I've noticed a few comments here about upgrading Mac's and how the older ones can still run the new OS's etc. I find it very interesting that the new iMovie application doesn't work on Mac's with a Spec. lower than a G5. So much for using my much beloved 12" G4 laptop for iMovie! Apple finally making an upsell move to get everyone onto Intels!! I love the Mac, i'll pay more for the ease of use and the simplistic nature of the software, and the hardware. Whenever I use a new Mac product I usually hate it for the first couple of days until I get used to it, then suddenly I realize how intuitive it is and how Apple really changes the way I do things. Change is good...something the PC world doesn't comprehend!! But there is room for both so if you want a $399 Dell be my guest..I bought a much higher spec Dell desktop at the same time as my G4 laptop..guess which one runs better now!! Jobs is getting rich becasue he is a remarkable businessman. Look how many opinions he generates here!

MC, London,

The powermac is Apple's flagship machine, not the iMac.

So we've been treated to a minor update using Intel technology that's been available for over a year. Sorry, can't get too excited about this one, even if it is in a nice new box.

In reality this machine is no more capable then a $399 Dell; probably because it shares the same chipset, memory, cpu, graphics card and hard-drive anyway. Then there is Mr. Jobs "design genius" that dictates a perfectly good 20" or 24" goes to landfill when the machine is out of date or fails.

The iLife software is adequate, no more really and iTunes is plain poor (no sync to multiple machines, no transfer from ipod to PC, very basic). I really can't understand why people rate them so highly.

Sorry Apple, love your ipod, indifferent about your PCs, hate your marketing and my opinion of itunes and quicktime is unprintable. C-.

Peter, Zurich, Switzerland

Amazing; when Apple were innovative, they struggled trying to do both hardware and software. 20 yrs Apple PCs were far superior to PCs for speed and esp. ease of use now the difference is not so big.

They now make pretty consumer electronics, nothing special in terms of functionality or innovation in fact many such as creative beat them to it. Hence Apple paying $100M for patent infringements to creative.

Kids will be studying the IPod as a classic business for years, come late to market offering nothing innovative and do so well that mp3=iPod and iTunes - even though the default format for an iPod is not mp3 but their own (mp3 is an option but how many know that).

If anyone else had "locked" customers in as Apple have done they would be an outcry.

Terry, london,

A large chunk of the differential between US and UK pricing is down to VAT being included in the UK price, whereas US sales taxes are additional to Apple's US ticket price. Apple's UK pricing is better than many US corporations - anyone compared MS Vista prices lately?

Nigel, Surrey, England

Interesting price differential. The article quotes a price of £590 presumably based on the American price given by Mr Jobs and the dollar conversion rate. The actual price in the UK direct from Apple is £799 including VAT. Even if the price quoted was ex VAT it still costs over £100 more in the UK.

Anybody surprised?

Iain, Nottingham,

Yes very nice !!... I have always admired the stylish and sleek design and look of Apple computers and all there products in fact, however, what do they actually do??... they seem to have a lot of software for surfing the net, and dowloading and organising your photo's and music. This may be cynical but how many of us have the time to spend endless hours on these activities.. seems that iWorks and Office are optional extra's and not included in any packages. Software packages seem to be limited in choice..

And another thing why does it cost £799 in the UK and £599 in the US. Another example of a company tryiing to rip us off !.. Until we get some useful schoices for software and accessories, I think I'll be sticking to the humble PC !

AL, London, UK

Cory, let's get things into perspective here, love. Not every subject has to be compared with world peace or finding a cure for cancer. People can get enthusiastic about the things they love without lamenting that we live in an unfair world and people are dying in Darfur. Bad things will always happen and we shouldn't feel guilty because we are lucky enough to enjoy the good things in life. If the new iMac will make a difference to Lawrence Carter's world then good for him.

Eric Blair, London,

IT "professionals" still insist on PCs because it keeps them in a job. I have worked at 2 top class research institutes in the UK - one mac based (3 computer support techs) and one windows based (14 techs). Guess which users were happier?

Martin, Cambridge, UK

Mr. Madley, I am a Mac user. I do not now, nor have I ever, owned a VW Beetle. Your point was....?

If you'd like to get a feel for the value of a Mac, try to purchase one second-hand. They fetch prices far in excess of their PC counterparts. The reason? It's a quality product, with thoughtful touches throughout. By maintaining ownership of the process (hardware and software), they've been able to maintain not just quality, but fluid update and upgrade paths for their users. For the same reasons they're not as big a market share as the PC, they have a higher quality. I would like to get a new iMac; but, my 4-year old machine works fine for my needs. My 4-year old Dell, however.

DHL, Portland, US (Maine)

Why doesn't everyone use Macs? Because they're expensive to buy and upgrade. Software is also very expensive at the moment. You get far better value from a PC.

