“The charismatic leader and co-founder of Apple Computer, Steve Jobs, plans to summons the worldwide media to a special event next week in which he’ll usher in a new chapter in the company’s digital media strategy,” Kasper Jade reports for AppleInsider.
“Although the semi-official word out of Apple Americas is that invitations to the event have “not been sent” out, a seemingly inadvertent leak out of Apple Europe last week pinned the affair for Tuesday, September 12. It will be hosted by Jobs in a yet-to-be disclosed California location and beamed via satellite throughout the world,” Jade reports.
“Jobs is expected to announce that flicks from at least one major studio will be immediately available for download starting at just $9.99 a pop… Jobs many months ago commissioned an elite group of Apple engineers to get the ball rolling on an intuitive hardware solution that would more closely tie the company’s digital media strategy to the living-room. And so AppleInsider has been told, Apple has been quietly developing a video streaming device that will interface with an updated version of its iTunes jukebox software,” Jade reports.
Jade reports, “It’s arguably been one of the most closely guarded secrets at Apple since the evolution of the first iPod digital music player, which forever altered the landscape of the music industry when it was introduced in October of 2001. Only a select bunch inside Cupertino have heard of the latest device and even fewer have seen it. Therefore, further details are few and far between.”
“Next week’s media event will bear the fruits of several other Apple product initiatives. First and foremost, insiders have said, will be an introduction of the company’s largest and most stunning iMac to date: a widescreen, possibly high-definition model, built around what appears to be a 23-inch display. As AppleInsider reported last week, existing iMac models will also be refreshed around Intel Corp.’s new Core 2 Duo mobile processors, formerly reference by the ‘Merom’ moniker,” Jade reports. “With dozens of tractor-trailer-mounted container ships seen leaving Foxconn’s Far East manufacturing facilities over the past week, Apple’s next-generation iPod nano digital music players also appears to be a lock for the event.”
Much more in the full article here.
Related articles:
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Report: Movie studios flatly reject Apples’ proposed $9.99 pricing for feature films via iTunes – June 19, 2006
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Am I the only one hoping for a bluetooth remote instead of IR for iMac?
How can you say these movies will be the same as the TV shows? Did you not read the article? They are hinting on a streaming device that will allow you to wathc as you download (rental) and getting a decent quality movie that will play on a widescreen TV while being rather large can come in around 1 Gig with good compression. While we are doing the “my predictions” thing , I say watch for a new way of video compression developed by Apple that only works with their devices and maintains good home TV quality at decent file sizes. With HD’s (internal and external) getting into the 700gig range a 2 gig movie isn’t so bad.
Secret Agent Man,
I know you’ve been dropping hints for a while now, other people don’t believe you (they can’t handle the truth), but I do! Can’t wait to see the new iPods
No HD all the way sounds like what Apple WOULD do to stay ahead of the game – take that SanDisk you loosers!
Apple’s buying Blockbuster?
Yes, Stud, yes you are. Put down the blue pills and step away from the remote.
If the Airport AV comes out I am certain it will have composite or S-Video output for Standard Definition video at best. HD content might be feasable for movie trailers but there is no way ninety minute films would be downloaded this way. Apple will most likely focus on content for iPods and sell videos that are 320 X 180 for compatibility with 5G iPods or 640 X 360 for the rumoured touch-screen iPod. Do not forget that Apple are on-board with Blue Ray and want the format to succeed so any films sold on iTunes would compliment HD video, not compete with it.
iTunes will not sell 9.99-14.99 low resolution videos of movies and expect to succeed. No one will buy Bridge On The River Kwai the size of a Heath bar.
“Apple’s buying Blockbuster?”
Yes, of course they are…
Robert X. Cringely predicted it months ago…
http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20060216.html
MW: make. You just can’t make this stuff up!
Cringely also predicted that when Apple started selling movies (which he said would be HD), iTunes would be converted into a peer-to-peer client for the distribution.
Is Steve Jobs a prosecutor?
In the UK “summons” is a police term. “Summon” would project a better image!
9.99$ is a joke. DVD-movies cost almost that much and DVD rent cost about 3-4$ here in europe. Why would I pay 9.99$ for digital copy and download it about 8 hours (presume I have 512 adsl and the apple movies are atleast fair quality) when I can walk 5 minutes, rent a DVD and rip it to my Mac?
Making the facts fit:
How foolish would El Stevo look if he got onstage in Paris and announced a movie download service that is only being rolled out in North America for now?
Hence the presentation is from Cupertino instead of Paris.
The reason is not his health as that would make the recent annoucement misleading to the stock exchange.
The movie download service will be North America store only.
Those of us in the UK better get something!!
( Airport AV AND a new nano next week will ease the pain )
i would love to see a core 2 duo macbook pro – but then do i buy it…or wait for the new santa rosa platform?? how much waiting can one do
MW= product: still running an ibook G3, dual usb – waiting for the right product to upgrade to
“Apple plans blockbuster product announcements next Tuesday”
A updated iPod and larger iMar are hardly “blockbuster” product announcements.
i’m wondering why they’d update both laptops to the merom instead of only updating the pro. There would be more to differentiate the product line, and you wouldn’t hear the pro member bitching like they did when the macbook came out.
iPod movies unveiled
http://www.ipodhub.net/330/2006/9/04/ipod-movies-unveiled/
Pricing is expected to be from $9.99 to $14.99.
Crazy. Who is the desparate person with cash to waste that would buy a crappy quality movie via the internet?
Since this is all guessing, it’s $9.98 – $14.98. Feel better?
A rental system would work… but not at $4 etc. I can get a lot of movies in a month from Netflix for $25 (4 at a time). Now, if Netflix combined forces with Apple and movies were downloadable right away, well then you have something.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t pay 9.99 outright for a digital file of a movie. I much prefer getting the DVD.
Maybe they’ll be selling dvd’s coupled with iPod versions?
This is how it will be done….
remember this…http://news.com.com/Apple+enters+legal+battle+with+Burst.com/2100-1047_3-6021994.html
and this……http://news.com.com/Burst.com+sues+Apple+for+patent+infringement/2100-1047_3-6062067.html
check this out….http://www.burst.com/new/tour/1.htm
Forget the original iMac, it’s Columbus! Finaly. Or maybe that anti-gravity device Jobs teased us with many years ago.
I have heard from very reliable sources that they are bringing back the Color Classic. This time it has an LCD and of course the intel processor.
It is aimed at the 14yr old and below crowd.
I will be the first buyer…I love the 9″ screen macs.
Where did all of this Sept. 12th Apple event originate?
I heard it was from YourMacLife.com. Well, Shawn King from YML now claims to have guessed the Sept. 12th date from the “anonymous” e-mail he got sent which stated simply the second week of September. So far, there has been no official invites. Is there any official confirmation that anyone knows about?
http://yourmaclife.com/
Check this out!
http://www.oreillynet.com/mac/blog/2006/09/apple_announces_press_event_fo.html
That’s BETTER!!!!!