On the eve of Macworld Expo (we won’t be able to sleep and constantly reloading Time Canada the night before a keynote is a sickness, that much is sure) we’ve culled past reports from all over (with emphasis on reliable sites with strong track records) to create a list of rumors in the order (strongest to weakest) that we feel they are most-likely to occur. This order is based upon gut feeling, quality of sources, other industry information, and a variety of other methodologies including the time-tested “educated guess” method:
1. Intel Yonah-based iBooks: New, thinner, with 13.3 and 12.1 widescreen displays. Lesser possibility of surprisingly low price points.
2. iLife ’06 (including iWeb?).
3. Expanded .Mac service, possibly at a lower annual fee of $69 (including iWeb?).
4. (tie) New Mac mini with Intel processor and, possibly, incorporating Intel Viiv technology in some fashion. With DVR capability (see next item).
4. (tie) Front Row 2 with DVR functionality.
4. (tie) Increased content deals for iTunes Store, including CBS and other company’s TV shows and possibly also including feature-length films. Lesser possibility of using some sort of new streaming technology, “digital video locker,” and/or subscription model for video and/or feature-length film content. Least probability, but still a possibility: music subscription service option.
7. Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard demo.
7. iWork ’06 with ‘Numbers’ spreadsheet application.
9. (tie) New iPod shuffle with screen. Lesser possibility that Apple may drop the shuffle and intro a 1GB iPod nano at $149-ish price point in the shuffle’s place.
9. (tie) New Intel-based PowerBooks. Slightly higher probability that they will be announced, due to ship a bit later in the quarter.
11. Airport Video Express with 802.11n (hey, they went early with 802.11g, too!)
12. Apple iPhone with iPod capability. Lesser probability of Apple-branded mobile-phone service – Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO).
13. Apple Plasma Mac TVs. Think giant Intel-based iMac with Front Row 2 possibly with Intel Robson “instant-on” technology.
14. New Intel-based iMac.
15. New Intel-based Xserve.
16. New Intel-based Power Mac.
17. An Apple-supported virtualization method for running Windows applications without Windows (probably too early for this).
18. Debut of a major informative Mac television ad campaign (showing what Mac OS X, iLife, iWork, and other Mac-only software offers the vast majority of the computer-using consumer, especially vs. Windows XP) and the screening of such ads during the keynote (we wish this was much higher on the list, but wishing won’t make it so).
Oh, yeah, and one or two more things…
Would you reorder the list? Would you add and/or remove items? Let us know below.
[UPDATE: Jan 10, 2006, 8:55am EST: Added Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard demo at #7.]
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don’t forget mac os x 10.4.4. update. well, it’s not rumor but true. I think it’s the most important news.
No because they are going through a transition.
Merry Christmas to all
I really hope Apple starts attacking with an OSX ad campaign.
I dont expect intel xserve or powermacs yet.
I also think that a widescreeen ibook-14 inch is much much much better than a 13 inch would be. 13 inch is just not large enough for the high end ibook.
What about the iDoor?
FOXTROT WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!
MDN – you forgot the iPod boombox rumor. I’d definitely expect something new in iPod accessories.
And, not that I particularly expect it, but an iPod with built-in voice recording would make an awful lot of sense with Apple’s emphasis on podcasting. Then you’d have an end-to-end system: record on iPod, edit in GarageBand, publish with iWeb, host on .Mac, retrieve with iTunes, play on remote speakers with AirPort.
And it may be low probability, but a Flash-based portable would be a cool surprise.
It could be a possibility that the shipping time on Apple is 24 hours because orders will be filled with their replacement item…
1.no 2.no 3.no 4.yes 5. yes 6. yes 7. no 8. no 9. no
10. no 11. yes 12. no 13. no 14. no 15. no 16. no 17. no
On the Apple.com store there’s a big gap next to the powermac!! New desktop/new displays??
