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Intel iBooks, iLife '06, New Remote?

MacSA said:
If they drop the Mac mini at its current price point and replace it with some thing different and more expensive ... I won't be able to switch, the Mini is the only thing in my price range. :eek:
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I don't think the machine I mentioned would be at a different price point. Most of the "improvements" I outline really constitute reconfigurations rather than technology improvements (eg outputting TV and HDTV on top of VGA, SPDIF isn't that hard to add.)

The major technology improvement it would need for the full TiVo thing is video signal input. For the new digital standards, that's a reconfiguration of the firewire functionality, for older analog support it'll need something more.

The device probably wouldn't need as much memory as a machine expected to be used as a desktop, which means it'd probably be stuck at half a gig this time next year. But I'm not seeing it as a more expensive device over all. It might, however, not be the desktop Mac you wanted.
 
Frisco said:
Funny poem I found over at digg.com by a user named bsuto
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OK, now I never have to feel like I have no life, because this guy obviously has much less of one...
 
Zaty said:
Why not release the Intel PowerBook before the Intel iBook? The PBs are supposed to be machines for professionals, unfortunately their performance ist rather mediocre compared to the fastest Wintel Books available. So it does make sense to bring out the new pro 'Books first.
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Becacause I need an iBook and Steve knows that. :D
 
OK, how about this for an idea.

* Apple partners with a manufacturer of a new spiffy HDTV. They helped with the design, but they're not selling it. It's not an Apple product (a bit like the ROKR).

* New version of AirPort launched that supports HDTV out.

* New remote available for the above, that has amazing new features.

* You need a Mac of some kind to use all this stuff.

So in fact, instead of being 1 product that does these things it's 4 products. And is compatible with any HDTV... in fact, make that any TV. :D

Thoughts?
 
rdas7 said:
Makes sense to consolidate the iBook and PowerBook lines into one (with possibly 4 configurations? 12", 13", 15", 17"?)

and to shift the branding towards "Mac" (Power + Mac, i + Book?)

Sounds good! Thanks Kevin!
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Not really. There are a hell of a lot of people out there that don't need dual cores. Don't need spiffy widgets on their laptop. Think typical student. If Apple drops the iBook line and maintains current prices (Sort of a given.) there are going to be a lot of people left out in the cold.
 
SiliconAddict said:
Not really. There are a hell of a lot of people out there that don't need dual cores. Don't need spiffy widgets on their laptop. Think typical student. If Apple drops the iBook line and maintains current prices (Sort of a given.) there are going to be a lot of people left out in the cold.
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This post is right on the money. The more I think about it, the more I fail to see the interest of an unified line...

Unless Macbook is simply the new iBook name (but then... MacPod? hm...)
 
davidChief said:
OK, how about this for an idea.

* Apple partners with a manufacturer of a new spiffy HDTV. They helped with the design, but they're not selling it. It's not an Apple product (a bit like the ROKR).

* New version of AirPort launched that supports HDTV out.

* New remote available for the above, that has amazing new features.

* You need a Mac of some kind to use all this stuff.

So in fact, instead of being 1 product that does these things it's 4 products. And is compatible with any HDTV... in fact, make that any TV. :D

Thoughts?
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Apple doesnt need to try and make the TV or even partner with a company to make a TV. You remember all the GPU-based patents Apple filed last year? If Apple is going to make a foray into the digital video world, they will intruduce a GPU-focused "set top" of some kind that will serve up computer-based video to any higher-end television. Instant gotta-have product.
 
mtrctyjoe said:
Interesting thing here is the remote... this will be the "one more thing"... and could be earth shattering - think of a remote with large screen that you could stream music and video to.. and a docking staion for it that ties your your TV,, reciever and Mac - all wireless with Front row. :)

regarding the laptop - we will see a new slim form factor intel book - I predict it to fall caloser to the Powermac in specs...
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I tend to agree that if this is the list, the remote will be the "one more thing" and will be a lot more interesting than we suspect. I don't think it will be as functional as you state, but just think about it ... if someone finally got the universal remote right, at a decent price point and with great Apple user-friendly technology, couldn't that be the next iPod -- the thing everyone's gotta have?

