During Apple’s thrid quarter 2008 conference call today, Apple Chief Financial Officer, Peter Oppenheimer repeatedly mentioned a “future product transition” which he couldn’t discuss that affects this quarter’s guidance and will impact this quarter’s gross margins.
We are working to develop new products that contains technologies that our competition will not be able to match. I cannot discuss these new products, but we are very confident in our product pipeline. – Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer
During the Apple’s Q308 Conference Call today, Oppenheimer stated a variation of the above quote at least seven different times.
So, what do you think? Larger format iPod touch (“Newton 2.0,” “iTablet,” or whatever you want to call it), the return of legitimate Mac clones, or something else entirely?
New form factors for MacBook and MBP?
Maybe?
A Tricorder!!!!!!!
I’m thinking that “future product transition” is more than a refresh of an existing product line.
#1.) 12″ MacBook Pro
# 2.) 64 GB iPod Touch
Moonie
The G5 Powerbook! Finally!
the Orgasmatron is finally coming!!……
next quarter, new apple products roll out. Competition has nothing comparable……………stock drops again. Life under the Apple tree.
Multi-touch screen iMacs or (and hopefully) keyboards. That, combined with the patents Apple has on multi-touch, could effectively put other PC makers 10-20 years behind Apple overnight.
Arnold Schwarzenegger “Vista Terminator” liquid metal lunchbox computers.
With “green” power management.
Message to Michael Dell: Be afraid. Be very afraid.
MW: “girls” … what’s that got to do with… oh. wait a minute…
I think botox and towertone have something…maybe its an apple tricorder with an orgasmatron interface. I think the product name will be iTriAsmatron…
I think Apple will switch to revolutionizing printers. They’ve done computers and cell phones. Now they are going to attack printing. Previous Apple printers were simply Apple-branding around other companies printers. This time, it’ll be all-Apple!
Maybe all iPods wi-fi enabled? Maybe open them up to the App store?
iTriGasmaBook Pro.
Let’s think about it. Considering the trend we’re seeing at Apple with the push toward mobility, how they own MultiTouch (something the competition will not be able to match), slimming down their OS in Snow Leopard, and patenting a whole slew of MultiTouch gestures, I feel Apple is moving toward creating a computer which is palm size or slightly bigger, will feature ubiquitous internet and all the power we love and enjoy in desktop machines.
Hopefully it’ll do my grocery shopping for me too.
Apple to buy SONY!!!
http://www.gadgetell.com/tech/comment/apple-corp-to-buy-sony/
@ipoop..
THATS IT!!
I think it’s called symbian (not the phone os).
An iPhone 6G – twice as fast, half the price!
Whatever it is, I can’t wait to see it. I’m sure it will be impressive. Then all the other tech companies will be like, “Well, we did it first in another form factor. Apple didn’t innovate.” Then millions of people will line up to buy it and extol how great it is. After which, a few companies will go out of business and the cycle repeats.
Apple spins off iTunes, launches record label!
First acts signed/songs released:
* Earth, Wind & Firewire — Shining (Xerox) Star
* Billy Idol — Blu-Ray Highway
* Divinyls — When I Think About You, I Multi-Touch Myself
A PDA you wear around your neck. It’s powered by an unannounced Intel “Sentientum 9000” microprocessor. It listens to what the user wearing it as he or she talks to others and to the PDA. Its voice-recognition software “understands” many concepts, including context-sensitive purchasing intent. It’s built-in GPS allows it to say things like “Dave, I believe you are in Home Depot are you not? If so, you spoke of wanting to buy an air filter for the lawn mower.” Apple’s proprietary software makes the device “Three-law Safe©”.
I would guess they are going to “go to town” with the touch interface. Take the iPhone, make it a laptop, introduce an “sign language” of commands backed up by a menu driven approach. No mouse. Solid state memory. Seamless wifi or 3G access to me.com (or whatever it is called). The thing does everything, everywhere. Not sure about a keyboard. Maybe a wifi one, but, basically it works with you fingers on the tablet. I guess that means a virtually keyboard for writing.
Oh and it also functions as the access piece for really big computers like the mac pro. It should also be the controller for the living room music, pictures, video experience. The second generation will perform sex acts as well.
Multitouch Macs? I don’t think so. I think what they will have is some sort of keyboard surface that can track your finger movements rather than force you to be 12 inches from your 20″ or 24″ iMac. I mean, think about it. “Proper” viewing distance is out of hands reach. And who wants to muck up their monitor screen all the time? Not me.
iSurface or something. Think the Remote app for the iPhone/iPod Touch.
BIG-ASS TABLE?
Given the recent spate of Apple patent applications and the growth of Second Life (and the recent article in the Wall Street Journal http://tinyurl.com/2e49u4 about business and another one the other day about virtual worlds growing at an astounding rate), I’d hazard a guess that Apple will again revolutionize the computer interface by letting you navigate INTO your screen in a virtual world with your music on one wall, your documents on another, your system controls behind a panel…in a room you (or anyone) can construct or modify to your own preference. These rooms can be shared spaces across a network where your avatar interacts with others. Where the hell is
Microsoft going to go with that?
Don’t doubt the power of this technology. It’s coming and is much cooler than you think. With improved processing speed and faster broadband the rendering of animated characters is only going to get more and more real and thus more and more compelling. This is happening people… count on it.
1. MultiTouch Flatscreen TVs with built in Mac/Apple TVs.
2. A multitouch pad that replaces the entire keyboard (can visually become an audio mixing board, a mixer, a music keyboard, etc.).
it’s the Snapperwocky!
Jetpacks. (iRocket?)
It’s good that AAPL CFO Peter Oppenheimer stressed the “future product transition” so many times during the Q3 earnings conference call.
As a result, the chatter (at least on the Apple rumor and news websites) is turning toward uncovering that mystery, rather than focusing on the lack of a published CEO succession plan for Steve Jobs.
