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

[FuuFuu]

My guess is iphone nano....Apple specifically changed the form of the last nano so it no longer took a phone shape...the new iphone nano will be 4gb and 8gb nano that is also a phone stripped down, 4gb for 99 8gb for 129, apple sells a bazillion of them for christmas

ipods always get updated after labor day

i don't think an nano sized iphone would be that great.....not much space to touch anything

 

[nickane]

The inevitable poll.

Sorry if I left your pipe dream out.

 

[zeppiecr]

I don't think it will be touch screen at all.....

 

[PrimeCipher]

I know for a fact what this will be...

There is a rumor going around that the patent is already pending for this new product. I say new, but as Apple has announced it is a transition.

The new iMac will be like the HP TouchSmart computer

http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/touchsmart/index.html

Taking the iPhone's touchscreen, and moving it over to their desktops...

Product transition at its finest.

 

[iMacmatician]

It's not a tumor! I mean a tablet. Too niche. Everyone's got a TV. TV for ALL things TV. DVR, TV Tuner, and a DVD or Blu Ray drive. No doubt. None. Not even a little bit.

I have my doubts, I must say.

There is obviously good evidence that the notebooks are going to get refreshed in coming months, plus September has become iPod month by default. And there are speculations of a tablet. But does anyone think that this conference is hinting towards anything in the iMac line? I asked this question earlier but only got one question. Could someone give me a hard theory either way? Could we see prices go down or maybe a refresh? Anyone?

Before the 2006 Apple iPod event, there was rumors that the iMacs would be updated at that event. But the iMacs were updated the week before.

Last year, the iMacs were redesigned in August, and the iPod event was in September.

Apple product that reduces margins -- It is probably associated with the new lower power chips that Intel is about to produce to compete in the micro computer area (see: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21pc.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin) . Apple has a bit more advanatage in this area than Linux, in that they can port/include their low level apps to such a machine. They can also combine it with "me.com"--a very broad branding name that I was suspicious of--to include WebAps and subscription services. Or allow the ability to broadcast an ap from a main server (think schools--i.e. broad mindshare) to the little computers. Dr. MacRumors, surely you know how contaminated fingers can get--are you really looking forward to smudging a screen and cleaning a screen on a daily basis? Please!!

Atom is not powerful enough for Leopard and is too power consuming for a mini-tablet.

I doubt Apple will make a mini laptop. I'm sure Apple will make a large iPod touch.

This is probably one of the best indications we have seen - together with the information about availability from Best Buy:


"One possible clue: Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook acknowledged Apple has only has three to four weeks' inventory of Macintosh computers ready to sell--a supply that's shy of Apple's target of four to five weeks."

Hmmm. What does this mean? Imminent update in 4-5 weeks?

MacWorld (January 09)

I don't really know any truly new products that could be announced, but one thing I highly doubt, is a tablet. Part of it is the reason that SJ himself said. There is no market for it. I would never ever buy a tablet. Why? Touch is a great method on handheld devices, which is one of the reasons why the iPhone has been so successful. A multitouch track-pad is more of a novelty on the MacBook Air and Pro than being a good input method. I certainly wouldn't want to try to do normal tasks on a computer with touch. With the Microsoft Surface, everything is made specifically for use with touch. The on-screen keyboard on the iPhone OS is very inaccurate compared to plastic keyboards on other phones (in my experience), and I wouldn't want to have to use something similar in Mac OS X.

Who thinks Apple came up with Cocoa Touch simply to use it for their phones and iPods only?

I think there will be a mini-tablet instead of a tablet.

I don't see a pupose for a tablet slightly larger than the iPhone, its too in-between to be effective.

I think:

• Mini-tablet runs iLife and iWork, while the iPod touch won't
• Mini-tablet is also an e-book reader
• Mini-tablet is around $500
• Mini laptops are selling, so there's a market for a device in between a phone and a laptop

Too bad it's not happening. Show me some battery lives in these Blu-ray laptops; I want to see them (can't find any).

Why do you think you can't find any?

 

[zeppiecr]

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone-n...plified-cellphone-with-click-wheel-275125.php

 

[Eric23A]

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/iphone-n...plified-cellphone-with-click-wheel-275125.php

I would be blown away if Apple does anything pertaining to the iPhone for a while. Due to the fact that the iPhone 3G just came out.... unless it's a simple firmware update. lol

 

[Proud Liberal]

I was thinking along the same lines, but I'll go further and say that iPod touch might be discontinued so that its component parts can be redirected to making more iPhones to meet the global demand in 70 countries.

iPod shuffle and iPod nano will remain, with iPod nano gaining more flash capacity. I think the iPod classic as the only hard drive-based device in the lineup, might be discontinued after another year. Apple doesn't break down iPod sales numbers by model, but my guess (just a wild ass guess) is that the classic line has been declining in sales.

