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Files in Mac OS point to new iMacs, Mac Minis

It's the computer-science version of the proverbial needle in a haystack: a Mac fan appears to have uncovered evidence that Apple has new iMacs and Mac Minis on tap.

Tom Krazit Former Staff writer, CNET News
Tom Krazit writes about the ever-expanding world of Google, as the most prominent company on the Internet defends its search juggernaut while expanding into nearly anything it thinks possible. He has previously written about Apple, the traditional PC industry, and chip companies. E-mail Tom.
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New Mac Minis and iMacs could be on the short list for Macworld 2009. Apple

A Mac fan with way too much time on his hands may have discovered evidence of new iMacs and Mac Minis coming soon.

A forum poster on InsanelyMac.com found code strings inside the version of Mac OS X running on the new MacBooks that point to a new version of the iMac and Mac Mini. MacRumors.com verified that the identifying marks uncovered by the poster (iMac9,1 and Macmini3,1) would indeed represent a new version beyond the marks used by the current iMac and MacMini (iMac8,1 and Macmini2,1).

The new systems appear to use the same Nvidia chipsets that Apple introduced in those new MacBooks, the MCP79 chipset. That chipset uses the Nvidia 9400M graphics processor, and would give both systems a boost in graphics processing power over the Intel integrated chipsets they currently use.

New Mac Minis and iMacs are high on the list of systems expected to arrive at Macworld 2009. The Mac Mini has been the subject of much speculation about its future this year after it appeared the systems were headed out to pasture, but it appears Apple will bring it around for another go.