Apple introduced a refreshed line of desktop computers on Tuesday, notable as much for their price tags as new features.
The rollout included a long-rumoured update to the Mac Mini, as well as a less-expensive iMac and Mac Pro. In a significant nod to the recession, Apple pointed up the affordability of its new machines, a departure for a company used to focusing intensely on performance and design.
"Our flagship 24-inch (60-centimeter) iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available for just $1,499 ($NZ3069.83)," Apple Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook said in a statement.
Apple said the 20-inch (50-centimeter) iMac will start at $1,199 The new Mac Pro, with Intel Corp.'s "Nehalem" Xeon processor, starts at $2,499, $300 less than its predecessor.
The latest version of Apple's top-line desktop offers "an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system," said Philip Schiller, an Apple vice president.
Apple's cheapest computer at $599, the Mac Mini, has been updated with a faster graphics processor and the ability to run more than one display at a time. Apple is also touting the Mini as the most energy-efficient desktop in the world, saying it draws less than 13 watts of power when idle, or about one-tenth of the power of a typical machine.
Apple shares edged higher after the announcement, rising $1.16, or 1.3%, to $89.10 in morning trading on Tuesday.
