Rumors Revisited: Next-Generation iWork and iLife Plans? Apple Tablet Design Surprise?

[MacRumors]

Nearly a month before Apple updated its iMac line, French site Mac4Ever published a wide-ranging article revealing a number of tidbits on various topics obtained from its sources. At the time, the report was simply one of many circulating rumors about Apple's upcoming product announcements.

Mac4Ever's details, however, proved to be remarkably accurate once Apple made public its new products. The report correctly predicted the inclusion of an SD card slot and quad-core processors in the revised iMac, as well as pinpointing the Magic Mouse and the new aluminum Apple Remote. In fact, the only piece of information from Mac4Ever's report that has been shown incorrect was one source's claim that Apple might even go so far as to use Intel Xeon processors in the new iMacs.

Given the accuracy of most of Mac4Ever claims, a re-examination of the reports other, longer-term predictions seems appropriate. First, the report claimed that Apple was well on its way to updating its iLife and iWork applications to move to 64-bit and to take full advantage of the improvements included in Snow Leopard.

On the software side of things, Apple is probably deep into switching its group of iApps over to 64 bits, and taking full advantage of the new Snow Leopard technology. We've also been told that Leopard's compatibility hasn't been settled on yet, but that the 2010 suite would only support Macs with Intel-based processors.

A transition to Intel-only compatibility for the next-generation of iLife and iWork would not be a major surprise, as Snow Leopard itself dropped support for PPC-based Macs. What might be considered a bigger surprise is the possibility of the next version of iLife and iWork not supporting Mac OS X Leopard. Depending on when that software revision occurs, it could mark a very short turnaround from Snow Leopard's release in late August to discontinuation of support for Leopard, the immediately previous operating system version, in the iLife and iWork suites.

The question of when we can expect to see the next generation of iLife and iWork suites has also yet to be answered. Early in its development, iLife revisions were issued on a yearly basis each January at Macworld San Francisco. But as the suite matured, release cycles have slipped to closer to 18 months, with iLife '06 having been released in January 2006, iLife '08 in August 2007 (skipping an "iLife '07" release), and iLife '09 in January 2009. iWork releases have coincided with iLife updates since the productivity suite's introduction in January 2005.

Consequently, if Apple holds closer to its ~18-month release cycle going forward, users could expect the next generation of iLife and iWork suites to possibly be released in mid-2010, probably to be branded as "iLife '11" and "iWork '11" if 2007's pattern is any indication.

Apple has also recently dropped the "'09" designation from its iLife and iWork web pages and retail boxes, suggesting that the company is planning to continue selling the current versions of those suites well into 2010 and does not wish their names to make them appear outdated.




Comparison of Original (Left) and New (Right) iLife '09 Retail Boxes
The second still-outstanding claim from Mac4Ever relates to Apple's much-rumored tablet, which has recently been reported to be delayed until the second half of 2010, although the veracity of the claim is unknown. Mac4Ever's claim, however, provides only a vague suggestion that the tablet will be unlike any concept designs or renditions that have been floating around in recent months.

Concerning MacTablet, it will indeed be produced, but it will be far different from the concepts that have been announced so far on rumor sites.

The article offers no further information on what we can expect to see when Apple's tablet finally makes its appearance, but this claim and the report regarding iLife and iWork do carry some additional weight and bear close watching in the months ahead due to the accuracy of other claims made at the same time.

Article Link: Rumors Revisited: Next-Generation iWork and iLife Plans? Apple Tablet Design Surprise?

[beg_ne]

Looking forward to it, especially if they are 64-bit. (No iTunes 9 32-bit cop-out please).

The sooner Apple gets all their flagship software moved over and using the technologies in Snow Leopard the better.

[thegoldenmackid]

I would like an updated iLife more then a tablet... Prepared for the inevitable flaming...

[Doctor Q]

The article says only that "Leopard compatibility was still not decided" so they may continue to support Leopard in the next iLife and iWork versions. If they aren't due out anytime soon, we'll have longer to guess.

Maybe dropping "09" from the product boxes means no new versions soon, or maybe Apple just wanted to save trees by keeping a supply of boxes that will work for either version.

Although they call the products iLife and iWork in the Apple Store, without the year, their component products still have the year in the name, e.g., "iWork" consists of Pages 09, Number 09, and Keynote 09.

[Eidorian]

I don't see a reason to drop 10.5 support for iLife and iWork.

[iOrlando]

wow the detail about the tablet was very telling...

[lex750]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

I don't see a reason to drop 10.5 support for iLife and iWork.

Apple does. Buy new hardware.

[Sky Blue]

I've been saying the next iLife/iWork wouldn't be out until mid -2010. It makes sense with the previous development cycles. There is only so much you can update every 12 months. Maybe we'll get a Blu-Ray player mid-2010 with an update iDVD in iLife.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by lex750

Apple does. Buy new hardware.

Snow Leopard has i386 and x64 binaries for all Intel Macs. I don't see a need for a new machine consider it'll more than likely be just another Core 2.

