Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers

MacRumors · Jan 12, 2009, 04:11 AM

After Apple announced that Steve Jobs would be not be giving the 2009 Macworld Expo keynote, analyst expectations about the event dropped dramatically.

While Apple did not deliver the expected updates to the iMac and Mac mini, they did provide substantial updates to their iLife and iWork suites and finally introduced the unibody 17" MacBook Pro.

iMac and Mac mini Updates

The most disappointing aspect of Macworld was the lack of updates for the Mac mini and iMac. The Mac mini, in particular, has been long overdue for a refresh, and the recent rumors seemed to indicate that it would finally get some worthy upgrades (dual monitor, FireWire).

While no one could say for sure that the new iMac was coming, two sites (Wired and TUAW) specifically said that Apple would be releasing a new Mac mini at Macworld. The timing was believable, of course, since evidence of the new iMacs and Mac minis have been found buried within Mac OS X, itself. Unfortunately, either timetables changed, or these sites were simply wrong.

It's still clear to us, however, that Mac mini and iMac updates are imminent. Based on whispers we've heard we do feel many of the rumored upgrades surrounding the Mac mini are true. It's just a matter of when.

Macbook Pro 17" - Fixed Battery

The first report that Apple was going to deliver a 17" MacBook Pro with a fixed internal battery came from 9to5Mac. Though the site hedged a bit towards the end, the original information was confirmed by multiple sources.

The use of an extended non-removable battery was unique and accurate and 9to5mac deserves credit for the scoop.

iLife, iWork, Cloud Computing

Perhaps to the relief of many, Apple's push into "cloud" computing was far more limited than originally reported. The information came again from 9to5mac but was described as far more an ambitious plan than what was seen at this year's Macworld.

Original reports claimed Apple would migrate iWork and iLife functionality into web-based services. While Apple did release an iWork.com public beta, its functionality is limited to collaboration and document sharing.

Other information from 9to5Mac also detailed celebrity lessons for Garageband which did turn out to be true.

DRM Free

It seems clear that CNet has sources at major music labels and was able to predict that Apple would be launching a full DRM-free store at Macworld.

No iPhone Nano... Yet?

Case manufacturers XSKN and Vaja have both advertised cases for an unreleased iPhone Nano in the weeks leading up to Macworld. And while we still don't see the reasoning behind such a product, it seems clear that the case manufacturers did believe that this product was coming and have actually produced cases based on the leaked specs. In fact, the same spec leaks may also be responsible for the iPhone Nano clones that have already hit the market.

It remains possible that we will see such a product in the future, or it may have simply been an expensive mistake on the part of the case manufacturers.

What's Next?

Cinema Displays, the Mac Mini and iMac seem the most likely updates coming next. Previous supply chain sources had claimed the iMac would start shipping in January. If true, that means the update could come within weeks.

Apple has been occasionally known to launch products shortly after their Macworld events in either January or February. The earliest example we could find was an iPod Shuffle revision launched on January 30th, 2007.

Article Link: Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers

dextertangocci · Jan 12, 2009, 04:20 AM

I think Apple is going to release the new Mac Mini in a few weeks. They want to prove that they don't need Macworld to release new products.

Hugh · Jan 12, 2009, 04:22 AM

I think I am with those that where disappointed that there was no MacMini at Mac World. Maybe in the next week or two we will see an update?

Hugh

alana22 · Jan 12, 2009, 04:24 AM

I'm secretly happy there were no iMac updates... now I get to childishly revel in mine being the latest and greatest for another month or so, mwaha ;p

ziggyonice · Jan 12, 2009, 04:30 AM

Come on, Mac mini...

...I... I miss you... so much!

robinp · Jan 12, 2009, 04:37 AM

Mac pro? It's now over a year since the last update

MrCrowbar · Jan 12, 2009, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alana22

I'm secretly happy there were no iMac updates... now I get to childishly revel in mine being the latest and greatest for another month or so, mwaha ;p

I know what you mean. My 1.5 year old Mac Mini is still the current model. Wouldn't replace it with a better one either, it does what I demand from it, is quiet and doesn't use much power.

