Report: New Apple iMacs due in next couple weeks

Never a dull moment, or even a lull, when it comes to Apple upgrade news. On the heels of last week's announcements about the company's new MacBook lineup, there's now buzz about new iMacs that could be out in time for the holidays.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple Insider kicked off the latest round of speculation with a report Friday that Apple is expected to refresh its 20- and 24-inch iMacs "in the coming weeks," entering the shopping season with "one of its strongest product portfolios ever."

As for details, there aren't many. Apple Insider and others expect a move to Intel's Centrino 2 platform. A bigger mystery is whether the next iMac refresh will include Nvidia chips like the new MacBooks have.

Despite the build-up, an iMac upgrade could take place with little fanfare, as it did last time around.

Apple is expected to report quarterly financial results Tuesday.

[AidenShaw]

If they get the Nvidia chipset, they cannot possibly use the Centrino 2 platform. Those are mutally exclusive possibilities.

[hounddoglgs]

iMacs are desktops, never had Centrino. Centrino is used in laptops to maximize battery life.

[Seanathome]

Too bad I don't have the money to pay for a Mac... maybe they'll cut the price for the iMac... maybe. :P

[sdf563]

My new iMac was just delivered. DAMN!

[wolivere]

ahh is it not nice.. Oh want Nvida pop in the card, want Nvida or something newer on an IMAC replace the whole thing.

[rhmartens]

Yes me too got one got my special order with the better graphics. A good chance to try to convince my grandmother to get the new 24 inch. Though I think it may take some time for the macs to arrive in Western Australia. Say maybe next year.

[jay_215]

as long as it's within 30 days, you can exchange for the newer one. i did that with my last one.

[Alex Alexzander]

Will they hold yet another press event if the color of the iMac changes? That's a world-changing event after all. Look, we made a new case. LOL.

[Peter Bonte]

When Dell refreshes a lineup they don't hold a press event because no one would shop up.

[sanenazok]

Because lineup changes are never news unless the news outlets decide that certain fanatics will come to ooh and aaah at anything.

[Ramon366]

I'd like an iMac that can have an additional monitor connected to it; more screen real estate for processing large photographs in Aperture.

[timber2005]

According to Apple.com's tech specs... it can. (I honestly didn't know).

http://www.apple.com/imac/specs/

Mini-DVI output port with support for DVI, VGA, S-video, and composite video connections via adapter3
Support for external display in extended desktop mode
- Digital resolutions up to 1920 by 1200 pixels
- Analog resolutions up to 2048 by 1536 pixels
Support for external display in video mirroring mode

The iMac has had an external display connector for a couple of years.

I currently have a 20" ACD connected to my 24" iMac. (if I hit the lottery I will get the new 24" display!)

[uptimejeff]

iMacs do support a second monitor.. The one I'm on now has a second monitor.

[dissent3125]

I am pretty sure that this can already be done, I know people who do it with MacBook Pros, but i am not sure if the correct output exists on current iMacs

[Canberra-photographer]

iMacs definitely support a second display, they've done so for many years. It uses a MiniDVI so you can't drive the 30" cinema display, but anything else will be fine.

[rcartier_dotmac]

The Aluminum iMac does have a second monitor dvi mini conector on the back side. I use a dual monitor setup on my intel iMac 24".

Ron

[wdowell]

I was going to get one last week - but then felt it didn't make sense given the age of the current imac, and how apple would logically do something to it prior to the holiday period. i just hope they don't jack up the price (like they did with the UK macbooks...)

[ckurowic]

The age of the current iMac?? They just updated the hardware and the case is just a year old now. I wouldn't call that being in need of a refresh. Also consider all the other Mac's now look like the iMac, I don't see them changing the case design.

[lkrupp]

I wonder if the new iMacs will have Firewire ports.

[Mr-Ballistic]

Hi. I'm just a new convert to iMac so please don't shoot me down if I'm not 100% right. Anyway, according to the handbook, my new 3.06ghz iMac has both 400 & 800 Firewire at the rear so I'd assume Apple intend this to continue. It also has a mini VGA port for an external monitor which addresses a comment higher on this page. Trust me to purchase just hours before the news of new machines is spread. Just as well I'm lucky in love... lol.

[Canberra-photographer]

Probably, they may ditch the old FW400 port and just have a couple of 800 ports. Why they didn't put a FW800 port on the Macbook is a mystery.

[Vegaman_Dan]

It all depends if they follow through with the changes done to the laptop lineup. If they do, then you can expect to lose your firewire port entirely, a proprietary video connection with the only cables availble through Apple, and a glossy screen which distorts colors and is blasted as unusable for reliable photo/graphic editing by professionals.

I hope this isn't the case, but the laptops now have these features, so it wouldn't be surprising to see them in the iMac lineup as well. That can help to force professionals or serious graphic editors to migrate to the top of the line Mac units for those options.

