WWDC 2003 Rumor Roundup (970s, PowerBooks, Panther, etc...)

[MacRumors]

The rumors have been flying as Apple's 2003 World Wide Developers Conference approaches.

With only a week left before the event (6/23/2003), MacRumors.com provides this Rumor Roundup as a summary of the major rumors circulating around the Mac Web. This roundup is subject to change... as last minute details tend to leak out in the days prior to the event.

So stay tuned, but in the meanwhile, here's what to expect...

The Processor Announcement

The first indication of something brewing appeared in August 2002 with a topic description for the 2002 Microprocessor Forum quietly appearing on their site. This blurb described the introduction of "a new 64-bit PowerPC microprocessor" by IBM at the October, 2002 conference. This description, as well as a description of a 160-instruction vector unit, spawned speculation that this new processor was destined for use by Apple.


When the IBM 970 details emerged in October 2002, it became clear that the new chip was perfect for use in future Macs -- with its 32-Bit PPC backward compatibility and Altivec compatibility.


Amidst rumors and speculation of the 970's future use, Apple announced that this year's World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) would be postponed from May, 2003 to June, 2003 in order to provide developers a preview of Panther (Mac OS X 10.3). Rumors, however, quickly emerged that claimed WWDC's delay was due to the ongoing development of PowerPC 970-based PowerMacs.


PowerMacs


Most of the early rumors regarding upcoming PowerMac updates originated from MacBidouille.com -- a french news and rumors website. This MacBidouille rumor summary provides details of their reports as of May 7, 2003.

While initial reports indicated a demoing of the 970 PowerMacs at WWDC, later reports claimed that mass production of the 970 PowerMacs had begun with plans of immediate availability at WWDC. Another site (MacWhispers) also claims that 970 PowerMacs are currently in production. Contrary to both of these accounts, however, are reliable reports that 970 PowerMacs will not be ready for shipping by WWDC.

Even if not shipping, PowerMac 970 technology introduction and demonstrations are expected at WWDC.

Motherboard

Motherboard technologies in the new machines described by MacBidouille include Hypertransport, DDR400, USB 2.0, and AGP 8x. These specs have been corroborated by other rumors, as well as a CNet report.

Case

Hints of case designs have emerged, with the most detailed description arising from a cryptic Appleinsider report. The new machines are described as "silver and graphite in color" with "4 handles but they are thinner and less extrusive" and "the front of the machine is flourished by this mesh metallic surface".


PowerBooks


Speculation and rumors about 15" PowerBook updates have been ongoing since the introduction of the 12" and 17" PowerBooks in January, leaving the 15" PowerBook's design a bit dated in comparison. (PowerPage.org, Kodawarisan, Page 2). The most ambitious report comes from MacWhispers with claims that 970 PowerBooks are in production at this time. In contrast, MacBidouille expects a 2004 target date for 970 based PowerBooks and historically has been a more reliable source of information than MacWhispers.

Panther

Surpisingly few details about Panther have been leaked over the past few months, despite being the only confirmed product demonstration at WWDC. eWeek provided some details on Panther, describing features putting the "User at the Center" of the OS. Features confirmed/described include a Fast User Switching feature (MacOSRumors), Piles (Patent), and more database structures to the filesystem (MacBidouille).

Other features described by Looprumors include increased use of Metal, Themes, iChat 2.0, Safari GM, and other minor improvements... along with doubts that Piles will make it into the complete Panther.

Other Info

- WWDC's Keynote will be shown at U.S. Apple Stores with theatres. No word yet on a webstream.

- New iChat, and Apple Camera reports from ThinkSecret were pulled by Apple early this month. Similar features were confirmed previously, along with recent hints at a communication device.

- Special attention should be paid to the 1 Inifinite Cantina article -- as this article likely represents an accurate source of information.



Final Notes

With one week left before WWDC and the Keynote speech... it's best to remind our readers to have some perspective prior to the big event -- especially for new readers and recent switchers.

As a rumor site, MacRumors' gathers and reports on the entire range of rumors and possibilities for the expo. While we try to focus on more accurate/reliable reports, rumors always tend to span the entire range -- from the mundane to the impossible. The actual truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Expectations should be grounded in realism... with a bit of hope for the unexpected. As with all expos, there will be groups of users pleased, ambivalent, or outright angry with the outcome.

[Zenith]

Can't wait for WWDC with all these rumors in the air. Only a week remaining now...

[Tiauguinho]

Thanks for the roundup Arn. I surely hope that they webcast this event! And please Apple... make the PPC 970 debut now!

[me_17213]

I need a new PMac to go with my new iPod that I just got (my first!).

