Sure, Apple just posted a record quarter of earnings, but it's been taking a beating lately on the price issue -- not only have cheap netbooks become the hottest category in the market, Microsoft's Laptop Hunters commercials have reignited the Apple tax debate. That appears to have the wheels in motion in Cupertino: AppleInsider says the MacBook and iMac lines are soon to be bolstered with lower-cost options that should take some of the bite out of Redmond's marketing. That's certainly interesting, but here's the real noise: according to AI, the low-cost machines are just an interim solution while Apple preps a new tablet line to take on netbooks directly without making any of the design sacrifices Steve Jobs has repeatedly pooh-poohed. Wild -- but it jibes with those recent whispers about a Verizon / Apple meetup and those reports that Quanta's busy building something with a 10-inch display. So -- cheaper Macs in the short term, crazy-insane iPhone tablet / MID thing riding a unicorn sometime later. You believe any of that?

This is not the most prurient example of augmented reality we've seen, and it may not have an obvious movie tie-in, but we will give it bonus points for being educational. Visitors to an exhibit titled "A Future for the Past," currently at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam, can peep context specific info and virtual reconstructions of Satricum and the Forum Romanum, superimposed on large scale photographs of each respective site. There are two types of hardware on hand -- both the MovableScreen-packin' iMac stationary display and the UMPC devices allow the user to seemingly view through the photos, exploring specific points of interest. There's no telling how much a setup like this would run you if you wanted to, for example, let your friends and neighbors virtually peruse that massive Lego city you built in the garage, but make sure you let us know when you get it up and running. That would be so sweet. Video after the break.

There's really not enough to say about Apple's newly spec-bumped iMac to warrant a full-on review -- sure, it's got faster processors and some newer video cards, but in day-to-day use it feels like basically the same machine first introduced in August of 2007. In fact, apart from the switch to mini DisplayPort and the removal of FireWire 400, we're pretty sure you could swap in this new model for the older 2.4GHz 24-inch aluminum iMac we use as one of our daily drivers and we wouldn't even know until we tried to render out some video or do some gaming -- the marginal increase in power just isn't all that noticeable in day-to-day tasks. If you ask Apple, they'll tell you that the big story is that $1,499 now buys you a 24-inch screen -- which, considering the historical lameness of the 20-inch iMac screen, is good news in more ways than one. We wanted to put our older model head-to-head with its modern analogue, though, so we opted to test the $1,799 2.93GHz version with GeForce GT 120 graphics -- we didn't quite get upgrade fever, but we'll admit we thought about pulling a switcheroo once or twice. Read on!

As we saw when comparing the uncovered internals of the old MacBook Pros to the new MacBook Pros, there ain't much different inside of these new iMac machines. Still, we couldn't pass up the opportunity to share ifixit's glorious splaying of Apple's freshest all-in-one Mac. As we've come to expect, these guys used only the best tools and the best lighting to shoot the dissection, and the whole thing is seriously bordering on artistic. Tap the read link for more pictorial delight as well as a ridiculous amount of detail covering what they found within.

Just like the new Mac mini, the new iMac is the externally the same apart from the terribly sad swap of FireWire 400 for an additional USB port and the addition of mini DisplayPort, but inside things have been updated all around. We're busy putting this 2.93GHz bad boy to the test as we speak, but in the meantime check out the unboxing below -- and let us know if you find the tiny new keyboard super-cute or super-ridiculous, we're on the fence.

Apple just announced new 24-inch and 20-inch iMacs, with some friendlier pricing and Mini DisplayPort video out. Prices start at $1,199 for the 20-inch and $1,499 for the 24-inch. At the base level Apple offers a 20-incher with 2.66Ghz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, a 320GB HDD and GeForce 9400M graphics, the rest of the iMacs are 24-inch numbers with 4GB of RAM standard. In the high end Apple has 2.93GHz and 3.06GHz processor for $1,799 and $2,199, respectively, with GeForce GT 120 256MB and GeForce GT 130 512MB graphics. In between there's a 24-incher for $1,199 with 9400M graphics, a 2.66GHz processor and a 640GB HDD. On the outside it's that same iMac candy shell you know and love, though Apple has oddly replaced the standard wired keyboard with a new numeric keypad-free model -- those pesky numbers are available as an option. All models are available now, full configurations are after the break.

Update: Early information across the wires listed the new iMacs with Core i7 processors. Sadly, this is not the case, and we've updated the post to reflect the boring reality of the situation.