I'm not anti-mac, I occasionally use one myself and enjoy the quirky interface, but the main market is business, and not many companies will go all-Mac because they'd have to retrain staff to use them, never mind the cost.

It's a nice system for graphic designers and style-conscious home users, but it's not going to win major market share for a good long while yet.

Still, the latest machine is very shiny and I'm sure the core audience will like it.

Ross Liversidge, Ripon, UK

Does the new iMAC have more than 1GB? You can buy a pc with 2GB for less than 1/2 the price of a small iMAC with 1 GB. Do people realize this?
Also I think everyone is falling for the marketing techniques of Apple. Now that is flawless. Look beyond the beauty & allure of the the products & really see what you are getting. Consumers need to stop falling for this. It's only making Steve Jobs richer & richer.
He has consumers believing that to return a product should actually cost the consumer money. He calls it a restocking fee. PAHHHHleeeease.
Come on America don't throw away your money. Pay your mortgages instead!!
Whereas the products may be decent they are Wayyyyyyyy over priced.
If Jobs wants some market research...here's some...I was at an Apple store the other day & everyone came in to look at iPhones & then walked away commenting on how they were overpriced.

Cat T, Ponte Vedra,

Erm... John C. I hate to say it, but Betamax is universally agreed to be the best video format. It is still used by many pro cameramen 20 years later.

Ben, London, UK

NO!, that's to Dave Madley in Spain. Apple is the thinking person's computer, more time doing what you want to do and less time wasted with those I.T. issues you get with pcs. Less people have them but that's because they cost a little more to buy initially; although in the long run the cost of ownership is less. My 10 year old Mac is running the latest Mac operating system, how many 10 year old pcs would do the same? They don't just look great, they work great too, don't be fooled into the argument of style over substance, Mac delivers both! Those that have a mac know what i'm saying and those that don't, it's your loss!

Scott, Cumbria, England

I hope they don't break constantly like the last iMac and the two recent Mac laptops I bought. Sadly Apple's iPod and iPhone have gone to their head, and they just seem to forget to make their computer hardware properly and how to treat their previously loyal customers with respect if something goes wrong. Look good, though.

Martin Wagner, London,

To Dave Madley: No we're not the same type of people who bought Beetles and Priuses. We are just people who find working with a simpler but just as capable operating system more desirable than having to constantly upgrade virus protections and having to reboot our computers 10 times a day.

James Walton, Washington , DC

"The new iMacs, which go on sale in the UK today, come in two sizes – with 20 and 24-inch screens – and will cost $1,199 (£590) and $1,799 (£885) respectively."

Of course those figures only make sense if Apple products were priced based on exchange rates alone, but of course in Rip Off Britain that is not the case so i would add on at least an extra 200 quid onto those prices!

GM, Sydney,

I have always had Microsoft computers but after the most recent purchase, a top of the line HP, I am another one of those who will be moving to a Mac, Whenever anything goes wrong with a Windows machine the runaround begins with Micosoft blaming the hardware and the hardware vendor blaming Microsoft. Perhaps the fact that Apple is responsible for both hardware and software explains its superior customer support and thus its faster growth. Now if only Mr Jobs would be a little less greedy in his pricing.

ian, Frederick, USA MD

Once you use a Mac, you will never look back. The software design is just so intuitive, my 8yr old kid can create newsletters, compose music, and create movies WITHOUT reading a manual. Try that with Windows software.

Floyd, Manila, Philippines

I can't believe that mac users can't accept the reality - Windows is the business standard platform. Because you can buy the hardware from anyone.

Brian, Stafford,

"Are Apple users the same type of people who bought Volkswagen Beetles????"

Can't speak for us all but I use them because I don't like virii, trojans, worms, et al.

Now they are the same price as PCs that's why I use them. PS - the only German car I really like is the Wiesmann. The only car that's as pretty as an iMac ;-)

sean, london, uk

It's a myth that Mac's are securer - the first viruses were designed for Mac's and the security is no better than a Windows computer, the only difference there are more Windows computers on networks and hooked up to the Internet so to cause maximum damage with a virus then obviously design it for a Windows machine. Mac's are no better than PCs, we use Mac's at work and I am sick of the damn thing freezing up and no one having a clue how to un-freeze it - the lack of right click is infuriating and most software was designed for Windows so you have to fork out more money to get a Mac version, sometimes it's better (such as the version of Office) sometimes it's just as bad.

Steph, London,

I like the car analogy from Al. It is fact that Macs run faster on less and are more stable with it. It is just a by product that they also happen to be the best looking and well thought out designs available with a much copied interface. If you buy a Ford, you expect after the guarantee has run out to upgrade or fix the problems that go wrong (hence the initial cheap price) if you buy a Merc or BMW Audi etc youd expect to pay out a higher initial outlay because you know it wont go wrong and will probably go round the clock twice before having to replace anything. Why people "choose" windows is down to marketing exposure and ignorance. Macs lead the way and always will

James, Leicester, England

If only the UK Apple pricing was derived from the US price at the current fx rate! Sadly you'll be paying a bit more than the £ prices shown in this article....

