Rumor Roundup

[MacRumors]

Ok, with everything that's been flying around, I felt it appropriate to summarize before the big event:

PowerMacs

Speed has been the primary focus... with a range of reports of 1ghz G4's (MacUser UK to G5's entering production (The Register). With the hype surrounding this launch, people are focusing on expectations of huge speed increases... however, if past experience is any guide - it is very unlikely that Apple/Mot will be able to meet such high expectations. Note during the last 6 month period prior to MacWorld NY, Mhz increased by 134mhz.

iMacs

The buzz around the rumormills ever since the iMac was first introduced in 1998 has been the possibility of an LCD iMac. With hints (Quanta Order) around, it seems this may finally be due. Continuing at least one model of the "classic" iMac CRT seems possible (MacMinute) to keep prices reasonable (sub $1000). 1 Ghz speed of the iMac G3 has been suggested (IBM 750FX), however, that particular chip was only supposed to begin "sampling" this month, and it's unlikely Apple would fit their entry level Mac with a faster (in Mhz) processor than their Pro Macs.

iBooks/Powerbooks

TiBook has been recently updated, so not much speculation surrounds it... and there are only hints of speed-bumped multicolored iBooks (ThinkSecret)

Monitors

Railhead Design reported that Apple would drop it's low end 15" LCD, and introduce a 19" Studio Display to fill out the line -- with hopeful price cuts as well. Of note, EETimes introduced the possibility of a larger Cinema Display with max res of 2048 x 1280 as well as research into "stereoscopic" displays.

Other...

Of PDA's and Transporters... a lot of hype was generated by the iWalk story... however, likelyhood of this seems very low - especially since SpyMac themselves dismiss the chance of it being introduced. If Apple is to live up to the hype, I feel this category is where it will fall. However, information in this area is lacking.

As tomorrow approaches... One thing to keep in mind is to keep your perspective.

[MacRumors]

[detroitsuperfly]

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

[Ensign Paris]

Apple are right, I AM NOT going to sleep tonight!

Guy

I mean c'mon - speed increases, larger monitors, even an LCD imac is certainly expected, and definitely not groundbreaking. To all of these I say "Whoooppdeee freakin' doooo".

To me, any new device that I would consider groundbreaking or even exciting would be something totally unexpected or hereforto unavailable from Apple (at least recently). I'm placing my hopes on some type of wireless, tablet device (i.e. PDA). The supposed iWalk device is questionable at best, but everyone here would certainly lust for a similar device. I hope that "Danger" device isn't it - what a dog.

C'mon Apple. Wow us with a computer-centric device. I don't need a home entertainment system.

[d3h872]

I'd like to thank the admins of such a great site. Not only do they maintain a higher-traffic site, they keep it thoughful.

Perspective, as they mention, is key here. What bears mention is that people were reportedly leaving last MWSF crying in disappointment. (Okay, that's a little sad, but it's indicative of most everyone's reaction.)

Listen, Apple is responsible for hyping this event. They want people to attend the conference itself and to engage in Apple-based conversations. Well, it is certainly working; has anyone noticed the number of comments streaming in here?

Keep your thoughts in line -- rumor sites (as much as I welcome them), have a tendancy of inflating our expectations. As the admins here remind you, maintain perspective!

[arn]

Indeed...

There will be a fair number of disappointed users... as there always is.

No matter how successful a product eventually becomes there is a percentage of people who hate it, love it, and are indifferent to it.

the iMac drew a lot of criticism in this respect... but did very well.

arn

Well said.

Those iWalk photos and video that was supposedly pulled by a "legal" department of some kind? Well, MacAnonymous.com still has them up and even notes that they haven't recieved any legal warning.

[hotch]

Originally posted by Mageek
Those iWalk photos and video that was supposedly pulled by a "legal" department of some kind? Well, MacAnonymous.com still has them up and even notes that they haven't recieved any legal warning.

Wired still has them posted.

[zebra]

I sure hope they come up with something better than some speed bumps...I'd like to see a new apple pda.

Your predictions seem pretty conservative to me. I EXPECT to see the new iMac and speed bumps. There has to be more to the announcments to deserve this level of hype.