@phooey,
Microsoft already did that – ultimately there touch table computer was bricked into an expensive but useless BIG ASS Table. I’m sure apple won’t go down the same road that MS has gone into producing furniture…
Poor, sad little zV nmx b?
In case you’re too stupid to realize it, hanging out and trolling a website you obviously don’t like is the very definition of “childish, insane, or incredibly asinine”.
Seriously, pathetic little zV nmx b?
You’re a prime example of someone with an OCD-like disorder, and you should seek out a mental health professional.
It has to be the iPod line..
The entire line will transition into touch versions.
The iPod classic will completely transition into the iPod touch (with larger capacity.)
And the iPod nano will transition into a smaller “iPod nano touch.”
It makes perfect sense, especially with the app store being used on ALL iPods.
Remember, he said a product transition, not an entirely new product. All iPods becoming touch is a transition that will definitely cut into profit margin, but the competition simply could not touch this (no pun intended.)
would everyone stop with the multi touch iMacs. Apple will/is develop/developing a touch screen keyboard/mouse contraption. They will not be developing touch screens larger than 13″. What purpose would that serve? We all laugh at Microsoft’s surface but we want Apple to build something like it? Not going to happen.
A year or so and you can and will get an actuall Apple TV, with built in Apple TV, and a touch controller.
“It’s good that AAPL CFO Peter Oppenheimer stressed the ‘future product transition’ so many times during the Q3 earnings conference call.”
Only because he was asked about it so many times… I guess they keep hoping he’ll slip up.
“So, Pete, what are these new products that Steve alluded to?”
“I cannot discuss new products.”
“What about the new products can’t you discuss?”
“Well, I can’t tell you about the new iTablet, for exam–Oops! Excuse me, everybody, I have to commit hara-kiri now, before Steve does it for me.”
@Alasdair,
Yeah, you’re probably right. I think about the only thing we can rule out is a return to PowerPC chips anytime soon (if ever!).
We are working to develop new products that contains technologies that our competition will not be able to match. I cannot discuss these new products, but we are very confident in our product pipeline.
This is Apple’s story since it was founded in that fateful garage. It’s what people expect from Apple.
Then again, if MS or GM made that exact same announcement, we’d be howling with laughter at their “FUD”, “vaporware”, “grasps at straws”, etc. Yet Oppie says it and somehow we’re all in awe.
Guess it’s not what you say or how you say it. It’s WHO says it…
MW: better
So — do you think people selling today will feel good tomorrow when this sinks in?
iChat and iSight for Apple TV — video chatting with Grandma on your HDTV. (I got this idea from Cringely circa 2007.)
Wow. Lack of serious thoughts around here. Here’s my top ten list:
10. 3-D Simulated Desktop (They have a POV patent which explains how each pixel shows different things depending on the angle of sight into it, allowing a simulated 3-D screen without goggles, etc.)
9. The iSight Screen (Each pixel has a camera, screen can scan — They have a patent)
8. Up and Down Laptop (both surfaces multitouch 200+ patents)
7. Wireless Power (You’ve read about this)
6. iWork / iLife Go into the Cloud
5. iPod Touch Phase into MultiTouch Netbook
4. Apple@Home (A central hub and wifi outlet extenders. Control every electrical appliance from your iPhone, Touch, or Mac)
3. MacLive (AppleTV takes on the capacity of a full-fledged multi-touch game and entertainment system. A new multi-touch multi-sight SDK blows developers’ minds)
2. MacVivant (An actual 3-D interface. Not simulated. Matter is moved around and colors affected. It really is a three dimensional space that displays and allows interaction)
1. AI (A software butler that responds to real speech, interacts almost humanly, runs off to scour the web for you or explain appointment schedules.)
These would be awesome, so why low guidance? Because transition lag between products means nothing sold or little, and because of high start-up costs for the new product/technology.
My thoughts. Yours?
What about OSX for intel machines.
iChat and iChat only device…oh, he said transition.
On the Mac side, it’s probably nothing more than the transition to whatever elements of Montevina that Apple chooses to deploy; Nehalem is a stretch for calendar 2008 and really should be the headline act for MWSF 2009.
However, the iPod side could see a massive change with the death of the so-called iPod Classic and the completion of the move to a completely solid-state product line. My personal view is that we’ll see the 16GB iPod touch die and the upper end of that line expand to 64GB, I’d also bet that the touch will receive the GPS functionality from the iPhone.
The only ‘wildcard’ is whether Apple intends to produce a “Mobile Internet Device” based on Intel’s Atom: under those circumstances, a transition to Nehalem for the Mac Pro in 2008 may well be a possibility (let’s face it, the MWSF keynote has been unashamedly consumer-focussed for several years) as it will clear the stage for a Mac Nano in January ’09 alongside the Nehalem iMac followed by Nehalem-based pro laptops being announced at NAB.
People shouldn’t get all strung out about any contributions from PA Semi in the short-term: if Apple’s new toy delivers anything to the mothership before the product launches for the 2009 holiday season, I’ll be amazed and I’d probably still be surprised even then.
Magnetic RAM. Instant off and instant on to where you left everything. No more booting up or down.
I know what it is! It’s the iTele. I’ve been waiting for this for years. I’ll be able to transport myself anywhere in the world. I just hope they fix the degradation problem. I’d hate to degrade over heavy use of the iTele.
Makeover of the Apple Cinema Display line…
Safari browser and wireless keyboard support for Apple TV (hobby or no hobby)…
Midsize 64bit tower…
Makeover of the Apple Cinema Display line…
Safari browser and wireless keyboard support for Apple TV (hobby or no hobby)…
Midsize 64bit tower…
I know I know! Blu-ray super drives across the product line, including the Apple TV, and multi touch iMacs and Cinema displays.
“We are working to develop new products that contains technologies that our competition will not be able to match.”
“that our competition will not be able to match” is a pretty big statement. “Will not be able” suggests will not EVER be able.