Still, I feel for the people waiting all those years for an update. It's really a shame the Mac Mini is still so expensive. You can get wayyyyyyy more computing power for the money.

the.snitch · Jan 12, 2009, 05:07 AM

They'll ship the mac minis and iMacs at the end of this month, when the new iLife ships. Why would they bother announcing them before they were immediately available, and it seems iLife goes gold master in a few weeks.

InkMaster · Jan 12, 2009, 05:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrCrowbar

Still, I feel for the people waiting all those years for an update. It's really a shame the Mac Mini is still so expensive. You can get wayyyyyyy more computing power for the money.

Exactly. Even when it came out it was overpriced for what it delivered. Now its just a complete joke and anyone who would even consider getting it is a fool. I mean don't get me wrong, I love it and I would love to see it get upgraded. But the competition hasn't been exactly sitting on its rear end.

If you want the same form factor, you can get one of those tiny Dell Studio desktops which is actually pretty darn nice (yes I have seen it and played around w/ it in person). And if you don't care for the size (as most people don't - and only care about the price) - you can get a full size desktop with a quad core processor, 3 gigs of ram, a nice video card etc, all for the price of a Mini, from Dell.

As much as I love Apple... well, its a tough sell...

bigjohn · Jan 12, 2009, 05:15 AM

I'm gonna guess that CNET has sources inside the music biz because it's owned by a media company that includes amongst it's properties record labels. Just a guess, an educated & logical guess.

raskar · Jan 12, 2009, 05:16 AM

I thought Leopard Snow to have an early preview at this macworld!! Preparing for a 1st quarter release (based on rumors i heard few weeks ago). Is this all changed? Whats the gossip on Snow Leopard right now?

dylcomputers · Jan 12, 2009, 05:26 AM

When you think about it it's obvious why Apple didn't release new iMacs / Mac minis in the show.... Why would they start selling them with iLife 08 now only to switch them in a few weeks when iLife 09 come out?

Once iLife 09 is out we'll probably see new machines.... less returns for apple to deal with.

InkMaster · Jan 12, 2009, 05:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by raskar

I thought Leopard Snow...

Like that?

SlOrbA · Jan 12, 2009, 05:47 AM

According to wikipedia we are coming to a 25 anniversary of the Macintosh at the end of this month. Isn't it likely that this would be a good time to announce new generation of desktop machines?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mac_OS

Kilamite · Jan 12, 2009, 06:12 AM

I'm guessing Apple wanted a lot of the emphasis to be on iWork.com and iLife 09 (in particular the new iMovie and iPhoto - packed with awesome features). Of course, the MacBook Pro too, but we all knew it was coming and apart from the battery, nothing surprised us (apart from the matte option).

Had they released a new iMac and Mac Mini, then iWork.com and iLife wouldn't get as much attention - all people would be talking about would be the new Macs and what goodies the new Mini has.

Now that iLife and iWork has been covered in great detail - I'd guess they'd release new iMacs and Mac Minis soon, and probably before February.

AlBDamned · Jan 12, 2009, 06:17 AM

We should have seen it coming. Apple had to release something decent to prevent their own keynote being a complete damp squib - so we got the MacBook Pro 17". The lack of other new hardare releases was a clear fsck you to IDG and Macworld, as was Schiller's opening point about the number of visitors to Apple stores, annually, far, far outweighing the number of attendees at the show.

I expect to see some kind of event in the next two to three weeks, held at the Apple campus. That's when we'll see the remaining new products.

dsward · Jan 12, 2009, 06:19 AM

Apple has a great opportunity to introduce the new iMac, Mac mini and Apple TV next month in conjunction with the analog television broadcast shutdown on February 17th. The analog shutdown is going to be big news, and Apple can profit from it. They could produce an event that says Apple is ready for the next stage of the digital entertainment revolution, and here is our newest hardware. It would be the perfect date to introduce the long-rumored Apple HDTV set too.

alexbates · Jan 12, 2009, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

I think I am with those that where disappointed that there was no MacMini at Mac World. Maybe in the next week or two we will see an update?

Hugh

No, that would be too close to MacWorld.

There will probably be some kind of special event in March. That's how it was last year.

iMacmatician · Jan 12, 2009, 06:47 AM

There have been multiple product updates in the last few years within a month or two of MWSF. A late January or late February announcement is actually fairly probable. So I don't see where the "too close to MWSF" statements are coming from.

