Apple: iMislead with new iMac?

One more IT Blogwatch: in which Apple launches a surprise Monday announcement: refreshed iMacs. But what's this? Where did that processor come from? Is Apple being a little economical with the truth? Not to mention a silly, but well-executed game...

Gregg Keizer reports:

Apple Inc. refreshed its iMac desktop line today by bumping up CPU speeds across the board and adding faster graphics to the top-end 24-in. model. The graphics boost is aimed at gamers and at consumers and professional users who want faster image processing ... Although the move had been anticipated by several Apple enthusiast sites and blogs, it was a low-key upgrade: Apple did not hold an event to announce the new machines. Prices did not change for the three existing models ... while the high-end 24-in. configuration actually dropped by $100 ... [and] packs an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GS card with 512MB of memory. It's the first time since last August's revamp of the iMac lineup that Apple has offered a card from Nvidia ... All iMacs received faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors based on the 45-nanometer Penryn architecture. more

Self-confessed geek Brian Heater warms us up: [You're fired -Ed.]

The latest version of the popular all-in-one system includes new Intel Core 2 Duo processors with 6MB L2 cache and 1066-MHz front-side bus, a standard 2GB of memory on most models, and the most power graphics yet available on the system ... built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, Gigabit Ethernet, an iSight video camera, USB 2.0 ports, and a FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 port. On the software side of the equation, each new iMac ships with the iLife suite and OS 10.5 Leopard. Prices start at $1,199 for the 20-inch 2.4 GHz iMac. The 20-inch 2.66 GHz iMac will go for $1,499, and the 24-inch 2.8 GHz iMac for $1,799 ... Apple is also touting the new iMac's environmental friendliness ... rated EPEAT Silver and meets Energy Star's new 4.0 power consumption requirements. The company is also offering free recycling of old Macs and PCs. more

Sal Cangeloso grumbles:

Everyone’s favorite all-in-one desktop system received slightly bumped up specs after the online Apple store went down for a few minutes this morning. This will come as no surprise to Mac fanboys ... So the iMacs got new processors, a better graphics option, and a bit more RAM out of the box, but no changes to the exterior. It’s a nice step forward considering the 45nm processors along with their 1066MHz FSBs, and 6MB of cache, but nothing too major. The 8800 GS is a capable but not particularly powerful choice, and it’s probably a bit early to ask for this but it would have been nice to see a Blu-ray option. more

John Paczkowski scratches his head:

Intel’s Core 2 Duo Extreme X9100 is shipping in “limited quantities,” all right. Quantities limited to Apple ... All four [iMacs] have 1066MHz front-side buses and 6MB of L2 cache, configurations curiously absent from Intel’s current price list but expected to debut with Intel’s Montevina refresh. How is it that Apple’s able to ship machines running unannounced Intel product? Perhaps the company’s designed its product roadmap to dovetail perfectly with Intel’s. Or, perhaps, Apple’s agreement with Intel is another of CEO Steve Jobs’s sweetheart-of-a-deal masterpieces that gives the company early access to Intel’s newest chips.. more

Wolfgang Gruener adds:

You have to admit, there is a certain pattern. A little over a year ago, Apple announced the availability of an Intel 3.0 GHz quad-core-processor, which, at the time, was not officially announced and appeared to be exclusive to Apple back then. When we asked Intel about this “special” CPU, which turned out to be the Xeon X5365, we were told that the chip was shipping in “limited” quantities. Intel told us Monday afternoon that this new processor in fact is not the X9100, but rather a "special" SKU of the 45 nm Penryn processor for the company's Santa Rosa platform. We can’t imagine that HP and Dell are happy about the fact that Apple can officially ship a Core 2 Duo processor that matches most of the specifications of an unannounced Intel product - the only technical differentiator is the CPU's power thermal design power (TDP), which is 11 watts above the 44 watt X9100. more

But David Dahlquist 'splains:

We have some news that you may find a bit disappointing. It turns out that the new iMacs are part of a special run of Intel’s existing technology rather than an early introduction of the anticipated Centrino 2 technology. Essentially, the 3.06GHz processors are current generation chips modified ... to support the faster system bus speeds (1,066MHz up from 800MHz) so that they can be revved up to the impressive 3.06GHz Apple is advertising. This is a big difference from the upcoming Centrino 2 processors which are expected to consume 25W to 35W and to achieve the faster processor speeds through all natural, organic, free-range methods rather than through barbaric, unnatural overclocking. more

And finally...

• Metro Siberia

Buffer overflow:

• Marc Andreessen: If Microsoft goes fully hostile on Yahoo
• David Marshall: Sun Microsystems helps ISVs with SaaS model
• Robert X. Cringely II: Smart phones, stupid people
• Steve's IT Rants: Get Ready For Some Chinese Take-Out...
• Mike Masnick: New Jersey Court Says Independent Investigators Can Review E-Voting Machines
• David Chartier: Antivirus vendors pan free research from DefCon contest
• Network Security Blog: 0day gets hundreds of thousands of web servers

Other Computerworld bloggers:

• SJVN: Is Microsoft at fault for Web site cracking spree?
• Mark Hall: The colors of Ethernet
• Douglas Schweitzer: Technology is a wonderful thing, right?
• Shark Tank: Next thing to clean: ears
• Shark Bait: Shouldn't users at least be able to read?

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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/adviser/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and spam. A 20 year, cross-functional IT veteran, he is also an analyst at Ferris Research. You too can pretend to be Richi's friend on Facebook, or just use boring old email: blogwatch@richi.co.uk.

Previously in IT Blogwatch:

• Microsoft/Yahoo merger: so what happens now?
• Windows XP reprieved "until 2010"
• Apple goes back to PowerPC? (and 41 hours)