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What’s Up For MacWorld 2008?

November 6th, 2007

So much has happened with Apple in the past year that I only recently remembered that MacWorld 2008 is just around the corner (January). Last year the reality distortion field went into overdrive with the announcement of the iPhone. It seems that will be a hard act for Apple to top this time around, but here are some thoughts about what Apple could announce, some of which could be as groundbreaking as the iPhone:

iTablet: The Tablet Mac rumor keeps floating around. Steve Jobs has denied this in the past, but I think certain clues make this an ever-more likely possibility. I’m thinking Apple really needed to upgrade OS X so the UI would make more sense for tablet form – and they have largely done so with MultiTouch and now Cover Flow in the Finder. My second thought is after using an iPod Touch for a few weeks, the size definitely leaves much to be desired. If the iTablet runs full OS X and is at least the size of a paperback book, I’m interested.

Beatles on iTunes: This rumor has been around forever also, but now that all four former Beatles’ solo catalogs are on iTunes, the Fab Four has got to be primed to land on another Apple.

Apple TV 2: A reboot of this product is sorely needed. I think the ideal would be to combine it with the MacMini, a larger hard drive, and announce a better iTunes Store product to make the Apple TV more appealing – I’m thinking movie rentals.

iPhone 2: Sounds mad, but Apple might use the standby “We’re far ahead of the competition, so we want to retain that lead” and announce an updated cell phone that addresses some of the complaints people have had. How about 3G, more storage, Flash support, some new apps – anything that will keep the iPhone a hot product in 2008.

MacBook: There’s a “subnotebook” rumor that keeps appearing every once in a while – maybe it would be the MacBook Mini. I think one angle that would be amusing is if the recent Apple Keyboard design were extended into the MacBook world – some super thin aluminum shell with white keys.

Apple does something bold to provide iTunes Store content: Late in 2007, there were some rumblings from the television studios (NBC in particular, to where they pulled content from iTunes completely) and the music labels. I’m thinking Apple might have something in the works to restore the content providers and user’s faith in the business model. This could be:

  • Rental / subscription model for content – think Netflix – a monthly fee for music or content.
  • Streaming of video content.
  • Price break on everything – how about 50 cents a song?
  • Something more aggressive – Apple buys a major studio or record label, or forms their own. Maybe they’ll make a big splash by signing some currently label-less act.

Anyhow, these are just some random thoughts. Anybody have some predictions of their own?

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folder Categories: Apple, General, Technology :: ::

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  • I would like a pair of "iGlasses"...the 21st centuries first mass-market "smart glasses".

    Potential features:
    * Ear buds for all your audio needs
    * Integrated telephone
    * Voice activated
    * GPS capability
    * Full wifi
    * Can access a special version of the safari browser that is superimposed on the glasses - useful for activities like wayfinding (google maps on the iGlasses HUD? yessiree!), and comparison shopping when at a bricks and mortar store (how much was that doohickey selling for on Amazon.com?)

    I will be holding my breath until Mr. Jobs makes this announcement...
  • Heh the one big problem I still have with "iGlasses" is the practical nature of wearing them in public - if you had one of them on that completely obscured your vision, you'd be walking into walls or other people. You'd also be a pretty huge theft target.

    Even at home it seems iGlasses would be pretty pointless - I'm not sure anybody would be using iGlasses with the option of a regular monitor or a wide screen tv readily available.

    That said, if iGlasses are ever developed I hope the screen appears in the lower part of one eye frame so the wearer could at least see what's going on around them... and maybe some kind of "power glove" type device to control the iGlasses interface :)
  • ^ lol, I was kinda hoping they'd look like regular glasses. Those things are huge and spacey! ;-)

    Jase -- I was thinking that you'd get the unimpeded view of the world with graphical overlays with data/info. When you get home you can switch them to "virtual reality mode" where the glasses go opaque and only the virtual imagery is displayed. Sure you could watch your flat panel, but what if you wanted to pretend you were on the beach watching a big tv screen floating in the sky? Just fire up the appropriate iNvironment (tm) and presto...just be sure to order the iFeeler kit which attaches to various parts of your body and creates actual physical sensations to make the experience even more realistic :-)

    I realize it's a pipe dream and I'm just smoking something...
  • I think you want the MyVu...

    I do like the superimposing on real life idea. I think it's called "augmented reality" ... but yeah... seems like something that Apple would be putting out somewhere around 2012 :)
  • iPhone 2: Sounds mad, but Apple might use the standby “We’re far ahead of the competition, so we want to retain that lead” and announce an updated cell phone that addresses some of the complaints people have had. How about 3G, more storage, Flash support, some new apps - anything that will keep the iPhone a hot product in 2008.


    If the iphone just had the same capabilities as other phones, I'd be happy. Features it needs:
    1. Quick, easy keypad access. To make a call you shouldn't have to do so much. You should just have to unlock the phone and dial. You should be able to dial 911 blind/ in the dark. You can't do that with the iphone.
    2. Video. If I can watch YouTube on my phone I should be able to make YouTube videos with my phone.
  • Yep although the iPhone seems cool there are definitely a short list of reasons why I haven't bought one yet, either. I've also been alternately seduced and a bit annoyed at the UI that I've been toying with on the iPod Touch.
  • Quad Cores in MacBook Pro?
    I'm in the market for a new Mac Book Pro. If I knew Apple was going to announce a significant upgrade to the Mac Book Pro line, like an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, then I'd definitely wait until AFTER January to buy a Mac Book Pro.

    I know Intel is producing Core 2 Quad chips today, but I don't know if they can be engineered into a Mac Book Pro or any mobile form factor just yet, but it just might be possible.

    Any thoughts?
  • Bruno
    I'm in the market to buy a new Mac Book Pro as well, but want to wait until after january too, i don't know about any upgrades but was hoping someone else might. Also, does anyone know when a larger capacity iTouch might be released?
  • Heymbit
    I hope to god that Steve Jobs announces to the world that the iPod Classic, Shuffle, and Nano are being discontinued. Instead, three types of iPod:
    iPod Flash
    iPod HD
    iPhone

    The iPod HD has a harddrive instead of a flash drive, can hold 160gigs +
    The iPod Flash is what they have now, perhaps more storage
    The iPhone is what they have now, or 2.0, or 3G, or whatever.

    Yes the other iPods came out recently, but their era has come to an end.
  • Heymbit, if by iPod HD you mean basically an iPod Touch with a hard drive - I'd get one.
  • Heymbit
    Ya, by iPod HD I did mean Harddrive. I Guess it should be HDD so it's not confused with High Definition (although a High Definition iPod should be out before 2010)
  • Dan
    How bout a 32GB iPod Touch? 16GB is just not enough storage and Creative just released a new Zen Media Player that runs on 32GB of flash memory... and its under 400 USD. The lack of a middle storage iPod seems strange to me, the jump from 4 to 8 to 16 to 80 seems too far apart and with competition heating up in the portable music market, I wouldn't be suprised to see it. The only downfall to this is that the touch has only been on the market for 4 months, and I'm sure holiday shoppers would be furious with an update like this. I think Jobs with definately bring in a new laptop product, but the Mac Book doesn't account for much of Apple's sales... I think we all need to see a lot of little things or something radical at Macworld, or a lot of people will be shorting Apple's stock.
  • Hi Dan, I agree, the 16GB is prohibitive on the iPod Touch, especially when one wants to put video on there. The way the rumors are shaping up, it looks like Apple TV and a sub MacBook are in the works. I hope there's more.
  • chaipan
    maybe "There's something in the air" indicates a super light weight notebook...
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