Where are the new iPods? Other than the iPhone, it's been a long time since any changes to the iPod line.

I have the need for a small file storage system on my home network. I have been looking at the Mac Mini, I even borrowed one from a friend once to try, but they weren't fast enough to handle my needs. I am tickled with the performance bump they received from the Core 2 chips and 1Gb RAM. I also really like the events feature in iPhoto ( I bought iLife 08 last night!) It is a much simpler and user friendly way to catalog photos. Now I have to go through my photos and tag them, maybe on the next rainy day. I like the new iMacs too. I have a Core2Duo Black MacBook, but I am in the market for a new desktop for my daughter to use in school, and this is gonig to be what she gets!

With our home HP desktop running slower and slower every day, the new iMac looks like a winner, although the Mac Mini would allow me to use my existing monitor, keyboard and mouse. My daughter's MacBook has been a low-maintenance champ for nearly 15 months and a lot of her college friends are finally seeing the Mac light. Too bad it took so long for Apple to adopt the Intel chipset, but the Core Duo is a winner.

Rob,

Can you comment on whether the base 1.83Ghz Mini with 1GB memory and 80GB hard drive is adequate for most home users, or is the step up to the 2.0Ghz model with 120GB hard drive worth spending an extra $200? I might consider adding an extra 1GB of memory, but don't know if the faster processor will make a big difference to my wife when she surfs eBay or my kids hang on MySpace and Facebook.

We have a decent sized iTunes collection, but I can't see using the balance of the hard drive for digital pictures.

I never liked the last generation of iMacs--they looked fat and ugly to me. These new ones look awesome though!

I especially like that keyboard, I may have to get one of those :)

Rob, I'm glad you mentioned the product refresh given to the Mac Mini. I bought one of the early Intel Mac Minis just to get some exposure to the Intel machines, and this little thing has been unbelievably rock solid, even with only 512 MB. Built-in wireless works fantastic. If you have a decent monitor and mouse/keyboard, the onlly thing this machine is missing is a built-in camera. At $599, i think this is one of Apple's best kept secrets for the Core 2 Duo and 1MB version.

I have an iMac G5 with iSight camera -- almost 2 years old. This computer is still working out great for me. I had been a PC user since 1991, and I will NOT go back. To cheeky monkey, I configured mine 2 years ago with 1GB memory and I have a huge iTunes library, thousands of pictures, do eBay, and lots of surfing on the web besides graduate work. If I get a new one, I'm going to an even larger memory because I like to have lots of applications open at once.

My only complaint with the iMac has been the lack of USB ports -- I have to remove my iPod cable to hook my digital camera up....have they added USB ports on the newest iMac? Hope so!

I'm really excited about the iLife and iWeb updates. I run my little family website mainly to share photos and such, the new versions will make it so much sweeter.

I was gonna wait and buy a new MacBook later this fall after Leopard comes out.. but now I dunno if I can wait!

Just order the 2.4 GHz iMac to replace my creaky G4 PowerMac. I call the old tower Frankenstein because I've stuffed so much memory, cards and hard drives into to keep it alive.

Really looking forward to my first Intel Mac. Can't wait to make the jump to light speed!

Also looking forward to an in-depth review from Rob once he gets his hands on one.

Ok, ok, I know they're not going to cannibalize [potential] iPhone sales by releasing, it, yet, but

WHERE OH WHERE

is my 7-10" clamshell eMate replacement?? It can run OSX or the iPhone's slighter version, I don' care, but I NEEEED keyboard and slightly larger screen (and don' need the phone - we get no service in this part of New England, anyway), so the Phoney is moooot.

C'mon, Steve! iMate, youMate, we all scream for eMate(replacement)!!

The new iMac is already on the list of presents to buy my parents. The question is whether to buy it as a birthday present next month, or to wait until holiday season when Mac OSX 10.5 will be standard on new Macs. I really wish Apple would clarify what the upgrade policy is for people who buy new machines immediately before the OS update.

One thing is clear: dollar for dollar, the iMac today is a far better value than any Vista machine. Way to go, Apple!

No Apple key! It's sort of like when they got rid of Firewire 800 for a second.. stupid.

iMovie is a huge disappointment for me and the kids. They've taken the gee-wow out of it and made it more business-like. There's no fun there now. We got the iLife update at the Apple Store as soon as we could and were disappointed soon thereafter.