That indicates some important patented or controlled by Apple technology that advances Apple products but competitors won’t be able to duplicate without stepping on Apple patents.
My guess is that this has to do with the hinted-at Snow Leopard use of the GPU to enhance performance. Turning the GPU into an Altivec like CPU enhancement for improved performance with Media files, especially HD and AVCHD. Could possibly be an Altivec-like chip made by Apple-owned PA Semi. Video performance on Macs and PC’s really needs some kind of quantum increase in performance.
If this is the case, It seems like competitors in the short term would answer with more cores but getting software to efficiently support them is difficult. Maybe multiple GPU’s and software support would work.
I told you. They are developing that WiFi Zune Detector and will send a KILL program once detected.
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The key phrase is the statement that other manufacturers will not be able to copy it. This means more locked down software on proprietary hardware akin to the iPod, AppleTV, MBAir, etc, thanks to their recent chip design acquisition. By doing this they will exact control over the unauthorized use of any commercial audio/video media, which is all-important to the major studios and Apple’s own stakes as a distributor. Look for new Macs to gradually lose the option for user controlled software upgrades (the way the AppleTV is managed or updated only at Apple’s whim). Carte-blanche file sharing liberties as we enjoy today will be slowly cut off in favor of syncing between a few “authorized” devices, and they will discontinue selling retail versions of Mac OSX to combat theft.
First of all … executive succession plans are almost never made public, for obvious reasons.
I suspect that you’ll see some more competitively priced Macs with some new technologies, which the competition won’t be able to emulate.
@zato
Good thoughts. But then why lower guidance?
My guess is that it has something to do with Snow Leopard and ZFS storage protocol together with redesigned Mac hardware to take advantage of that capacity. I don’t believe PCs running Windows OS in particular can take advantage ZFS. I’d not purchase new machines just yet, unless I had to.
Well I for one hope that it is an OUI (object user interface). It should be about time now, the CLI (Command Line Interface) and the GUI (Graphic User Interface) have done their roles, time to move on, the computer interface does not have to remain flat.
The competition will not be able to match will be original technologies and originality is something that the competition (that’s you minisoftie) hasn’t been able to match for a long time now.
iPod classic transitions into the iPod touch
iPod nano becomes iPod nano touch.
It’s a transition, it will cut into margins.
But most importantly, ALL iPods will run OSX with the app store.
Developers, developers, developers. It’s a mobile platform their building here. Competition can’t touch it.
New products to leave competitors in the dust? Yes, multi-touch appliances that touch you in multiple right places. Oooh, baby! Touch me again!
Though they’ll only ever sell one in the Redmond region, Apple are developing an unbreakable chair – the iSitdown.
Try as he might, MonkeyBoy’ll try to smash it.
But wait! It’s unbreakable…
So MonkeyBy will get more frustrated, and try to smash it some more…
But wait! It’s unbreakable…
etc, etc…
Zorpo, that’s it! – A jet pack (iJet) with iPhone adapter so you can steer using the tilt sensing and run an air traffic control module available from the App Store. Of course, it will be powered by a rechargeable, non-removable, natural gas powered engine module, and the iJet Dock will be extra… but I’ll still want one!
All the Mac lines except MacBook Air needs to be refreshed. However, I can’t see how that factor so much on the guidance that Oppenheimer needs to repeatedly mention the future product transition. That makes me think that the transition is not just a refreshed current product, but a real product transition like the shift from Mac OS to Mac OS X and PPC to Intel. However, since Apple has confirmed that Snow Leopard is a release to firm up the foundations for future products, it doesn’t seem big changes will happen on the OS front. I am thinking that this future product transition is actually a new category. Perhaps Apple will capitalize on the work they’ve done on OS X and its SDK for iPhone.
I like dave’s idea of printers. Color laser printers with actual Apple designed software. Even better, all-in-ones!
Also, maybe a mouse with built in touch pad.
In the future I would like to see Firewire 3200 and external PCI-Express when they become available. I would also like to see something better than BlueTooth. I really hate the delay when first starting up.
A flush keyboard that doubles as a Multi-Touch trackpad depending on the input …
hey..
This update is coming in the Holiday Quarter. It is definitely the IPOD line. All of them will transition from their current software on to OS X.
OS X is the strength of the Apple. The entire apple strategy is take their core competency ( OS X ) and extend into other markets which is being transformed / transformable by robust software.
In this holiday quarter, we are going to see a complete new lineup of iPODs. They are all going to be little expensive to make and hence profit/margin drop. So, the stock is tanking now.
OLED Iphone wristwatch
partner with Sony and DoCoMo
Dick Tracy would be jealous
MikeK: You are the only one who got it right.
It is the mobile platform they are building.
You are absolutely right.. Developers, Developers, Developers…
This is going to be huge when you think about all the iPOD becoming target market for developers…
Apple is going to sell about 50 million iPod and about 20 million iPhones next year. That is about 70 Million target customers for developers. That is a huge market.
The days of PC application is maturing/aging.
Apple Mobile Platform is the future. I am very excited.
Cheers everyone!
I personally would like to see a non 3G iPhone. Wifi is great enough for the internet connection and a simple cell phone connection will be fine.
The greatest benefit of this would be a $25 – $40 a month bill for the masses and still have the basics in a quality Apple derived OS
My money’s on a iTablet!
Those Golden Apples, i.e profit taking has to drop sometimes… after all it’s a Apple profit tree!
@ Occasional Poster:
What you describe was actually released by Apple last year. It’s called the iPhone (1st generation).
A combination of low power OLED displays, PA Semi low power chips and solid state storage with “greener” technologies across most product lines, starting with ipods and iphones, would provide battery life that the competition would not be able to match and would be a transition sufficient to initially lower gross margins.
Know you all know what is next. Apple is going to release Snow Leopard for all intel machines now running Vista. Once the masses get to try out the Mac OS on their cheap machines, they will look to Apple to get the complete experience, like the ones they are having with iPods and iPhones.
