“We’re a little head of schedule,” Jobs told the conference when introducing Apple’s new iMac.
The new iMac is Apple’s first computer to feature a CPU built by Intel. Up until now, Apple has used the PowerPC architecture developed in conjunction with Motorola and IBM to drive all of its iMac computers.
Using the new Core Duo chip from Intel makes the new iMac two to three times faster than its predecessor, according to Jobs, and it’s available in the same design as before, with the same prices.
Both cores of the new dual-core Intel chip are faster than the G5 was, and the Mac OS X v10.4.4, which ships on the new machine, is running natively on the Intel microprocessor.
The speed of a new Intel-based Mac will be determined partly by the software it is run on it. Part of Jobs’ announcement included that Apple’s operating system, all its bundled applications, and its iLife and iWork software suites are
already ‘Universal’, meaning programs can run natively on both PowerPC- and Intel-based Macs.
Software that’s not compiled for Intel, such as Microsoft Office, will have its code translated for Intel processors by Apple’s Rosetta technology.
“Rosetta is going to be a great bridge until we get all apps Universal,” said Jobs.
In addition to the iMac was the unveiling of a new laptop computer called the MacBook Pro.
According to Jobs, this is the fastest notebook ever, featuring an Intel Duo Core chip that runs four to five times faster than
the PowerBook G4. It’s also slimmer than Apple’s 17 inch PowerBook G4 model, and weighs in at 5.6 pounds. It features a 15.4-inch LCD screen that’s as bright as Apple’s desktop Cinema Displays.
The new MacBook Pro features a built-in iSight camera, much like Apple’s iMac systems, and an integrated InfraRed (IR) sensor supports Apple’s remote control, which can operate Front Row — the software that helps turn a Mac into a media centre, which Apple first introduced in a refreshed iMac model in 2005.
Apple is already taking orders, but does not expect to begin shipping the MacBook Pro until sometime in February.
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