It's little surprising that Apple is planning for an $899 17-inch iMac, and it's even more surprising that the news has been broken by an Italian-language site, SetteB. IT, which spotted a small mention of an $899 17-inch iMac on the Apple's own Web site.

The site spotted a little mention of an $899 17-inch iMac for the education market, in the March edition of Apple's "eNews for Education" newsletter. The scant information in the newsletter indicates that the company is looking to offer a 17" iMac model for just $899.

Presently, Apple offers 20-inch and 24-inch iMacs. The price of 20-inch model starts at $1,199, while the price of the 24-inch model starts at $1,499.

Well, Apple has always been declining the idea of low cost computers. In October, Jobs told analysts, "We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk." May be, Apple is looking for the 17" model as a special low-cost option for the purchase of education institutions only.

The Cupertino, California based Apple Inc., however, has not yet offered any official statement on, when the "new" 17-incher will be brought out (if the news about it is authentic). So, the people looking to know more about the new 17" iMac, will have to wait for the official confirmation from Apple.