The Magic in Garageband seemed to keep them interested for a bit, however. And iPhoto is still an amazing bit of magic in and of itself.

Also, we were all frustrated by the fact that the new iMovie doesn't want to open our existing projects from the older version. Does that make sense in today's world?

And we all have our favorite special effects and backgrounds and things that seem to be unsupported in the new version. The new iMovie isn't compatible at all with the extra bells and whistles we'd bought for iMovie over the last year or so. That was a shocker.

Conclusion: use the old iMovie and keep everyone happy. (Except for Mr. Jobs, I suspect.)

I have LOVED my Mac Mini for the 18 months we had it---I say HAD because two weeksago we had a close lightening strike that knocked out our power, and shortly afterwards the hard drive ate itself. Now we are trying to decide wheter to spend 3-400 bucks fixing an 800 dollar computer, or to just go out and but the new one.

As a user of the G5 Imac (purchased Three years ago), I can honestly say that it has served my family of two teen age daughters, my wife and I very well. Although this new Imac is significantly updated, I see little compelling reason for me to go out and buy it at this time. Why? The success of the form factor is what make this machine so attractive. It takes up no desk space and with a 20" monitor that is plenty of screen real estate. We can download films music, surf the net, write e-mails, pay our bills electronically, and do homework projects, and never have to worry about all the hassles my neighbors have with their windows machines.... Seriously.

The new version of the OS will work and the New IWorks and I Life all work with my G5. (I am looking forward to those two products).
Maybe I will wait until the next version of the Imac to upgrade say two or three years from now.

As a user of the G5 Imac (purchased Three years ago), I can honestly say that it has served my family of two teen age daughters, my wife and I very well. Although this new Imac is significantly updated, I see little compelling reason for me to go out and buy it at this time. Why? The success of the form factor is what make this machine so attractive. It takes up no desk space and with a 20" monitor that is plenty of screen real estate. We can download films music, surf the net, write e-mails, pay our bills electronically, and do homework projects, and never have to worry about all the hassles my neighbors have with their windows machines.... Seriously.

The new version of the OS will work and the New IWorks and I Life all work with my G5. (I am looking forward to those two products).
Maybe I will wait until the next version of the Imac to upgrade say two or three years from now.

Mr. Pegoraro-

Having purchased and maintained three Mac Minis for myself, my father, and my father in law, I am relieved to see that Apple has not yet abandoned them. I don't understand why the Mini hasn't caught on yet (unless that is just an impression that Apple creates by targeting its marketing to the high-end machines), but it must catch on as more ordinary Windows users consider switching and look for an entry-level Mac. This is an essential element of Apple's strategy and (speaking also as a shareholder) they should stick with it.

Nonetheless, once OS 1.5 is released I will move up to an iMac because hooking up the Mini is too confusing for my 87 year old father who moves twice a year. I would appreciate your advice on what kind of user might benefit (or not) from the memory upgrade to 2 gigs.

What was missing from Apple's announcement was not only OS 10.5 upgrade information, but a general policy to keep all included software on its computers up to date for three years after purchase. With three Macs purchased at different times, I am constantly confused and annoyed by iPhoto, etc. features that work differently on the three machines. (I could purchase the new iLife upgrade, but I won't on principle or because I'm cheap; and for whatever reason, how many Mac owners do?) In addition, I (and no doubt others) have been postponing a new Mac purchase since last summer in order to get OS 10.5 included. (First it was due in Feb. 2007, then....) This does not help to sell computers. Apple should simply guarantee (through Software Update to customers with a broadband connection) ongoing full upgrades for the OS and all included software for three years after the purchase of any new Mac computer. In addition, once this coverage expires, Mac owners should be able to purchase three years of software upgrades for up to five family computers. Even better, Apple could provide the family computer upgrades for free so long as the customer buys one new Mac every three years. This policy would make Apple a lot more money selling $1500 computers than they are making now selling $79 iLife upgrades to a few upgrade enthusiasts.

The other thing that was missing, as it has been for years, from Apple's announcement was an ultralight or subnotebook Macintosh. The iPhone fills only part of this niche; there is still a need for a travel Mac with a steamlined but real keyboard, a 6-10 inch screen, and some storage capacity (even if it is on a separate iPod hard disk). The hard part would be working out how such a subnotebook would synchronize with one or more iPods, iPhones, and Macs.

Thank you for your column which is very informative.

-JAFDC