Dear Friends,

This week it’s Ben writing for Don while he’s in San Jose attending this year’s ASMC conference. Each year, over 100 Apple Specialists from all over the US and Canada gather to network, attend special seminars and events and check out the latest in Apple gear. We’ve been busy holding down the office in VT, but as we’re in the midst of our fourth straight day of rain, we can’t help but be a little jealous of the ever present California sun.

The big Apple news this week was the release of updated iMacs. Though the inclusion of Thunderbolt and FaceTime HD on desktop Macs was inevitable, I wouldn’t have predicted it this soon. The latest generation of iMac takes an already perfected design and makes it even better. The implementation of quad-core i5 processors across the line gives every model a serious boost of horsepower. Combine that with updated graphics and the super fast Thunderbolt I/O technology and it equals another big winner from Apple.

I’m already excited to see how fast these new machines cut through HD video when Final Cut Pro X drops next month. While the Mac Pro still reigns supreme in terms of customization and raw power, Tuesday’s updates show that the iMac—especially the 27-incher—is quickly creeping into its territory for a tech turf war. Parents: cover your Mac mini’s eyes; this one could get rough!