MacBidouille has posted a comment from a user of their forums regarding new Apple boxes arriving at Fnac marked only with an Apple logo and the explicit warning, “Do Not Open Before Monday, June 23rd.” Fnac is a computer department store in based France with stores in many countries in Europe, as well as outlets in South America, and Asia. Here is our translation of the original post:
“I work at Fnac and we have indeed received cardboard boxes which we cannot open from Apple France under threats of strong punishment, I presume. According to the size of the small cardboard boxes, it would seem that there are new portables inside whose size I would estimate to be around 15-inch screens. The large boxes are “very large.” I do not know any more, but would speculate that Apple wants to begin selling whatever are in these boxes immediately after they announce the products.”
Full article in French here.
MacDailyNews Take: As usual, take these type of rumors with a grain of salt, especially one based upon a forum posting. Still, this would not be out of character for Apple; they have done similar things prior to major product introductions in the past. One thing’s for sure, we’ll all know for sure on Monday.
They’ve done this sort of thing for minor product revamps as well. This has happened in the past only to turn out to be a big deal about nothing.
No, no, rageous. This might very well be it. One week ahead, two kinds of boxes, the typical Apple warning:
Power PC 970 Power Macs and PowerBooks with a free coupon in every box for the 64-bit capable Mac OS X Panther to be released in September!
I would say they probably updated the 15in tibook to have a similar case like the 12 and 17 they probably added bluetooth and extreme. I also believe that it is time for the new towers please let it be…=)
I expect a larger or adjustable Cinema Display, and a 15″ PBG4. Panther and the 970s may be announced and be exciting WWDC news, but I doubt they will ship just yet. For people who cannot wait, there may be faster G4 Quicksilvers for a couple of months at a reduced price, depending on the delay. If the 970s just don’t exist from IBM in real quantities yet, Apple has to wait a little longer. My guess: the mystery boxes are minor news, but as a consolation Panther will be better than we’ve heard.
More sooner would be fun though! You never know.
Agreed. It’s too soon as I see it for the 970’s to come out, and I’m betting these are just re-vamped models of existing products (although I also have a feeling a new display is imminent)
Also likely: an updated 15″ Powerbook, but not likely to contain the 970’s. Let’s not forget Apple just very recently commissioned the production of new 15″ laptops, and the chance of these already being available in the mass quantities that have been shipped to stores throughout the US and Europe is just not plausible right now.
Let’s just wait and see folks!
Just saw this on AppleInsider. It’s from a forum member, so should be taken with a grain of salt:
The pallets were delivered, the stock room is crammed now and the large boxes have 4 smaller boxes inside of them… I mean they “might” have 4 smaller boxes inside of them if we had opened them. The boxes are 3’x3’x2′ (roughly I did not measure them)
I really hope they dilver this time with a new CPU, I’m not going to get all hyped up this time. We need to relax and realize we may not get it this time. I hope we do, and I think we will but it may not happen. I thought before we would have gotten a new CPU or at least a much more powerful version of the G4. At any rate remember these are just rumors, I agree with rageous. (I would sure die for a 970 though)
What a load of crap! Why would apple ship to France, and not to stores in North America?
I want new apples as much as the next guy, but this is obviously BS..
I’m guessing new Powerbook G4s at 1.2GHz and new Powermac G5s at 1.4GHz. G5s at 1.8 and dual G5s to ship July/August. I live on Tottenham Court Road in London (big concentration of Mac computer shops), and while the salespeople aren’t saying anything, they do give you a smug look if you ask about next week. Something new is definitely coming, and it will be available immediately.
Finally Apple’s plan to take over the world is unfolding, with mysterious crates showing up in every major city that will soon unfold releasing… tiny little Steve Jobs!!! Ha Ha Ha Haaa
Something’s afoot. Monday’s Stevenote is now going to be broadcast. My guess is that by Friday, they’ll anounce that he’ll also be streaming via QT. Plus, Apple announced that one of their VPs is giving the keynote at MacWorldCreate in NYC.
Steve loves the limelight. My $.02? Announcement of 15″ AlBooks to be delivered in a month. Immediate release of iChat with Video Conferencing. Guided tour of Panther. And maybe, new tower designs. 970’s? Up in the air.
no people, it’s the new g3 imac. bondi blue, all in one design. it’s gonna take over the world once again.
A little less drama and a quantum leap in power and utlility
will sell all the little black boxes you can make–I hope all this
sawing of the air isnt just a prelude to a new version of
QuickTime
So Monday, June 23 in France comes what 4-6 hours before the US? Technically, that means we may have a good report of what’s in those boxes well BEFORE the Stevenote… I’ll definitely check out the reports before I head over tothe Apple store to watch the feed…
What’s with the French getting the jump on all things Mac these days? Has Jobs gotta leaky frenchie?