That would be Apple's entrée into the living room, making possible the set-top box, the HDTV, etc., down the road.
 
i can not see the powerbook / ibook ranges merging they aim for different parts of the market. also the names of their line ups are well known and changing that will lose years of brand/image build up which to companies like apple is priceless.
 
ibook+Powerbook = MacBook

You know it's entirely possible that they could pull off the single product line thing by simple offering two different case options "Aluminum" and "White" (or *GASP* "Black") as well. Just like those stupid Lenovo "I'm voting Black", "I'm voting Titanium" ads.
 
BakedBeans said:
No G5 Powerbookzz - Freeeking Hell

Im Switching To Dellz!! Lolerz!!!
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I really think he should bring one out on stage. Seriously. "We've done it, finally. .... But you're not getting one. This is mine, all mine." <cue running off stage like a maniac>
 
davidChief said:
Wouldn't it make more sense to just upgrade AirPort to support video (or HDTV :D) out? Building AirPort into the TV seems a bit daft to me, if the TV is just going to be a dumb terminal that requires a Mac to be purchased as well.
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Also, a lot more people would/could buy a "TV AirPort" (for a hundred dollars or so) compared to "a brand new huge TV" (that costs thousands of dollars to buy and ship).
 
michael666 said:
I think the new Macbook will replace both the iBook and PowerBook line. Recently, the difference was not too big anyway.

Macbook with single/dual core, 12/15/17 inch etc.
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yeah, because of processor supply issues.

MacBook? screw that. i'm not having a bloody mac called that, it sounds awful!

PowerBook and iBook are good, strong brands. they're not going to drop them because of a processor change.
 
chicagdan said:
I tend to agree that if this is the list, the remote will be the "one more thing" and will be a lot more interesting than we suspect. I don't think it will be as functional as you state, but just think about it ... if someone finally got the universal remote right, at a decent price point and with great Apple user-friendly technology, couldn't that be the next iPod -- the thing everyone's gotta have?

That would be Apple's entrée into the living room, making possible the set-top box, the HDTV, etc., down the road.
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Last year was the "year of HD". This year could be perhaps the "year of the living room" ??
 
With regards to the FM receiver in the new iPods, the capability to receive FM radio signals has been built into them since the first generation, along with the capability for a voice recorder. The capabilities have been purposefully turned off by Apple. Now they might be turning them back on in order to sell more iPods. They'll sell one to me, if this is true. I believe this rumour is possible because it's a logical step to turn on, one at a time, the features they previously turned off -- thus reselling iPods to the Mac faithful over and over with each new "feature".

Up until now, you could load Linux onto your iPod to use the voice recorder, but I don't think they hacked the FM radio yet because that's way more complicated to do without documentation -- but after reading the specs on the components, everyone knows it's there, just dormant. And other companies' products use the same parts Apple does, and they have the features turned on in an attempt to compete with Apple's style and marketing, which are the sole reasons for Apple's success. For example, SanDisk has a tiny MP3 player that uses all the same parts as the Shuffle, and it has radio, recorder, and a display... The Shuffle has the ability to run a display, but Apple turned that off because it didn't fit their aesthetic.

What I'm saying is that:

a) iPod customers have been paying for radio all along, because the price was built into the components Apple bought
b) the iPod should remain the exact same size because nothing's changing hardware-wise
c) Profit!!!
 
Sunrunner said:
Current HD technology doesnt support platters that size. The only way for a computer to end up with a drive that big would be for Apple to RAID two drives together... and even then....
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Is everyone forgetting Hitachi's perpendicular recording technology? Even at only half their expectations (say, for the first versions), that makes today's 250GB drives go up to 1.25TB!
 
Yvan256 said:
Also, a lot more people would/could buy a "TV AirPort" (for a hundred dollars or so) compared to "a brand new huge TV" (that costs thousands of dollars to buy and ship).
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Exactly. I've always thought that Front Row on your desktop PC made very little sense. I mean, who puts their iMac in the middle of the living room in front of a sofa?? People want something like Front Row on their TV and they want to do so without shelling out for another Mac when they already have a perfectly good one. So a REALLY snazzy remote and upgraded AirPort makes a lot of sense to me.
 
iWork 06!

Don't know about you guys, but while everyone is caught up with the hardware, i'm pretty psyched about iWork 06. that should be nice! i have always been more of a apple software fan, i think it's the inside that really matters. Keep up the good programming Apple!

if iWork 06 comes out, i hope there's an upgrade price as well from 05. but knowing Apple, they will milk every penny from idiots like me. ;)
 
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