Apple Booth: Secret

[arn]

wrylachlan points out... Wired has (http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,51187,00.html) a story entitled "What's Behind That Apple Curtain?"

No one expects Apple to introduce anything new Thursday morning when CEO Steve Jobs delivers the opening keynote. The company has recently refreshed its entire product line; no new products are supposed to be in the pipeline. The biggest surprise will be whether Jobs wears jeans or a suit.

But a pair of large and mysteriously shrouded booths in Apple's display area on the show floor say something else.

[Backtothemac]

We can only dream....Set top box, camera, PDA, G5, 17in iMac (yea, like that would not go on backorder), X.2, who knows, I just wish it was quicktime covered.:(

[Macmaniac]

This has to be good! I bet there is a cute little 10gig iPod sitting in there! Good things come on big boxes. It would also be cool if there were new Ti-Books in there. We can only hope!

[eyelikeart]

hmm....a freight box....says "Apple: Secret"...

what do u guys think....will Steve show up in a black mock turtleneck?! he he he...:p

[GigaWire]

finally, my computer has arrived!

[rjgjonker]

Maybe Steve is going to release QuickTime 6 and announce the keynote will be broadcasted in MPEG4 afterwarts ;)

I certainly hope QT6 finally comes…

[Ensign Paris]

No way is this just a little something, I do not think Apple would put a slightly bumped up iPod behind this kind of thing, no chance.

What could it be?

Who knows!

Ensign

[elgruga]

iPod revision is a fair guess - 10 gig drive with new features and a reduction in price on the 5 gig one (Then I will buy one!

Perhaps the best thing that Steve could announce is that imacs are finally shipping and all models are available.
That must be doing serious harm to Apple's bottom line.....

[littlejim]

Hmmm...

Booths in "far corners of the hall"... "thick black curtains" ...

New black colour scheme for iPod and/or portables? Or ready for a demo of some sort of cool wireless product/enhancement.

----------
LittleJim

[Dunepilot]

But don't get too excited yet.

I have work to do before tomorrow, and it ain't gonna get done with all this excitement.

:cool:

Hope there's something good. An iPod wouldn't be enough for all that secrecy would it?!

[kablooie]

I've got a friend at Pixar who told me what it is.

Not as exciting as you would hope. Since they don't have any new products they needed something to keep them in the eye of the press.

They will have the block of ice with Walt Disney in it on display.

Sorry to let you down like this.

[littlejim]

Originally posted by kablooie
I've got a friend at Pixar who told me what it is.

Not as exciting as you would hope. Since they don't have any new products they needed something to keep them in the eye of the press.

They will have the block of ice with Walt Disney in it on display.

Sorry to let you down like this.
Is this so Apple can threaten Walt Disney Corp?

"Lay off the RIP-MIX-BURN campaign or Walt melts?"

----------
LittleJim

[teabgs]

I think steve will wear Navy Blue and Khakis. Also, behind the curtain is a big sign that reads only "iJoke" Thats it!

:D

[Mr. Anderson]

Of course they're shrouding it all in a mysterious black curtain. What ever they're unveiling has to wait until Jobs gets up and talks.

This is such good fodder for the rumor mill, though.

[Q-bert]

I dunno... my friend who works at Apple says they're doing that all the time now. EVERYTHING is draped in black, even when there's nothing new under the curtains, in the name of secrecy. So we may not see anything at all, really.

I don't have my hopes up. It'll probably be just an ordinary expo.

[mischief]

With a new GUI Engine to replace Quartz/Aqua, based on open GL and Adobe's ATM/PDF and Atmosphere's browser engine. Add also an Apple browser: iSurf.

:D :eek: :p :cool: :rolleyes: ;)

How about a touchscreen line of LCD's with IBM's hi-def tech at about half it's top res?:D

[krafix]

We are just 4 days away from OSX's 1st birthday. And Oscars' ad coming up. Doesn't all this fit together? X.2? I'm surprised that most people don't take note of it that much. Frankly, if Apple wants us all to switch to OSX, they need to make X better and sooner than MW. Now would be perfect with new iMacs getting in the parade. It's not new hardware, just like they said and maybe that's why they didn't have to hide the OSX banner on top.

[Gelfin]

That's not a "shrouded mystery box." It's the new Apple iCurtain. They're revolutionizing the window dressing market.