Damn I love my iPod.

[Coca-Cola]

Well, I think a vast number of us have been watching and waiting for almost a year now. A little over a week to go now. I am so excited. I am freaking out.
I wish I could be there at the wwdc. It will be glorious.

[Philippe Robin]

Just a quick note to say that French sites report that one of the main french PC & Mac retail chain report powermac & 15inch powerbook to be unavailable or discontinued.

I have seen that chain's web site and it is true, so I firmly beleive that the new 15 inch Powerbook and powermac g4's replacement are coming soon.

P.

[Brother Mugga]

If Apple play a canny (970-shaped) hand then they could have at least 5 new switchers by the end of next week (myself and four of my students....not that I abuse the teacher/pupil relationship...).

If they arse it up, I'm afraid they may well lose us all to The Dark Side for some time.

Here's hoping, yeah?

Brother Mugga

[Vonnie]

Oh, I hope that the beos like database-filesystem for panther will come true.. I hope it will be opensource too. :-)

[eunuchs]

Since when is AtAT a "reliable" source? Particularly considering they posted a followup article explicitly disavowing any insider information.

And that Cantina article is a joke... I don't see why we should give it "special consideration".

Boys, at WWDC we're going to see a Panther preview and hear announcements of PowerMacs that we won't see for at least 2 months.

This is not the second coming of Jobs.

[arn]

Originally posted by eunuchs
Since when is AtAT a "reliable" source? Particularly considering they posted a followup article explicitly disavowing any insider information.

Read this article again. AppleTurn's quote is irrelevant to the purpose/point of the article.

And that Cantina article is a joke... I don't see why we should give it "special consideration".

I guess we'll see...

arn

[eunuchs]

Originally posted by arn
Read this article again. AppleTurn's quote is irrelevant to the purpose/point of the article.

Here's what AtAT had to say about their "faintest rumblings":

Whoops! It seems that, once again, we have inadvertently driven scores of Mac fans to their untimely and needless deaths. Who knew that a quick and heavily-tempered throwaway caution about some lingering third-hand doubts surrounding a Power Mac G5 intro at WWDC that we slapped in at the end of a book report would send so many excitable rumor junkies scurrying for the nearest high window ledge? Looking back, it's all so terribly, terribly funny. Tragic. We mean "tragic."

Look, folks, here's the scoop: first of all, as the oft-ignored disclaimer at the bottom of this page should imply, AtAT is not a source for insider information; we don't have operatives hiding behind Steve's ficus plant while the man rehearses his big speech...

Unfortunately, everyone and his grandmother apparently leapt upon that "faintest rumblings" bit, and while many sites took it in the spirit it was offered, a few of them linked to it as some sort of incontrovertible evidence that the 970 doesn't really exist...

If you're referring to eWeek, I'll give you that... but using AtAT to corroborate anything is basically circular. They're probably referring to the same "faintest rumblings" that the others are.

[arn]

Originally posted by eunuchs
Here's what AtAT had to say about their "faintest rumblings":

If you're referring to eWeek, I'll give you that... but using AtAT to corroborate anything is basically circular. They're probably referring to the same "faintest rumblings" that the others are.

'reliable reports' referred to eWeek and this report. Again, AppleTurns' quote was just a launching point for that article. I fully admit that AppleTurns did not put any stock into the rumblings. It doesn't affect the point of that article which is the following:

this information is consistent with previous notes that Apple's PowerMac 970's were not far enough along to be able to provide shipping machines at WWDC. A recent eWeek report also suggests that Mac OS X 10.2.7 will not be ready for a month or so after WWDC -- pushing PowerMac 970's potential ship date into August, at the earliest.

[gwuMACaddict]

Originally posted by eunuchs
Since when is AtAT a "reliable" source?

the two websites that i read in the morning before cnn and foxnews are macrumors and AtAT. best news around.

and always more reliable than jayson blair stories in the ny times

and i'm still hoping for the second coming of Jobs

[Fredo Viola]

I too am in insane suspence! I'm an AfterEffects designer, and if Apple doesn't show serious signs of picking up the slack in their proc speeds at the WWDC I might be a partial switcher as well, in that I will be forced to buy a pc setup for AE work. Please, Steve! Heed our prayers!!!

[JoeRadar]

Originally posted by Coca-Cola
Well, I think a vast number of us have been watching and waiting for almost a year now.

When the dual 1 Gig PowerMacs came out a year and a half ago, I was conflicted as to whether to buy then. The rumors for the G5 were already circulating, and I expected the new machines by last summer.

I wound up buying the dual 1 Gig (and 22" cinema display, and added my 20" Dell/Trinitron CRT), and now I am glad I did not wait.