Simon, Farnham, Surrey, UK

Can't see anything wrong with applying actual industrial design principles (including aesthetic design) to consumer computers. I'm kinda surprised that only Apple does it.

Well, no I'm not -- the margins on PC's are so low that nobody else can really afford to. Cheap Chinese junk look is really what you get for your money after Microsoft takes their hefty OS fee out of the margin.

But I think it's funny that Jonathan Richards thought to compare the brushed-aluminum-and-glass look to an old laptop line instead of the obvious -- The iMac looks like a big iPhone. Shortly the newest iPod will look like a smaller iPhone. They will all have the same design.

The Apple isn't just a different computer. It's a different set of economics, an alternative way for the consumer world to compute.

(No I'm not paid by Apple, I'm just getting overenthused.)

Steve Rapaport, London, England

Graham, London - "their software offering is poor ". Sorry, you've obviously never used a Mac for a project, (work or leisure).

As a long time Mac AND PC user, the design and "pretty" aspect of Apple products is merely a pleasant bonus, though a insight into how much thought is put into making everything work together. The real key is the software (inc. OSX). It makes me so much more productive than when I have to work on PC's. Mainly, I don't have the time to use Windows boxes.

Steve C, Cornwall, UK

User base, worldwide: 96% PC, 4% Mac. Says it all.

Btw, the folks who buy Macs are the same posers who bought Betamax.

John C, Cleggan, Eire

flipping eck, you could build this for less, and choose a more stylish case, pfft OS X is rubbish....but agreed better than vista,... ubuntu ftw

Daniel Housley, Manchester, UK

Dr P - other than the fact that you can't upgrade macs, they are less powerful than their PC cousins, their software offering is poor (unless you install windows on them), and the fact that they have a monopoly on their OS, resulting in inflated prices for what you get. All for something 'pretty' which is going to sit in your office... Vanity!

Graham, London,

Big deal. Since when did Apple ever release anything without Steve Jobs saying it was "the best of its kind ever". I find it hard to be objective about Apple's products because of the sheer predictability of people raving about how great it is and how it will change your life (and save the world now too, apparently. Pity it wasn't made out of recycled materials to begin with - that would be an achievement worth taking note of).

Gaz, London, UK

It's simple, people who by Apples are the technology equivalent of people who by Mercedes, BMWs, or Masarati's. I wouldn't call an IMac a Ferrari (more like Alienware or something), or a Stock car (more like custom/home built). A person who understands technology wants the greater realiability, the slick interface, the beautiful design, and some more performance. What I'm not saying is everyone needs a Mac. Then again, how many SUV's go off road? How many BMWs ever are driven 150mph?
I don't hear people saying, "that Bentley just drains people's pocketbooks." I'm also pretty sure most people would not turn down a Mac if they were given one, "Nah, I'll just stick with my Dell Dimension." Nope, don't see it happening.
So to each their own.
By the way , I use Windows, Mac and Linux on a daily basis. I wish I could just stick with Macs.

El Jones, New York, New York

There is a mistake in the article. You say that the "open apple" key has been renamed as "command". I have owned Apple computers for years, since the late 80's and the key you are calling "open apple" has always been called "command" and never called anything else. In fact, I have never seen any key on a Mac keyboard called "open apple" in any of the literature about operating Macs.

Andrew Sandfoss, Cold Spring, USA/KY

the specs dont look to great. out of date memory, below average graphics cards. i wonder how upgradeable it is.

i put a pc together at a higher spec than these at lower cost, depends if you want a shiny nice looking mac or a better more powerful pc that is cheaper

Paul, slough,

As a matter of fact, yes!!

MacGurl, Pueblo, CO USA,

No Dave. They are simply people who like a reliable, stylish and user friendly product.

Jen Sussex, Basingstoke, UK

David in Spain: It's obvious that you have NEVER used a Mac. Mac users, on the other hand, have used both Windows AND Mac -- and that is why they choose Mac.

Billy, Sleaford, England

I still cant believe people in this world use Windows based systems

Dr P Mulay, Wadebridge Cornwall,

Lawrence- What? He makes shiny pretty computers. It's not like he's making the cure for cancer or creating peace in war-torn countries. How is the friggin' Ipod, or cute new phone going to affect us? Yeah, maybe by draining out our pocket books and making us feel hip and cool, but that's about it. His vision is cashing in on society's want to be cool and hip looking, and the cash that is involved along the way. Can't say I don't envy his results, but this isn't Gandhi we're talking about here.

Cory, Mankato, MN

Are Apple users the same type of people who bought Volkswagen Beetles????

Dave Madley, Alicante, Spain

Mr. Jobs has proven to everyone that he has great vision and a company behind him that can make the difference for our future.

Lawrence Carter, Brooklyn, usa ny