iMac gains Core 2 Duo chips and 24-inch screen

Sooner than expected, Apple has brought Intel's mobile Core 2 Duo (a.k.a. Merom) chips to its iMac line and introduced a larger size. Joining the 17-inch and 20-inch models is a new 24-inch iMac that features a 1,920x1,200 resolution. Priced at $1,999, the 24-inch iMac features a 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo chip (you can also upgrade to a 2.33GHz chip) and Nvidia GeForce graphics, with either the 128MB 7300 GT or the 256MB 7600 GT card. The 17-inch model now starts at $999 with a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo processor. In the middle sits the 20-inch model at $1,499, which features the same two processor options as its larger cousin and ATI Radeon graphics.

Apple claims that the 24-inch model, when equipped with the 2.33GHz Core 2 Duo processor, delivers up to 50 percent more performance than the previous 20-inch iMac. Apple also states that the 24-incher's screen is 40 percent brighter than the suddenly puny-looking 20-inch model. We will bring you a full review of the new 24-inch iMac as soon as we are able to lay our hands on one.

The $1,999 24-inch iMac includes:

• 2.16GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor (with 4MB shared L2 cache)
  
• 1GB of 667MHz DDR2 memory
  
• 250GB SATA hard drive (7,200rpm)
  
• 128MB Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT graphics card
  
• 8X double-layer SuperDrive
  
• Built-in iSight video camera
  
• Built-in AirPort Extreme and Bluetooth 2.0
  
• Apple Remote, Mighty Mouse, and Apple Keyboard
  

The full Core 2 Duo iMac line can be seen on Apple's product page. Pricing and spec info can also be found for all four models on our Apple iMac Core 2 Duo series page.