iMac 333's are definitely starting to become available in the retail channel, as reported by multiple sources who have actually been able to buy them and take them home-- including Tangerine ones, which hopefully puts the whole "Banana and Cherry" issue to rest for the time being. As far as anyone can tell, there is absolutely nothing different about the new iMacs other than the use of a 333 MHz G3 instead of a 266 MHz one. Well, actually, there is one other little difference, which may help quell some of the loudest criticism to emanate from the iMac user base. (No, it doesn't have a floppy drive; are people really still complaining about that?) We're talking about the mouse.

Yes, the iMac mouse is small, but that's not the real problem for most people. The thing that gets people turned around in circles is the iMac mouse's symmetrical roundness; most mice are oblong so the user can keep it pointed forward, but the iMac's mouse is perfectly round and therefore has a tendency to drift rotationally, leading to all sorts of wacky shenanigans. iMac 333's still have round mice, but Apple's added a little dimple to the center of the button (as shown and detailed at NoBeige) to help people keep it pointed forward. Hey, it's cute, too. Interestingly, NoBeige readers also confirm that dimpled mice shipped with some of the very last iMac 266's that made it into the channel, so we suppose that we can't really classify this "innovation" as being a true "rev. D" development.

Other notable news from NoBeige: prices on rev. A and B iMacs are indeed falling through the floor now that they're few and far between and a whopping 100 MHz slower than the latest and greatest. People are reporting being able to pick up factory-sealed rev. B's for $599, which is technically known as "a song." If you're in the market for an iMac but you're, say, hurting from the big fat check you just sent off to the IRS, consider a Bondi Blue model-- if you can find one.