After almost a year since the last refresh Apple has launched a new generation of iMac's and the new models feature 20 or 24-inch displays. The great news here is that Apple has finally given up on its pesky 1,440x900 resolution and moved to 1,680x1,050 on the 20-inch models. The graphics in the new models have also been upgraded to AMD Radeon 2600PRO cards for all but the entry level model which features a Radeon HD 2400XT.

The external design has changed as well and the iMac is even thinner than before and the "overhang" below the front of the display is smaller than before. Gone is the naff plastic look and it has been replaced by an aluminium chassis which looks a lot more professional. A new keyboard has also been created for the new iMac and it looks something like the MacBook Pro keyboard in an aluminium casing.

Click for a larger version

There will be four basic models, all of which can be customized at time of ordering. They are priced as per below and available for purchase now.

US$1,199 - AU$1,698
20-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 LCD
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB RAM
250GB SATA
8x SuperDrive
128MB ATI Radeon HD 2400XT

US$1,499 - AU$2,149
20-inch, 1,680 x 1,050 LCD
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB RAM
320GB SATA
8x SuperDrive
256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro

US$1,799 - AU$2,599
24-inch, 1,900 x 1,200 LCD
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
1GB RAM
320GB SATA
8x SuperDrive
256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro

US$2,299 - AU$3,339
24-inch, 1,900 x 1,200 LCD
2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme
2GB RAM
500GB SATA
8x SuperDrive
256MB ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro

You might thing the Australian price is a rip-off, but consider this, the US$ price in Australia is US$1,456 for the entry level model, which is an additional US$257, but in Europe they retail for US$1,651 if you live in a Euro country. In the UK the same system is US$1,621 and the poor Norwegian's have to pay US$1,724 for the same system. So for once Australia doesn't get ripped off quite as badly as some countries.

You can check out more details over at Apple