“Apple’s mysterious summons to Cupertino tomorrow has the rumor mill watching the maker of Macs and iPods closely. The smart money is on movies,” Owen Thomas writes for Business 2.0. “Apple has issued a vaguely worded invitation to reporters and analysts, to ‘come see some fun new products’ at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters on Tuesday, February 28. And, not surprisingly, the missive has kicked up a whirlwind of rumors What could Apple CEO Steve Jobs have up his sleeve this time? The Apple rumor mill has been wrong before, but it is a reliable indicator of the products people are hoping for. And right now, the rumors center around movies.”
Thomas writes, “Here’s how Apple might go Hollywood on Tuesday: a true video iPod, an Intel Mac mini, a widescreen iBook, [and/or] an iTunes Movie Store… Summoning Silicon Valley’s press corps down to Cupertino on short notice is a dramatic gesture suggesting that Jobs is preparing to make a big statement. With next-generation video as hot as it is right now, this would be a prime time for him seize the spotlight.”
Full article here.
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Related article:
Apple to hold special media event tomorrow – February 27, 2006
all this effort into movie viewing, lets hope apple hasnt forgot about movie production!! more pro!
Steve is going to announce a Death Match between himself and Bill Gates for control of the world! My money is on Steve.
No. I suppose it will be an intel MiniMac, and perhaps this “asteroid” thing that we keep hearing about.
Movies are on the way folks!
Asteroid, intel mini, movies on itunes (Disney to dominate at first), and possibly the “media hub”
it takes too long to DL a movie and who wants to sit in front of a computer to watch it? it’s something else: like a redesigned shuffle.
If i remember correctly, last year, Apple split the engineering team into 2: 1 to focus on ipods and the other for computers. We’ve yet to see something big from the ipod group other than the nano.
I have said it before – Apple should announce that iTMS now stands for iTunes Media Store. Same great acronym with new video goodness.
“it takes too long to DL a movie and who wants to sit in front of a computer to watch it? “
It does take too long to DL a movie but i think you make a huge asumption when you think they expect us to sit in front of our computers and watch it.
1- QuickTime Movie Store. Maybe not tomorrow, but it’s coming.
2- Apple hired the former head of X-Box Live last year. Maybe the new Data Center has something to do with a replacement of the reviled .Mac service. Imagine a Mac Live service with enhanced versions of the current features of .Mac, plus online gaming and all the rest.
Mark my words…
ViPod
Ipod stuff….no ipod video.
The mac mini, video Ipod, ibook will premier in April or later.
i think we are all missing the symbolism in this ad. steve is introducing a new apple pda tomorrow, hence the ical calendar date. apple is going to make pda’s fun again.
plus we’ll see the intel mac mini.
pro movie editing apps will be debuted at nab in april.
the intel ibook will wait and will kick off the school buying season sometime after mid-march.
that’s my 2¢
Movies…
As reported several months ago, Apple will be utilizing it’s new caching technology… The movie service will most likely be a rental not a purchase, just like driving down to Blockbuster, except for the fact that you will not have to drive and the movies will never be rented out…
You will pay 3 or 4 bucks to rent the movie from the iTunes video store. Once selected, it will stream to your computer or television (via a video airport express.) You will only have access to the stream for a 2 day rental period, just like a standard dvd rental..
Apple will slowly but surely become the king of multimedia while putting the cable companies and blockbusters of the world out of business..
PDA’s won’t be and shouldn’t be marketed as “Fun.” Pda’s are business tools for business professionals.
If you get asteroids, I recommend trying shark oil on the afflicted area.
If it’s iTunes Music Store, then iMovie Video Store? iMedia Digital Store?
A new pda with built-in mini iLife apps would be cool.
Vi Pod?
No eff’n way! EMACS-pod!
Just kidding. I’m a vi user.
I’m hoping for an OS X tablet that can be clipped into the car as well:
video
navigation
web
music
for car and home.
My money is on a revamped Mac Mini. I’ve been using one on my 53″ Sony for several months and it’s lots of fun.
A larger video iPod is certainly a high possibility, that would be fun.
I don’t look for Apple to enter video rental business, their model for downloadable movies will be the same except probably twice the cost of TV shows. You’ll be able to keep the file on your computer and your iPod but not burn it to external media (iPod is the media).
In about 24 hours we’ll all know what the next great gadgets really are. I was going to buy another MacMini last week but postponed my purchase to see what gets revealed on the 28th.
KingMel said:
“Apple should announce that iTMS now stands for iTunes Media Store. Same great acronym with new video goodness.”
That sounds like a good catch-all title, it makes sense.
My wish list: a video iPod that just happens to manage your contacts, iCal, and have handwriting recognition. but it won’t be called a newton or pda.
Aiden – PDA’s won’t be and shouldn’t be marketed as “Fun.” Pda’s are business tools for business professionals.
Then why aren’t they called PDAs (Business Digital Assistants)? PDA’s aren’t fun because they’re made by companies who don’t know what fun is. And up until now they’ve been very limited in usefulness to business. If Apple makes one it will be fun and useful.
MW: wish, say no more
Here’s what we are getting tomorrow for sure:
Intel Mac mini
iPod “Hi-Fi” Boombox
Other than that, I don’t couldn’t say. But I would bet alot of money that a video iPod won’t be there.
Special Announcement!
Steve Jobs turns Mormon and accepts both Melinda Gates and Roz Ho as wives!
Their marriage ceremony will be broadcasted live on the Maury Show.
Details forthcoming….
…all great wish lists, which we all share, however…the business angle, like the rediculous reaction from analysts immediately after the reporting of results…think stock split…2:1….
It’s a big 28 inch wall calendar. I’m pretty sure. God, are you people thick and unintuitive.
Spoiling tactics from M$ ? – talk of origami or other virtual products announced as concepts for the future – I’m sorry we’ve heard it all before.
This professional journalist has no more insight than I do.
No new imac. no new mac mini. something completely NEW that nobody saw coming… like the invitation said.
fun=iPod products, not movie products