MacWorld San Francisco Xserve, LCD, PowerMac Updates?

[MacRumors]

With MacWorld San Francisco 2004 coming in about one month, expectations are starting to build.

While Expos have become de-emphasized by Apple as venues for product releases, based on product timeframes a few Apple products do appear to be due for revision.

Xserve

Apple's server solution, the Xserve, is stalled at Dual 1.33GHz G4s which were introduced in February 2003. While G5 Xserves updates were described as "imminent" by Appleinsider in October 2003, subsequent reports claimed that G5 Xserves were still months away. ThinkSecret adds that a 3U formfactor is under consideration for the new Xserves.

LCDs

After initial expectations of a 30" Apple LCD and redesigned screens, more recent rumors claim that LCD updates have been pushed later. Unconfirmed hints told to MacRumors, however, have suggested that Apple LCDs should see revisions at MacWorld SF.

PowerMacs

Apple made a remarkable leap forward with the introduction of the 2.0GHz PowerMac G5 in June 2003. With it came promises of 3.0GHz PowerMacs within one year's time. Apple made a surprise introduction in November of the Dual 1.8GHz PowerMac but left the high-end PowerMac untouched... leaving January updates unclear.

Most recent rumors, however, still suggest that PowerMacs will see updates in January, possibly bringing significant speed bumps.

Other?

Of interest, Jan, 2004 marks the 20th anniversary of the Macintosh. And there is always hope for the unexpected: Cube?, Tablet?, PDA?

[Freg3000]

T-35 days (or so).......

Very excited. 2 weeks after the first Christmas, a second one comes.....Apple style!

[Ruthless]

the lcds should be really cool i;m pretty excited about that..hopefully they bring out a 30 and discontinue the 17" making the 20" cheaper. Dont know about the powermacs...seems to me they are updating them too often.

[yoman]

Please Apple just blow us away with your offerings!!

[ZildjianKX]

Bring on the speedbubmps so the DP 2.0 owners can feel like the SP 1.8 owners

Be prepared to have a 2 month wait to get your powermac though...

[Photorun]

2.2, 2.0 MPs and 1.8 SP at $2000 or less? Wouldn't shock me, but boy will there be a lot of bummed out G5 early adopters. Enh, progress, what can you do.

[gwuMACaddict]

sounds good... i'll have a little christmas money... i'd love to give to steve-o in exchange for a tasty new g5

[coumerelli]

I don't think it's any less than fact that the G5 PowerMacs will be updated, the speculation will be in the how. I...can't.....wait! woohoo!

[yoman]

Originally posted by Photorun
2.2, 2.0 MPs and 1.8 SP at $2000 or less? Wouldn't shock me, but boy will there be a lot of bummed out G5 early adopters. Enh, progress, what can you do.

maybe they could be 2.5,2.0,1.8MPs (1.8MP at $2000 ) that would be sweet.

[Macmaniac]

Apple really needs to update their servers, if they want to remain competitive in IT they need to put the G5 in the X Serve.
Even if they have to go to a bigger form factor it would be worth it.
Hey and if a University could buy 10 racks of G5 X Serves they would have themselves a nice supercomputer

[mystixman]

Think anything new will come out?

[hokka]

I believe Apple will update the iPod line with new and cheaper line in Jan, why? with all the promotion with Pepsi and MacDonalds I don't think the current iPod owner would be whom they are targeting...

think about it, majority of people who can afford to buy the current iPods wouldn't go to a MacDonalds or maybe even drink fizzy drinks, they have to release a much cheaper version to make the whole npromotion worth while (think kids)... the rest is for you to dream up what they'd do.

Would you not agree?

[MattG]

30" LCD would be the s*it.

If they were to release a 30" and maybe (pleeaaaassse?) drop the price of the 23", I might be forced to sell my 19" Samsung on eBay and buy a 23".

[Photorun]

Originally posted by yoman
maybe they could be 2.5,2.0,1.8MPs (1.8MP at $2000 ) that would be sweet.

I think a question I have is someone said somewhere that the GHz speed has to be relative to the bus but certain chip speeds could not occur, like 2.33 GHz, there's some intergeral qualifier rigamaroll so half bus would be more of based on the GHz at an even number. Point being would 2.5 be feasable with 1.25 bus or would it have to be 2.4 GHz with 1.2 GHz bus or 2.6 GHz with 1.3 bus? What's the jumping points on the chip speed? Just don't make my 1.8 G5 DP TOO obsolute, then I'd be blue, but I understand, progress is progress. If Apple could release a 3.0 G5 DP machine that'd spank the tar out of a WIntel I'd be all for it, even better, price that sucker under three grand, that'd shut the peecee weinies pie holes!

[dongmin]

Originally posted by Photorun
2.2, 2.0 MPs and 1.8 SP at $2000 or less? Wouldn't shock me, but boy will there be a lot of bummed out G5 early adopters. Enh, progress, what can you do.

dude man, you're being overly conservative; we need to get to 3.0 ghz in two stops. Try dual 2.5-2.6 ghz for the top, dual 2.2 ghz for the middle, and maybe a single 2.0 for the entry--for $1599.

new displays, check

G5 iMacs (i.e. The Revenge of the Cube)??? Now that would bring the house down.