End of life for Windows.
I would pay for an “iPrinter”…the only device that lets you print your boarding passes from within your iPhone
“My guess is that this has to do with the hinted-at Snow Leopard use of the GPU to enhance performance.”
That sounds so techy and like something most people really wouldnt care about, not that it isn’t cool to do that. I bet whatever it is, its much broader and bigger than that.
@MIkeK
I hadn’t thought of that, but I think you absolutely got it right.
Oppenheimer said a KEY transition. The iPod line moving entirely to touch makes so much sense on so many levels.
There is only so much smaller and thinner you can go on the iPod nano. Going touch would completely revolutionize and bring it in line with Apple’s future mobile platform. OSX, apps.
Yes, the iPod nano is going touch.
Shogun wrote:
@zato…Good thoughts. But then why lower guidance?
Very good question! Low guidance is not uncommon with APPL, but here, it seems like something doesn’t add up. It seems like AAPL really expects either lower sales or lower profits. My “Altivec” theory doesn’t really seem to work in that environment…
Except: With the computing power advantage Macs would have, Apple could make OSX available for PeeCee’s, and that might result lower Mac sales at first. It’s hard to believe all this could happen so quickly, though.
To ragarcia:
“I would pay for an ‘iPrinter’…the only device that lets you print your boarding passes from within your iPhone”
“Wireless printing coming to the iPhone?
(Posted 18 July 2008)
The decryption of the iPhone OS 2.0 software/firmware package has led to speculation that Apple may add support for wireless printing to the iPhone and iPod touch. An inspection of the iPhone OS 2.0 file structure reveals a directory named ‘Printers.’ Currently the directory is empty, but it could be populated with drivers.”
(source: http://www.iphoneatlas.com/2008/07/18/wireless-printing-coming-to-the-iphone/)
Sex toys. I think it will be new sex toys that any gender can use. An iSex device will be in every pocket and purse. I can’t wait. Oh, oh, oh, oh, ohoooooooo!
Please, Apple make me be-come, come, come your love slave.
An iCoffee Maker.
I think we’re looking at an iCoffee Maker!
bigass couch
hmmm. I’d say at some point, a home folder on an iPod or iPhone. Something portable that you might move from one location to another that contains your home folder and oSX but not all you data.
I don’t think that the upcoming “cloud leopard” OS has “cloud in the title just b/c it’s the only remaining big cat either.
Somehow, whatever is coming will mean tighter integration with existing parts of the puzzle.
Flat screen t.v. with integrated hardware.
The iGame. For details see
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have you guys ever considered that they’ll just start competing more on price to drive adoption?
An interocitor for sure……
(see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Island_Earth — worth any true sci-fi cinema buff’s time for sure)
Or maybe an iDisgronificator?
Intel-based iPhone/iPod Touch.
Maybe….just maybe it’s the flying car we were all promised so long ago…
I say that Apple is coming out with a true 3D display that doesn’t require glasses.
They are finally going to announce that they are going to throw in the towel in regards to computers. They’ve gotten too consumer electronic-y anyway. No great loss.
A media laptop for recording remote. The upcoming Intel quad core laptop CPU, up to 8GB RAM, largest 7200 RPM HD available, multiple FW buses, esata connector for external HD drive.
@IdahoAl
I beleive also, Snow Leopard will be OEM licensed to select PC makers,
But I think it will only be on machines that meet minimum hardware requirements
Apple has bought Tivo (which has successfully beaten off all competitors with it’s *patented* technology, and is incorporating it into Apple TV (with an optical drive to boot).
When using phone sabre, an actual light beam will emit from the iphone.
Holographic screens and keyboards. They exist only when the user wears red and green glasses.
Invented to tell Greenpeace to shut up.
“I beleive also, Snow Leopard will be OEM licensed to select PC makers,”
————————-
You’d have a better chance of meeting Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny in person..
Nearly everything Apple sells is a computer. The mac is a computer. The iPod is a computer. The iPhone is a computer. The Airport Extreme and Airport Express are computers. The AppleTV is a computer. Just because we call them something else instead of using the general term computer doesn’t mean they’re not computers, and certainly doesn’t indicate Apple is moving away from computers.
But since I’m sure you’re talking about the Mac line when you say “computers”, it may interest you to know Apple just sold more Macs in a single quarter than they ever have in any quarter ever, and this record-breaking quarter didn’t include a Christmas or a Back to School. Believing that Apple would just walk away from the Mac at this point is sheer ignorance of the highest order.
the iTransporter. A device that will catapult you instantly through time, space and alternate universes. Oh, of course it has an iPod and a phone built in.
My guess is they’re eliminating the CD drive on the Mini as well as laptops to make super small computers.
“My guess is they’re eliminating the CD drive on the Mini as well as laptops to make super small computers.”
——————-
yep, eliminating optical drives definitely sounds like a “KEY product transition” that is going to affect Apple’s profit margin to me…
SixVodkas,
You (and you fanboi brethren) have obviously confused me with someone who cares what you think.
Hate to see Apple bring out something like HP Touchsmart.
I think we’ve seen enough of this new phase of touch this touch that….
Let Apple move onto something fresh now.
It’s pretty obvious to me that Oppenheimer is talking about FLASH-based storage for all notebooks. This is in line with the following sub-statements he issued:
– transitions to products that contain new technologies (i.e. flash drives) at price points that out competitors can’t match (because AAPL has options for a very large portion of the flash market).
– we are going to introduce new technology at very favorable price points and then ride the price curve down to the mass market (or something like that). I.e. it is an existing technology, and AAPL will be the first to make it widely available due to aggressive pricing “that our competitors can’t match”.
Introducing new gadgets like touch-screen cinema displays or doing away with keyboards, as some other people mentioned, would first have to be introduced small-scale to test acceptance. This has already happened with flash drives in the MacBook Air BTW.