Based on Apple's hype, I think the new products need to be "Way Beyond" this rumor site's predictions. Your predictions will not leave me "blow away."

I think the show is about the continued evolution of the "Digital Hub" concept with new software (iPhoto) and a new A/V component that will work as a PVR and Audio Jukebox. This box will allow for transfer of audio and video from Apple's line of software products (Send iMovies, DVDs and audio files to your home A/V setup for playback).

P.S. I would also love to see the new iMac have a LCD screen that pulls out to become a wireless iPad.

[chandlerbing_2001]

i think if the iWalk is true or apple really plan to release a PDA,,, i do think they wont release it tomorrow ,,, myabe in Tokyo ,,, u never know

check out the posts about global airport.. looks like a very safe bet to go with the star trek quotes.

[j763]

Originally posted by AudiA4
I mean c'mon - speed increases, larger monitors, even an LCD imac is certainly expected, and definitely not groundbreaking. To all of these I say "Whoooppdeee freakin' doooo".

I have to agree with AudiA4 there... Apple certaintly has something bigger than some speed bumps in the works. I think that we'll see either a) Apple either merges or takesover a major company b) joint venture (eg sony-apple for digital devices) c) Wintel PC running OS X or d) Jaguar including Windows emulation.

c + d would be the most controverseal, obviously. I would approve of option c more than option d because it would increase the range of Mac OS X software whereas d would seriously limit the range of native Mac OS X software. I think that if c came out @ mwsf, we'd see serious limitations on the use, eg. ensure that no matter what hardware the wintel machine has, OS X never runs faster than an iMac (if they can make a cheap iMac that is...) at the same time as running a *major* apple hardware advertising/publicity campaign.

[buffsldr]

Apple strategy has been digital hub. The desired effect of whatever is announced tomorrow is going to be to add value to being an Apple owner/user. The goal will be for the general (non-mac freaks like us) populus to say, "I would like a device/software like that.... Oh, it is an Apple only? Hmmm, maybe my next computer should be an Apple." Do you agree with what I have said thus far?

Now, with this paradigm in mind, let's examine each of the proposed announcements. I do not have the interest to rehash them all right here, we generally concur on the top 5 rumors. But I will say, adding a PDA, as cool as we mac-freaks would think it was (and we would all sell plasma to buy one, if necessary), I really don't think a PDA (barring some tablet LCD device) has the power to draw people to Apple. I say this because it seems that the PDA market currently offers sufficient products to satisfy the market demands.

Bottom line.... I have no idea what is being released, but it is driving me nuts!

This site should be renamed a Support Group for Pre-Mac World Freaks.

[sespinos]

Although I would've said differently a couple of days ago, I think the first post lists pretty much what we'll see tomorrow. I think it's all reasonable, and pretty cool. If Apple didn't hype it so much, we'd all be pretty happy to see LCD iMacs. I suppose I'd probably add iPhoto or something of the sort, but other than that, not much more.

I can't really think of what else they might introduce, but the PDA seems unlikely. It seems like all of this would be o.k. if we hadn't had all that hype in the first place.

[hotch]

Originally posted by buffsldr
Now, with this paradigm in mind, let's examine each of the proposed announcements.

Sounds like someone did LD Debate in high school ;-)

I have been reading the forum for about a week now, and I just wanna say that I don't believe that there is going to be a PDA or an iMac with a LCD screen that can be used as an iPad. Now, don't get me wrong, I for one would LOVE to have one, but how much do you guys expect to pay for something like that? Say that Apple did come up with one PDA with 5GB of Hard Drive like the one in the iPod, are you willing to pay $599 USD for that? Let's face it, the iPod is already $299, and to add a PDA function to it with a bigger colour screen would easily make it $599. Maybe not, but it will be at least $499. Are you guys willing to pay that much? Because it just seems to me that many (not all, but quite a few) of you expect Apple to introduce "ground-breaking" products without paying a high premium for it! Let's be realistic here...

Same thing goes for the iMac.. a Flat Screen iMac is already gonna cost us more, and now we are talking about a removable screen! And many of you are already complaining about the $1899 if not the $1299 price tag! (assuming that these prices were in fact correct.) How much are you really willing to pay to have all these extra stuff?