[skunk]

"Compatibilty", Arn, not "compatability". The Unofficial Spelling Monitor.

[Macmaniac]

I can't wait, now if I can only get my cable modem in time, I can watch the keynote without having to watch half sound half video through my 56k connection! Hurry Comcast ship it to me!!

[Vlade]

Originally posted by Macmaniac
I can't wait, now if I can only get my cable modem in time, I can watch the keynote without having to watch half sound half video through my 56k connection! Hurry Comcast ship it to me!!

I don't think there webcasting it... are they?

[BaghdadBob]

Apple is really hyping this expo. I like to think of what "could be" so I fully doubt it will live up to everything I and many others would like it to be, but I don't think they would hype it the way they have just to pump ticket sales.

Something's definitely up their sleeve. Their reputation is somewhat hanging on it at this point.

[Stella]

Its all academic really... what ever Apple release, people will still be bitching and whinning how Apple don't do X, Y and Z!

Apple release a 970 based Mac, which is a good price, an Intel Killer and other good things, and people will still find something to cry about!

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by arn

I guess we'll see...

arn

woo hoo! Guys, arn doesn't make predictions that he isn't sure about. If he says give that article special consideration... then he knows something. (and don't ask him to confirm or give sources- he won't, and is absolutely smart not to!)

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Well, we know Panther is going to be introduced. We can be pretty sure the 970 will be shown and a release date will at least be announced. I doubt Apple would hype WWDC so much for just Panther. I believe they didn't do any where near as much for Jaguar last year, and that was a big update to X.

So, we can probably expect PowerMacs based on the 970 by September, when Panther is released. That would be the reasonable expectation.

The wildest expectation would be the announcement that no Mac will use Motorola chips anymore. G4s will be heavily discounted and all in the Power lineup will have a 970-based machine immediately available (or debuting at a party Friday night, like the iPods). The "i" and "e" lines will all run off a PPC 750VX - an Altivec enhanced chip that can use a 400MHZ FSB-DDR fully enabled. These chips have been pressed at .10 micron in East Fishkill and Apple does have them - not sure how many they have.

I think we'll get something in between the two, although an announcement of eventual cessation of business with Motorola would not be surprising. Moto has issued warnings to stock holders about profits and other announcements coming - and the loss of Apple would give them a stock hit. Of course, Apple announcing it's use of IBM should give Apple a boost in the market. If they begin to use the IBM name and logo in advertising, they could be able to increase image stature, especially in the eyes of business. A friend of mine is a business owner, and he's told me if I'm right and IBM is on board then he'd be interested in Apple because he trusts IBM. I know IBM will be on board - so this could be big news. I'm sure people will be hearing it on CNN and the nightly news come Monday night - because it'll be a huge announcement.

[cubist]

So the pulled articles refer to the videoconferencing aspect of iChat, eh? I recall hearing rumors about that many, many moons ago. Even so, I don't feel much interest in it, and apparently neither does anyone else.

Years ago, videoconferencing excited me. I persuaded my boss to buy a bunch of QuickCams and we installed NetMeeting. Then we connected over the office LAN! Wow! Uh... Oh. Now I know why the phone company never sold Picturephone. The excitement wears off fast. Really fast. That's enough, turn it off. The QuickCams went in a box and we never used them again.

Frankly, I wish Apple would finish the work on the existing features of iChat (and iCal, FTM) before they start layering more features on top.

[cubist]

Originally posted by Mr. MacPhisto
... Of course, Apple announcing it's use of IBM should give Apple a boost in the market. If they begin to use the IBM name and logo in advertising, they could be able to increase image stature, especially in the eyes of business. A friend of mine is a business owner, and he's told me if I'm right and IBM is on board then he'd be interested in Apple because he trusts IBM. ...

I doubt that Apple would use the IBM name and logo in advertising. It is well known that Apple has been using IBM chips for years, however. Today's iBooks use a very fast and energy-efficient chip from IBM, the G3 Sahara. Add some RAM, and you have a machine which not only performs well, but has unbeatable battery life. On top of that, it's among Apple's most affordable machines!

[From Win to Mac]

a fully reliable video conference system would definately help. And I'm sure all the other iChat problems (like the interface...) will be taken care of.

And it's true, MacRumors is pretty reliable... and since many of its sources come from the reports of other websites, all fumbles go to the source sites, when Arn writes the Winners and Losers roundup. So basically, MR can't be wrong.
Actually, i like having a site like MR, because i no longer have to go to Think Secret, Apple Insider, MOSR (lol), SpyMac and MacBidouille every day.