[GeeYouEye]

Originally posted by mischief
With a new GUI Engine to replace Quartz/Aqua, based on open GL and Adobe's ATM/PDF and Atmosphere's browser engine. Add also an Apple browser: iSurf.

:D :eek: :p :cool: :rolleyes: ;)

How about a touchscreen line of LCD's with IBM's hi-def tech at about half it's top res?:D

Could work, but they'd also have to introduce a (better than AppleWorks) office suite compatible with Office XP. This way when Microsoft kills Office v. X in retaliation for iSurf, everyone can sit back and smile, and of course laugh at Microsoft.

[rt_brained]

Originally posted by Gelfin
That's not a "shrouded mystery box." It's the new Apple iCurtain. They're revolutionizing the window dressing market.

<SIGH> Finally! Now I can take that tin foil off the windows of my mobile home and put up some real drapes! By the way, I'm still waiting for the release of iSlippers. I need something to keep my feet warm at the grocery store.

[mischief]

Originally posted by rt_brained


<SIGH> Finally! Now I can take that tin foil off the windows of my mobile home and put up some real drapes! By the way, I'm still waiting for the release of iSlippers. I need something to keep my feet warm at the grocery store.

I love it! fuzzy bunny-slippers in all the CRT iMac colours!

"New iBunnyfeet from Apple............innovative mercury-switch piston technology recharges your iBook while you walk to the fridge."

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by Gelfin
That's not a "shrouded mystery box." It's the new Apple iCurtain. They're revolutionizing the window dressing market.

I wonder if its the same material as Jobs' mock turtle neck?

[Quark]

Correct me if I am wrong, but at a recent show - two or three shows ago, Apple had large boxes that said something to the affect of "Superior" with the Apple logo on it.

As I recall, it ended up being almost nothing. A speed bumped computer or something -- don't recall exactly.

This sounds like the same tactic... although I am secretly wishing for a new digital Camera with iPhoto 2, or PDA.

I am hoping that it is more than just QT6 and OS X 10.2.x -- but I wouldn't be surprised.

With regards to QT6, Apple said that it had other options if the MPEG-4 licensing issue wasn't resolved in a timely manner -- perhaps their own variation of MPEG-4 called i<something>-1....

[Skandranon]

:D

Leave it to Jobs to come up with a scheme to get our collective panties wet.

God bless Apple.

:rolleyes:

[IndyGopher]

Honestly, I am afraid something is wrong with me.. I have no anticipation whatsoever.. I guess it's because I am both broke, and not feeling in particular need of anything.. I certainly am happy to see other people happy and giddy.. I certainly have been frantic on the eve of other expos.. maybe I have reached that fabled land of "satisfied"... or perhaps I am just coming down with something.

[krossfyter]

Originally posted by Skandranon
:D

Leave it to Jobs to come up with a scheme to get our collective panties wet.

God bless Apple.

:rolleyes:

You wear panties dude? Maybe this mystery thing should not be your primary concern right now. :D

[dongmin]

Only two guards...that's easy. All you need is a couple of guys to distract the guards and a third to run under the curtains, snap a few shots on their digital camera and runway. Then hop on a motor bike, drive to the nearest Internet cafe, upload the photos, drive out to the airport, ditch the bike, and get on the next flight back to the States.

[cornelius]

dude look at this guy.looks like he had a few egrolls, he's about to pass out. i think it'll be easy to pass by this guy and snap some pictures.after that we follow your getaway plan.

[cornelius]

plus. are those imacs? look at the far right,on the white wall,to me it looks like a bunch of new imacs,a lot of them.so i guess the news are the availability. Sorry if im wrong,but im still anxiously waiting for mine.last i heard,it should be here by the next week.

[3rdpath]

can anyone say " ihype"........

[GigaWire]

iHype

[rastalin94]

I never got this excited about any event in the PC world. Comdex just does not even come close to something like this.

I feel as giddy as a little girl…..

The update to OS X seems like the most reasonable thing to release, but personally I think some kind of new digital toy would be a lot more fun.

[arn]

Originally posted by rastalin94
I never got this excited about any event in the PC world. Comdex just does not even come close to something like this.

I feel as giddy as a little girl…..



heh... you should have been here at MacWorld SF 2002... talk about hype... it was insane

this is nothing...

To quote detroitsuperfly in this thread (http://www.macrumors.com/viewstory.php3/sid/20020106151501/) preceding MWSF...

