New Macs Mar. 24th?

Long-awaited refreshes to Apple's desktop computers may finally be announced later this month, rumors propose. Two Apple news sites, World of Apple and My Apple Guide, are both citing anonymous sources which claim that new Macs will launch during a special event on March 24th. It is specifically believed that Apple is updating the Mac Pro, Mac mini and iMac; the last is again expected to switch to NVIDIA-based graphics hardware.

MAG further adds that Apple is preparing a "pleasant 'surprise'" for the event, though there is no clear indication of what it might be. Mac OS X Snow Leopard has been widely predicted to launch before its official summer deadline, and could see a near-future release date set. More speculative suggestions have included updated iPhones, or possibly the first Apple netbook.

The desktop refreshes are thought to be essential in their own right however, as the lack of an updated iMac may be hurting Apple finances. The Mac mini is meanwhile grossly out of date, having last been updated in August of 2007. Apple is less dependent on the Mac Pro, but the computer is favored by the company's professional customers.

by MacNN Staff