[Penguinisto]

Dan: stop lying; your employer @ Microsoft may appreciate it, but the rest of us have no use for it.

[Seaspray0]

As a comparison, I'm not finding many accessories that use firewire. I do find the majority of accessories using USB. If this was the blueray/hddvd war for interfaces, I'd say that USB has been the clear winner. If it doesn't have firewire ports, chances are most people wouldn't even miss it. Of course there are exceptions for those people dedicated to it, but by and large USB is the interface of preference.

[jture]

I'd like to see a replacement for the Mini instead. Something with more power and expandability ...

[corelogik]

So would I. Only thing holding me back from an upgrade is that the mini wouldn't be an upgrade,...

[Canberra-photographer]

Personally, I think the Mini and Apple TV are the dead end part of Apple's line up. They need to get rid of the Apple TV, replace it with a more media centre focused Mini and introduce a Mini Mac Pro.

[sanenazok]

Mini and AppleTV are both useless. Apple TV is just a toy really, no TV tuner, closed system and many other problems. I was going to get something to watch media on a TV. I actually considered the Mini...until I realized that I could get a Netbook with an external hard drive for much less. Oh and the Netbook runs XP so I can actually use it to play Netflix.

[open-mind]

Sanenazok, You stated...

"Mini and AppleTV are both useless."

Some people use these devices to surf the web, edit video, steam TV/YouTube from the internet, rent/buy movies from the internet, stream their video/music/photos from a PC on their network, play games, and many fun things. Not quite "useless".

"Apple TV is just a toy really, no TV tuner, closed system and many other problems. "

All set top boxes are closed toys without TV tuners. Example ... Roku. I'll admit that an Apple TV is annoyingly limited (e.g. no web browser, no free internet TV) compared to a Mac Mini, but I wouldn't call that "many other problems."

Personally, I think the Mac Mini and Apple TV should be merged into one product (Mac TV?) that has the combined features of both. Put it in a bigger pizza case, so it can use normal cheap RAM, drives, and video cards. Give it a DVI interface. Price it at $499 and watch them sell by the millions.

[ceebee23]

If Apple drop Firewire from the new iMacs i suspect the firestorm that Steve Jobs has touched off with the idiotic decision to remove it from Macbooks will go nuclear!

The Mac blogosphere is fiercely condemning Apple in a way I have never seen before.

[Canberra-photographer]

Totally agree with you. I've never seen such a backlash against Apple. In Australia where the prices of the new Macbooks have been jacked up severely, people are talking of boycotting all their products. Even the fanboys are talking of buying Dells and Sonys instead! To me, Apple's arrogance is putting all the gains of the past decade at risk.

[bwahblah]

@ krosavcheg
welcome to the internet. you obviously don't read gadget blogs. i believe you will enjoy reading engadget

[SpiritWater]

I'd like an iMac with Blu-ray and ability to be used as a HDTV through a cable connection. Oh and bump the screen up to 32" and we're in business.

Break the Wedge!
www.breakthewedge.com

[1golfdoc]

we, in san diego, implore mr. jobs to not announce guidance for the coming quarter. we know your going to hit the ball out of the park with current earnings. just leave it at that, just like google does. there are too many positives with your company to dump them in with companies that are actually having problems.

[Speiler9]

I predict the new iMac will have wireless power, and no data connections. Users will simply have to wave their peripherals at it and hope they somehow connect, like an owners of the new MacBooks have to do with all their Firewire drives, audio interfaces and video cameras. or perhaps they will feature the all new mini micro everything port, onto which you can stack up to fourteen adaptors to connect a USB stick or flash card. it's time for the over-indulged Jony ives to go and design tea-trays and coffee tables instead of machines.

[MTGrizzly]

Centrino 2???

Is that a laptop chipset?

I, too, would like a 32 inch screen, but will, probably, buy one of the current 24 inch iMacs because of price...

[cnetmacman]

Wondering if any forthcoming iMac upgrade will be more beefy, technologically, than that of the MacBooks and MacBook Pros? Anyone think that we might get a quad core implementation?

[gadgetguy2000]

Double dang... I wish I would have read this on Saturday afternoon, as I just bought a new 2.66 (20") iMac.

[sythara]

Folks... folks, please listen up. Here read this article that tells you absolutely nothing other than that we will be releasing a news article in the near future with actual news.

[da_bombdiggidy]

Although I would want an all in one, I am super up for a Mac Mini upgrade with better graphics. You want Blu Ray just get this: http://www.amexdigital.com/Press_Release-E_Portable%20Blu-ray%20Super%20Multi%20Drive.htm

[Seaspray0]

Michelle Meyers, please name a computer maker that doesn't have new models released on a regular basis. Please name all the ones you mentioned in this article or other articles you've written recently. Do I sense of bias on your part? Yes.

[danielszabo1981]

this article is a plant to generate buzz, guys. think about it -- apple buys multi-page ads on CNET. do you think the editors are going to approve a "leaked info" article without apple clearing it first?