Whether or not the 970 will be announced/available at the WWDC, the important thing to consider is that IBM’s production of 970s has been ahead of schedule. I don’t think Apple is under any illusion as to just how important that chip is to their future – especially now that QuarkXpress X is available and all the designers will be looking to upgrade – so if IBM says “Well, we’ve got 50K you can have now, rather than 5 months time when we said we would” I reckon Apple’s response will be to work like crazy to get the new systems out as soon as they can.
The other thing to consider is that all these rumours and speculation over the last few months have created a huge expectation on Apple. They’ve kept their mouth shut because obviously they’ve got something very special coming up. Now, if they didn’t, do you reckon they’d let the rumour mill keep churning over like this? Can imagine how disappointed legions of Mac users will be if Steve doesn’t announce 64-bit Panther, G5/970s, new Powerbooks, a headless eMac and World Peace on the 23rd? If they werent going have the goods for WWDC I reckon they would have simmered the rumours a while ago with a “We’re expecting next-generation PowerPC CPUs in November” etc. etc.
But of course speculation is speculation. I just hope they stream it in Quicktime so I can watch it from the comfort of my jammies at 4am.
To all those who comment about the possible distro of new products to France and not the US, get over it. Stop being so bloody conceited and pull your head out of the sand. If new products have been distributed to France, then they most likely have been distributed to stores in the US.
Your ‘elitism’ is sickening.
As the piece reads: “take these type of rumors with a grain of salt”. Take heed my tunnel vision friends.
found this in a German Forum (http://www.mactechnews.de/) – maybe somebody can translate it – i m to lazy.
A German Guy saw the new mashines:
Hallo leude, war gestern bei einem Kumpel der bei einem grossen MacShop arbeitet – Stadt und Shopname darf ich nicht sagen, sonst issa seinen Job los. Die haben vorgestern neue Rechner gekriegt und es handelt sich tats�chlich um die neuen 970-Rechner mit warscheinlich Mac OS X 10.2.7.
Ich also nach gestern nach feierabend sofort da hin:
Aufm Geh�use steht aber nix von G5 oder so – einfach nur Power Macintosh 970. Die Rechner gibts in grauem plastik mit Aluminium oder in weiss mit Aluminum, wobei das graue plastik die gestreifte optik aufweiist und das weisse v�llig weiss ist. Das Bild das hier kursiert ist definitv ein Fake.
Die rechner sind nicht so rechteckig und weisen auch nicht geschlitzte Lufteinl�sse auf, sondern l�cher oben und unten auf der frontseite nach oben ausgew�lbt, �hnlich derer des eMacs.
Die rechner laden nach vorn und oben auf der Fronseite bauchig aus und haben ALLE ein DVD-Writer!!
An den Flanken sind sie mit Aluminium verkleidet, wobei die rechte verkleidungen nach unten weggeklappt werden kann. Oben und unten hat der Rechner jeweils 2 Polierte trapezf�rmige Stahlb�gel.
Die sch�chte f�r die Laufwerke sind in einer herausziebaren quatratischen Box (auf der sich das Logo und die Aufschrift Power Macintosh 970 befindet) eingebaut die um 90 Grad gedreht werden kann um den rechner als Desktop oder als Tower zu benutzen. Diese Schublade enth�lt incl. DVD-Writer 4!!! Sch�chte.
part 2:
Auf der vorderseite befinden Sich ein Firewire 800 / 400 Bus sowie Kopfh�rer USB (2??) und Mic und eine kleine Halbkugel mit dem Bluetooth logo drunter. Dadr�ber bfinden sich die 3 appletypischen Kn�pfe und ein verchromter lautsprecher. Auf der r�ckseite befinden sich 1 Firewire, 1 Frewire 800, 2x USB, 1x USB 2, Netzwerk, ADC, DVI, sowie 4 schr�g !!! angeordnete Blechverkeidungen f�r die PCI-Steckpl�tze sowie Lautsprecher, Mic, etc.
Das Geh�use ist ca 15 cm breit 65 cm Hoch und 40 cm tief.
Dabei ist eine neue Alu/weisse tastatur und eine optische 2 tastenmaus mit einem wirklich ungew�hnlichen Scrollrad aus Alu, allerdings ohne Kabel aber mit der gleichen halbkugle vorn darann wie auf dem PPC-Geh�use.
