Apple rolls out iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini updates

Apple has updated its line of desktop computer models

Apple has introduced updates for all three of its desktop computer models, announcing new versions of the iMac, Mac Pro and Mac Mini.

The iMac update will bring a larger 24in model to the market with 4GB of memory and a 640GB hard drive at a price tag of $1,499 (£1,066) in the US. The 20in iMac model, which had retailed for $1,499, will drop to $1,199 (£853).

Buyers of the 24in iMac model will also have the option of boosting the processor to a 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo chip, up to 1TB hard drive space and a choice of Nvidia GeForce or ATI Radeon graphics cards.

Users requiring even more power will be offered new Mac Pro models. The company's high-end tower line will be the first to sport Intel's Nehalem processors and new Nvidia GeForce GT 120 graphics cards with a starting price of $2,499 (£1,776).

"The Mac Pro features an advanced system architecture, new faster processors and our best-ever graphics options to deliver a faster, more powerful system that our professional customers are going to love," Apple product marketing senior vice president Philip Schiller said of the new models.

At the low end, the company is upping the power in its Mac Mini desktop line. The new models will be equipped with Nvidia GeForce 9400 cards capable of supporting two displays.

The power consumption for the Mini has been dropped to 13 Watts when idle, which Apple claims is the lowest for any desktop model on the market.