Apple updates desktops with faster chips, adds option of iPhone-like control pad

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Apple updates desktops with faster chips

CUPERTINO, Calif. — Apple Inc. unveiled the latest update to its line of desktop computers Tuesday, promising faster speeds and offering the option of multi-touch controls similar to those used on the iPhone.

Apple said its new line of iMac desktops, with new processors from Intel Corp. and new graphics chips, are the company’s fastest ever. They run from $1,199 to $1,999 based on speed and screen size.

IMac buyers can also now pay an extra $69 for what Apple calls the Magic Trackpad, which mimics the two-finger pinch and pull controls of the iPhone.

Apple also released a new line of Mac Pro desktops. Like the new iMacs, Apple says the latest Pro computers carry faster processors — essentially the brains of a computer — as well as new graphics chips that produce a sharper display.

Finally, Apple released a new stand-alone 27-inch LED screen for $999, which can be hooked up to a laptop or desktop. It says the display is 60 percent bigger than Apple’s 24-inch LED display.

Apple shares rose $3.13, or 1.2 percent, to $262.41 in morning trading.