Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2006 Rumor Roundup

[Super Dave]

Rumour/Speculation

More speculation than rumour, but for Leopard I'd bet on:

-Resolution Independent UI http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/5/22/4065
-Quartz 2D Extreme http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10.4.ars/14

Honestly, I'm surprised they're not in the rumour roundup.

David

 

[VanNess]

You're right that there is "no reason to rush" except it would be awfully fun to beat Vista to market AGAIN.

David

Apple, in a very real sense, will beat Vista as of Monday. Microsoft execs have already gone on record recently saying that the rescheduled schedule for the revised schedule for scheduling the release of Vista now has a 20% chance of slipping. Apple, on the other hand, has earned a reputation for shipping it's OS and what it shows/promises. So what will be seen at WWDC will be as good as gold insofar as it's perception as a legitimate answer to Vista.

Microsoft is really out of time. It has to freeze it's code for Vista and debug if it stands any chance of hitting an 07 release and maintain what's left of Microsoft's credibility - which means whatever it looks like now, that's it. So there won't be any further surprises from Microsoft, just release date suspense. From a competitive, strategic point of view, it just doesn't get any better than this for Apple.

 

[philbeeney]

Here, let me show you the art and science of rumoring, Apple-style.

Now that is so true to life.

 

[Porco]

Well iSight or no, there needs to be an update anyway. The Mac Pro will have Front Row, and how will you control it by remote if you're meant to keep it under your desk? The new Cinema Displays need an IR "extender".

Besides, I still think Apple WOULD love to include an iSight in their displays.

Yes, but just my opinion, Apple needs to get over this 'Only new computers get FrontRow' crap and provide a USB repeater. ....

To me the answer to the whole IR/Mac Pro/Front Row thing is obvious - put an integrated IR receiver into the keyboard. The keyboard would come with the Mac Pro (unlike the display) and is rarely under the desk.

Plus they could sell the keyboard for any Mac (including ones that don't have Front Row - they could include the app with it).

 

[twoodcc]

To me the answer to the whole IR/Mac Pro/Front Row thing is obvious - put an integrated IR receiver into the keyboard. The keyboard would come with the Mac Pro (unlike the display) and is rarely under the desk.

Plus they could sell the keyboard for any Mac (including ones that don't have Front Row - they could include the app with it).

that's actually a good idea....

 

[iMikeT]

I can't wait!

 

[Silentwave]

I think the Merom will be introduced:
Thus a MacBook Pro wil probably be announced, and made available right away, or otherwise very soon.

The Conroe and Woodcrest will probably take longer.
So, the Mac Pro and Xserve Pro (uuuuggghhh!!!... must. remain. Xserve) will be announced, but shipping in about 6 weeks.

why do you think so? Conroe chips showed up online a few weeks ago, and woodcrest has been shipping to manufacturers for some time now. Merom hasn't, Conroe is ahead of Merom in terms of shipping IIRC.

 

[dernhelm]

To me the answer to the whole IR/Mac Pro/Front Row thing is obvious - put an integrated IR receiver into the keyboard. The keyboard would come with the Mac Pro (unlike the display) and is rarely under the desk.

Plus they could sell the keyboard for any Mac (including ones that don't have Front Row - they could include the app with it).

Don't like it. I don't want a new keyboard - I just want FR. Besides, anyone with an older laptop would not be served by that. Just put a USB dongle in the case and sell it with the software!

 

[hyperpasta]

To me the answer to the whole IR/Mac Pro/Front Row thing is obvious - put an integrated IR receiver into the keyboard. The keyboard would come with the Mac Pro (unlike the display) and is rarely under the desk.

Plus they could sell the keyboard for any Mac (including ones that don't have Front Row - they could include the app with it).

Wow. Why didn't I think of that?

Well, regardless, I still think a Cinema Display update is badly needed, and if not alongside new pro towers.... when?

 

[maverick18x]

im really hoping if there is a new ipod coming out they anounce it monday cause my b-day is in a week and ill might be able to get a new one and if they anounce a full screen ipod and can aford it ill get that or hope they drop the price in the curent ipods like maybe 199 for 30 gig and 299 60?

Read my lips: no new iPods!

 

[SiliconAddict]

*shrugs* I have no money so it not that big of a deal for me. It will be nice to know more about 10.5.

 

[arkmannj]

My wish

I am excited for 10.5, mac pros, displays, core 2 duo, etc...
but for the practicle side of my wallet I feel like I've been waiting FOREVER for an airport upgrade. (as in, an upgrade to the airport extreme, express) I'm not expecting faster speeds, but it would be very nice if they could add features like

* the ability for USB 2.0 / firewire external storage devices to connect, or even like 2GB built in storage for shared files.

* streaming video

* etc

 

[janmc]

To me the answer to the whole IR/Mac Pro/Front Row thing is obvious - put an integrated IR receiver into the keyboard. The keyboard would come with the Mac Pro (unlike the display) and is rarely under the desk.

Plus they could sell the keyboard for any Mac (including ones that don't have Front Row - they could include the app with it).

Are you listening Apple? Maybe you should patent that one quick

 

[Porco]

Don't like it. I don't want a new keyboard - I just want FR. Besides, anyone with an older laptop would not be served by that. Just put a USB dongle in the case and sell it with the software!