Eeeeeek!

I'm so excited about Macworld, I'm going to throw-up!!


:)

arn

[thecube84]

why in all the world would apple have a dead body in a block of ice in an expo?!?!?!?!?!?!

that doesnt make any sense
I WANT AN APPLE DIGITAL CAMERA - iCam
I WANT OS X 10.2
I WANT AN IPAD THINGYMAJIGGER

I WANT A FREE iMAC :cool:

[cornelius]

iHype

[Timothy]

Well...in practice, we should all take our expectations and divide them by the number of hours each week that we spend surfing rumor sites. :D :D

My predictions:

Probable
Preview of 10.2 (no firm release date)
Preview of QT6 (no firm release date)
iPhoto 1.1 (minor fixes)

Possible
Speed-bumped TiBooks
New iPod (10 gig)
New LCD (19" ?)

Impossible
G5
OSX 10.2 shipping
iCamera

Wishful
iWalk :)

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by arn


heh... you should have been here at MacWorld SF 2002... talk about hype... it was insane

this is nothing...

arn

i agree, this is a ripple compared to the tsunami apple created in SF.

they did release the new iMac btw, there won't be anything that big this time. And anyone remember how much hype was going on a apple.com? Every day, starting 10 days before the show, there would be a new headline - 'beyond the rumors - 4 days to go......'

apple is basically just acknowledging mwTokyo, which is strange, since it is the largest of them all, the crowds 2x anything seen in the states.

[Spock]

Hey, how about an Steve Jobs branded line of turtlenecks??? jNeck's:)

[Backtothemac]

OS X.2
That is my 2cents.

[thinmann]

ok here is what i know.....a friend of mine goes to a really big art school in Florida...they have this meeting every year for major companies to come and show off their products and to search for talented students..kind of like a career day...anyway my friend told me that a representative from apple was there and was walking around with an apple pda..he said it was the iwalk but i doubt the name. i know it sounds like a bunch of crap that is just word of mouth and could have been any type of pda...but what gets me is that it was an apple representative....who knows.....what do you think....

maybe the whole thing that Jobs said about the pda markt being "overflowed" or whatever he said was just a cover up????? I would love to have an apple pda...wouldn't you?

[rekras]

Originally posted by Ensign Paris
No way is this just a little something, I do not think Apple would put a slightly bumped up iPod behind this kind of thing, no chance.

What could it be?

Who knows!

Ensign

why not?

[rekras]

Originally posted by anthonylambert
Does any one else know about the launch of the iBigMac?
lol good stuff

[evidal]

The Apple Store is temporarily unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. Please try again later.
This is the message I get when I try to reach the German, Irish, ... Apple Stores !!!!

That may be good news !


WAOU !!
:D :D :D :D

[burger011]

a great one already exist. It's launch date is Spring 2002. And some Apple guy is on the board of directors. Some call him Woz.


www.danger.com

Hip Top and OS X.

[AmbitiousLemon]

evidal: works fine here in the states.

Timothy: perfect. couldnt have outlined the possibilities better myself.

the two big things im hopingfor/expecting:

updated powerbooks and a preview of 10.2

i think those are reasonable requests.

and as far as thinmann's story... your kidding right? (so hard on forums to tell if someone is making a joke mocking these ttypes of rumors are actually being serious... im gonna go with hes being funny and day good one thats hilarious).

[thinmann]

but i am serious

this says nothing about what companies go to the conference, but i does tell you that part of what i heard is true....i don't even know if i believe it all or not but is is macrumors.com isn't it...
http://www.rsad.edu/lifeatringling/career/next.shtml

[SubFredZero]

:) Probibly Apple just wants to make people curious, there could also be the iMac 700...

I expect apple isn't going to bring anything new in Tokyo.. But we'll know it tomorrow....

[iH8Quark]

I think it's DVD Studio Pro 2.

That's WAY overdue.

[afonso]

Only the American store is still up... the UK store is down as well, besides a whole bunch of other countries...

I guess we'll know what's happening in 3 hours and a half...

Later,
Afonso

[rugby]

He'll probably demo 10.2, but it's not coming out.

[Nikolajf]

FYI The Apple Store in Denmark is closed as well and what more - the message is in English (whereas everything else on the site is in Danish).
Why in the world would they do this right before a new Expo if not to introduce/upgrade something?
My bet: iPod 10GB + price cut on the current 5GB iPod.

