iPod Products Planned for Macworld?

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider reports that Apple did indeed have plans to introduce more at Macworld San Francisco earlier this month, but pulled those products at the last minute.

According to the rumor site, Apple had iPod and music-related announcements originally scheduled for the event. The exact reason for the termination of the plans is unclear, but Apple is reportedly planning to make the announcement at an event in the near future.

Appleinsider maintains that Apple was planning an iPod Boombox which was previously reported. They expand with a description of a "sleek, single-faced speaker with a rounded grill" delivering stereo sound, complete with wireless iTunes integration.

The term "iPod Boombox" as well as "iPod Hi-Fi" were recently trademarked by Apple.

Meanwhile, one rumor had indeed claimed that some announcements were eliminated from Macworld at the last moment. These rumors, however, implied the announcements were Mac related.

 

[iZoom P5]

Its about time for the 6Gs to come out

 

[Lacero]

Plasma TVs, please. Any product for the livingroom, at least! Oh well, nice shuffle updates would have been peachy!

 

[icloud]

I remember the keynote steve saying something along the lines of "this is macworld...let talk about those" to shift from ipod to mac....

I would imagine either another "one more thing..." postcard in the near future

6 months until WWDC...dont feel apple can hold a good that long a time

 

[aricher]

I'd gladly plunk down some cash for an Airport enabled boombox that I can also dock my 5G in. At home - Airport with remote, on the road, iPod. Love the idea. Now if they can pull off a decent full range sounding boombox or satellite speaker system then that's the ticket. Hard to believe though that Apple would cannibalize they're "partners," like Bose, etc. that they sell online and in Apple stores.

PS - Lacero, do you EVER sleep?

 

[jmsait19]

wireless boom box sounds great...

throw it down for less than that bose box and the altec lansing box and you have yourself a big seller

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

I really think they might want to hold some sort of press coverage on April 1st. It just seems like they want to save something for the 30th anniversary of Apple.

It really did seem like MWSF was missing something. Not that it wasn't great but it felt just... incomplete.

 

[steller]

I wonder why Apple trademarked them in Hong Kong instead of in here. If trademarked in HK, is the trademark valid in America?

 

[Dr. Dastardly]

Does anyone else cringe at the thought of something called "iPod boombox" or "iPod Hi-Fi"?

I just can't choke down the kool-aide with this rumor.

 

[doogle]

my friend has a BOSE ipod thingy and it's great - but it might be wise to wait for this boombox thingy.

 

[lazydesert]

Maybe Steve was serious about the 8 pound iPod with 10inch screen . . .

 

[powerbook911]

I agree something felt missing from MacWorld. There were great products: iLife '06, intel iMac, and MacBook Pro. However, those products were not hard to imagine. I mean, same form factors, just updated with Intel chips.

Steve normally throws something at us that is completely new and different, and we didn't have that. It makes total sense to me that something was removed from MacWorld. Hopefully we'll see it within the next couple weeks!

If the iPod Boombox is less than $200, I might buy it. I've been wanting an easier way to have music in my kitchen.

 

[EricNau]

But then why wouldn't they just hold back on the FM remote and just have an iPod "party" a few months later. It seems like all of the products together would get more publicity.

 

[iMeowbot]

I wonder why Apple trademarked them in Hong Kong instead of in here. If trademarked in HK, is the trademark valid in America?

Hong Kong trademark registrations are approved much more quickly than in the States or the EU. This is useful when applying in the West, because then the applications can show "see? we've already staked a claim in this mark elsewhere, so any challengers wouldn't have the name in the clear." There's a multinational treaty called the Paris Convention that allows priority to stick across national boundaries.

The priority right lasts for six months, so if you see a trademark application approved in one country that doesn't appear as an application elsewhere within that time, the name may have been abandoned.

 

[HiRez]

It really did seem like MWSF was missing something. Not that it wasn't great but it felt just... incomplete.

I think what it was missing was anything new. The Intels Macs were expected, and while nice, are nothing incredibly new. The iMac is little changed except for faster (but only if you're running Universal apps), and the MacBook Pro is basically an existing PowerBook with a Core Duo shoved into it plus an iSight. iWeb is new and welcome, but it's not the sort of previously-unthought of thing that drops jaws all over the floor. Anyway, I like having all the iPod/music stuff covered in separate special events.

 

[Lacero]

There's always NAB in Las Vegas, April 22 to 27, 2006. Apple is expected to roll out FCX, so they might as well dump their iPod lines here as well. I'm thinking it's a good time to roll out a dedicated video iPod running 640x360! Woohoo!

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[p0intblank]

I would use a wireless iPod boombox. The one speaker and stereo-emulated sound definitely sounds like something Apple would do.

 

[icloud]

Jay Leno Revealed last night the iPod Video with 42" HD Display...that was nice

 

[Phat_Pat]

wireless iPod stereo?

what would this do? allow wireless syncing? i mean the music would obviously play off the iPod...so there would have to be some other interrogation.. probably have an FM tuner built in.

if so put me down for one

 

[Doctor Q]

Which parts of the keynote were stretched to fill the time that would have gone to new products?

 

[bluebomberman]

Some more fuel to the rumors

Just caught this off The New York Times (registration required, I think):

"executives in the consumer electronics industry widely believe that Mr. Jobs is now positioning the company to repeat the iPod phenomenon in two markets: Internet TV and wireless smart phones."

The article's actually about Disney buying Pixar (raising the possibility of Jobs working for Disney, or possibly AS Walt Disney reincarnated), which is worth a whole 'nother set of speculative rumors.

 

[Phat_Pat]

Which parts of the keynote were stretched to fill the time that would have gone to new products?

maybe they didn't have enough time... wouldnt want to rush an explination for a new product... well besides the FM tuner and the Mac mini

 

[bluebomberman]

Which parts of the keynote were stretched to fill the time that would have gone to new products?

Perhaps nothing was stretched. The MacWorld 2005 keynote was nearly a half-hour longer than this year's keynote, I think.

 

[Lacero]

Which parts of the keynote were stretched to fill the time that would have gone to new products?

iLife '06! My gawd, it was so boring!

Here's to the Crazy Ones ​

 

[2nyRiggz]

It would be nice if they included all they had but it's apple and they must skin you to the very end.


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