For me, I am just excited, but I also know not to get my hopes up too high. I just hate to disappoint myself. I think that many times we expect too much from Apple without thinking about how much we are willing to give back. (I am talking about financial support, not just coming onto this forum to talk about our excitment and supports for Apple.) I just wish that there is indeed a Flat Panel iMac. I have been saving my money for it. :-) I don't mind if the price tag is $1899, as long as it comes with some cool stuff, such as a SuperDrive. Yet, I know it is not possible for Apple to do so... especially as many of you point out, there is no way Apple is going to introduce an iMac with that kind of Price Tag.

Anyway, I guess we will see tomorrow, and I am not trying to ruin everyone's excitment, but I just want to point out that we should keep our perspective and the only person that is going to disappoint ourselves on Monday is oursleves. Even if Apple shouldn't have put up all those banners on their website to hype us; what they consider "ground-breaking" is not always at par with our own version! Besides that, I trust that Apple will try to do whatever it can, to make the majority of its customers happy.

[deusvede]

Originally posted by BSales
P.S. I would also love to see the new iMac have a LCD screen that pulls out to become a wireless iPad.

That's what I've been thinking on. It would be GREAT if they get the concept to its limits.

PS: Apple, be ambitious.

[mattelsa]

Apple likes to own the corresponding domain name of its products. They all link to apple.com, like:

http://www.ipod.com
http://www.newton.com
http://www.imac.com
http://www.powerbook.com
...

So if iWalk was coming out, they would for sure want to own iWalk.com as well. If you look at http://www.iWalk.com, it's interesting. Just a poem about a great holiday gift and an infinite universe with great things to come. It's made with the most minimal html possible. The iWalk.com domain is currently owned by PSNI, a service provider in Seattle. Why would an ISP own a domain with just a simple poem on it?

Mattelsa.

[elgruga]

Originally posted by AudiA4
I mean c'mon - speed increases, larger monitors, even an LCD imac is certainly expected, and definitely not groundbreaking. To all of these I say "Whoooppdeee freakin' doooo".

Yes to that - the only thing that got us all going was the iWalk - yes, I hate the name too.

So lets be optimistic - we want to be blown away, and speed bumps and lcd's are not going to do that, are they?

[BurntCalc]

Originally posted by mattelsa
Apple likes to own the corresponding domain name of its products. They all link to apple.com, like:


So if iWalk was coming out, they would for sure want to own iWalk.com as well. If you look at http://www.iWalk.com, it's interesting. Just a poem about a great holiday gift and an infinite universe with great things to come. It's made with the most minimal html possible. The iWalk.com domain is currently owned by PSNI, a service provider in Seattle. Why would an ISP own a domain with just a simple poem on it?

Mattelsa.

Interesting. The poem is actually really nice and nostalgic, talking about "different" and "infinite"... But I think it's just a love poem. Obviously some guy went and registered a star (hence the star chart) under his wife/girlfriends name. Not a bad gift, if you ask me.

Nice try. ;-)

-So close, yet so far away....

[arn]

Originally posted by mattelsa
Apple likes to own the corresponding domain name of its products. They all link to apple.com, like:

.....

So if iWalk was coming out, they would for sure want to own iWalk.com as well.

http://www.ipod.com didn't point to Apple.com until the day of the announcement.

As for the 1st list - those arn't my "predictions" per-se... just a realistic recap of the predominant rumors. My point of view is that the above is what we should expect - anything else is just icing on the cake.

That being said, I a holding out hope that Apple will "wow" us... especially with the website prehype.

arn

It's 1 AM here in the netherlands... i'm off to bed...

[udannlin]

Originally posted by j763 <b>
I have to agree with AudiA4 there... Apple certaintly has something bigger than some speed bumps in the works. I think that we'll see either a) Apple either merges or takesover a major company b) joint venture (eg sony-apple for digital devices) c) Wintel PC running OS X or d) Jaguar including Windows emulation.
[/b]

You guys have to realize that Apple would not merge with Sony. If anyone, they would have a closer partnership with Canon. Sony is their biggest competition in this AudioVisual PC revolution. Apple intentionally choose to push Canon products more than Sony products for that one reason. Even though Sony DV camcorders work much better with iMovie and FCP than Canon...