Apple Hints at a 'Product Transition' and a New Product Soon?

[.Chris]

Sorry for the long post guys. Read through 9 pages, got losts of feedback

My money is on new iPod Touch models including one with a much bigger screen, GPS, and built-in microphone/video camera for portable iChat. Resolution should be around 800x600.

Same here. a HD base one to, up to 160GB or more. It may add more to the weight and price, but it would make it a really nice all in one portable media device. May just as well replace the ipod classic and the click whell.

Could be Blu-Ray in the new MBP.

I'm expecting that to be announced at macworld 2009 and ready for the macs by summer (june) 2009

Can they please do something to the Mac mini? It's outdated and overpriced imo.

599 over priced? I agree its out dated but the price isnt that bad. it beats a 2000 one

Maybe it will be a PDA like device with no "phone"

I just bought a MacBookAir and two new 3G iPhones so p-l-e-a-s-e don't tempt me with a hot new purchase!

you have a PDA device. an iphone. get an ipod touch if you want a PDA>

What I think:
1. Aluminium Montevina MacBook with LED display and Multi-Touch trackpad
2. Re-designed MacBook Pro with Quad Core
3. Mac Tablet

1. Yep. Same idea here. With an LED backlet logo (current ones dont have a LED logo)
2. Same as #1
3. May be, but my hunch is in 2009 with touch being a major new featuree

Will it be a transition like .Mac to .Me (MobileMe)?

where have you been?

At least make the MacBook Pro look similar to this (thread: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/523933/):

Now THAT has class..... but looks a bit like the current one just with a black keyboard, brighter LED screen and a few other minor changes...

Other companies have touch products, touch screens, and tablets in computers/laptops.

Apple will NOT be first to market with this technology - they will just do it best! I hope they get on this sooner, rather than later!

Microsoft has this great lookin product but the will not get it right.
Microsoft Touch Screen

A cool (looking) on is that Multi-Touch Wall on CNN

the "big ass table" paradoy on you tube is funny

iLife and iWork support?

I'm thinking of a major revamp of both programs with a possible new name

I would guess not since HP has released one (a touch screen computer, I saw the commercial a few minutes ago) So this may be a giant surprise and allow the developers access shortly after

That HP is actully a revamp of an older one that came out in January 2007

2007:

new one has a lot more class, total compention for other pc makers and even apple right now

Here's my theory... the holiday and back to school seasons are coming up and they need to update the iPod line to keep it fresh and drive continued sales. I believe that they are going to drop the iPod Video/Classic line and revamp the Touch to replace them. I envision a flash model as well as a high capacity disk version. The Nano and shuffle will probably remain or have minor updates to fill out the lower end of the line.

Thats what I think. They will create an all in one device, a little thicker then the current ipod classic 160GB. Have all the iphone features, camera, GPS etc just no phone.

Please, Apple, give the iPod TOuch a volume rocker and the play-pause button in the earbuds. It's just wrong having to pull out the thing out of the pocket and unlock the screen to change volume or play/pause...

I expected that with the ipod touch. Though dont have the play/pause in the ear buds. Not everyone uses apples ear buds. I use a bose set I bought for 95.99 Great sound.... Just add buttons on the side. So people wont have to take the device out of their pocket.

I also think the click whell is in its last days

iPod touch is first and foremost a MUSIC PLAYER! iPhone has more freedoms

1. GPS - Nope they would have to make it thicker like the 3G and Apple will not start making all their products thicker.

2. Mic/Camera - Come On!!! hey will not push the features of the iPhone and Touch that close together they have to divide why you should buy an iPhone or a touch or even both.

3. Resolution may be better but for easier production the iPhone/touch screens would remain simliar

calm down kid, the ipod touch is not just a music player if it was then there wont be the app, wifi, videos etc.

Wish list from apple

1- redo the desktop lineup to allow blu-ray rom players and hdcp compliant monitors, start using HDMI !! options of using blu-ray burners

2- upgrade laptop line to allow option of blu-ray as well!!!

3- Finally listen to consumers and do a midrange tower mac which is upgradable!!

4- release a larger iphone/portable computer with real keyboard and integrated isight. and a nice camera.

1. 2009
2. 2009
3. maybe....
4. wont happen...

The long rumored Shake replacement or iLife/iWork 09

as I said before, I expect a major revamp of these products and a possable new name

YESSSS!!!!! This is it. September is iPod season, people. Happens every single year in September. Computer transitions are not tied to September. An UberPhone -- maybe. Cheap different iPods that leverage touch technology? Absolutely. New chips and designs in laptops? Ongoing.

