Apple Releases Radically Redesigned iMac
New iMac Sports Flat Screen, G4 Processor
After more hype than any recent Macworld keynote speech in recent memory, Apple chief Steve Jobs introduced a long-awaited update to his company's iMac computer at Macworld San Francisco.
The new version does away with the traditional cathode-ray tube monitor and replaces it with a flat screen. The screen rests on top of a spheroid pod that houses the computer and drives. It's attached by an arm that allows the screen to be tilted and moved.
"We have been working on this for two years," Jobs said. "Some of you wanted this sooner, but I think you're going to agree it's worth the wait."
The crowd at Macworld San Francisco ooh'ed and aah'ed as the new iMac rose out of a pedestal in the center of the keynote stage. Some of Jobs' thunder had been stolen by a Time magazine cover story that came out that morning, highlighting the radical new design.
"I think this is the official death of the CRT today," Jobs said.
The guts of the iMac were also upgraded. All iMacs will now come with Apple's powerful G4 processor and an Nvidia GeForce2 MX video card, which should provide graphics acceleration three times faster than previous iMac models.
The original iMac became one of the most successful consumer-level computers when it was announced in 1998. Since then, it has undergone performance improvements but little in the way of major changes.
In contrast, the popular iBook was recently redesigned, as were Apple's PowerBook laptops, which now sport a slim titanium shell.
Jobs said that the design of the new iMac was determined by the needs of its components. Instead of attaching the computer motherboard and drives to the back of the screen, they were housed in the separate base.
The base is 10.6 inches in diameter and is about as tall as an upright CD jewel case. The 15-inch LCD monitor provides as much viewable space as a 17-inch CRT, according to Jobs.
The new iMacs are around the same price points as the old ones. The top model, which Jobs said will be available by the end of January, has an 800 MHz G4 processor, 60 GB hard drive and a superdrive, which allows users to read and write DVDs and CDs. It will cost $1,799.
An entry-level model with a 700MHz G4 processor, 40 GB hard drive and CD-RW drive will cost $1,299, while one with more memory and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive will cost $1,499. Those two won't be available for a couple more months.
Jobs said that the company is making the top-of-the-line model first, because they expect it to be the most popular.
The new iMac is designed to work seamlessly with Apple's suite of "digital lifestyle" applications, and Jobs said that it is the "ultimate digital hub," echoing the company's strategy of making the personal computer the centerpiece of the home.
Apple previously released iMovie, software that allows users to create their own home movies; iTunes, software that manages music and allows users to burn their own CDs; and iDVD, software that creates custom DVDs.
But where iPhoto goes beyond typical applications is in the way it allows those photos to be shared. With the click of a button, images can be turned into a slideshow, complete with dissolves and music.
A more interesting use of iPhoto is to create an online photo album. Macintosh users have long had the ability to put photos in a Web page online using Apple's iTools, which gave users free online storage space.
With iPhoto, the process has become automated. With one button, a user can publish an album of images online, accessible to anyone with an Internet connection.
For those who like photos that can be held, iPhoto comes with a way to order prints on photographic paper. While this has always been available on various Web sites, iPhoto goes through Apple servers directly and doesn't require the user to use another application.
Taking this option to another level, iPhoto allows users to assemble a book of photos and then order a hardbound copy in a selection of styles. The user has complete control over how the images are laid out and can add captions.
"We have built a page layout program into iPhoto that is completely automatic," Jobs said. "This has never been done before."
Like iTunes and iMovie, iPhoto is free for users of Mac OS X and is available now.
Jobs also announced upgrades to the iBook line of laptop computers. The big news was an iBook with a larger, 14-inch screen. It's the same thickness as the previous model and sells for $1,799 with a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive.
The lowest-level iBook model saw a $100 price drop, to $1,199, and a mid-level version with a combo drive and 12.1-inch screen sells for $1,499.
