Quad-Core iMacs for January Macworld Expo?

New iMacs for the January Macworld Expo? Without a doubt, according to most Mac aficionados. The only question is what new features the new iMacs will sport.

Courtesy of Apple

One rumor making the rounds is that new iMacs will use a desktop Core 2 quad processor from Intel. Currently, Apple uses the Core 2 Duo processors, which were designed specifically for mobile applications. Apple’s choice of the mobile processor family for the iMac was made primarily for the heat and power considerations that the small form factor of the iMac dictates. The new desktop Core 2 quad processors are said to be designed for lower heat and power utilization. If the heat output meets the necessary specs for an iMac, Apple would certainly want to pop these higher performance processors into the newest models.

The rumor is tantalizing; after all, who wouldn’t want two additional processors in their iMac? But so far, no one has seen these optimized versions of the Core 2 quad processors. That’s not to say they don’t exist. If they do, Apple may be the first to use them in small form factor desktops.