…and to add to my previous post: with the MacBook transitioning to an aluminum chassis, there will be too little difference between MacBooks and MacBookPros. Hence the MBPs will come with flash drives while the MBs won’t.
in think they will base many products on multi-touch and iPhone OS. The apple tv and mac mini will be one device. HDMI, eSATA and or Firewire 1600 on almost any mac. The iMac goes mobile (somehow). they will cut wires, they bring the next wifi generation. intel, amd and powerpc product line
@Kal Ahnung
I agree with most of what you say as a possibility. Except for the fact that I don’t believe a move like this could be seen as “shutting out the competition.”
Any of Apple’s competitors could also add SSD to their notebooks, and since most of Apple’s competitors sell more units and operate on much slimmer profit margins to begin with, I don’t that even with a large SSD pricing break, Apple couldn’t price the units low enough as to “shut out” the competition.
I’m still convinced it’s the iPod line going touch. Nano included.
@Raving MacHead
This might turn NOT to be an april fool anymore… I say that since over 3 years, and it well could happen sooner then later!
But even if not, it will get quite embarrassing for the other “computer” builders…
I think Apple’s going into the Vista business. I hear there’s lots of money to be made. Just look at how much Microsoft made on Vista – broke all records, i think.
In the end we all love options, right?
Freedom to customized to all of our individual needs.
Next possible transition step that the notebook lineup could take is to have no keyboard or trackpad.
Why not just make the whole surface a touchable screen for the keyboard?
Why not just make the whole display screen the trackpad?
Maybe it’s not possible as we speak, but it will happen in the ‘future’
MacBook with e-paper displays!
Roll out your MacBooks now
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During conference calls, all Macs automatically ban together over the net to bolster the stock price. It’s kinda like the Care Bears.
iTableeeeet! A pocket format, a little bit larger than iPod Touch’s/iPhone’s, an iPod Touch on steroids, a beauty with a full blown OSX and touch screen with communication/syncing capabilities on steroids. Thank you, I’m waiting for you, ……….iToucheeee ….Oh, beam me up, Steve!
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Remember, he said it would be based on a technology that their competitors CAN NOT MATCH. What is it that they can’t match (other than OSX)? Remember P.A. Semi? That chip company Apple bought a few months ago. The competitors surely cannot easily match any new chip designs coming out of there, so I’ll put my money on something based on a new chip design from the P.A. Semi acquisition. Something iPhone-ish.
I still think the Imac will be discontinued. You will be able to buy a cinema display (with slot, last years patent) and a 12 inch macbook pro for the same cost as a current Imac. That would eat into margins and be a transition like the call said. Also, make all cinema displays have the same slot too.
It is definitely going to be the iPod line. Think about it. The product is maturing with numerous competitors, so now is the time to make a shift in direction to reinvigorate growth. Adoption of the Touch interface will will be something that will leave all other MP3 players in the dust. It also opens up additional market for the app store.
You will see new iPods with a Touch interface at the high and medium price points. In order to be competitively priced with enough ram to run and store apps and the touch screen, Apple will take a hit on the margin for these devices.
Brilliant move Apple.
“A PDA you wear around your neck. It’s powered by an unannounced Intel “Sentientum 9000” microprocessor. It listens to what the user wearing it as he or she talks to others and to the PDA. Its voice-recognition software “understands” many concepts, including context-sensitive purchasing intent. It’s built-in GPS allows it to say things like “Dave, I believe you are in Home Depot are you not? If so, you spoke of wanting to buy an air filter for the lawn mower.” Apple’s proprietary software makes the device “Three-law Safe©”.”
All that from a company who can’t even build a phone with turn by turn GPS mapping and voice dialling?
My 3 guesses:
1. A TV/phone/computer/iTV combo
2. A salesforce.com platform where they make every program imaginable for mac available for a monthly fee
3. WiFi that only works on OSX for like $2 per month (I’m still expecting somthing besides the MacBook Air when their banners promoted that “It’s in the Air”.
After realizing Mac OS X is a piece of crap that needs a total internal rewrite with No New Features for Snow Job Leopard, Instead, Apple will complete the WinTel transition with the launch of the VistaMac.
@Cookie –
Um, those would be called Macs.
“Believing that Apple would just walk away from the Mac at this point is sheer ignorance of the highest order.”
But expecting they would finally throw in the towel with their pretty but internally disastrous OS that needs a year long rewrite and go completely to Windows is believable. On the margin side they will now have to pay for the OS individually for each Mac rather than hiding it in one lump of R&D;.
Apple is long overdue for a major processor or OS transition in the Mac line.
Steve is probably distressed with the high uptake of Windows on Macs, now run in some way by about 90% of Wintel Macs. Perhaps the Mac line is going to be migrated back to PowerPC? or on to something else equally uncompetitive? That would make it impossible to run Windows naively and reduce the Mac’s desirableness, therefore meaning Apple sells less, hence the lower forecast.
If I were Apple, I’d be working on a real camera/video-recorder with an iPod Touch embedded. This would be one device to have with you at all times for music, Internet, and image recording, with a decent size lens, sensor, flash, etc. This would make video blogging and flikr-type image sharing easy.
Apple is going to introduce the revolutionary No New Features feature across the product line.
Now you’d think that developing and releasing No New Features would actually cost less. But Apple recognises that outside the fanboy community No New Features is quite a hard sell.
So Apple will be giving away free lobotomies to anyone who enters an Apple store, reducing them to a fanboy level of thinking and allowing them to then appreciate the beauty of buying products with No New Features. It’s the cost of those millions of lobotomies that is going to drive margins down.
Mid-range Mac tower.
If you truly didn’t care what others thought, you would keep your big piehole shut and wouldn’t post in a public forum. As such, you’re just as big of a sheep as anyone else.
These so-called “individualists” are none of the sort.
