New iMacs This Week - Blu-ray-Capable, SD Card Slot (Rumor)

As Apple’s FY Q4 2009 conference call approaches, talk of new, all-in-one desktop Macintosh models continues to surface. With iMac supplies dwindling in recent weeks, 9to5mac cites more than one source as saying that new iMacs are likely on their way. One of these sources even suggests the launch could occur this week – tomorrow, to be precise.

German Mac-focused website Mac Essentials reports that m-Store is offering deals on iMacs, including 0% finance and a free HP printer, 9to5mac points out. The German site seems pretty sure that said deals suggest new models are looming, noting that, “At next week, stay tuned: On Monday, the quarterly results on Tuesday ... an Apple Tuesday?” (Google Translate). Apple is known to fancy Tuesday upgrades or price cuts preceded by taking its online store down to make the proper adjustments to the listings.

9to5mac cannot stress enough that Apple launching new iMac models is almost a certainty, picking up on a recent Wedge Partners report that claims that a new iMac and a redesigned MacBook are slated for an October release. The site posts a relevant excerpt from the report in question (available below).

Wedge sees a redesigned iMac with a “thinner, organic design, likely with smoothed or rounded edges.” The MacBook redesign “is likely to be limited,” Wedge asserts. Meanwhile, the firm also expects “new, lower price points to drive demand and create a meaningful competitive threat” to coming PCs based on Windows 7, as well as to the booming netbook segment. “We believe these new designs and price points will help Apple achieve a 3 million unit quarter for Macs in [calendar] Q4.”

Lastly, MacForever is cited as speculating on the actual hardware upgrades. The French site’s sources say new iMacs will have SD card slots and Quad core processors, while some even go as far as mentioning Blu-ray, although the Mac maker has never fancied Sony’s high-definition format in any of its desktop or portable configurations.