I'd like a USB dongle too ideally, but I was responding to the specific Mac Pro /IR+FR issue really. I think the problem (from their perspective, and so for the likelihood of it happening) with Apple also doing a dongle would it could eat into the [presumably more profitable] IR keyboard sales.

A keyboard could still be used on any USB laptop, and if you were hooking it up to a TV or large monitor you wouldn't need the lid open - which would also mean the laptop's integrated keyboard would be inaccessible, if you did want to use it for any reason while hooked up to an external screen.

They might just do a dongle on a USB cable, but that doesn't seem very Apple to me.

 

[Demoman]

More speculation than rumour, but for Leopard I'd bet on:

-Resolution Independent UI http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/5/22/4065
-Quartz 2D Extreme http://arstechnica.com/reviews/os/macosx-10.4.ars/14

Honestly, I'm surprised they're not in the rumour roundup.

David

Thanks for the links, Dave! I found them both very informative, especially the one on Quartz 2 Extreme.

Do you have any feel for when we will see a roll-out of the pro apps? I recall quite a bit of rumor-mongering just before the Intel announcement. Since then it has been rather silent. I thought the sudden drop in Quake might be a precursor to something fairly soon??

 

[ChickenSwartz]

My bad Never trust random world clock websites

US Pacific Time is GMT-8:00. So if you are one hour a head of "standard" time as the US is (daylight savings) then 6pm is correct.

 

[3CCD]

Microsoft execs have already gone on record recently saying that the rescheduled schedule for the revised schedule for scheduling the release of Vista now has a 20% chance of slipping.

The way thats written cracks me up, not sure if you were being funny or not with a sense of sarcasm (nothing against you). It just makes me think of how great Apple is.

 

[Erasmus]

Screw the iP*s

NO iPODS OR iPHONE I DON'T CARE FOR THEM ONE JOT

Ok, Stevie J, You can introduce the Mac Pro, the new XServe, and Leopard on Monday.

But please don't deny us our new conroe iMac with x1800XT! Release it on Tuesday!!! And Merom Macbooks and Macbook Pros. You will lose too many sales and potential switchers if you wait until the end of September!

Plus I'll cry.

We beggs of you Stevie J, we wants it, we needs it, it must come to me!
The iMac Ultra is mine. My own. My precious.

 

[ChickenSwartz]

There will be no Xserve Pro until there is an Xserve Non-Pro. Many people would love to see an xserve mini, but at present there is no need to change the name.

I think iSteve said, when he introduced the MacBook Pro, that they weren't calling it the PowerBook becasue they wanted "mac" in the title (and obviously to take out Power). A new name with a new chip?

 

[twoodcc]

NO iPODS OR iPHONE I DON'T CARE FOR THEM ONE JOT

Ok, Stevie J, You can introduce the Mac Pro, the new XServe, and Leopard on Monday.

But please don't deny us our new conroe iMac with x1800XT! Release it on Tuesday!!! And Merom Macbooks and Macbook Pros. You will lose too many sales and potential switchers if you wait until the end of September!

Plus I'll cry.

We beggs of you Stevie J, we wants it, we needs it, it must come to me!
The iMac Ultra is mine. My own. My precious.

Alright, give precious back to master now......

 

[onemorething]

I did a little digging and the most amount of time between any given ipod release is 10 months. I did more research and apple has released a new ipod on average every 9-10 months; the last major ipod was released in oct. 2005. I say any given tuesday between now and october or expo paris

 

[Super Dave]

Thanks for the links, Dave! I found them both very informative, especially the one on Quartz 2 Extreme.

Do you have any feel for when we will see a roll-out of the pro apps? I recall quite a bit of rumor-mongering just before the Intel announcement. Since then it has been rather silent. I thought the sudden drop in Quake might be a precursor to something fairly soon??

I have no inside information. I just read rumour and news sites… a lot! Although I use the pro Apps for a course I take, I'm not familiar enough with them to know their typical release schedule. For instance, iLife is once a year, whereas Adobe CS products are about every 18 months - 2 years. With Apple's Pro Apps I just don't know. Anyone?

David

 

[aswitcher]

WWDC = World Wide Developer Conference.

= Not Consumer Stuff.

It's been mentioned before...

Umm, iSight came out at a WWDC - given free to all attendees...

 

[aswitcher]

*iChat Phone - Call numbers through iChat as part of .Mac... I guess you could make a conference with a combination of multiple phone numbers/iChatters.

*Maps - A new application designed to compete with Google Earth, but of course be much, much snazzier. Apparently, the next MBP would include a GPS chip so that you could see a "You Are Here" on the map.

I am hoping the iPhone has BT and GPS, and links to Maps on your Mac!

 

[xxavier]

HDMI in Macs

With the iSight and IR sensor rumored to be integrated into the new line of Cinema Displays, i guess apple's gonna adopt HDMI as the IO interface, making Apple one of the first corps to do so. Plus with a HDMI enabled Mac Pro and Leopard fully support it. Why? HDMI is just like ADC, plus its an industry standard port. U need only one cable to have all the communications (FW+USB+Sound+...) going, without having to clutter yr desktop with multiple cables. I see it coming!