But September is iPod season!!!!!!!!!

calm down kid. your parrents wont buy you all the new ipods. who knows things do change in life. you need to know that

KindredMac's wish/want list:
- Redesigned Mac Pro's that incorporate a BluRay option and a Single Quad Core chip base price of $1999.
- iSight HD that is the size or shape of the iPod shuffle so it can clip onto the top of displays.
- iMac touch. Just saw an HP commercial and got bummed that they used our tech to beat us to the market....

1. that would be possable
2. Donjt see why not. They might make it for windows to. (sorry apple fans, I'm not pusing sides or anything just saying as they make ipods for windows, why not the isight)
2. HP had touch last year with the old model. The imac touch may not come untill this time next year

If Apple releases a new tablet I would expect it would replace the iPod Touch. And possibly have 3G built in (not to be held to your ear like a phone - but for data as well as calls via headphone (wired or wireless) and possibly video calls).

Wont happen. ipod touch hasnt even been out a year yet

iPhone 4g

You kid, got a lot to learn. Apple has no control over phone networks.so they cant come out with a "4g"


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[GregA]

Here are my predictions for the upcoming updates/new products:

iPods (September) <snip> MacWorld (January 09)

Remember this is not a rumour, they have said there's a product transition that will SUBSTANTIALLY affect margins in this current quarter. Apple wants to get a leg up on competitors.

So
1) it's happening very soon (within one month)
2) it isn't going to be a simple change to area that is already well developed. (edited)
3) it affects a very large number of sales

A lot of predictions here are moving towards what people would like to see and some very plausible and interesting products. But they don't meet the above 3 criterion. Lets stick to those in this thread

edit: I said it wouldn't be in an already developed area - but I meant it wouldn't be a small evolution... since they've said they want a leg up on the competitors

 

[digitalbiker]

Not if Steve gets his way.

What is this comment based on?

Steve has neither endorsed nor condemned blu-ray. For some reason this sentiment keeps getting repeated over and over but is based on nothing.

Everyone assumes that because AppleTV exists that Apple is against blu-ray. Yet itunes exists and no one says Apple is against audio CD's.

Maybe Apple is right this minute working on a DRM convention that will allow the burning of 6 blu-ray movie copies, just like they allow cd copies of itune titles. Who really knows? They could be building a BD into the next gen. AppleTV.

All I know is that SJ has never said anything about being against Blu-ray.

 

[Beric]

I'd love a 12" system too. Had a couple of old iBooks in that size.

Yay for MBP 12"!

I'd also like to see a iPod Touch Nano. And of course dedicated GPU's in the MacBooks and a Superdrive in the low-end model.

A cheaper Mac laptop would also be nice.

 

[brendanspah764]

I'd love a 12" system too. Had a couple of old iBooks in that size.

Didn't the MacBook Air replace the 12" PowerBook?

 

[monke]

Oh sweet.

To be honest the Apple-rumour-mill has been absolutely dead lately, and this is really great and exciting news.

Too bad they couldn't just announce everything at once on a day like today.

 

[nxfxcom]

My thoughts

Hello,

i would bet my life on the following:

1st. New Apple Cinema Display with build in Camera's (probably higher resolution)
2nd. Blue Ray Drive
3rd. A small update to the PB Range

I would bet 1k, anyone up for a bet

 

[MacGeek7]

Oh sweet.

To be honest the Apple-rumour-mill has been absolutely dead lately, and this is really great and exciting news.

Too bad they couldn't just announce everything at once on a day like today.

Yeah - what they did was use the buzz about the 3G iPhone to keep what they are working on under wraps...tricky devils

 

[digitalbiker]

Hello,

i would bet my life on the following:

1st. New Apple Cinema Display with build in Camera's (probably higher resolution)
2nd. Blue Ray Drive
3rd. A small update to the PB Range

I would bet 1k, anyone up for a bet

I doubt No. 1.

No. 2 is going to happen eventually, so it is a no brainer.

No. 3. Apple did away with PBs when they made the switch to intel. So no the PPC based PBs are not going to be updated.

You lost your bet already. Where is my $1000 or your life? Pay-up and I'll donate it back to MacRumors for a party.

 

[Beric]

Didn't the MacBook Air replace the 12" PowerBook?

NO. The 12" Powerbook is a thicker computer, with a smaller footprint. It's all about the footprint. The Macbook Air is about being thin only. The MBA also doesn't even have a dedicated GPU, and it has the least powerful processors of any Mac currently made.

PB 12" replacement? Not even close.

 

[TylerD.]

New MacBook Pro?????

I sure hope it is the new MacBook Pro. With the new intel processor being announced last week and the leaks on the new case that was posted last week. If there is not a new Pro on the horizon very soon I will be surprised. The idea of the tablet is also really cool but for now I would be happy with good updates to the line that is already here. Come on we all know that the new things are coming soon...its Apple.

 

[Shot22]

Remember this is not a rumour, they have said there's a product transition that will SUBSTANTIALLY affect margins in this current quarter. Apple wants to get a leg up on competitors.