January 2005: Updated PowerBooks
February 2006: Intel Mac mini
January 2007: iPod shuffle
January 2008: Small updates I think
February 2008: Updated MacBook Pros

We could see an event in late February or maybe even late January for the new ACDs, iMac, and Mac mini. Or, these three releases could be spaced out over the next month or so.

About Snow Leopard, it makes sense that Apple would not talk about a mostly developer-focused release at a consumer event. Apple will most likely talk about it at WWDC (or even an event earlier, depending on Snow Leopard's release).

zedsdead · Jan 12, 2009, 06:51 AM

All signs seem to be pointing to a Desktop Event. Question is, will Apple wait until the Mac Pro chips are available, or just update the consumer side of things at an earlier date. Would be nice to hear about the status of Snow Leopard as well.

chadua · Jan 12, 2009, 07:16 AM

"And while we still don't see the reasoning behind such a product,"

The iphone Nano is coming to Verizon.

numbersyx · Jan 12, 2009, 07:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iMacmatician

About Snow Leopard, it makes sense that Apple would not talk about a mostly developer-focused release at a consumer event. Apple will most likely talk about it at WWDC (or even an event earlier, depending on Snow Leopard's release).

Not sure about that. Wouldn't it make sense to start building up some hype re: the speed and efficiency of the new system. They do have to sell it, after all.

mozmac · Jan 12, 2009, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh

I think I am with those that where disappointed that there was no MacMini at Mac World. Maybe in the next week or two we will see an update?

Hugh

I really hope it's soon. The Mini is in serious need of an update and I would love LOVE for it to be a merger between the current Mini and the Apple TV.

Gregintosh · Jan 12, 2009, 07:50 AM

The danger of hyping up something months ahead of its release is that it kills existing sales.

People who may be thinking about a new computer and are on the fence will simply use the "I'll wait till that new version they keep raving about comes out."

In sales, you don't want to give people any excuse for waiting. Apple has been real smart about not announcing updates to products until they are ready for release - so people who want them can just go out and get them.

Sure everyone knows that all tech products will be updated eventually, but without knowing specifics in terms of WHAT will be updated, HOW it will be updated, or WHEN it will be updated, consumers do not have a concrete reason to wait.

beeh · Jan 12, 2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chadua

"And while we still don't see the reasoning behind such a product,"

The iphone Nano is coming to Verizon.

I hope this is true...either this or the iPhone Nano is "pay as you go".

Jan 12, 2009, 04:11 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers After Apple announced that Steve Jobs would be not be giving the 2009 Macworld Expo keynote, analyst expectations about the event dropped dramatically. While Apple did not deliver the expected updates to the iMac and Mac mini, they did provide substantial updates to their iLife and iWork suites and finally introduced the unibody 17" MacBook Pro. iMac and Mac mini Updates The most disappointing aspect of Macworld was the lack of updates for the Mac mini and iMac. The Mac mini, in particular, has been long overdue for a refresh, and the recent rumors seemed to indicate that it would finally get some worthy upgrades (dual monitor, FireWire). While no one could say for sure that the new iMac was coming, two sites (Wired and TUAW) specifically said that Apple would be releasing a new Mac mini at Macworld. The timing was believable, of course, since evidence of the new iMacs and Mac minis have been found buried within Mac OS X, itself. Unfortunately, either timetables changed, or these sites were simply wrong. It's still clear to us, however, that Mac mini and iMac updates are imminent. Based on whispers we've heard we do feel many of the rumored upgrades surrounding the Mac mini are true. It's just a matter of when. Macbook Pro 17" - Fixed Battery The first report that Apple was going to deliver a 17" MacBook Pro with a fixed internal battery came from 9to5Mac. Though the site hedged a bit towards the end, the original information was confirmed by multiple sources. The use of an extended non-removable battery was unique and accurate and 9to5mac deserves credit for the scoop. iLife, iWork, Cloud Computing Perhaps to the relief of many, Apple's push into "cloud" computing was far more limited than originally reported. The information came again from 9to5mac but was described as far more an ambitious plan than what was seen at this year's Macworld. Original reports claimed Apple would migrate iWork and iLife functionality into web-based services. While Apple did release an iWork.com public beta, its functionality is limited to collaboration and document sharing. Other information from 9to5Mac also detailed celebrity lessons for Garageband which did turn out to be true. DRM Free It seems clear that CNet has sources at major music labels and was able to predict that Apple would be launching a full DRM-free store at Macworld. No iPhone Nano... Yet? Case manufacturers XSKN and Vaja have both advertised cases for an unreleased iPhone Nano in the weeks leading up to Macworld. And while we still don't see the reasoning behind such a product, it seems clear that the case manufacturers did believe that this product was coming and have actually produced cases based on the leaked specs. In fact, the same spec leaks may also be responsible for the iPhone Nano clones that have already hit the market. It remains possible that we will see such a product in the future, or it may have simply been an expensive mistake on the part of the case manufacturers. What's Next? Cinema Displays, the Mac Mini and iMac seem the most likely updates coming next. Previous supply chain sources had claimed the iMac would start shipping in January. If true, that means the update could come within weeks. Apple has been occasionally known to launch products shortly after their Macworld events in either January or February. The earliest example we could find was an iPod Shuffle revision launched on January 30th, 2007. Article Link: Macworld San Francisco 2009 Rumor Wrapup: Winners and Losers

