Addressing a packed crowd of the Mac faithful, Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs on Tuesday served up the first Intel-based Macs, introducing a new high-end laptop and a revamped iMac.

The new machines both include Intel's Duo dual-core chip. The iMac will come in the same sizes and sell for the same prices as the current models, but the Intel chips make it two to three times faster, Jobs said. A new laptop computer, called the MacBook Pro, will be available in February, he said.

In addition to the crop of new Macs, Jobs announced a new version of the iLife suite that adds a tool--iWeb--designed to make it easy to create Web sites with video, audio and blogs, and new features meant to simplify the sharing of photos over the Web and the creation of podcasts.

Jobs said Apple would transition to an all-Intel lineup of Macintosh computers by the end of 2006.

"We're a little ahead of schedule," he said, with Intel Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini joining him onstage dressed in a head-to-toe "bunny suit," the protective suits that workers wear in chipmaking facilities. "These things are screamers."

The release of the new Macs comes just seven months after Jobs shocked the computer world with an announcement that Apple would move to Intel chips, after years of using the PowerPC hardware made by IBM and Motorola.

Only a year ago, podcasting was an arcane activity, the domain of a few techies and self-admitted "geeks". Now you can hear everything from NASCAR coverage to NPR's All Things Considered in downloadable audio files called "podcasts".
Thousands of podcasts are available at the iTunes Music Store, and websites such as iPodder.com and Podcast.net track thousands more.
That's why the editors of the New Oxford American Dictionary have selected "podcast" as the Word of the Year for 2005.
Podcast, defined as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player," will be added to the next online update of the New Oxford American.
Dictionary, due in early 2006.

iTunes Music Store customers have purchased and downloaded more than one million videos since they debuted on October 12. Customers can choose from over 2,000 music videos, Pixar short films and hit TV shows for just $1.99. Top downloads include music videos from Michael Jackson, Fatboy Slim and Kanye West; Pixar’s “For the Birds” and “Boundin’”; and episodes of ABC’s hit TV shows “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives.”

The new Power Macs feature dual-core processors, one each in the low-end and mid-range systems, and two in the high-end "Power Mac G5 Quad." All three Power Mac G5 configurations now support DDR2 memory (up to 16GB) and PCI-Express expansion slots. Four new PCI-Express video cards from NVIDIA are available, with stock configurations featuring the GeForce 6600 LE. With four video cards installed, the new Power Macs can now support up to four of Apple's 30-inch displays simultaneously.

The single processor dual-core Power Mac G5 systems, available at speeds of 2GHz ($1,999) and 2.3GHz ($2,499) are available now, while the dual-processor dual-core 2.5GHz system ($3,299) will ship in November.

Apple also lowered pricing on the 23-inch Cinema Display HD by $200 to $1299. The 20-inch Cinema Display remains priced at $799, while the 30-inch will still set you back $2,499.

Updated PowerBook
Apple upgraded the displays in the 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBook but left the 12-inch model untouched. The 15-inch PowerBook G4 now sports a resolution of 1440x960, while the new 17-inch PowerBook sports a 1680x1050 display, the same as Apple's 20-inch Cinema display. The 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks also feature DDR2 memory now and include an ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 with 128MB of VRAM. The new displays are said to be 46 percent brighter than previously, while the laptops now deliver up to 5.5 hours of battery life. SuperDrives are now standard across all three PowerBooks, although only the 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks gain dual-layer support.

The 12-inch 1.5GHz PowerBook went without an update, although the price was cut to $1,499. The new 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks are available in single configurations for $1,999 and $2,499, respectively.

Aperture
Apple delivered a new application geared towards professional photographers, Aperture, which is designed to make working with RAW images as easy as working with JPEGs. The post-production software offers features similar to what Think Secret had noted in August, including advanced RAW workflow, professional project management, compare and select tools, printing and publishing functionality, and nondestructive image processing.

