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By Caroline McCarthy, 3 March 2009 16:56

NEWS

As expected, Apple announced desktop updates on Tuesday with a focus on energy efficiency.

Apple has revealed new Mac Pro high-end desktops powered by Intel's Nehalem-based Xeon processors, new and more graphics-intensive Mac Mini machines, and updated iMacs that offer the lowest price yet for Apple's consumer desktops.

All the new machines meet the requirements for the US government's Energy Star 5.0 certification, which kicks in this summer.

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The new Mac Pro is priced at £1,899 for the quad-core version and at £2,499 for the eight-core version, with the Nehalem-based Xeon processors running at speeds up to 2.93GHz. The interior of the machine has been cleaned up to make physical expansions easier.

The new iMac all-in-one desktop offers a 24-inch screen and is priced at £1,199 while the 20-inch model now costs £949.

The 20-inch version comes with a 2.66GHz processor, a 320GB hard drive, and 2GB of RAM expandable to 8GB. The 24-inch model offers processor speed options of 2.66GHz, 2.93GHz (for £1,499), or 3.06GHz (for £1,799). The 24-incher comes with a 640GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM expandable to 8GB.

As for the new Mac Mini, the big upgrade: the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics chip, which Apple says will improve graphics performance as much as fivefold. The machine, which comes without peripherals, costs £499 for a lower-end edition (1GB RAM, 120GB hard drive) or £649 for the higher-end (2GB RAM, 320GB hard drive).

The Mac Mini is the "world's most energy efficient desktop computer", Apple COO Tim Cook claimed in a statement. Cook is currently at the helm of the company while CEO Steve Jobs is out for six months due to health reasons.