So
1) it's happening very soon (within one month)
2) it isn't going to be in an area that is already well developed.
3) it affects a very large number of sales

A lot of predictions here are moving towards what people would like to see and some very plausible and interesting products. But they don't meet the above 3 criterion. Lets stick to those in this thread

In my opinion, your first two points aren't necessarily true. The current quarter continues through September. Thus, any major announcement could be up to ten weeks away. Also, the term "product transition" is pretty vague. It could mean pretty much anything. It may be a release in a new field, but it also could be a big change to an existing product.

 

[.Chris]

Didn't the MacBook Air replace the 12" PowerBook?

NO, the 13" macbook repplaced the 12" macbook. The air didnt come out till last year, Powerbooks have been gone for like 3 years

 

[kryszrich]

Apple is going to release a product that is going to change the way we share media...making it easy to pass on High Def Media and play it back home/business--that even a grandma can do it. Thus why they haven't released blu-ray option yet...they want to kill disc drives, dvd, blu-ray.

There will not be a blu-ray option...apple doesn't believe in it.

 

[gkarris]

Touchscreen Nanos and Classics
64 Gig Touch
MacTablet
13" MacBook Pro
Aluminum MacBooks
Updated Mini

C'mon, Apple!

 

[powermac_daddy]

cumming

 

[kabunaru]

I also want to see new Cinema Displays, perhaps having the aluminium iMac design (aluminium with black border around the display).

 

[MacGeek7]

cumming

yeah...that was more then we wanted to know

 

[Peace]

In my opinion, your first two points aren't necessarily true. The current quarter continues through September. Thus, any major announcement could be up to ten weeks away. Also, the term "product transition" is pretty vague. It could mean pretty much anything. It may be a release in a new field, but it also could be a big change to an existing product.

At one point in the conference call Oppenheimer did allude to a "new product" affecting margins. Not just a transition. Those were his words.

 

[GregA]

In my opinion, your first two points aren't necessarily true. The current quarter continues through September. Thus, any major announcement could be up to ten weeks away.

It will be hard for a product to be released at the end of september to reduce Apple's gross margin for the entire quarter from 34.8% to 31.5%. And next quarter it's forecast is 30% - so assuming constant ongoing sales of the new technology I divided the % changes and worked out the date it should happen in the quarter (Tuesday 29th). I doubt that will be accurate, but I can't see how it could happen in more than a month (unless they stop sales for a month of the old product, then get double sales on the new product during September).

Also, the term "product transition" is pretty vague. It could mean pretty much anything. It may be a release in a new field, but it also could be a big change to an existing product.

Agreed. I already changed my comment.. it was targeted at a few people expecting a simple speed bump or form factor or colour change to existing products. Apple said they are wanting to introduce technologies others can't match easily. (that could, for example, be touch screens on all laptops/iMac/Cinema)

 

[Shot22]

At one point in the conference call Oppenheimer did allude to a "new product" affecting margins. Not just a transition. Those were his words.

Well, technically, an iPod touch hardware revision would make it a "new product"...

 

[macerroneous]

Macsi Pad

Gotta be a big touch. Nothing else could possibly sell as big. Not a mac tablet, a Macsi pad.

 

[na1577]

Remember this is not a rumour, they have said there's a product transition that will SUBSTANTIALLY affect margins in this current quarter. Apple wants to get a leg up on competitors.

So
1) it's happening very soon (within one month)
2) it isn't going to be a simple change to area that is already well developed. (edited)
3) it affects a very large number of sales

A lot of predictions here are moving towards what people would like to see and some very plausible and interesting products. But they don't meet the above 3 criterion. Lets stick to those in this thread

edit: I said it wouldn't be in an already developed area - but I meant it wouldn't be a small evolution... since they've said they want a leg up on the competitors

Are you kidding me? I'm not a f****in' idiot, I know not everything is going to be already established, but SOME will, and that's what my predictions were. And did you not catch THIS in my post?

I don't really know any truly new products that could be announced, but one thing I highly doubt, is a tablet.

My predicitions were out of what I know, that will be updated, with the excecption of my MacWorld prediction.

The only thing I can think of out of recent times that was released in August was the iMac update, in 2006? So your claim that it will be in a month is unlikely. Apple won't release something big without it being announced at some sort of conference, so anything this month is out of the question, August, maybe. They're not just going to put some stuff up on the webstie for the "iCar".

And haven't you heard of companies exaggerating? Apple loves to do it ("the worlds thinnest notebook", "revolutionary"), so don't buy into the hype that these upcoming products will be absolutely earth-shattering.

 

[toujames]

hope its a revision of a macbook and a mac mini

 

[.Chris]

I also want to see new Cinema Displays, perhaps having the aluminium iMac design (aluminium with black border around the display).

thats what I think will happen