Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Special Event on February 20th?

MacsAttack said:
You don't work in software development do you? I do.

Even if only the UI is the only thing that is changed, then the whole OS has to be given the kind of testing that third party developers can. At the very least they have to check to see if their current software will actully work correctly.
Click to expand...
Where does this nonsense come from? I used to work in graphics design and did a number of UI components. The only people that have to test new UIs are the people who write them. KDE certainly doesn't wait around for everyone to try out themes; XP had a robust series of UI mods which were quite successful and all released with little to no prior public beta. Hell, you can run the same software on totally different GUI desktops in Linux without the world shattering.

It all hinges on how good the art team is and how flexible the system is. With an amnesty rollout, you can fall back on Aqua if for some strange reason your app doesn't work with a new UI. They already have the mechanism for replacement (all the UI elements are uniquely named) and the mechanism for on-the-fly reconfiguration (getting developers on board for resolution independence). Simply replace all the NSwidgets with Xwidgets as defaults. All apps calling NSToolbar will still have aqua toolbars, but everything bundled with Leopard can be released with XToolbar.

Alternatively, Apple can set the default to the new style and simply provide a new Preferences sheet where you can designate specific apps to be rendered with NSwidgets. That way, every application benefits from the new look and the odd messed-up app can still be made to appear Aqua-style.
 
Yup. If they're not out by today it would probably be too late to alert the media.

I hope the Beatles come tomorrow.

-=|Mgkwho
 
Will these invites (if they exist or are about to exist) be made public by apple officially to those of us who aren't in the press?
 
There'd have to be an announcement by Apple about the event to the general public... Otherwise it'd just be an absolutely huge surprise... Which, as much as Apple like surprises, this would just be *way* too big...
 
mark88 said:
...They can't keep the iPhone on Apple.com front page for 2 months.
Click to expand...
Uh-huh. I was personally sick of the iPhone the day after it launched at MWSF, especially after going there and realizing they devoted almost all their display space to it. I can't even afford a new computer right now, and I'm wondering when the heck the refresh is going to happen - especially since PC manufacturers are starting to release the quad-cores from Intel. Heck, I'd even settle for iPod updates to go along with the iPhone launch (especially since I am in the market for a new iPod).

But now that Apple is no longer Apple Computer, I suppose it makes sense.
 
As it's now almost a certainty that February 20th is going to be a non-event, I suppose it's time to start musing over what we might have got...

-iLife & iWork '07.2.20
-Final Leopard Preview and ship dates announced
-New Cinema displays &/or new displays for iMac and the laptops with
-->Higher resolutions
-->LED backlit
-->a replacement for the standalone iSight (for the ACDs only of course)
-Bumps in performance for iMacs and/or Mac Minis
-12" MacBook Pro
-6G iPod
-Remastered Beetles' songs on iTMS
-Beetles' special edition iPod
-Higher quality video downloads available from iTMS (upto 720p)

I'm sure I've missed at least something and it probably won't be long before I regret posting this...oh well Don't Panic.
 
I'm starting to wonder if something is afoul in Apple Land..
It's been almost 6 months since ANY Apple product was updated.The only exception has been the introduction of the iPhone to come out in June and the Airport Extreme station came out a couple weeks ago.The :apple: TV isn't shipping till March.Leopard's "secret features" are becoming RDFware.WHY keep them secret now?? What's there to hide from MS ?.Vista has been out now..

COME ON STEVE..
 
Peace said:
I'm starting to wonder if something is afoul in Apple Land..
It's been almost 6 months since ANY Apple product was updated.The only exception has been the introduction of the iPhone to come out in June and the Airport Extreme station came out a couple weeks ago.The :apple: TV isn't shipping till March.Leopard's "secret features" are becoming RDFware.WHY keep them secret now?? What's there to hide from MS ?.Vista has been out now..

COME ON STEVE..
Click to expand...


Well, the big secret is that Apple is moving into the ranks of PC manufacturer. They will be selling PC compatibles just like everyone else (actually already doing that, just able to run more than Windows).

OS X has seen it's final revision. It's on to Windows. They just don't want to tell us that, because they're afraid we'll stop buying Macs.

The big secret then, is that future Macs will have the familiar "Intel Inside" Sticker and the "Vista Certified" stickers on them.

I'll miss you OS X.

O.K., hopefully not. But, Apple's severely behind the times now with the current offerings. The mini is just embarrassing for it's humble specs and high price. And, their delay in releasing updates on the other systems has only served to make it appear as though the only ones keeping up are the other players. The other companies have already moved on to Quad Cores. Apple's best is still dual core.

I'd like to see Apple take a similar approach to the other companies. Release regular updates every month. Let the machines evolve.

Apple's approach for the last several years (and now even more so with the Intel processors), has been to release a big update. Then, wait until the machines they're selling are significantly out of date, then update and catch up again. Then, wait until they've fallen behind, and then catch up.

