Apple Rolls Out Updated iMac, Software Products
By Troy Wolverton, San Jose Mercury News, Calif.
The iPhone and iPod have been getting lots of attention in recent years, but Apple got back to its roots Tuesday, announcing updates to its iMac lineup and some key software applications.
At a press event at the company’s Cupertino headquarters, Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs rolled out the iMac revamp, revised its iLife applications and added a new spreadsheet program to its iWork productivity suite. He also announced an update to Apple’s .Mac online service that increases the storage available to consumers and ties it more closely to iLife.
But the iMac, with its new aluminum and glass case, took center stage at the event.
"The iMac has been really successful for us. We’d like to make it even better," Jobs said.
Essentially the same shape as its predecessor, the new iMac is a bit thinner, and the new casing replaces the plastic of the prior model.
For all but its institutional education customers, Apple is eliminating the 17-inch version. For the same $1,200 price, the company will now offer a 20-inch version.
Apple’s computers have been gaining market share in recent quarters, with sales growth outpacing the broader PC industry by about 3-1. But its notebooks have been growing far faster than its desktops.
Tuesday’s announcements seemed designed to shore up its desktop iMac line, and came amid the back-to-school buying season, an important annual sales period for Apple. While Apple swapped out the PowerPC processors for Intel chips in its iMacs in January 2006, it hasn’t come out with a major external design change for the iMac since October 2005.
The company’s software suites also hadn’t been revamped in about 18 months.
Now the new iLife suite comes with updated versions of all its applications. The iPhoto and iMovie programs received the most extensive revisions, with iMovie rewritten completely, according to Jobs. The point of the iMovie revision was to allow users to make high-quality movies quicker and easier.
Apple will offer the new version of iLife for $79, the same price it charged for the previous version.
The company will charge the same price for its re-worked iWork suite. But for that price, Apple is adding a new spreadsheet program dubbed Numbers. Jobs pitched the application essentially as an easier-to-use version of Microsoft’s market-leading Excel.
Apple also revamped its Pages page layout application, making it easier to do simple word processing with it.
With the changes, Apple appears to be edging closer to competing with Microsoft’s rival Office suite, which goes for about $400. While Apple’s new iWork and iLife are available immediately, Microsoft announced last week that it is delaying the release of the next version of Office for Mac until January.
In an interview, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, shrugged off the competition with Office, noting that Apple often competes and cooperates with particular partners.
Meanwhile, investors appeared to shrug off the news, which came before the market closed. At the bell, Apple’s stock was off 22 cents, or less than 1 percent, to $135.03.
Contact Troy Wolverton at (408) 920-5021 or twolverton@ mercurynews.com.