Apple Computer today sent out an invitation to press outlets to attend a special event next week.
The invitation states:
Steve Jobs, Bono and The Edge invite you to a special event.
Bono and The Edge are members of the band U2. Both Bono and The Edge, along with their song “Vertigo,” are featured in an Apple commercial currently airing nationally in the US.
The event is scheduled for Oct. 26 at 10AM PT at San Jose’s California Theater.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Rumors spread of 60-gigabyte color screen Apple iPod with iPhoto sync – October 11, 2004
RUMOR: 60GB iPod to gain color screen, photo-viewing features – October 08, 2004
It will be the micro or the big colorfull 60gig, I can’t wait for my new ipod with color. The New age in music is here. Say, got Apple?
Name goof on that one.
I don’t know about a 60 GB iPod (though I wouldn’t be upset about it). I confident that this is going to be the introduction of the iTMS-EU/
Could also be the itunes in canada, should be right after the ipod give away with pepsi.
Think Secret is reporting a special “U2-ized” iPod loaded with some of the band’s tunes.
I doubt the 60 GB color version is coming out just yet.
Oooo sounds interesting.
I would think if they were introducing a EU iTMS they’d do so in Europe, not California? Same goes for Canada. I think we’ll see some new hardware – maybe a micro and 60gb?
Pan-European iTunes is my guess, although if that’s all that’s being announced I would have thought they would hold the event in Milan or Madrid. Maybe a home audio device to add to the range?
iPod minis will go to 5GB while the price remains the same…
Hope its a new dual 3+Ghz PowerMac with optional 60MB ipod!
er…that�s 60GB ipod….missed the g
Putting 2 and 2 together, perhaps it’s the special U2 iPod loaded with all their recordings AND a color-screen iPod!
A special event to upgrade the mini to 5 Gig would be silly and not necessary in my opinion. Peter Openheimer, of Apple, at the analyst meeting let the cat of the bag when he said there would be future “events” featuring U2. This is it. Also, if U2 plans a tour, perhaps Apple will co sponsor it.
Why not a Itunes sponsored U@ world tour….
We’ve had artists at other iPod/iTunes related events in the past � Alicia Keys, etc. � but none of them have ever shared headline status with his Steveness.
How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is scheduled for physical release on 11/23/04, exactly 28 days after this event � my guess is that the album will be pre-released in its entireity on 10/26 EXCLUSIVELY on iTMS in the US, UK, France and Germany and � here’s the wildcard � any other iTMS stores which exist on or before that date.
So, whilst Apple quietly rolls out iTMS to several other markets – including Canada � on 10/26 (treating them as mere expansion of the global reach of the store rather than media events – a status which will probably now be solely reserved for iTMS Japan as and when), Jobs and his muso buddies will stand-up in San Jose and announce the first ‘major’ album release where the virtual product precedes the physical product.
Judging from some comments during last week’s conference call, I’m expecting that this may not be the end of the U2/Apple love-in: I would not be at all surprised that – when U2 finalise the tour promotion for HTDAAB � Apple/iPod/iTMS may well be the global sponsor for the tour.
BTW, here’s another prediction: no new hardware until the US election is over – no point whilst so many people have their head somewhere else.
I think they should get Talking Heads involved. I’m sure Steve would appreciate “Burning down the House” at the moment.
BTW, the natural progression for the mini is to 6GB: it’s part of the Hitachi roadmap for the 1″ drive.
Olympus just put out a M3 player with a camera built in, color screen and I thought I saw simple re-touch capabilities.
Apple’s probably got one now too and who better to show it off than than a bunch of self important fashionistas. With any luck they’ll give the band new iPods the night before the event along with a case or two of booze. (they are Irish). The U2-ized iPods will contain tracks from the new album and free pics of the band beating the hell out of each other in drunken stupors.
I’ll take 2
in black
i think they will intorduce a new wireless TV along with a wireless remote control with clickwheel …
As someone that suffers from occasional vertigo, I’m offended by Apple and U2. These Mac clowns think they can simply do and say anything they want and their followers will simply fall in line and seeing the “cool” light. I’ve never been insulted by the real professionals at Dell or Microsoft.
Ohh, I’m getting dizzy just thinking about it!
Eh.. this is Euro people..
Finally Bono will cheer on the Euro Music store..
Hahaha.. did everyone see Queen Latifah hangin out with Bill Gates pimpin’ the new Media Center PC.
Who’s the bigger sellout?
Oh yeah.. and Ludacris was pimpin’ the Napster 2.0
har har har
no news here. they will announce the Pan-European iTunes store. nothing else.
me:
Yes, U2 are going to San Jose to announce the Pan-European iTMS.
