Pinch and pull with this iMac companion

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA

APPLE has unveiled the latest update to its line of desktop computers, promising faster speeds and offering the option of multi-touch controls, similar to those used on the iPhone. Apple said its new line of iMac desktops, with new processors from Intel and new graphics chips, are the company’s fastest, AP reported.

The iMacs, which tuck the inner workings of the computer behind the flat-screen monitor, cost US$1,199 (S$1,635) to US$1,999, depending on speed and screen size.

Windows computer makers, such as Dell and Hewlett-Packard, have turned their similar all-in-one desktop computers into touch-screen media centres, where families can, for example, browse through photos and play music.

Apple, however, has maintained that, while touch screens work well on the iPhone and the iPad, they do not make sense on a Mac.

Its MacBook laptops have track pads that respond to the two-finger pinch-and-pull controls of the iPhone.

Now, Mac buyers can also pay an extra US$69 for what Apple calls the Magic Trackpad, a sleek, glass-topped aluminium touch pad that connects to Apple computers using wireless Bluetooth technology, PCWorld reported.

The standalone device works with all of Apple’s computers and runs on two AA batteries.

The Magic Trackpad is likely to please fans such as PCWorld writer Harry McCracken, who described it as appealing and stylish.

He wrote: “I’m not exactly anti-mouse, but mice take up a lot of space, have a nasty habit of colliding with papers and other items, and are sometimes hostile to southpaws like me.”

Mr McCracken even proposed that Apple actively promote its Magic Trackpad by making it the default pointing device that ships with iMacs and Mac Pros.

Apple on Tuesday also released a new line of Mac Pro desktops, which resemble a traditional boxy PC and require a separate monitor.

Like the new iMacs, Apple said that the latest Pro computers carry faster processors – the brains of a computer – as well as new graphics chips that produce a sharper display, according to AP.

Additionally, the company has released a new standalone 27-inch LED screen for US$999, which can be hooked up to a laptop or desktop.

Apple said that the display is 60 per cent bigger than its 24-inch LED display.

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