Apple releases new Macs

(Apple)

Apple has updated its iMac desktop computer line and introduced a mouse that responds to the touch of fingers instead of using buttons or scroll wheels.

Those were among the finishing touches on a holiday lineup Apple hopes will help maintain the momentum of the past several quarters, in which the company has grown stronger despite the economic downturn.

Yesterday, Apple reported its net income soared 47 per cent from a year ago, sending shares up sharply in Tuesday trading.

The updated iMacs have bigger screens - 21.5 inches (54cm)and 27 inches (68cm), compared with existing models' 20 inches and 24 inches. They also have speedier processors and better graphics. The least expensive model costs £949, the same as the past generation, but the top-of-the-line iMac is now cheaper at £1599.

The wireless Magic Mouse, as Apple calls it, will be sold standard with iMacs or by itself for £55. It lets people manipulate what they see on the screen by pinching, swiping and using other gestures, similar to the control mechanism made popular on the screen of the iPhone.

Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer, said that after using the new mouse for a few months, sitting down at a computer with a traditional mouse makes him "want to throw it out the window."

Apple also made its least expensive laptop, the £799 MacBook, sleeker, faster and more like the higher-end MacBook Pro machines, with a "multitouch" track pad, an LED-backlit display and a sealed-in battery that can't be removed.

The Mac Mini has also been treated to a refresh, now running a faster 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2GB of DDR3 1066 MHz memory and a 160GB hard drive for £499.

Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, told analysts on Monday that it will pay more than it usually spends on air freight to ship the new iMacs and other items in time for holiday shopping. That didn't bother investors, who sent Apple shares up $8.80, or 4.6 per cent, to $198.66 in midday trading.

Earlier, the stock touched $201.75 per share, nearing the split-adjusted all-time high of $202 set in December 2007.

Source: AP/NZ Herald