“Apple has sent out press invitations for an October 16 media event, teasing with the tag line ‘It’s been way too long,'” J. M. Manness writes for Seeking Alpha. “Undoubtedly this will be to announce new iPads and the new version of Mac OS X dubbed Yosemite.”
“There will be new Air and Mini iPads announced, both with the new A8 processor, and Touch ID, Apple’s fingerprint authentication system. Surely there will be other new hardware features, but these will be the main ones,” Manness writes. “Look for Apple to announce that the iPad Air has an A8X chip, the ‘X’ signifying beefed up Graphics Processing Unit with more processing cores.”
“Apple will undoubtedly discuss the new Mac OS, including a demo of its Handoff feature. They will announce the release date, and perhaps some updates to their iWork suite,” Manness writes. “The most important of the new services to be announced is Apple Pay. I anticipate an announcement that it will be going live soon – most likely by the end of this month… [Also] look for a major presentation on [the Apple+IBM] partnership. Remember, this was an iPad initiative, so I would be very surprised if it did not play a significant role. Look for guest appearance by IBM folks and brief demos of some of the new ‘enterprise solutions.’ Expect them to be very impressive. They will bring out the best of the best here and wow the audience.”
Manness writes, “Look for a very major presentation of gaming. If Apple has indeed used an A8X chip then the performance should be stupendous – very close to a game console. They might also bring out some other graphic uses such as scientific or medical imaging… Look for a major announcement on the Apple TV, with an A7 or A8 chip, HomeKit built in, and its own App Store. HomeKit is for certain. I give the upgrade and App Store 70% probability. This, to my mind, would be one of the most significant moves on Apple’s part, and open up a whole new revenue stream, while bringing more hard core users into the ecosystem.
Much more in the full article here.
This just in… Water is wet! Mind blown…
“The important details for Apple’s October 16th special event”
This article should have read:
“check back Thursday afternoon. We will have substance to report then.”
Manness seems correct on a few items iWork update, iPads, AppleTV opening up or update or both. But what about Mac mini update, Mac Pro update, Thunderbolt Display update, or Airport update. These last 4 items have been really long in the tooth also.
I agree the Mac mini is long over due too. I would not be surprised if it takes the shape of the Mac Pro. Oh there is no upgrade need for the Mac Pro.
My insider friend just told me that the new Apple TV will be $199 this time around
If it does cost $200, it will probably be because it’s your new gaming console.
I would still buy it!! It is going to be a huge upgrade and worth the price.
The IBM comment is spot on. I’d expect them to demo something that’s fairly disruptive in terms of what the iPad will bring to a specific industry with IBM’s software and services.
Meanwhile, I’m just going to cry if there’s no new Apple TV with SDK and game controller.
Prepare to cry. My hunch is that the Apple TV will get its own announcement when the time is ripe. I’m not talking about a television set. I’m incredibly skeptical about that, and firmly believe that Gene Muenster is unbelievably wrong. Again.
Instead, I think the Apple TV device as we know it will add capabilities. The big thing won’t be the hardware, but the software, related services and most important, the deals with networks, cable/satellite providers and content owners (film studios and TV networks). This last group are the comb-overs delaying this from happening.
My hunch is that Apple has had the hardware and likely the software ready for quite some time. But it’s the egoistical buttheads at the TV networks, film studios and cable companies who are preventing progress from happening. Meanwhile, we sit in our living rooms having to deal with ancient, crappy, unreliable and energy hogging Scientific Atlanta and Motorola set-top boxes and putting up with archaic cable TV systems because the asshats running these oligopolies don’t care.
The only thing that might get these monopolies to pay attention is the growth in cord-cutting. It’s happening, but slowly.
If that’s the case, expect something better from Apple in the future. But that better thing can only improve as much as the people on the other side of the bargaining table will allow. Ugh.
“My hunch is that Apple has had the hardware and likely the software ready for quite some time. But it’s the egoistical buttheads at the TV networks, film studios and cable companies who are preventing progress from happening.”
Exactly, until Apple fonds a way around them. And it will happen given enough time. My thought is they need to buy Disney. That gives them a whole century of content. Then threaten to withhold ESPN from them unless they cooperate with content like HBO.
Umm, you haven’t had to deal with those cable boxes for a long time — since you could use Tivos (or other DVRs) too..
No I disagree. Apple has better hardware all set. It is just a modified iPad board. Buy using a modified board with a A7 from last year. Will be a big upgrade.
Cry? I would ball my eyes out! You will not need a controller. Your iDevice will be the controller.
iPhones, iPods, and iPads make for really crappy controllers as compared to any other game controller.
The only “way too long” that jumps out at me is Apple TV development. It was a “hobby” for years, but since then we’ve been waiting for gaming, an App Store, more RAM and onboard storage to obviate the need to constantly refresh content displayed from our iTunes libraries, a more powerful processor to handle the latest games, and a real build of iOS to better integrate with the whole ecosystem.
This could finally be the year that Apple TV moves forward as a major product, not a sideline.
It’s been “way too long” since there was any type of advancement with the way you interact with your television. Didn’t Tim say using a television is still the same as it was in the 70s? That’s 40 years. THAT”s way too long! 😛
Yes! Yes! Finally someone agrees with me!!
Apple is partnering with IBM, perhaps the announcement is about new Mac OS X server software. 🙂
Apple TV please!
Preferably one with gaming capabilities similar to but better than the Wii.
They’ve talked about tv being stuck in the seventies. It’s been stuck in a rut for way too long. This message is clear. It’s about a genre, not an apple product line.
Perhaps the “Way too long” quote is their explosion onto the enterprise scene…
_Manness writes, “Look for a very major presentation of gaming. If Apple has indeed used an A8X chip then the performance should be stupendous – very close to a game console.”_
But gaming consoles suck. They lag behind even mediocre PC-s, not even talking about high end gaming machines. The whole tablet, console, e-reader gaming is a joke.
Maybe IBM will get DB2 (database and developer links) working for the Mac again — it’s broken and shows no sign of being fixed.
Apple TV has so much potential, hopefully they finally do right by it. With gaming and an app store,it could be THE holidays biggest seller.
Yes! Another one that agrees with me!!
I totally agree. The invite says it all. There will be a major upgrade I the ATV. The upgrade will be so big it will: #1: Turn the streaming box market upside down and it will make all of the illrealavent including the now number one seller the Roku 3. # 2 Put the final nail on the coffin for the WiiU and burry it to finish the job that Microsoft and Sony already started. #3 Send shockwaves through the Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation 4 with the new Gaming and App abilities of the ATV. #4 put a whole new look on Home Automation and even shake up that industry as well.