[zedsdead]

Sounds right. Now I want the pro apps 64-bit.

I expect apple to create a new authoring program that allows people to create their own iTunes LP/extra content.

[lex750]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

Snow Leopard has i386 and x64 binaries for all Intel Macs. I don't see a need for a new machine consider it'll more than likely be just another Core 2.

Apple screwed PPC people with SL. Do you really expect anything else from them?

[MacMuttonchops]

Originally Posted by thegoldenmackid

I would like an updated iLife more then a tablet... Prepared for the inevitable flaming...

I won't flame you. I have no desire for a device in between my phone and notebook. That being said, however, I'm sure I will buy it...

I'd like to see a more robust Numbers. I find myself using Excel more than that poor, awkward step-child for more complicated things.

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by lex750

Apple screwed PPC people with SL. Do you really expect anything else from them?

I don't see what's lacking in 10.5 Leopard either besides the all mighty dollar of course.

[Slarti Bartfast]

I was hoping for a new iLife release, I still have 08 and found no reason to upgrade to 09, if they make it a requirement to go Snow then I'll have to wait for a few years till my stupidly expensive ink cartridges for my no longer supported A3 HP run out.

All at a time when my savings are earning FA

[lex750]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

I don't see what's lacking in 10.5 Leopard either besides the all mighty dollar of course.

Yep. Then you get people on here saying it's our fault because our macs are four years old. Go figure.

[ThunderSkunk]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

...to be delayed until the second half of 2010

Yawwwwwn. Alrighty then. Time to make my own.

[DMBGuru]

I can't wait till the new iWork comes out.. I'm still using '08, but I'm more than ready for an upgrade.

[notjustjay]

Originally Posted by iOrlando

wow the detail about the tablet was very telling...

The new tablet will be round.

You heard it here first, folks!

[BornAgainMac]

If the retail box doesn't change, it will be bad with Best Buy customers. For some reason that retail chain doesn't update their Apple products until weeks after Apple has shipped the newer product. For example, they still sell the old mouse only. Also they didn't have Snow Leopard, new iPods, or iLife '09 until way after the launch dates.

[brianus]

"Far different from the concepts that have been announced so far on rumor sites"?? WHAT concepts? I've heard: 3G capability, preference for gaming/movies/a new digital magazine format of some sort, and, in the ONLY rumor relating to its design, a 9-10" screen. So what does this new rumor mean? The screen size will be different than we think?

[gnasher729]

Originally Posted by Eidorian

I don't see a reason to drop 10.5 support for iLife and iWork.

That's why Snow Leopard is so cheap. Everyone with an Intel Mac can upgrade to Snow Leopard for $29 (most can do it legally, the others can do it without any hacking skills involved, but we are not talking about Tiger support anyway).

One huge point of Snow Leopard is to make it _easy_ to use multiple threads in your application. If you need backwards compatibility, that advantage is completely lost.

Supporting 32 bit and 64 bit, on the other hand, is just a compiler switch. There is plenty of legacy code around that needs to be fixed to run in 64 bit, so switching to 64 bit may be a bit difficult, but once it is done there is no advantage in dropping 32 bit.

[TuffLuffJimmy]

Originally Posted by lex750

Apple screwed PPC people with SL. Do you really expect anything else from them?

What did PPC people get screwed out of? A new exposé? That's the only new feature that would benefit PPC users... all other technologies are designed (as far as Apple was willing to take it) for Intel.

Originally Posted by brianus

"Far different from the concepts that have been announced so far on rumor sites"?? WHAT concepts? I've heard: 3G capability, preference for gaming/movies/a new digital magazine format of some sort, and, in the ONLY rumor relating to its design, a 9-10" screen. So what does this new rumor mean? The screen size will be different than we think?

Far different from the entire concept we've been led to believe. Don't think tablet computer, more like... Alka-Seltzer.

[ata]

Originally Posted by thegoldenmackid

I would like an updated iLife more then a tablet... Prepared for the inevitable flaming...

iLife and the tablet would be developed by totally separate teams, so one doesn't preclude the other.

[dernhelm]

Originally Posted by brianus

"Far different from the concepts that have been announced so far on rumor sites"?? WHAT concepts? I've heard: 3G capability, preference for gaming/movies/a new digital magazine format of some sort, and, in the ONLY rumor relating to its design, a 9-10" screen. So what does this new rumor mean? The screen size will be different than we think?

I think they are talking specifically about all the photoshop mockups floating around that have the tablet looking like a large iPhone with a single button at the bottom, etc.

Apparently they are claiming that it won't look like that, but then not saying what it will look like. I'm having trouble picturing a tablet computer looking much different than erm, a tablet. But I suppose it could.

Myself, I'm hoping it will be round.

[CmdrLaForge]

Didn't Schiller say in an Interview (I believe about dropping out of Macworld) that the update timeframe for iLife and iWork would be more around March ?