While many of the predictions here are imaginative, I think they are outlandish. These new products are never as “out there” as people imagine. My guesses are:
1) MacBook, MacBook Pro refreshes: Aluminum bodies, multi-touch pads, maybe flash HDs for the Pro. I think the real news will be the more competitive pricing, especially the MacBook.
2) Touch/solid-state throughout the iPod line?
I’d really like to see a new AppleTV DVR with a blue-ray drive to take advantage of the DVR patents they applied for. I’d buy that in a second. But I think it’s way to early for that, if ever.
“Steve is probably distressed with the high uptake of Windows on Macs, now run in some way by about 90% of Wintel Macs.”
Where’s your proof for either of these assertions?
“That would make it impossible to run Windows naively . . .”
Nice Freudian slip.
iVagina
Apple will announce iVagina for geeks and lesbians in time for the Christmas shopping season.
It will come with Bluetooth and can be controlled by the iPhone, iPod Touch or a Mac. A PC version will roll out in a few months.
As Apple has found the best customers for it’s products are mindless sheep, Apple has been working in secret on a modified form of the Apple Sheep Virus.
The Sheep Virus is rumoured to be very expensive to produce, and not particularly contagious. Natural forms of the Apple Sheep Virus have resulted in less than 3% infection rates worldwide despite being known in the wild for over 30 years.
When pumped into the air of Apple stores, within a week the infected customer will start exhibiting Apple Sheep like symptoms. The victim’s IQ will also be substantially reduced.
They will begin posting to message boards things like “Apple is making a tricorder” and “ZFS is the most revolutionary thing ever” and will defend any Apple screwup ever made as a “Good thing for Apple because <insert bizzare reasoning here>”.
Though initially expensive to infect millions of additional consumers, hence the short term hit to margins, Apple expects to reap long term rewards because it will increase the proportion of the population who mindlessly buy Apple products despite cost and quality issues. Apple will be able to continue current corporate policies of increasing prices and reducing quality while still having a willing, if somewhat retarded customer base to buy it’s products.
Apple Sheep will also post things like:
“Where’s your proof for either of these assertions?”
Regardless of the fact that an Apple Sheep never feels the need to back up anything they say (Usually because an Apple Sheep is sufficiently deluded that there is no real world evidence to support their views). Due to the IQ suppressing effect of the Apple Sheep Virus it is usually pointless to bring this contradiction to the notice of the Apple Sheep.
How about a pair of glasses that connect to the iPhone, creating a wearable large screen computer (HUD). It would include voice to text data entry for word processing and voice controls for all interaction with the CPU.
Just my $.02
If you review the Apple refurb site you will notice that the touch (8 & 16GB) and nano are listed with “Special Pricing”.
Pretty safe bet that iPods are going to get at minimum a refresh but more likely touch screens for the nano, more GB for touch at even lower price points.
Following on from Leopard’s “Secret features” consisting of a few new screen savers, the “Major” transition from Apple will probably consist of using slightly different colors on the packaging of existing products.
No no no…
It’s iJobs. They have grafted SJ’s brain on to Apple’s new product, iBrain. It will help guide Apple even when SJ is taking rest. It works 24 hours a day without resting, so expect Apple to growth rate to double. iJob contains Apple’s proprietary information, so it will not be available to other companies. However, iBrain will be next big thing that will take the corporate world by storm. MS board is already talking to Apple to replace Ballmer with iGates.
MDN IS a virtual iJob site where fanboys come to give each other virtual iJobs.
SixVodska:
A shameless, transparent, pathetic, clumsy, and impotent effort to deter me from posting. You moronic fanbois give me hours of entertainment.
Tablet! Take the Macbook Air and remove the keyboard side. That would make a tablet people might be interested in.
Another option would be to revamp the Apple TV to use the iPod touch OS and to take advantage of the app store and use the iPod touch and iPhone as remote control/keyboard/wii-style controller. An AppleTV hooked into an HDTV could make a great casual gaming, websurfing, entertainment, email setup.
Well Master Sheep Virus
It’s rather pathetic that you seem to believe your pre-pubescent comments projecting your feelings of schadenfreude upon others are smart and witty. In reality, any psychiatrist worth her/his salt will aptly point out that your comments are a simple projection onto others of your own insecurities and fears. Emasculation is a real bitch, n’est ce pas? Say hello to mommy when she calls you out of the basement for dinner.
gjdfjgpohmkp,
“You moronic fanbois give me hours of entertainment.”
You must have a pretty boring life. But then again, so do I.
… the transition to a new CEO. SJ moves on to be Chairman of the Board.
Sometimes when the Sheep Virus victim is brought face to face with their Sheepish nature the poor disorientated and confused Sheep will lash out with comments like:
“you seem to believe your pre-pubescent comments projecting your feelings of schadenfreude upon others are smart and witty”
Pretending the poster who made the comment the Sheep virus suffer did not like is a small child living in their mother’s basement is a key indicator of Sheep Virus infection. In using the line:
“Say hello to mommy when she calls you out of the basement for dinner”
Mister Wolf shows all the classic signs of Sheep Virus infection.
In addition to touch screens replacing notebooks (my first thought) the above comments point to iPod line replacement. That would explain the hit on earnings as there would be a period of ramp down and ramp up. An ipod line with touch interface and applications from the apps store would really push the envelope. Apps could in fact make them a phone whenever there is a link to the Internet. You have a satellite link or a Clearwire-like link and iPods could be phones, application platforms and music/video players.
Larger iPods with communication and GPS to be used in automobiles, airplanes, trains.
It’s either going to be air-like multi-touch ultra-portable-like or it is going to be a SSD-CUBE…yes, CUBE again, that has tremendous performance multi-expansion capabilities…in other words, the new Mac Pro in mini format. Room for three SSD’s, tons of RAM, small footprint. 4 sided expandability. The new CUBE! Do you really think Jobs gave up on such a cool product? The Mac Pro for consumers…by the way, the Mac Pro is HUGE and expensive and only necessary for the high-end dogs. Sound far-fetched? Am I dreaming? Maybe…maybe not.
