Wow, last year everything had been so recently updated, no one could figure out what was gonna get refreshed, and instead we just got 90 minutes about a product that wasn't gonna be available for 6 months, half an hour about a product Steve had already told us about 3 months ago and a 3 month wait for any new computers. This year, there are enough ppl convinced that everything will get upgraded that however good this ultraportable will be, it's gonna disappoint most ppl by taking up too much stage-time.
I think, in order of likelihood:
1) Ultra-portable: how can so many rumour sites be wrong?
2) Mac Pro (but, much like the sap who assumes that 15 reds in roulette must surely be followed by a black, I have my doubts, and part of me wants to leave this off the list altogether...)
3) Macbook Pro (the mobile penryn chips will be available shortly after the workstation ones and its most due for a refresh of all the portables - so my guess is shipping within a month or so)
4) LCDs (if the MP gets a facelift...)
5) Apple TV (why not? ...it's been a year)
And the outside contender:
Mid-range tower mac looks increasingly likely, despite a dearth of rumours about it. I don't necessarily expect it at Macworld but there is no way Apple can get rid of the Mac Mini without coming up with a mid-range solution and everyone seems convinced that's going to happen.
And the no-hopers:
5) iMac - the last time they updated the iMac that quickly, it was so they could switch to intel
4) Mac Mini: they seem to be updating this one less and less often, and I doubt it will see anything until everything else has had penryn - and even then might kill it off
3) Macbook: just got updated - that 13.3 inch screen story has nothing to do with the macbook as it won't get penryn until a few months after the mbp
2) ipod: apple doesn't like updating the ipod just after december which is its best-selling month. It has never been updated before April.
1) iphone: for all the same reasons as the ipod with the added bonus that 3G will be timed with the asia release, and the flash increase will be coincided with that, otherwise the iphone would have to be 32 gb by late summer. Flash prices maybe dropping quickly but not THAT quickly! Besides, did it occur to you how annoyed the 3 core European markets would be if they bought a product they'd waited 11 months for, got 5 months later than the US only to have it updated within 2 months?!
All in all, it doesn't look to be a very consumer-oriented Macworld...
