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Apple releases Lion, New Macbook Air, Mac Mini and Thunderbolt Displays

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As expected, Apple has today launched a new generation of Macbook Air notebooks alongside Mac OS X Lion; the latest Mac Operating System software.

The Cupertino, CA Company weren’t happy with releasing two new products to the world today though. The Mac Mini range has received a refresh and new models are now sitting on the online Apple Store waiting to be bought. There’s also a new version of Apple’s beautiful Cinema Display monitor, now branded as the Thunderbolt Display.

Apple’s new range of Macbook Air includes two sizes; 11.6-inches and 13.3-inches. For each size there is a base model and a higher spec model, the specifications for all models can be seen below.

Macbook Air 11.6-inch

Entry Model – 1.6GHz Processor, 2GB RAM, 64GB Flash Storage – £849

Top Spec – 1.6GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB Flash Storage – £999

You’ll also be able to choose specifications to suit your needs in a built-to-order fashion from the Apple Store online. Extra options include a 1.8GHz processor, 4GB RAM and 256GB Flash Storage. Obviously, with Apple these options will come at a premium price on top.

Macbook Air 13.3-inch

Entry Model – 1.7GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 128GB Flash Storage – £1099

Top Spec – 1.7GHz Processor, 4GB RAM, 256GB Flash Storage – £1349

Again you can spec out a 13.3-inch Macbook Air to order. The same 1.8GHz processor upgrade, 4GB RAM and 256GB Flash Storage options are available for both models.

All new Macbook Air models will ship with Apple’s brand new operating system, OS X Lion. The new OS launched today as a digital download available from the Mac App Store. You can upgrade for just £20.99 ($29.99) by purchasing the upgrade through the App Store, which then gives you a 4GB digital download to upgrade your Mac – you don’t need to step foot outside of your house!

Apple has refreshed the range of tiny Mac Mini desktop Macs as well. The body of the Mini has stayed virtually the same though Apple has decided to take away the optical CD drive for some reason. Internal specifications have received a pretty big boost, however. Three new Mac Mini models are now available including a new Server version. The specifications and prices for each are as follows:

Entry Model – 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 2GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, Intel HD Graphics 3000 – £529

Top Spec – 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM, 500GB Hard Drive, AMD Radeon HD 6630M Graphics – £699

Server Model – 2.0GHz quad-core Intel Core i7, 4GB RAM, Dual 500 GB 7200 rpm Hard Drives, Intel HD Graphics 3000 – £849.99

All three models come with the new OS X Lion preinstalled and with the Thunderbolt port for connecting up to external hard drives or the new Apple Thunderbolt Display with a whopping 2560 x 1600 resolution. The power supply is now built in and Apple has added an inbuilt speaker which can be used as a speaker for Bluetooth connected iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad.

To compliment the new Thunderbolt port on the latest Macbook Air and Mac Mini devices, Apple has released a Thunderbolt Display. The Thunderbolt Display is practically the same as the previous Cinema Display but with an added Thunderbolt connectivity port and VESA compatible wall mounting capabilities. The screen itself is 27-inches in size and is capable of a crisp 2560×1440 resolution.

So which is your favourite out of the new Apple products? Most importantly, which will you be buying? Let us know via our Official Twitter Page.