Apple unveils first Intel Macs

Apple chief Steve Jobs kicks off move to Intel

Promising systems that are significantly faster than the current generation Macs, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs has unveiled the first iMac computers and MacBook Pro notebooks running on Intel Core Duo processors.

Apple first announced the switch from Power chips to Intel processors last year at the Worldwide Developers Conference, promising to ship the first Intel products before June 2006.

"It's not a secret that we've been trying to shoehorn a [Power] G5 into a PowerBook," Jobs told delegates at Macworld in San Francisco as he unveiled the MacBook Pro.

The performance per watt of the Intel chip was the main reason for Apple to switch to the Intel platform, Jobs said.

The MacPower Pro is the successor to the PowerBook notebook. It comes with a 15.4in screen and either a 1.67GHz or a 1.93GHz Intel Core Duo processor.

The new models offer a four- to five-fold performance increase, Jobs claimed. They are selling at $1,999 and $2,499 respectively, and will be made available in February. Apple is taking pre-orders now.

Jobs also unveiled a new iMac powered by a Intel Core Duo processor. Promising a two- to three-fold performance increase, the computers come in a 1.83GHz 17in model and a 2GHz model with a 20in screen. They will be priced identically to the existing iMacs at $1,299 and $1,699 respectively.

• Silicon Valley Sleuth: Steve Jobs keynote picture by picture

The remaining Apple computers, such as the iBook, Mac Mini and PowerMac, will be upgraded later this year, Jobs said.

The introduction of new Intel-powered Apple computers and particularly notebook systems had been at the centre of the pre-show rumours. 

The switch from Power to Intel processors requires software developers to recompile and certify their applications for the Intel systems. Apple has also created an intermediate technology dubbed Rosetta to ensure that software designed for Power systems also runs on an Intel processor.

All new software unveiled during Jobs's keynote presentation ships in a version for both Intel and Power systems. The company also made available a free update to its operating system that enables the software to run on both architectures.

Jobs also promised to make available so-called universal code versions of Final Cut Pro, Aperture and Logic Pro, its professional software tools for movies, photos and audio.

Jobs demonstrated an updated version of the iLife suite of digital media tools which includes a new application dubbed iWeb. The application offers a series of templates for users to create and publish personal websites and blogs.

To use the built-in uploading feature, users require a subscription to the Mac online hosting and email service.

The suite also offers updated versions of existing applications such as iPhoto and Garage Band, both of which tie into iWeb.

The photo editing suite now allows users to publish RSS feeds of a photo album through their Mac account, while Garage Band lets users create podcasts and upload them through iWeb.

ILife 2006 is available now for $79 and is bundled with new systems.

• Silicon Valley Sleuth: Steve Jobs keynote picture by picture