Jan 12, 2009, 04:22 AM	#3
Hugh macrumors 6502 Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Erie, PA	MacMini I think I am with those that where disappointed that there was no MacMini at Mac World. Maybe in the next week or two we will see an update? Hugh __________________ Hal 9000: You like your Macintosh better then me, Dave?

Jan 12, 2009, 04:24 AM	#4
alana22 macrumors regular Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Seattle	I'm secretly happy there were no iMac updates... now I get to childishly revel in mine being the latest and greatest for another month or so, mwaha ;p __________________ love is love

Jan 12, 2009, 04:30 AM	#5
ziggyonice macrumors 68000 Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Rural America	Come on, Mac mini... ...I... I miss you... so much! __________________ I was once a Jedi Knight, the same as your father. MacBook Pro [First Generation] \| 2.16GHz \| 2GB RAM \| 120GB HD \| Mac OS X (10.6.1) iPhone 3G \| 16GB \| White

Jan 12, 2009, 05:15 AM	#10
bigjohn macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Arcadia, CA	I'm gonna guess that CNET has sources inside the music biz because it's owned by a media company that includes amongst it's properties record labels. Just a guess, an educated & logical guess. __________________ Big John iPhone3Gs, 4 iPods, Mac Pro (2x2.26 Nehalem), old Macbook Pro, Mini, iBook G3, Power Mac 7100/66, Apple IIe

Jan 12, 2009, 04:20 AM	#2
dextertangocci macrumors 68000 Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Cape Town, South Africa	I think Apple is going to release the new Mac Mini in a few weeks. They want to prove that they don't need Macworld to release new products.

Jan 12, 2009, 04:37 AM	#6
robinp macrumors regular Join Date: Feb 2008	Mac pro? It's now over a year since the last update

Jan 12, 2009, 05:07 AM	#8
the.snitch macrumors regular Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Auckland, NZ	They'll ship the mac minis and iMacs at the end of this month, when the new iLife ships. Why would they bother announcing them before they were immediately available, and it seems iLife goes gold master in a few weeks.

Jan 12, 2009, 05:16 AM	#11
raskar macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: UK	I thought Leopard Snow to have an early preview at this macworld!! Preparing for a 1st quarter release (based on rumors i heard few weeks ago). Is this all changed? Whats the gossip on Snow Leopard right now? __________________ Love my MacBook Intel Core 2 Duo Santa Rosa 2.2 GHz - 2GB RAM

Jan 12, 2009, 05:26 AM	#12
dylcomputers macrumors newbie Join Date: Feb 2008	Mac Mini IMacs in few weeks When you think about it it's obvious why Apple didn't release new iMacs / Mac minis in the show.... Why would they start selling them with iLife 08 now only to switch them in a few weeks when iLife 09 come out? Once iLife 09 is out we'll probably see new machines.... less returns for apple to deal with.