It's just not a strategy that screams market leader. It's more like fall behind, and then occasionally jump up to the front.
 
flyinmac said:
It's just not a strategy that screams market leader. It's more like fall behind, and then occasionally jump up to the front.
Click to expand...
Actually, it's a strategy called "sustainable development." They're not generating huge sums of money from Microsoft deals and while certainly no small corporation, they don't have the funds to sustain dozens of computer systems in a given six month period, considering that the hardware and software are developed in-house, whereas other vendors have simply their hardware to worry about, and much of it is purchased from standardized parts rather than innovating any of the small features that make Macs, well, Macs.

I have yet to see a single Intel system that seemed outdated in comparison to a showroom model. They're all plenty fast. What is the virtue of constant engineering load when models aren't on the market long enough to cover costs? What outrageous new technology has appeared on the scene and left the Mac behind?
 
matticus008 said:
Actually, it's a strategy called "sustainable development." They're not generating huge sums of money from Microsoft deals and while certainly no small corporation, they don't have the funds to sustain dozens of computer systems in a given six month period, considering that the hardware and software are developed in-house, whereas other vendors have simply their hardware to worry about, and much of it is purchased from standardized parts rather than innovating any of the small features that make Macs, well, Macs.

I have yet to see a single Intel system that seemed outdated in comparison to a showroom model. They're all plenty fast. What is the virtue of constant engineering load when models aren't on the market long enough to cover costs? What outrageous new technology has appeared on the scene and left the Mac behind?
Click to expand...

That's one thing that I always wonder about when it comes to the complaints about the tech in the Mac mini. I mean, what exactly is the target market for the mini? I would suspect that it is mainly people using it for iLife, web browsing, e-mail, etc. What difference honestly as a faster Core 2 Duo processor or a better graphics card going to do for the target market for the mini?

-Zadillo
 
matticus008 said:
Actually, it's a strategy called "sustainable development." They're not generating huge sums of money from Microsoft deals and while certainly no small corporation, they don't have the funds to sustain dozens of computer systems in a given six month period, considering that the hardware and software are developed in-house, whereas other vendors have simply their hardware to worry about, and much of it is purchased from standardized parts rather than innovating any of the small features that make Macs, well, Macs.

I have yet to see a single Intel system that seemed outdated in comparison to a showroom model. They're all plenty fast. What is the virtue of constant engineering load when models aren't on the market long enough to cover costs? What outrageous new technology has appeared on the scene and left the Mac behind?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't propose complete revamps during a 6 month period. Simply keeping-up with the bumps in performance as other companies do. Upping from a 2.16 to a 2.33 GHz processor doesn't require any changes to OS X or modifications to the other hardware. It's a drop-in update.

Upping the Mini from a 1.66 GHz CoreDuo to a 2 GHz Core2Duo also wouldn't require any major alterations. Just stick it in.

Likewise, upping the Mac Pro from two Dual-Core to two Quad-Cores is also just a drop-in upgrade. Just stick it in.

That's all I'm saying.

Just keep-up with the market as new models and speed bumps occur.

I understand that they can't revamp the entire product every month. But, they could bump-up the minor revisions and processors just like any other company does.
 
Zadillo said:
That's one thing that I always wonder about when it comes to the complaints about the tech in the Mac mini. I mean, what exactly is the target market for the mini? I would suspect that it is mainly people using it for iLife, web browsing, e-mail, etc. What difference honestly as a faster Core 2 Duo processor or a better graphics card going to do for the target market for the mini?

-Zadillo
Click to expand...

Well, actually quite a lot.

Those are my intended uses. And, the fact that the Core2Duo has not been implemented in the Mini and that it does not have a dedicated graphics chip prevent me from buying it.

I've previously used iLife with an iMac G5. And, I know that rendering for effects, and other processing tasks affect iMovie significantly. So, for those tasks, I would want a dedicated graphics processor (for rendering needs), and at least a 1.83 GHz Core2Duo to help offset the demands of iMovie.

I found that the performance on a 2 GHz iMac with 128 MB of dedicated graphics memory and a dedicated video card was just adequate for my iMovie operations (note that I mean "adequate" not impressive and definitely not pleasurable). And, I'm not talking professional work there.

So, there is no way I would step down to an Integrated Graphics system and the slowest of available processors and expect anything good to come of it.

Would the current mini do the job? Yes. Would it be a pleasurable task? Not for me.

Put a dedicated graphics processor with 128 MB of RAM (64 MB minimum), don't steal the video memory from the system's main memory, and give it a Core2Duo running at 1.83 GHz as the entry level system, and they'll have my money tomorrow.

As it is, the specs are just ridiculously low for the price they are asking.
 
flyinmac said:
Well, actually quite a lot.

Those are my intended uses. And, the fact that the Core2Duo has not been implemented in the Mini and that it does not have a dedicated graphics chip prevent me from buying it.

I've previously used iLife with an iMac G5. And, I know that rendering for effects, and other processing tasks affect iMovie significantly. So, for those tasks, I would want a dedicated graphics processor (for rendering needs), and at least a 1.83 GHz Core2Duo to help offset the demands of iMovie.

I found that the performance on a 2 GHz iMac with 128 MB of dedicated graphics memory and a dedicated video card was just adequate for my iMovie operations (note that I mean "adequate" not impressive and definitely not pleasurable). And, I'm not talking professional work there.