Apple Unveils the New iPod
The new iPod, featuring a gorgeous 2.5-inch color screen, can display album artwork and photos, as well as play stunning video including music videos, video podcasts, home movies and television shows. The new iPod holds up to 15,000 songs, 25,000 photos or over 150 hours of video and is available in a 30GB model and a 60GB model, with both models available in stunning white or black designs.

Apple Announces iTunes 6
iTunes 6, the next generation of the world’s most popular music jukebox and online music store, lets fans purchase and download over 2,000 music videos and six short films from Academy Award-winning Pixar Animation Studios for just $1.99 each. Customers can also now purchase and download their favorite television shows from iTunes the day after they air on TV, watch them on their Mac or PC and Auto-Sync them onto the new iPod for viewing anywhere.

Apple Introduces the New iMac G5
The new iMac G5 features a built-in iSight video camera for out-of-the-box video conferencing and Apple’s new breakthrough Front Row media experience. Front Row gives users a simple, intuitive and powerful way to play their music, enjoy their photo slideshows and watch their DVDs and iMovies, as well as popular movie trailers from apple.com and music videos and television shows purchased from the iTunes Music Store, on their iMac from up to 30 feet away using the new bundled Apple Remote.

Check out the photo gallery and live webcast from the Apple Special Event in San Jose where CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the new iMac G5, iTunes 6 and the new iPod.

Steve Jobs, at the Apple press event in San Francisco today, announced the iTunes-enabled Rokr cell phone made by Motorola. The phone can hold 100 songs and has two speakers. "The way we think of this phone is it's really an iPod Shuffle right on your phone," Jobs said.

Jobs also announced iTunes 5 with new features such as nested playlists, automatic sync of calendar and contact info with Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, parental controls for explicit content and more.

Steve Jobs also introduced the iPod nano, a revolutionary full-featured iPod that holds 1,000 songs yet is thinner than a standard #2 pencil and less than half the size of competitive players. The iPod nano features an ultra-portable, lightweight design with a gorgeous color screen, Apple's patent pending Click Wheel and the ability to hold 1,000 songs or 25,000 photos. iPod nano works seamlessly with the iTunes Music Store, the world's number one digital music service. The iPod nano is available in a 4GB model and a 2GB model, with both models available in stunning white or black designs.

Check out photo galleries and the live webcast from the Apple Special Event in San Francisco where CEO Steve Jobs unveiled iTunes 5, iPod nano and the iTunes-enabled Motorola ROKR mobile phone.

Today Apple unveiled Mighty Mouse, the innovative next generation mouse featuring the Scroll Ball that lets you move anywhere inside a document, without lifting a finger. And with touch-sensitive technology concealed under the seamless top shell, you get the programability of a four-button mouse in a single-button design.

Music fans have purchased and downloaded more than half a billion songs from the iTunes Music Store. The 500 millionth song, Faith Hill’s “Mississippi Girl,” was purchased yesterday by Amy Greer from Lafayette, Indiana, and as the grand prize winner she will receive 10 iPods to share with family and friends, an iTunes gift card for 10,000 songs and an all-expenses paid trip for four to see Coldplay on their world tour.

Apple announced third quarter financial results, with a net profit of $320 million or $.37 per diluted share and revenue of $3.52 billion. These results compare to a net profit of $61 million or $.08 per diluted share and revenue of $2.01 billion in the year-ago quarter, representing revenue growth of 75% and net profit growth of 425%. Gross margin was 29.7%, up from 27.8% a year ago. International sales accounted for 39% of revenue.

In the first two days since the release of iTunes 4.9, iTunes customers have subscribed to more than one million podcasts from the new iTunes Podcast Directory. iTunes 4.9 has everything users need to discover, subscribe, manage and listen to podcasts.

The Queen of England has joined the hi-tech revolution and splashed out on the world’s hottest gadget — an iPod.

The 79-year-old monarch despatched a flunkey to buy the mini digital music player which has become all the rage.