Of course you don't really need more than 1000 songs, but why not.

[Nikolajf]

Check this out if you haven't seen it yet:

http://www.apple.jp/hotnews/2002/mwt/index.html

[AmbitiousLemon]

Originally posted by Nikolajf
Of course you don't really need more than 1000 songs, but why not.

this is the problem with the ipod. people think its an mp3 player only. the ipod can hold ANY type of file. id have trouble filling up 10gigs with mp3s (although im sure tehre are many people who could do it) but id fill 10gigs on a data shuttle very easily. and that is all that the ipod is. its a data shuttle with itunes built in. thats what makes it worth the $400.

my question about the site being down is "why isnt the apple store usa down?" and "why would they need to take down the site if they were adding a product?" they add things to the store all the time without shutting down the entire store.

[Nikolajf]

iBus

[danielruiz]

With all this speculation about Apple and new hardware (something they said wasn't going to happen until later). Maybe it's not Apple but Adobe and or Macromedia that's going to be making major announcements. "Adobe and Macromedia announce that all their major products are now available for OSX."
Something like that would be huge in the publishing world.

[JereIC]

A large metal box on wheels with "Apple Booth: Secret" there too. I don't know why, but I keep thinking of the metal container for the velociraptor in the opening scene of Jurassic Park.

iRaptor?

[kirknord]

Originally posted by danielruiz
With all this speculation about Apple and new hardware (something they said wasn't going to happen until later). Maybe it's not Apple but Adobe and or Macromedia that's going to be making major announcements. "Adobe and Macromedia announce that all their major products are now available for OSX."
Something like that would be huge in the publishing world.
But huge publishing announcements are usually made at the Seybold conferences.

[Jookbox]

i'll be here laughing, when it turns out there's nothing special under that curtain... just watch.

[blackpeter]

Sorry to be the first to state the obvious...

The Mystery Boxes?

Remote Desktop demonstration - nothing more.

[lordsinforge]

my question about the site being down is "why isnt the apple store usa down?" and "why would they need to take down the site if they were adding a product?" they add things to the store all the time without shutting down the entire store. [/B][/QUOTE]


I just checked out all the apple stores. It is only the ones for european countries that are unavalable. US,canada,Japan, Hong Kong etc are all up, and all of them look the same (taking into account laguage and money types.)

[littlejim]

Originally posted by Jookbox
i'll be here laughing, when it turns out there's nothing special under that curtain... just watch.

Of course there's something under the curtains .... a Boeing 747 and an Elephant.

---------
littlejim

[mischief]

It's iNet!

Apple's been looking at being an 802.11b ISP over there!!!

Laugh while you can.......i'm off to panhandle for money to buy AAPL!

[Xapplimatic]

Jobs is going to announce in order to ease the LCD panel crisis that new old-style iMacs are being released with CRT / G4 / Superdrive.

[Beej]

Apple Store Australia is up...

I've got to say I'm not real excited about this expo. I'm still waiting for my iMac from the last expo! Arrrrrrg!

The only thing I'm slightly excited about is perhaps Steve will announce better availability of the new iMacs.

[dongmin]

but nothing worth getting giddy over. Probably a software update of some sort, iTunes 3 or maybe DVD Studio Pro. There'll be some changes to the iPod, to be sure.

If people are free to walk around the exhibition space, could it that hard to figure out what's the surprise. The iMacs are on display so they're obviously not the surprise. The PowerMacs were updated little over a month ago. iPhoto's brand new. It's just a matter of process of elimination...

[McFreggle]

Those black boxes contain the piles of Windows Source Code. Steve is gone burn it ritually.

[chmorley]

It's official.
(From the Keynote as reported on Powerpage)
--
cinema display HD (high definition)
1920*1200
US$3499
449,800 in Japan

iPod

10 GB - $499
5 GB - $399

custom laser engraving on iPod US$49
27 letters on two lines

Contacts - you can sync your contacts to your iPod via iPod Software Updater 1.1
vCard standard new "contacts" menu in ipod you can download

iMac

iMac prices went up $100
everything is more expensive
25% cost increase in components
200% RAM cost increase

they had one decision to make: remove features or raise price?
$100 increase in US
20,000 Yen increase in Japan
previous dealer orders will be honored
--
At least we got the 10 gig iPod!

Chris
:D