So, there is no way I would step down to an Integrated Graphics system and the slowest of available processors and expect anything good to come of it.

Would the current mini do the job? Yes. Would it be a pleasurable task? Not for me.

Put a dedicated graphics processor with 128 MB of RAM (64 MB minimum), don't steal the video memory from the system's main memory, and give it a Core2Duo running at 1.83 GHz as the entry level system, and they'll have my money tomorrow.

As it is, the specs are just ridiculously low for the price they are asking.
Click to expand...

What kind of dedicated graphics could fit in the Mac mini form factor?
 
Zadillo said:
What kind of dedicated graphics could fit in the Mac mini form factor?
Click to expand...

Just about any. The thing is, you don't need a full-sized card. Just a graphics chip, some logic chips, some ram, and the circuitry.

Of course, all that still takes some space. But, it can all fit pretty close together and doesn't require a lot of space. I used to do a bit of circuit level work and even designed and created my own circuit boards and interfaces. All that stuff can be consolidated down quite a ways with some creative layouts and careful planning.

After-all, the Mini G4 had a dedicated graphics controller and dedicated graphics memory. So, they've done it before.

But, if they really ran out of space, they could use a daughter-board to provide the additional space required. daughter-boards can be set just millimeters above the main board or even utilize any unused vertical space. So, there is room in the mini (with some minor alterations) for such an addition if it were necessary. But, I don't think that it would even be necessary to utilize a daughter-board.
 
flyinmac said:
That's all I'm saying.

Just keep-up with the market as new models and speed bumps occur.
Click to expand...
Okay, that's certainly a reasonable request.

One can only really speculate as to why they choose not to. In part it might be for pricing reasons, and it could be for ease of inventory management. Those are business reasons. From the consumer angle, it's easier to identify machines in a simplified lineup (I have the 2.16GHz iMac, not the 1.83GHz version) and it's simply tradition that Apple doesn't get into the PC horse race. When they announced this switch, people worried about weekly part number changes and the PC cycle's impact on value. As I said then and as has turned out to be true, Apple is not in that particular mode of operation. It's simply not what they have ever done, and there is no real incentive to start.

In turn, that longer cycle means that machines retain their value longer and that finding information and making cutoffs is an easier process. Where before products were identified by G3, G4, and so on, it seems that the Intel Core brand is meant to stick around for some time, just as the Pentium 4 brand before it went through no less than 3 major product families with the same name. Uniform clock speeds and products will provide this ongoing consistency for system requirements and other information. The negative consequence is an occasional loss of 100MHz or so in clock speed which no one will even notice in day-to-day use. I admit it would be nice to add additional BTO options as they become available, at least for high-end machines, so that customers can keep up if they so desired.

As for the Mac mini, the very low end has the slowest uptake on most things. It's a general purpose, entry level computer and even as far back as the G4 models, the hardware specs were not limiting for any typical use(though more RAM is always ideal).
 
:( No Beatles announcement. No Special Event invite.

If Apple doesn't do something for the 20th I'll go mad! The only thing they've released are colored shuffles and the new airport extreme- no new hardware in 3 months! Wtf, mate?

Jobs said they have some exciting products to be released in the next few months. I predict March is going to flooded with Leopard and other software updates. There's still need for a mac mini refresh!


ugh... /rant

-=|Mgkwho
 
All I know is I got $4500 bucks sitting in the bank with Apples name on it. When they release the new Cinema Displays with iSight intergration and Mac Pro's with 8 cores it will be all theirs, it is just the waiting that sucks.

According to the buyers guide the Mini, Cinemas and Pros are all do for an update in a couple of weeks or so, every Tuesday until then will be interesting.

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//
 
apple announcement on the 20th

anyone heard anything about this...i read somewhere apple is going to announce something on feb 20...what is the announcement supposed to be about

any possibility of macbook upgrade (just bought one few days ago and if its upgraded i can still exchange it)
 
I doubt that you will see any upgrades to the MB line. They were just recently upgraded to the Core 2 Duo chips and there isn't anything else really until Santa Rosa comes out. However, MacPro updates are expected and also the oh so forgotten mac mini (which will hopefully get C2D chips as well, making the whole apple product list 64 bit).

Cheers!
 
McGarvels said:
I doubt that you will see any upgrades to the MB line. They were just recently upgraded to the Core 2 Duo chips and there isn't anything else really until Santa Rosa comes out. However, MacPro updates are expected and also the oh so forgotten mac mini (which will hopefully get C2D chips as well, making the whole apple product list 64 bit).

Cheers!
Click to expand...

It would seem as though the Mac Mini would get a silent update. If there's an event, I would think it would be Leopard, iLife, and iWork featured.
 
The Buyer's Guide link at the top is very helpful.

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//#MacBook

According to it, on average, a new MacBook has come out every 180 days, and we are currently on 113. This means that there should be, on average, 70 more days, or over two more months before we see an upgrade. The MacBook Pro's, on average, shouldn't be updated for three months. The iMacs and Mac Mini's are the next due, on average.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back