The flood of Apple hardware rumors just won't let up -- not only did commenters dig through those Airport Extreme and Time Capsule FCC filings and find evidence that the new models will indeed support simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation, we've got iMac model numbers and leaked specs for Mac mini and Mac Pro, all of which are said to be arriving as soon as tomorrow. Of course, given the conservative / obvious nature of these updates, all of this information could be coming from some fanboy lair deep in a parents' basement somewhere and still sound plausible, but hey -- we'll find out soon enough, right? Here's what we know so far:

• The iMac will apparently come in an entry level MB147 20-inch model, as well as three 24-inch SKUs: MB148 "mass-market," MB149 "high-end," and MB420 "ultimate." All models will go to mini DisplayPort and feature Core 2 Duos up to 3.06GHz.
  
• The Mac mini will indeed feature five USB ports and that funky dual mini-DVI / mini DisplayPort configuration, but it's also apparently going to an NVIDIA chipset like the MacBooks and iMac. The base MB463 model will start with a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo, and there's also a "high-end" MB464 configuration.
• The Mac Pro will come in eight-core configurations from 3.0GHz to 3.6GHz and 16-core configurations in 3.6GHz and 4.0GHz flavors, and it sounds like it's going to be even funkier on the video tip -- our tipster says it has two regular DVI ports and a mini DisplayPort. Sure, okay. It's also apparently a bit lighter than the current model, at 35 pounds instead of 42.
  
• Tipster Tom noted that the Airport Extreme and Time Capsule FCC filings contain direct references to simultaneous 5GHz and 2.4GHz operation, so that's looking even more probable.

Obviously we'll let you know if all this stuff slips out with no fanfare tomorrow, but with PMA and CeBIT both going on right now, we think that March 24 date is more likely -- Apple does like to hog the attention, after all. Anyone else have any secrets to share? We're all ears.

[Thanks, Anonymous]

We're not exactly making plans yet, but word on the street is that Apple's planning a March 24 desktop hardware event. Both World of Apple (which has a decent track record) and a site called My Apple Guide (which we've never heard of but apparently has a "rough" prediction history) say the event's on the books, and considering the age of the iMac and Mac mini and the uptick in rumors lately, it's certainly plausible. We'll wait until we get an official invite before we start making bold predictions, but we're definitely hoping for a mini with at least 25 USB ports housed inside an old Disk ][.

[Thanks, iB3nji]

Read - World of Apple
Read - My Apple Guide

This may look like a beloved iMac, but make no mistake, it's just a shell of its former self. CGCC forum member Logicdustbin decided to gut the all-in-one and replace its innards with a Sega Dreamcast and 15-inch LCD monitor. The result? The iCast, a beautiful homage to simpler times. Hit up the video after the break to see this Fronk-en-shteen in action, playing a game that'll assuredly prepare our children for a post-apocalyptic world.

[Via hack a day]

With more and more players getting in on the all-in-one market, both on the high and the low end of the scale, you just have to figure Apple's going to respond with something new and flash to make everyone go "ooh." There were numerous hints last year about a refresh to the line, and now we have a few more that again point to updated NVIDIA-based machines in 20- and 24-inch glossy sizes. The above photo is supposedly from some secret Apple marketing material, and the company is said to also be reducing stock of the old ones at retailers in preparation of a typically dramatic switcheroo. As far as when that will happen, your guess is as good as ours at this point -- you know how much Cupertino loves surprises.

[Thanks, iB3nji]

Rumors of a new Mac mini or iMac have been floated (and denied) for a while now, but one ferocious investigator's feasted his eyes on a few pieces of rather telling evidence recently. A poster on the InsanelyMac forums found some code in his new MacBook which referred to "iMac9,1 and Macmini3,1" which would seem to indicate that a newer version -- current iMacs and Mac minis are marked iMac8,1 and Macmini2,1 -- if both products are on the horizon. The new identifiers also list both as having "CFG_MCP7" chipsets -- the same NIVIDIA set used in the new Macbooks (current minis have Intel GMA 950 chipsets while iMacs have NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GS GPUs). So... we'll see you at Macworld, then?

[Via CNET]

There's a good possibility you felt some sense of jealously when eying RDC's meticulously modded Xbox 360, and now you can act on said envy thanks to the supreme convenience of the online auction house known as eBay. That's right kids -- the slot loading Xbox 360 that was shown here just under a month ago is now on the auction block, and the $250 minimum bid means that you're paying a ridiculously small premium for all the blood, sweat and tears that were undoubtedly poured into this creation. Of course, that figure is apt to head skyward in a hurry, but maybe that would encourage you to get off your keister and craft one yourself. No time like the present to beef up that weakening DIY muscle.

[Via Xbox-Scene, thanks Aguiluz]