What's ahead from Apple in 2012?

— -- The news out of Apple at the moment is all about the new iPad and revamped Apple TV, but there's a lot more that we can expect from Apple this year, both in terms of hardware and software. If you're thinking of buying an Apple device this year, or are in the market for a new computer then gather round as we tell you what you can expect and when we think you can expect it.

iMac

The iMac is Apple's all-in-one desktop computer. It has a big, bright display with all of the components contained behind it. The unibody design gives iMacs a small footprint on your desk to help you live the Apple minimalist dream (unless of course you cover all of that spare space with paper). What's important about the 2012 models is that they're almost certainly going to have Ivy Bridge chips inside. This new generation of processor from Intel promises even faster computing speeds and will undoubtedly be big news this year, likely becoming the de facto standard for computer processors in 2012.

Possible release: Apple released the last iteration of the iMac in May 2011. It usually refreshes them on 10- to 12-month cycles, so our guess is we'll see new iMacs in the next three months.

Mac Pro

Similarly named to Apple's range of heavy-duty laptops, the Mac Pro is the powerhouse of Apple's desktop computing range. Mac Pros are designed for people who need a computer with some serious grunt and storage capabilities, such as those who do a lot of work with still images or video, or who need to compile a lot of code. Apple hasn't refreshed its Mac Pro line for nearly a year and a half now, and the graphics cards and processors could do with an update. Our guess is that like the iMac, Apple might be waiting to refresh this model with the shiny, new Ivy Bridge processors. There's also a vague rumor circulating that Apple might be switching back to NVIDIA graphics cards from the ATI models currently in use.

Possible release: These could show up any time now, although possibly concurrent with the refreshed iMac, as they are likely to share a processor.

iPhone 5

Fall is traditional iPhone refresh territory, so we're a good few months off from seeing a successor to the iPhone 4S. The iPhone 4S was a refinement of the iPhone 4 rather than a completely reimagined device, so it's likely that the next iPhone will again reinterpret Apple's idea of the perfect smartphone. Rumors at this point are so farfetched and baseless that we won't waste your time with them other than to say before the year is out, there will almost certainly be a new iPhone.

Possible release: Based on previous iPhone release dates, look for something in fall 2012.

Mountain Lion OS 10.8

Scheduled to release this summer, Mountain Lion (OS 10.8) is a refinement of last year's Lion operating system. Apple's aims with Lion and Mountain Lion are to bring the best parts of the iOS experience to the desktop computing world — and indeed, Lion feels like a very different creature compared to its predecessor, Snow Leopard.