Apple today introduced new versions of its all-in-one iMac computers and an update to its iLife suite. With the updates, Apple did not offer any big surprises, but instead enhanced its already comprehensive lineup of hardware and software for media publishing.

Updated iMacs

Apple CEO Steve Jobs first showcased the updated iMacs, which now come in 20″ and 24″ versions. The updated iMacs feature aluminum and glass construction, an extremely thin keyboard, and faster processors. The new iMacs are available immediately. A entry-level 20″ iMac will cost $1,199, with a more powerful model available at $1,499. The 24″ iMac will cost $1,799.

iLife ’08

Jobs also introduced a new version of Apple’s suite of home media applications, iLife ’08, calling it “the biggest jump in iLife since we introduced it.” Many of the apps in the suite have podcast capability or podcast-like functions. The apps are tightly integrated with iWeb, so that you can easily publish podcasts, video podcast and Internet photo albums. The new version of iPhoto also has enhanced support for the iPhone.

iMovie has been redesigned to let you browse all your video assets, which is likely to be a resource hog, but should streamline video production. The most popular new feature may be built-in YouTube uploading. This is a great new feature – but we’d like to see Apple offer built-in support for popular blogging platforms.

.Mac

Apple’s online service option for Mac owners, .Mac, has come under criticism because its features were getting creaky. In addition to the tight integration with iLife, Apple’s bumped users’ space up to 10Gb. The updates today should go a long way towards giving .Mac broader appeal.

Other introductions included updated versions of Apple’s iWork productivity package, which has added a spreadsheet, Numbers.