Makes perfect sense�
:-Q
how cool would ‘artist iPod’ be? insted of having the apple logo on the back, you could have the bands logo laser etched into the back, with a hp tatoo-esq design on the front.
So, i rekon that at this event there will be,
– Pan-European iTunes Music Store.
– 5 New Colours for the iPod mini in the lead up to Christmas.
– HTDAAB available on iTunes music store.
– A Remote for the Airport Express or a new iPod with Airport Express functionality built in.
Announcing the euro music store, Are you lot aving a laff or what? I suppose a week later we will have a big annoucement for the Abu Dharbi store too. For those of you with no geographical knowledge the UK, France and Germany are by far the biggest music markets in the EU and the announcement for them wasn’t as big an event as this, oh and it took place in Europe. Any such annoucement will be an adjunct to the main event. It will either be a serious investment in direct music promotion or more likely using this concept with developments with iPods or related music/AV devices. Personally I think the 60gb device is a good bet especially as its price point would tie in much more demographically with the mature higher acchievers typified by the U2 following. And if the mini is upgraded as is pretty well due to 5/6gb I would not be at all surprised if a new bottom end flash based player, as has been rumoured, may be launched too, thus covering the whole market and closing more doors. What better timing, given a month to rake up deliveries, to make both, the holiday must have devices and consolidate the iPod’s dominant postion just as MS is trying to give birth to its illegitimate AV offspring. Apple swans to MS’s ugly ducklings methinks.
1) Kickoff of Apple sponsored U2 Tour
2) Update to iPod
3) Christmas Season Promotion Announcement
4) Plus that “One More Thing…”
apple sponsored tour?! pffft… though ipod and colour won’t happen..
why?
this is a music related announcement.. and if the ipod had colour, it would sync with iphoto.. which doesn’t look like it’s happening…just because putting iphoto on windows doesnt look likely
I’ve been expecting an iTunes Europe announcement at the London Expo next month, soon enough and makes more sense.
Hurrah for bigger iPods and U2. Or European iTMS, that’s good too.
Poor Bono, looks like he need some advertising money to get some coke…
No one’s even suggested iTunes 5.0!
It’s been a year and a half since iTMS came out, and it’s had only a minor update last spring. A new version with a major update to the store…If not now, then soon.
Not everyone on the planet likes U2. But hey if they’re anouncing a 60giger I’m all for it just as long as it doesn’t have ‘U2’ scratched onto the back instead of the Apple logo.
Oct. 26th is a tuesday.
Does “New Music Tuesday” ring a bell ?
At 10AM PT Europe will be mostly eating supper (yes they eat at 7PM). Apple would have to compete with prime time television at that hour. That doesn’t sould very strategic.
Also, remember the detached attitude Bono took even while participating in Apple commercials and in his telepresence in Steve’s keynote. There needs to be something big in it for him (that seems pretty obvious).
This leads me to believe that “New Music” will be at the forefront of the event with Apple hardware/software taking a supporting role.
So a U2 tour anouncement seems very likely. Apple involvement in such a tour would be a certainty. New iTMS features related to the tour seems probable.
How about exclusive live tracks and videos of the tour ? From past Apple history I would suspect something much more innovative and unexpected than that.
Touring is usually a bigger income source for artists than the meager cut the RIAA leaves them out of album sales. It would make perfect sense for Apple to score points with them by finding a way to help and promote their better source of revenue leveraging their now well known name and products in the industry.
Hanyhow, this will no doubt be mostly about music and less about apple products.
Apple will be releasing a U2 branded iPod. It will be black in color and will come preloaded with U2’s new album… and might contain a smattering of the band’s other songs.
You heard it here first!
As long as i can delete the U2 and get my 60gigs back i’m happy.
What I HOPE will happen…
1. U2 deal (maybe an exclusive, maybe a tour)
2. 6 GB iPod mini
3. 60 GB iPod (with color screen and iPhoto support & iPhoto sychronization)
4. New version iPhoto which syncs with new iPod
5. Announcement of over 125 million songs in iTunes Music Store
6. Pan European iTunes
7. Canadian iTunes
8. Commitment for Japanese & Australian iTunes within first half of 2005
This would give
iPod mini 4 GB at $249
iPod mini 6 GB at $299
iPod 20 GB at $299
iPod 40 GB at $399
iPod 60 GB with color screen at $499
with a broader connection to the iLife suite
with a broader world market
What will we get? Probably only 2 or 3 out of the seven listed above.
shadowself, you already got item number 5 with a 25 million bonus. Apple already announced 150 million songs sold.
one down, …
Left out the decimal point.
Meant 1.25 million song in the iTunes store available for download.
Sorry for the confusion.