Apple unveils Extreme new iMacs and Mac Mini

Apple unveiled some new hardware yesterday, giving its fans yet another reason to feel smug -- as if they needed one. Among the goodies was an updated version of the Mac Mini (which now sports a Core 2 Duo chip and starts at £399) and a batch of new iMacs.

Four (not three as some sites are reporting) iMacs are promised -- two 20-inch models and two 24-inchers. They all sport the same all-in-one theme as previous iMacs, but have been spruced up with fast Intel components, aluminium chassis, a glossy screen and extra thinness.

Apple also launched some new keyboards. They too are thin. Plus they have shortcut buttons for controlling media, activating the Expose feature and some other stuff you'll probably end up doing with your mouse anyway.

The base 20-inch iMac (£799) has a 2GHz CPU, 1GB RAM, 250GB hard drive, 8x slot-loading SuperDrive, and ATI Radeon HD 2400 XT graphics. The faster 20-inch model (£949) has a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo CPU, 350GB hard drive and ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics.

The entry-level 24-inch model has the same spec as the top-spec 20-inch model for £1,149, but take a gander at the flagship 24-incher. It has a quad-core 2.8GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme CPU. Prices start at £1,459.

We're so excited we're writhing on the floor in a puddle of baby oil as we type this. They're all available to order from the Apple store now, so watch out for full reviews soon. -Rory Reid

Update: We now have a full review of the latest Apple iMac live in our Reviews channel.