With iPhones now at $199 and $299, the iPod lineup is looking unexciting, and I think revenue from iPod will decline in the coming one or two quarters. The standalone music market still has some life left, but Apple will need to reignite the flames with exciting new models.

I disagree somewhat...there are ALOT of us with HUGE music collections who won't accept only 32GBs of flash memory. If it's the iPod line that's getting a refresh - and remember, it's been refreshed every Sept/Oct since it's inception - I think Apple has to keep the traditional HD form factor around, at least until flash prices come down enough to be able to offer a 160GB or larger model...I just don't see Apple going backwards in terms of capacity offerings. I also disagree with your with your "unexciting" comment, only from the standpoint that Apple sold 11 million iPods last quarter - if consumers found the lineup "unexciting", I think we would have seen a significant drop in units shipped last quarter. But you may be right about declining revenue, from the standpoint of the awful U.S. economy; however, having said that, we are embarking on Apple's "sweet spot" in terms of seasonality, back-to-school and the holiday season.

 

[Coldwater]

Blu ray in new MBPs is basically a must considering every other laptop over £600 has it already.

MBPs should be finally given a high end GPU. Puny bullcrap like the 9600M GT will be a massive massive disappointment.

MBP's are not gaming notebooks. If you want a 8800gtx, go buy one of those Alienware monstrosities which weigh 10 pounds and get 1 hour of battery life. (http://www.alienware.com/products/area-51-m17x-notebook.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AREA51M17X&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT&tab=specs_tab Seriously? Ten pounds? Might as well chain it to a desk.)

I was always under the impression that MBPs were for professionals who needed computing power on the road. A blend of form and function, as it were. I would say a MBP is perfectly suited for that task as it is.

Give me a user replaceable hard drive (well, easier to replace), a slightly faster CPU and that "puny" 9600M GT and I will be more then happy, because it will be quicker and run cooler. If they drop the price by 10% or so, I'd be even happier.

And I highly doubt Blu-Ray is going anywhere near a MBP, as Apple is trying to push online downloads/Apple TV. That wouldn't help matters much.

 

[iMacmatician]

MBP's are not gaming notebooks. If you want a 8800gtx, go buy one of those Alienware monstrosities which weigh 10 pounds and get 1 hour of battery life. (http://www.alienware.com/products/area-51-m17x-notebook.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AREA51M17X&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT&tab=specs_tab Seriously? Ten pounds? Might as well chain it to a desk.)

But it's not chained to a desk. That's what all the people who say "Get a Mac Pro" are missing.

I was always under the impression that MBPs were for professionals who needed computing power on the road. A blend of form and function, as it were. I would say a MBP is perfectly suited for that task as it is.

Why can't Apple make the MacBook Pro a bit thicker to house a Core 2 Extreme chip? It wouldn't weigh much more.

And I highly doubt Blu-Ray is going anywhere near a MBP, as Apple is trying to push online downloads/Apple TV. That wouldn't help matters much.

Agreed. And those people who say that Blu-ray drives consume too much power, why aren't they on the Mac Pro and/or iMac? Exactly.

 

[bytethese]

Please, please let it be a Flux Capacitor.

Man you must have fell on your head...

"When this baby hits 88mph, you're gonna see some serious..."

 

[BigD58]

I'm tellin ya it's a new HD Cinema Display. One that may well be 42" with built in WiFi and Snow Leopard.

Controlled with the Remote app. or the touch of your finger.


I'm usually one year ahead in predictions and I've been predicting this for a while.

Oh man this would be my guess. Apple is truly in need of a cinema display update and this would be so sweeeeeeet. Besides I think these next Q's will be focosing on mac os x and their computers not anymore mobile devices (atleast I hope not)

 

[digitalbiker]

I think your post is disgusting. Everyone who needs to know about Steve Jobs' health knows about it. The number is not very large. I'd say it's Steve Jobs, wife, children and GP.

What's so disgusting about it?

1) I was just commenting on the thread being discussed at Appleinsider.

2) We all are concerned about Steve's health and want to wish him all the best.

3) SJ is the face and direction of Apple, his health has direct impact on the future of the company. Maybe more so than any other CEO.

4) This is not the first time it has been discussed or brought up. When someone survives a serious form of pancreatic cancer it is normal for people to be concerned about their health when they look ill.

5) It was mentioned in the original quarterly report story by MacRumors.

Sorry if my post disgusted some, it sure did not seem offensive to me.