Isn't it about time for a new iThingy? When did the iSight come out?

[Ja Di ksw]

Xserves need an update, badly, but that's not news. I'm more interested in Powerbooks. I put off getting one a month or so ago in case they come out with more speed at this Expo. Doubt it will happen, but I knew something come out if I did buy one.

here's the hoping the Powermac upgrades have large speed boosts

[swissmann]

I personally think Steve is going to ride on the promise of 3 GHz in a year and we will wait until then for speed boosts. I wish monitors would be announced now so I can buy one as a tax deduction pre end of the year. Something new would be nice. I also won't buy an iPod until it is either under $100 or is more like a smart phone. Xserve needs an update badly. If the cube came back even in G4 form factor and was cheaper than an eMac (no monitor) it would sell very well I think. It would also get a lot of talk.

[yoman]

Originally posted by powerjack in an apple insider forum
Apple's I.D. people are committed to having the same relative bezel width on all of the display line. And, the LG panel on the 23" unit is quite wide at the edges, requiring the current wide bezel. The older 17" panel has the same problem. The newer 20.1" Chi Mei panel could have an enclosure bezel less than half as wide as it now has, but it's been built artificially widened just to match the cosmetics of the other two displays.

Apple has been working with both LG and Chi Mei for well over a year to develop a narrow bezel panel in the 23-inch range, and with Chi Mei to develop a narrow bezel panel at the 30-inch size. Also, Apple's team doesn't want to bring the 30-incher to market until the MSRP can be hauled down to under $3500. These are the factors driving the ongoing display redesign effort.

Progress to date?

There is a 17.1" Chi Mei 16:10 wide aspect ratio panel already in production, for Apple. It has a narrow bezel, and is being built under contract for Apple. This means that the 17-inch Studio Display has really been possible to replace for a couple of months. But, it hasn't been, because Apple doesn't want to offer one narow bezel display, and still have the wide bezel design on the others.

A new enclosure for the 20-incher has been ready for some time, as well, one with a narrow bezel to match the new 17-inch Cinema Display design. Again... not yet offered, to avoid mixing the look of the overall product line.

The sticking points in the process have been (A) getting a narrow bezel 23-inch panel ready, and (B) getting the cost of the 30-inch panel down to where Apple wants it.

The 23-inch panel issue is solved, as LG has recently taken a narrow bezel 23-inch panel to production, and Apple has completed the enclosure design. It should be ready to market by January.

Chi Mei has recently agreed to meet Apple's price point on the 30-incher, and that enclosure has been ready for over two-months.

So, finally, there are no impediments at play to Apple releasing a completely new display line in January, and for all four new displays to be narow bezel, 16:10 widescreen designs. They will *not* be in metal or "metal look" housings, but will be very nicely done reworks of the clear acrylic theme. They *will* have industry standard VESA mounting patterns on their backs and will ship on a removable base, so that standard mounting arms can be used. And, they will be nearly half the present weights... much, much lighter.

Sounds interesting I don't know if this guy is for real but he seems to know what he's talking about. Hmmmm...

[Gyroscope]

I tought that Apple backed away from announcing any new products at Apple Expos as it kills sales of existing hardware.

[RalphNumbers]

That 3U XServe is such a lousy idea. Rack computing is all about density these days, Even 1U units are being phased out in favor of blades in alot of places. A 3U unit is just *way* too big.

And there's no reason it should have to be that big either. There are blades and 1U servers with intel chips that run significantly hotter than the G5, not to mention IBM's upcoming PPC970 blades...

I can't see Apple going any bigger than the current 1U for future XServes.

[yoman]

Originally posted by Gyroscope
I tought that Apple backed away from announcing any new products at Apple Expos as it kills sales of existing hardware.

But isn't it like an Anniversary 20th I believe of the Macintosh computer. correct me if I'm wrong anybody.

[QCassidy352]

Originally posted by Gyroscope
I tought that Apple backed away from announcing any new products at Apple Expos as it kills sales of existing hardware.

as of when? WWDC announced the G5.

[x86isslow]

to yoman
macintosh was rolled out in 1984, with, of course, the famous Superbowl ad.
makes you wonder if they'll release any special epcot-style future-tech packed over-priced gizmo in commemoration of it.

[arn]

Originally posted by yoman
Sounds interesting I don't know if this guy is for real but he seems to know what he's talking about. Hmmmm...

PowerJack is the MacWhispers guy, for what it's worth.

arn

[itsbetteronamac]

Well apple will release a updated powermac (highend), I think we all know that. The early adopters of the G5 2.0GHz will of course be sad that they spent all that money and no longer have the fastest machine, even though they have only had it a few monthes. This is why it's always iffy to buy the first one of a new powermac.

Well to all you g5 users, I envy you, I am in a g4 world.