Jan 12, 2009, 05:47 AM	#14
SlOrbA macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2009	What about 24.1. According to wikipedia we are coming to a 25 anniversary of the Macintosh at the end of this month. Isn't it likely that this would be a good time to announce new generation of desktop machines? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Mac_OS

Jan 12, 2009, 06:12 AM	#15
Kilamite macrumors Demi-God Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Scotland	I'm guessing Apple wanted a lot of the emphasis to be on iWork.com and iLife 09 (in particular the new iMovie and iPhoto - packed with awesome features). Of course, the MacBook Pro too, but we all knew it was coming and apart from the battery, nothing surprised us (apart from the matte option). Had they released a new iMac and Mac Mini, then iWork.com and iLife wouldn't get as much attention - all people would be talking about would be the new Macs and what goodies the new Mini has. Now that iLife and iWork has been covered in great detail - I'd guess they'd release new iMacs and Mac Minis soon, and probably before February. __________________ - MacBook Pro Unibody 15" 2.8GHz 'anti-glare' - Apple TV 1TB (work in progress) - iPhone 3G 8GB - MobileMe // OS X 10.6.2

Jan 12, 2009, 06:17 AM	#16
AlBDamned macrumors 68030 Join Date: Mar 2005	We should have seen it coming. Apple had to release something decent to prevent their own keynote being a complete damp squib - so we got the MacBook Pro 17". The lack of other new hardare releases was a clear fsck you to IDG and Macworld, as was Schiller's opening point about the number of visitors to Apple stores, annually, far, far outweighing the number of attendees at the show. I expect to see some kind of event in the next two to three weeks, held at the Apple campus. That's when we'll see the remaining new products.

Jan 12, 2009, 06:19 AM	#17
dsward macrumors newbie Join Date: May 2008 Location: Mac OS X	Apple has a great opportunity to introduce the new iMac, Mac mini and Apple TV next month in conjunction with the analog television broadcast shutdown on February 17th. The analog shutdown is going to be big news, and Apple can profit from it. They could produce an event that says Apple is ready for the next stage of the digital entertainment revolution, and here is our newest hardware. It would be the perfect date to introduce the long-rumored Apple HDTV set too.

Jan 12, 2009, 06:47 AM	#19
iMacmatician macrumors 68040 Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: The world of Macmatics, flying with my calculator…	There have been multiple product updates in the last few years within a month or two of MWSF. A late January or late February announcement is actually fairly probable. So I don't see where the "too close to MWSF" statements are coming from. January 2005: Updated PowerBooks February 2006: Intel Mac mini January 2007: iPod shuffle January 2008: Small updates I think February 2008: Updated MacBook Pros We could see an event in late February or maybe even late January for the new ACDs, iMac, and Mac mini. Or, these three releases could be spaced out over the next month or so. About Snow Leopard, it makes sense that Apple would not talk about a mostly developer-focused release at a consumer event. Apple will most likely talk about it at WWDC (or even an event earlier, depending on Snow Leopard's release). __________________ babyj: "One day, all Apple products will be running the iPhone OS …"

Jan 12, 2009, 06:51 AM	#20
zedsdead macrumors 68000 Join Date: Jun 2007	All signs seem to be pointing to a Desktop Event. Question is, will Apple wait until the Mac Pro chips are available, or just update the consumer side of things at an earlier date. Would be nice to hear about the status of Snow Leopard as well. __________________ iMac 27: 2.8 Core i7 Quad, 2TB, 8 gigs of RAM, ATI 4850 Macbook Pro: 2.4 Core2Duo, 128 SSD, 4 gigs of RAM, NVIDIA 9400/9600 iPhone 3G S⃣ ; Apple TV; Final Cut Studio 2.5, Logic, Drobo, EyeTV

Jan 12, 2009, 07:16 AM	#21
chadua macrumors newbie Join Date: Jul 2008	"And while we still don't see the reasoning behind such a product," The iphone Nano is coming to Verizon.

Jan 12, 2009, 07:50 AM	#24
Gregintosh macrumors regular Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chicago	The danger of hyping up something months ahead of its release is that it kills existing sales. People who may be thinking about a new computer and are on the fence will simply use the "I'll wait till that new version they keep raving about comes out." In sales, you don't want to give people any excuse for waiting. Apple has been real smart about not announcing updates to products until they are ready for release - so people who want them can just go out and get them. Sure everyone knows that all tech products will be updated eventually, but without knowing specifics in terms of WHAT will be updated, HOW it will be updated, or WHEN it will be updated, consumers do not have a concrete reason to wait.

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