“That would make it impossible to run Windows naively . . .”
I thought that was the only way you could run Windows? Running windows while well informed would be…odd.
– It must be pretty darn important that a company with a track record like Apple to do consession on GM of -15%. This is overall GM. That means that this particular product transition will be very important.
– Why jeopadize GM for New Mac’s or MacBooks. Does not sound like Apple. People love the Macs and are willing to pay the premium. As ussual Apple would add features but keeps the price the same.
– Apple considers their OS X as their core IP. I’m pretty sure they will align the OS X for all their devices. It is not by accident that Snow Leopard is promoted as improved performance. This is critical to the new product transition. What distinguises a Mac from a Window machine besides it looks more pretty? The OS X! That is what makes the difference. The same for the Ipod and the Iphone.
– I would not be supriced if they will push for some kind of media hub. They have the Iphone, Ipod and AppleTV. It would make sense to integrate all those devices to some thing spectacular. It must be something so nice that it is affortable and acceptable that Apple is willing to sacrifice GM to push it in the market. They would like to set the standard on something new like they have done with Ipod and Itunes and the IPhone.
– Our future is not in emails and office applications and another mac book. Our future is interaction with media rich messages and devices wether that is TV, a cell phone or a media rich Ipod. All working under OS X
This conference call will be known as Oppenheimer’s iBomb.
The key here is it’s a transition, and one that has a big effect on apple’s financial results.
So it’s not some new incremental product line, or a slight tweak to an existing product. It’s a major change to an existing line or lines, or the way Apple does business.
It may be some sort of platform transition within an existing line, but to a platform that’s initially more expensive to produce. That wouldn’t make any sense unless it also has substantially expanded capabilities.
But it may not even be new hardware. It may just be a realization by Apple if they want to keep the ball rolling they need to get a bit sharper on pricing to compete with lower cost PCs and mp3 players, hence taking a hit on those nice fat margins.
“This conference call will be known as Oppenheimer’s iBomb.”
The part of the Japanese will be played by Apple.
As Saddam Hussein knows, pretending to have weapons of mass destruction doesn’t stop you from losing a war.
Apple’s Cried Wolf so may times it’s not surprising analysts don’t believe them when they claim that they’ve got some “Amazing” “Secret” stuff on the way. From history we know that to Steve thinks “Amazing Secret Features” are new screen savers.
@ not small stuff
“The key here is it’s a transition, and one that has a big effect on apple’s financial results.
So it’s not some new incremental product line, or a slight tweak to an existing product. It’s a major change to an existing line or lines, or the way Apple does business.
It may be some sort of platform transition within an existing line, but to a platform that’s initially more expensive to produce. That wouldn’t make any sense unless it also has substantially expanded capabilities.
But it may not even be new hardware. It may just be a realization by Apple if they want to keep the ball rolling they need to get a bit sharper on pricing to compete with lower cost PCs and mp3 players, hence taking a hit on those nice fat margins.”
hmmmmm. trying to read the runes from Cupertino can be hazardous to a crystal ball gazer’s track record.
Item: SJ’s health and AI’s “succession plan” back in the news via comments by the CFO. But that’s about a possible Management transition not a product one…..
Item: After consulting with counsel for… …months… …Apple makes a move to smash Psystar. This is fraught with risk for the company. If they fight it out in court and lose anybody and their brother can clone Macs in any form factor they can and Apple ends up with a gross margin of about $40 (?) on the OS per sale, which would seriously cannabalize Mac sales, even if the computers aren’t supported by Apple and have some bugs.
One end around that without taking that risk is for Apple to license OS X on a limited basis to very selected makers that hew to specific hardware guidelines approved per design by Apple, providing “access” to OS X on machines that Apple will either make more money and/or which will be approved because they won’t impact Mac sales that much. That would be a major product transition that would have somewhat unpredictable effects on the bottom line, and which is more likely to survive a court challenge and less likely to be challenged, since little companies would have a hard time competing against Dell and HP PC’s running OS X.
Probability: low but not zero.
Item: the iDevice line is going to expand — upwards, downwards and sideways. That’s hardly disputable. Upwards, to a Newtonish-sized device with a bluetooth headset, e.g., putting all of the capabilities of an iPhone and many of the capabilities of a notebook into a sub-one pound device priced < $1000 would impact notebook sales..
Probability: reasonable if this whole story isn’t just white puffs of smoke emanating from One Infinite Loop.
Item: Using SproutCore and other tech to move say, iLife and iWork to the cloud on a subscription basis where they’d be available to all PC users would definitely change Apple’s fortunes and accounting.
Probability: probably premature even if in the works, but who knows….
Meanwhile new printers, displays or iPod or Mac line major refreshes don’t seem sufficient to wrap this “announcement” under such a cloud of mystery. These things are somewhat ho-hummish these days press- and media circus-wise. A new printer. Wowsers. Printers are plenty good and cheap and reliable today. Ditto monitors. Apple’s not going to grab share here in a major way all at once even with all its stores and press fans, and the impact on bottom line shouldn’t be major. And a nano-touch or aluminum MacBook with multi-touch gestures is merely a new model of familiar Apple tech. So same conclusion.
And One More Thing…… …..again if there is something up Apple’s sleeve it might be something really not fully guessed anywhere in this thread….. …or….???
My guess – dropping the iPod Classic and changing the nano into a touch product. The shuffle remains.
MacBooks and MacBook Pros with the same touchpad as the air.
These are the 2 product lines that are usually updated during this quarter.
I still believe it will be the “Orgasmatron”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orgasmatron
Of course, Microsoft will eventually try to copy it
How about a laptop that’s completely touch based? Imagine two screens, one on each hinged half, completely configurable with what displays where? With a new OS 11 to drive it? I would not be surprised to see something like it in the next 5 years.
coprr28ki8z9a http://www.453525.com/906475.html j2tjsx4so
I think that what we are going to see is that Apple will produce a “touch” keyboard along the lines of Art Lebedev’s Optimus Tactus design where the application can automatically “load” an entire custom keyboard layout for itself (no doubt you will be able to change and adapt it to your own preferences).
