This week our regularly-scheduled First Mac Primer episode will be pre-empted due to breaking news. We’ll get back to it as soon as possible.

Last week I gazed into my crystal ball and made some predictions about the product announcements to be made this Tuesday at Apple’s invitation-only press event. How did my soothsaying sphere, my opinionated orb, my gleaning globe, fare? Pretty well, I think.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs presided over the affair, in a small auditorium on Apple’s campus in Cupertino, CA. This cozy atmosphere is much different from the large room at the Moscone Center in San Francisco where MacWorld Expo keynote addresses are held. It was kinda like watching U2 or the Rolling Stones perform in an intimate nightclub. But, I digress.

As I predicted, Jobs announced a new, improved version of the iMac, Apple’s all-in-one desktop computer. While the basic idea (computer packed in behind the display resulting in a minimal “footprint” on your desk) remains the same, the execution is improved, both visually and functionally.

The previous version of the iMac, adorned in white plastic, very much echoed the look of a white iPod. On first viewing, the new iMac’s visual impact rings of the iPhone (yes, I can use that word again). Two “elements” dominate the iMac’s design: Al (aluminum for you history majors) and SiO2 (“glass” for Humanities majors like me). Each iMac is actually made from a single sheet of aluminum. There are no visible seams or screws except for a single compartment on the bottom that provides easy access to the memory slots. The sides of the case are silver, and the back of the case (where the I/O – “plugs and jacks” for you Philosophy majors - lives) is black.

Where does glass fit in? The new iMac uses a glossy LCD display covered by a sheet of glass rather than clear plastic. Glossy displays are currently used on Apple’s MacBooks and available on the MacBook Pro, and “bump up” the contrast (versus matte displays) to really showcase photos and video. The glass cover will certainly be more durable than plastic, and turns out to be more recycle-friendly as well.

As I also predicted, the new iMac gets a slimmed-down keyboard. The keys (and there are more of them, with more special-use keys similar to PC keyboards) are the “flat” variety used on the MacBook. The front of the new keyboard is only .3 inches from the desktop, resulting in a better ergonomic hand-stance while typing. Both a wired and wireless version are available. Apple’s standard-issue Mighty Mouse remains unchanged.

What’s new on the inside? At the high end, a new 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 “Extreme” is available in a build-to-order configuration. At press time, not much was known about this processor. More details to follow. Video processors get bumped to the ATI Radeon HD PRO series, and up to 1TB (that’s “terabyte”, as in a thousand gigabytes, for all you Music majors) of hard drive space is available. All models include an 8x double-layer, CD and DVD burning SuperDrive.

Yes, there are a couple of models. Gone is the entry-level 17-inch, replaced by a “bargain” 20-inch model at $1199, which is $300 cheaper than the 20-inch it replaces. The “standard” high-end 24-inch model (with a 2.4GHz Intel Core2Duo processor) is $200 cheaper, at $1799, than the iMac it replaces. There’s also a “middle” 20-inch model with upgraded processor speed, RAM, and hard drive space for $1499. All models show 3 to 5 business day shipping times at Apple’s online store.