We've got around a month to wait before Apple unveils the anticipated next-gen iMac design, it has been claimed. Expect to see the 20in and 24in machines on shop shelves between the middle of July and mid-August, moles maintain.

Apple's Al iMac - artist's impression

Earlier this month, it was claimed the new models, which are said to sport a stylish, Mac Pro-like aluminium all-in-one enclosure, might see the light of day by now. No mention of the machines was made at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference last week, though last-minute schedule shifts were likely, the sources claimed.

According to an AppleInsider report, that's indeed what may have taken place, with the consumer computers' launch pushed out to be aligned with the start of the so-called back-to-school sales period.

At this stage, there are no definite details about the machines' specifications beyond tweaks to the current memory and hard drive capacity, and the addition of faster Intel Core 2 Duo processors, obvious improvements Apple will undoubtedly make.

Past rumours have posited a move to make the machines more like HDTVs, but Apple's strategy to drive movie and programme downloads through its iTunes online store suggest it's unlikely to embrace TV tuner hardware. Want to timeshift a show? Then pay $1.99 and download when you feel like watching it...