywhere. The new iMacs, according to TUAW, are changing from aluminum and polycarbon design to aluminum and edge-to-edge glass. They will come in 21.5 and 27-inch models, now with a 16:9 aspect ratio.

The 21.5-inch model will cost $1,199, with a step-up model at $1,499. The 27-incher will start at $1,699 and the higher end 27-inch with a Intel Core i5 quad-core processor will be $1,999. Important changes to the iMac models are the addition of an SD card slot and the ability to use the 27-inch iMac as a monitor.

Inside the iMac box, you’ll now find a wireless keyboard and the new Magic Mouse. The Magic Mouse is pretty cool, as it functions similar to the MacBook Pro touch pad with touch sensitive capabilities and accelerated scrolling. For $16 extra, you’ll also get an aluminum Apple Remote.

Apple’s new MacBook laptop is rounder and sleeker at 1.08 inches thick and weighing in at 4.7 pounds. Now sporting a glass trackpad like the Macbook Pros, the MacBook also features a seven hour battery life, an LED-backlit screen, backlit keyboard, and SD card slot.  Despite these upgrades, Apple is still keeping the Macbook, with a 2.26Ghz processor and 2 GB of RAM, at $999.

Apple also refreshed its Mac mini line to include more memory, larger hard drives and with a special “Server” version featuring dual 500GB hard drives and Snow Leopard Server. All of these models will be available today except for the 27-inch i5 quad-core iMac, which will ship in November.

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Fans of Apple’s advanced operating system known as OS X have another reason to be happy this week. Besides the OS X’s stellar reputation for ease of use, security and reliability, its now going to get a brand new update in the form of OS X 10.6 (aka Snow Leopard). This new OS, which we’ve talked about before, is being released by Apple this Friday, August 28th, so you can go to the store and pick up the $29.00 upgrade version — if you’re already running Leopard — and go to town.

Conveniently, you can also pre-order the update version at Apple’s website for delivery on the 28th. Shipping is free but it will still cost you sales tax. No getting around that one. Finally, you can do what I did and pre-order it from Amazon and wait until Monday for it to show up. If you do that, you wait a couple extra days but pay no sales tax or, if you’re an Amazon Prime member, no shipping. That’s the best deal going right now.

Remember, before you go ahead and buy the upgrade version, you can only install the upgrade if you’re currently using Leopard on your Mac. If you’re not, you’ll need to buy the Mac Box Set, available for $169 for a single user or $229 for a Family Pack.