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The new version does away with the traditional cathode-ray tube monitor and replaces it with a flat screen. The screen rests on top of a spheroid pod that houses the computer and drives. It's attached by an arm that allows the screen to be tilted and moved.
"We have been working on this for two years," Jobs said. "Some of you wanted this sooner, but I think you're going to agree it's worth the wait."
The crowd at Macworld San Francisco ooh'ed and aah'ed as the new iMac rose out of a pedestal in the center of the keynote stage. Some of Jobs' thunder had been stolen by a Time magazine cover story that came out that morning, highlighting the radical new design.
"I think this is the official death of the CRT today," Jobs said.
The guts of the iMac were also upgraded. All iMacs will now come with Apple's powerful G4 processor and an Nvidia GeForce2 MX video card, which should provide graphics acceleration three times faster than previous iMac models.
The original iMac became one of the most successful consumer-level computers when it was announced in 1998. Since then, it has undergone performance improvements but little in the way of major changes.
In contrast, the popular iBook was recently redesigned, as were Apple's PowerBook laptops, which now sport a slim titanium shell.
Jobs said that the design of the new iMac was determined by the needs of its components. Instead of attaching the computer motherboard and drives to the back of the screen, they were housed in the separate base.
The base is 10.6 inches in diameter and is about as tall as an upright CD jewel case. The 15-inch LCD monitor provides as much viewable space as a 17-inch CRT, according to Jobs.
The new iMacs are around the same price points as the old ones. The top model, which Jobs said will be available by the end of January, has an 800 MHz G4 processor, 60 GB hard drive and a superdrive, which allows users to read and write DVDs and CDs. It will cost $1,799.
An entry-level model with a 700MHz G4 processor, 40 GB hard drive and CD-RW drive will cost $1,299, while one with more memory and a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive will cost $1,499. Those two won't be available for a couple more months.
Jobs said that the company is making the top-of-the-line model first, because they expect it to be the most popular.
The new iMac is designed to work seamlessly with Apple's suite of "digital lifestyle" applications, and Jobs said that it is the "ultimate digital hub," echoing the company's strategy of making the personal computer the centerpiece of the home.
Apple previously released iMovie, software that allows users to create their own home movies; iTunes, software that manages music and allows users to burn their own CDs; and iDVD, software that creates custom DVDs.
iPhoto
Completing the suite was Jobs' other big announcement: iPhoto. The software is designed to replace photo downloading and editing software that comes with digital cameras. But this free application does a lot more than just take the red-eye out. The new program works similar to how iTunes automatically synchs with Apple's iPod MP3 player. A user of Mac OS X and iPhoto can plug in a digital camera, and the images on it will appear on the screen. The images can then be cropped, edited and printed.But where iPhoto goes beyond typical applications is in the way it allows those photos to be shared. With the click of a button, images can be turned into a slideshow, complete with dissolves and music.
A more interesting use of iPhoto is to create an online photo album. Macintosh users have long had the ability to put photos in a Web page online using Apple's iTools, which gave users free online storage space.
With iPhoto, the process has become automated. With one button, a user can publish an album of images online, accessible to anyone with an Internet connection.
For those who like photos that can be held, iPhoto comes with a way to order prints on photographic paper. While this has always been available on various Web sites, iPhoto goes through Apple servers directly and doesn't require the user to use another application.
Taking this option to another level, iPhoto allows users to assemble a book of photos and then order a hardbound copy in a selection of styles. The user has complete control over how the images are laid out and can add captions.
"We have built a page layout program into iPhoto that is completely automatic," Jobs said. "This has never been done before."
Like iTunes and iMovie, iPhoto is free for users of Mac OS X and is available now.
Jobs also announced upgrades to the iBook line of laptop computers. The big news was an iBook with a larger, 14-inch screen. It's the same thickness as the previous model and sells for $1,799 with a combination CD-RW/DVD-ROM drive.
The lowest-level iBook model saw a $100 price drop, to $1,199, and a mid-level version with a combo drive and 12.1-inch screen sells for $1,499.
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