Brand New iMacs Incoming [Fox]

Fox News is reporting through multiple sources that Apple is rolling out a new line of iMacs. Two big questions hover over the story: when?; and will they have Retina displays?

Clayton Morris of Fox News claims to have confirmed with “multiple sources” that “a new lineup of desktop machines from Apple is imminent.” The all-in-one desktop Mac is, indeed, overdue for a refresh.

No technical details are dished out, but everyone’s hoping for Retina displays. However, looking at how much this specification adds to the price tag, it would be childish to hope for Apple to come out with a system that you can’t afford.

There’s also a good chance the technology still isn’t ripe for units larger than 15 inches on the diagonal, as some experts have remarked.

Morris recalls an ABC News report from May that said the iMac line would be getting higher-resolution displays.

However, Marco Arment, the developer of Instapaper, has heard otherwise.

"I’ve now heard from multiple sources that while an iMac update is indeed coming this fall, it will not have Retina displays," he wrote in a recent blog entry.

Apple’s 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro has received accolades from reviewers all across the globe, giving Apple every bit of indication it needs that crisper is better.

However, let’s not forget that Retina doesn’t translate into the same dpi (dots per inch) formula on all types of devices.

For instance, the iPhone, which is held 12 inches from your face, has the higher pixel-per-inch density of all Apple devices. The iPad is held farther away from the user’s face so, naturally, a less denser pixelation is required to achieve the same results. The same goes for the MacBook Pro with Retina display.

In this respect, the 21.5-inch iMac (the smallest configuration available) wouldn’t necessarily require the same pixel density to achieve Retina-grade graphics. However, Apple needs to take a lot more aspects into account for this equation to work (such as screen resolution).