While many of the announcements during Apple CEO Steve Jobs ’ keynote Tuesday at Macworld Expo may have been require , the Macs that became the first to run on Intel - built C.P.U. were n’t such obvious selection .

While many thought the iBook would be the first Mac to have an Intel buffalo chip , the preeminence instead fail to the iMac and an entirely new laptop dubbed the MacBook Pro . Both machines run on Intel Core Duo central processing unit .

The decision on which modeling would feature Intel CPU first may have catch some observers off - guard , but it was a choice that was carefully thought out by Apple executives . “ We want to do a product that was impactful , and the iMac is kind of our flagship product , ” David Moody , Apple frailty prexy of worldwide production marketing , said . “ With the PowerBook , we had gone a long time trying to get over the performance hurdle and the Intel Core Duo allowed us to do that . ”

JupiterResearch Senior Analyst Michael Gartenberg was n’t that surprised to see two Macs released and feels that Apple made the proper choice in choosing the systems to advance .

“ I was n’t overly blown out , ” Gartenberg said . “ These bozo have really been working severely and the hit both market place segment they need to with the iMac and MacBook releases . “

When the Intel passage was first announced at Apple ’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2005 , Jobs say to expect the first Intel - base computer in a yr . Tuesday ’s computer hardware announcements puts Apple and Intel six months ahead of schedule in the aforethought switching - over .

“ The process of the transition has gone very well for both society , ” Moody said . “ We ’ve had intensive technology meetings between the two companies , so we are thrilled to get these products out . ”

Gartenberg said he was impressed by how much the Intel - power machines feel like a Mac . “ If nobody told you the difference , you would n’t know , ” he total .

While the Intel announcements were the talk of much of the Expo attendees , Apple also made some significant software expiration . An upgraded iLife software system was unblock , highlighted by the addition of a new covering called iWeb .

iWeb is a Web - publishing app program designed to easily make professional - attend World Wide Web pages populated with on-line photo album , weblogs and podcasts . iWeb users can plan and publish these Web pages without having to know HTML . An incorporated iLife media web web browser provides direct access code to depicted object managed by other iLife program .

“ iWeb accept it up a notch again to embrace podcasting , blogging and photo albums with a great online slideshow viewer , ” enunciate Rob Schoeben , Apple ’s frailty president of program selling . “ The software register as a rude next thing you desire to do with iLife , but it also highlights the consolidation . ”

The integration of the entourage is something that resonated with Jupiter ’s Gartenberg , too .

“ The iLife announcement was huge , ” he enjoin . “ They are capitalizing on all of the integration and technologies . They have ask the internet cant and made an end - to - end solution that anyone can utilize . ”

Schoeben say that with the dismissal of iLife and the Intel - base Macs , Apple is give its user endless possibilities of what they can do with their content .

“ The thoroughgoing Apple solution is not just at the bound of the Mac residential area , it can reach everyone , ” Schoeben said .