Apple releases new 4K iMacs, pressure-sensitive mice and keyboards

Jason Chen leaves the Apple store in Pasadena, California with a new iMac computer October 5, 2011 (ROBYN BECK/AFP/Getty Images)

Apple has released new 4K iMacs, as well as range of new keyboards, mice and trackpads that bring Apple's pressure-sensitive technology to the desktop.

The long-rumoured iMacs are the first to include the ultra-high definition screens in the 21.5-inch desktop line. Apple also said that it was bringing its 5K Retina display to all of its 27-inch computers.

As well as the computers, Apple released new accessories including a keyboard, a mouse and a trackpad. All of the new accessories have built-in batteries, unlike the existing ones.

The trackpad also has Apple's "Force Touch" technology — which is pressure-sensitive and so allows users to do extra things by pressing hard. That means that Apple's desktop computers can use it for the first time, after it was introduced to the laptops earlier this year.

The new 21.5-inch iMac begins at £1,199 — £200 more than the cheapest iMac that doesn't have the 4K display. The 27-inch one begins at £1,449.

All of those models cancome with the new accessories. But they can be bought individually too: the new Magic Mouse costs £65, the trackpad costs £109 and the new keyboard is £79.

All of the new products are available from today.

“From the first iMac to today, the spirit of iMac has never wavered — deliver the ultimate desktop experience with the latest technologies, gorgeous displays and cutting-edge designs,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s marketing head, in a statement. “These are the most stunning iMacs we’ve ever made. With our gorgeous new Retina displays, more powerful processors and graphics and all-new Magic accessories, the new iMac continues to redefine the ultimate desktop experience.”

Apple released the new computers alongside a site called "iMac: Then and Now". That compares the current model with the original — blue and see-through — one, released in 1998.

The site notes that the new computer has 14 million more pixels than its earliest predecessor, 366 times more processing power and 750 times more storage.