The keyboard will be haptic using some form of tactile feedback technology (their current keyboards already have minimal travel so it won’t be hard for users to adapt) and as the keyboard will be based on a display of some kind (OLED for nightime typing?) it won’t be hard to switch from “regular keyboard” mode to multi-touch mode for those apps that will benefit from it (such as iPhoto etc.)
“My guess – dropping the iPod Classic and changing the nano into a touch product. “
Or dropping the iPod Classic finally producing an HDD touch. But none of this things should be big enough to affect margins that dramatically.
“And One More Thing…… …..again if there is something up Apple’s sleeve it might be something really not fully guessed anywhere in this thread….. …or….???”
it comes back to the fact that it must affect existing product line margins in a negative way. No new noncompeting product launch would do that, even if it were a massive success or a huge flop. No single new product would make much difference.
It must be a lower margin product which will compete with a substantial part of Apple’s existing business, or a change in the pricing of existing products to radically reduce margins.
That eliminates 90% of what people have been posting here and comes down to a few realistic options 1) lower priced Macs. 2) lower priced iPhones 3) iPods which are lower priced and/or more expensive to produce.
If it was later than this quarter, which is 3 weeks old already, I would guess snow leopard is the transition and that it was going to be offered free to intel Mac users.
I think they will make all their ipods, touches, nanos, everything with multitouch. no more clickwheel. (transition)
then, make the macbooks aluminum, essentially making all their computers aluminum with multitouch on the laptop trackpads only, not the screen, that would just be pointless. (another transition)
finally, they will make a multitouch pad screen type of keyboard system so that the imac and macpros arent out of the whole multitouch loop. finally making the full multitouch transition with aluminum products. (maybe theyll still keep the macbooks plastic though) but definitely multitouch on everything, including ipods.
no silly 8” 10” small mobile computer tablet whatever. thats why you have an iphone.
i just want a new macbook pro.
Nothing that big I’m afraid. An aluminium Macbook with LED display, a P9500 Centrino2 processor, dual graphics, DDR3 1333 2GB for a reasonable price. But where is it?
Speculations only take our time from the really important things: work with our current machines.
Get a life!
“I would guess snow leopard is the transition and that it was going to be offered free to intel Mac users.”
In which case, it wouldn’t depress margins.
But it’s a good point about being 3 weeks into the quarter with 1 million iPhones sold. Nobody exactly knows how much Apple cut the margin on those puppies.
All of the above, AND powered by high-speed antenna you strap around your chest under your shirt, like Polar’s heart transmitters, wirelesly connects to current gizmo du jour.
YOU become the antenna.
If it’s an iPod product line transition to all touch, then there’ll be no more blood on the clickwheel. That’s a plus since the optical glass is easier to clean.
TMF
Can we say ‘There Will Be “Blood on the (iTunes) Tracks”‘?
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?i=217292417&id=217292364&s=143441
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewMovie?id=278290639&s=143441
TT: Yes, yes we can.
But if they keep the spinning wheel, it would only be fair to throw sweat and tears into the mix.
if Apple made a Macbook Air with carbon fibre as a case doubling as an antenna and had a touchscreen with a camera it would be an unbelievable tool for online business to share in realtime files to be manipulated during conference calls. users could literally touch their own computer to reflect changes live on a conference call visible to all participants.
Macbook DS
regular screen on top, touchscreen on bottom, less than a cm thick, using the lowest power chips they can think of.
runs inkwell and all those newton and axiotron pen based apps. plus everything in the mac universe.
Afib is still a raging homo
Wow. You actually took the time to post all of that mindless crap. Amazing. Even just skimming it made my IQ drop by about 20 points.
(There’s an easy one for you).
The question is, do you actually think that your drivel has even one iota of affect on anything?
You’re deluded if you think it does.
@Sheep Virus states
“Even just skimming it made my IQ drop by about 20 points.”
This Mac Sheep Virus sufferer has at least correctly identified the effect of the Mac Sheep Virus on himself, but unfortunately due to his diminished intellectual capacity lacks the awareness to understand his Mac Sheep Virus infection is the cause of his IQ drop.
“”We are working to develop new products that contains technologies that our competition will not be able to match.”
What he first said is:
“We’re delivering state-of-the-art products at price points that our competitors can’t match, which has resulted in market share gains in each of our products.” Throughout the call he repeats variations of that theme.
So the’re talking about NOW not future, and continuing what they are doing, and that the PRICE not the TECHNOLOGY cannot be matched.
The app store/itunes business model has the possiblity of being the way all software is purchased in the future,imagine how profitable it would be for apple to take a large percentage of all software purchases.
Imagine a new tablet with the all of the advantages of the i phone and all of the advantages of a laptop, with multitouch the new displays discussed earlier in the thread and SOLD AT NEAR COST. Would blow the computer industry wide open, the studios could not afford to get fully on board, Piracy eliminated and a fortune in software,music and video purchases.
The computing industry business model changed forever and after initial lower income almost unlimited profit from tied in users forever!
oops sorry I meant the studios could not afford NOT to get fully on board.
If Apple are going to have reduced revenue from a popular new product,instead of an increased one? Accepting it is a high risk strategy, A wise marketing man would ensure that it is as visible and desireable as nothing else before.It has to be a device in EVERY home.
It needs features not seen before,a Price that shocks the purchaser (pleasantly) that will later give an improved margin through economies of scale (and offsetting development costs) and more importantly giving a new and improved source of revenue. Itunes and app store are now there, and ready to scale up. Looks the the computer, film, music software and games industries have just changed forever.
—Are they this brave—?
they have covered laptops, desktops, music portability and cellphone. Now into the gaming line………a mac that plays minesweeper .