Von meiner mitgebrachten Mac OSX 10.2.6 Firewire-Festplatte startete der rechner allerdings nicht, so dass wir ihn leider nicht anmachen konnten (man h�tte das system ja personalisieren m�ssen), daher gehe ich davon aus das da mindestens 10.2.7 drauf sein muss oder sone art enabler f�r den PPC 970 Prozessor.
Leider hatten wir nicht genug zeit die Kiste voll auszuchecken,da der wachdienst bald kommen sollte, aber sie ist SCH�N!!!! besonder aber wenn man sich die neuen Displays daneben vorstellt – die haben jetzt auch diese Polierten Stahlb�gel als St�nder und sehen irgendwie i-Mac-Massig aus, haben aber zus�tzlich einen feinen ALU-Rahmen. Witziger weise sind auf der linken Flanke des PPC-Geh�uses kleine Nuten eingestanzt in die dies B�gel exaxt hineinpassen, so dass man wenn man den rechner als Desktop mit einem Apple Display benutzt dieses auf den rechner gestellt werden kann ohne zu verutschen!!!!
Leider kann ich keine Aussage �ber die taktung des Prozessors machen, es war aber nur ein Prozessor drin. Auf dem K�hler stand Dual-Core / Hypertransport, allerdings weiss ich nicht was das bedeuten kann.
Es war bei genauerer Betrachtung nur ein Prozessor darunter so dass hier wohl der K�hler des Dual-Prozessors verbaut wurde.
Die leute in dem shop haben im �brigen strickte anweisung keine Infos nach aussen zu tragen – sonst droht fristlose entlassung – darum bitte ich um verst�ndnis f�r die schlechte quellenangabe!!!
Here’s my shot at the German – feel free to make corrections!
regards – mgh
Hello people, was with a buddy yesterday who works with a large Mac Shop – I may not say the city and shop name, otherwise his job is gone. They received new computers the day before yesterday and it was actually about the new 970-computer, probably with Mac OS X 10.2.7.
Thus, I went there immediately yesterday after work: Outwardly however, there�s nothing on the housing about G5 or anything like it – simply only Power Macintosh 970. The computer comes in grey plastics with aluminum or in white with aluminum, whereas the grey plastics show striped markings, the white is completely white. The picture that circulates here is definitely a fake.
The computers are not so rectangular and also do not show slotted air intakes, but rather holes above and below on the front side bulging toward the top, similar to the eMacs.
The computers unload forward and above on the front side bulgy and ALL have a DVD Writer!!
At the flanks they are covered with aluminum, whereby the right cover can be folded away downward. Both above and beneath, the computer has 2 polished trapezoidal steel brackets.
The slots for the drives are in a removable rectangular box (on which the Logo and the label Power Macintosh 970 appear) which can be installed rotated 90 degrees in order to use the computer as Desktop or as Tower. This drawer includes DVD Writer 4!!! Slots.
Translation – Part 2
On the front appears one FireWire 800/400 bus as well as USB (2??) headphone and Mic and a small hemisphere with the Bluetooth logo beneath. Over there appear the 3 apple-type buttons and a chrome loudspeaker. On the rear side are 1 FireWire, 1 FireWire 800, 2 USB, 1 USB 2, network, ADC, DVI, as well as 4 diagonally!!! arranged metal plate covers for the PCI card locations as well as loudspeaker, Mic, etc..
The housing is approx. 15 cm broad 65 cm high and 40 cm deep.
A new aluminum/white keyboard and optical 2-button mouse with a really unusual scroll wheel made of aluminum, though without cables, however with the same hemisphere in front of it as on the PPC housing.
However, the computer did not start from the Mac OSX 10.2.6 FireWire hard disk I brought along, so unfortunately, we could not turn it on (one would have had to personalize the system), from which I assume at least 10.2.7 must be on it, or some type of enabler for the PPC 970 processor.
Unfortunately we did not have enough time to check out the crate fully, since the guard should have been coming soon, but it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! especially if one imagines the new displays beside it � they now also have these polished steel brackets as stands and look somehow iMac-bulky, however they also have a fine aluminum framework. On the clever side, on the left flank of the PPC housing are small slots punched into the handles, in which this bracket fits precisely, so that if one uses the computer as a Desktop with an Apple display, it can be placed on the computer without slipping!!!!
Unfortunately I cannot make a statement about clocking the processor, there was however only one processor in it. On the heat sync was �Dual Core/Hypertransport�, though I don�t know what that can mean.
On closer examination, it was only one processor underneath so the radiator was probably built (designed?) for the dual processor.
Apart from that, the people in the shop have strict orders to take no information outside � or else summary dismissal threatens � for that reason I ask understanding for the bad source information!!!