 

[Peace]

It's not offensive biker. It's just something people would rather sweep under the rug than talk about.

 

[nickane]

What's so disgusting about it?

1) I was just commenting on the thread being discussed at Appleinsider.

2) We all are concerned about Steve's health and want to wish him all the best.

3) SJ is the face and direction of Apple, his health has direct impact on the future of the company. Maybe more so than any other CEO.

4) This is not the first time it has been discussed or brought up. When someone survives a serious form of pancreatic cancer it is normal for people to be concerned about their health when they look ill.

Sorry if my post disgusted some, it sure did not seem offensive to me.

If its any consolation, I thought he was out of line too. There are lots of articles regarding analysts' concerns over Steve's secrecy regarding his health. I've never owned apple stock, but if I did, I'd feel I had a right to be informed of any major developments purely because of the extent to which ppl associate the company with him, as he is the driving force behind the fervour with which apple's fans follow the brand, which unlike anything any other brand can lay claim to.

 

[Breegy]

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8100/4.2.1 Profile/MIDP-2.0 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/102)

It has begun!

I went over this last time.

Enough with the 'It has begun!' crap.

*low theatre preview voice*
It began in the late '70s, when Steve Jobs made the easy and affordable personal computer become a reality... *cuts to clip*

Ever since then, it is not beginning, but continuing. So stop saying that!

 

[xbjllb]

Could be Blu-Ray in the new MBP.

It had better be, AND in the Mac Pro as well.

 

[djellison]

Apple will, at some point, release one or more altered or new products, but will not disclose details before hand.

How is this news?


Meanwhile, the headline at 10...the sky is blue.


Doug

 

[iMacmatician]

It had better be, AND in the Mac Pro as well.

I fail to see how Blu-ray is such a major transition.

 

[stanton]

4th Quarter profits, or new products

I'm actually looking forward to a new MBP, and the BluRay would be sweet.

The only thing is, I keep finding articles them slashing prices as well:
CNN Link

IMHO, price cuts don't bode well for next gen hardware. I'm also wondering if the whole Psystar, and now a few more companies are coming out, are going to force Apple start looking at more bottom end computers: Wired Link Hate to say it, but I think just pressing the lawsuit on Psystar is going to open a can of worms. The publicity is just going to open up a whole new global market for clones, (HK knockoffs).

 

[Peace]

I fail to see how Blu-ray is such a major transition.

Along with new kinds of hardware comes new kinds of software.

 

[xbjllb]

I sorry but what is with the total obsession that some people have with BlueRay??? in my opinion a blue ray drive has no business being inside a mbp. Perhaps i could see it as a BTO option for the mac pro but it just is not practical for notebooks

News flash. The world is not filled with people under 30 who download movies and utilize portable iCrap 24/7. There are just as many people 30 and older who have money and big plasma screens and blu-ray players and buy tons of blu-ray content and want to be able to play them on their computers (my own is a combo LG that plays BOTH blu-ray AND HD-DV.)

Not to mention the not insignifcant base of content producers/providers whose clientele demands video in blu-ray format and if FCP wants to be the industry standard of video editing, apple computers have already fallen woefully behind in support of that goal.

THAT'S why blu-ray. And it's at least a full year overdue.

And with the "pay-as-you-surf" plans for internet website SUBSCRIPTION PER WEBSITE starting in Canada, downloading content is going to quickly go from free to very expensive indeed.

It's far too soon to bury hard media; the free internet will soon go the way of the dinosaur if the lawmakers and big business can sneak in such plans without anyone putting up huge fight.

 

[Tensakun]

Attribution Please!

Meanwhile, the headline at 10...the sky is blue.

Whoa dude, hold on a minute there--where's your source? I'm gettin' fed up with this idle speculation!

 

[iMacmatician]

Along with new kinds of hardware comes new kinds of software.

Like what? Apple is already moving away from optical media.

Not to mention the not insignifcant base of content producers/providers whose clientele demands video in blu-ray format and if FCP wants to be the industry standard of video editing, apple computers have already fallen woefully behind in support of that goal.

THAT'S why blu-ray. And it's at least a full year overdue.

Apple has missed the boat in Blu-ray probably because they don't want to jump on said boat.

 

[dongmin]

Lower profit margins = higher component costs + low-margin products

Higher component costs could mean...

1. Blu-Ray
2. High-capacity Flash drive option across the MBP line
3. New processors/chipsets (Montevina)
4. MacBooks transitioning to (more expensive) new materials, i.e. aluminum

Low-margin products could mean...

1. Updates to iPod Nanos
2. Updates to MacBook
3. Updates to Mac Mini