Here’s what I would like to see. AirPort Video Extreme (802.11n) in the form of a new base station with obviously video and audio out sockets and AirPort Video Extreme cards that have the same connectors as current AE cards, so that I could simply swap out the cards in my G5 and PowerBook and immediately have the new high speed (hopefully 600Mbps) capability. Of course when the standard becomes ratified, Apple can just release updates, but by getting it out there first, can influence what will eventually be in the standard.
I think the list is pretty good, but we won’t hear any details about Leopard until WWDC in June. Why give Bill any more opportunity to copy intended features. Let them bring out their crap Vista and when Leaopard comes out at a similar time, it’ll further blow MS out of the water with amazing features that they couldn’t have thought of and will try and copy in Windows 2010.
I can’t see any reason why Apple will bring out their own phone. If there was a great PDA running a OS X compatible OS and easily able to port apps from Palm and Windows Mobile, I’d buy it.
Perhaps 42″ and 50″ LCD screens, but never plasma. They could come with the new 802.11n cards and be immediately able to have HD video streamed within the home. As I currently have a 30″, I tend to watch TV (with my EyeTV) on it in my office as I need to have it on a desk where I can work, but if I had a 50″ in the lounge room where my TV is, and I could stream video from my office to it, I’d sit and watch where it’s more comfortable.
When I wake up at 6.00am tomorrow (Australian time) I’ll be reading what transpired and hopefully be able to watch the re-broadcast of the Keynote Address
whew…
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Agree with list, but now that I see it…just a feeling of underwhelmed. Guess I have to wait for the details and hope the design and new features make things cooler than they seem on the list above.
.Mac should be free.
New iPod Video – Larger screen.
Nano bumped up to 6GB.
But you notice nothing is really new on the list (other than the TV and iPhone idea which ain´t gonna’ happen.)
just lots of updates….
where´s that cool one more thing on the list????
Nothing like using the SWAG method to come to the truth!
Sophisticated, Wild, Arsed, Guess/es- SWAG.
Works for me!
Leo
Have you seen the pussycat dolls Beep – Vingle on iTunes? Video + Single for $2.49
Travis, The creative Zen rip of model isn’t going to do anything. You can read all the product reveiws you want, but try reading the consumer reveiws. From what I read people want the ipod. Some even bought the Zen and find it too bulky. It is a video player befor an mp3 player really. And to small for that. While the iPod is a video capable unit, and a mp3 player first. Nobody is stealing this monopoly from Apple yet, and I hope they never do. iPoderific!
Don’t know about the rest of you guys, but screw the order of the list, I WANT THE WHOLE DAMN THING! But seeing #17 come to life would be awesome, lets open some more eyes this year, we need to roll this ball a little faster no? *rubs eyes* I love expo eve hehe, got more drunk last night than I did on New Years *grinz* Have fun today all! Happy Expo!
MDN MW Audience (no shit!)
Which I am a part of! From home tho, wish i were in Cali today 🙁
how about:
“here it is guys, os 10.5, already finished, you can all download it for free using software-update! We couldn’t wait for Vista to come out *gasp* But we have a big announcement to make: Our teams in Cupertino are working on OS Eleven *round applause* And we are Thrilled.. blabla”
Apple will announce a new feature in OSX that will allow Microsoft to just download source code feature by feature so they don’t have to take the time and effort to rewrite it when they steal them for Windows. Apple is conceerned that Microsoft is making OSX look bad by their shoddy ripoffs so they want it implemented right.
I’m still not bothered. Normally I’m getting a little adrenaline kick by now, but this time nothing.
Maybe I should see a doctor. Something’s obviously not right.
Asteroid anyone???
Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock
Waiting sucks.
Thanks Hammer for the Time Canada clarification… I was sadly still in the Windows Hell back then.
I love the smell of rumors in the morning. Smells like victory!
At least rumor sites got iLife ’06 correct. Who knew that was coming?!