No iMac, eMac or Displays?

[macphisto]

Re: Here's what I think...

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
First, macphisto, that reseller was just saying what everybody was saying up until today. Hell, up until earlier this week some people were convinced we'd see 19" iMac screens at the keynote (that's very unlikely, 19" LCDs are too expensive to keep the iMac affordable, and it would make the computer look top-heavy). And remember, ThinkSecret says the upgrades will still happen, just a few weeks later than expected.
Speaking of ThinkSecret, if they "blew it" on the Powerbooks (they were almost right, they just didn't think Apple had a slot-loading SuperDrive), then everybody "blew it." Most people didn't know a slot-loading SuperDrive existed until Apple put it in the TiBook.

Well, actually, I have talked with the retailer on occasions (days) before Macworld, even with all the rumors circulating, and he would never divulge any information on what was coming out, nor would he speculate, no matter how major or minor. This time how ever he said with "surety," to wait till Tuesday to buy a new imac, for reasons of speed bumps and price drops of $300. That is what I based my speculation on, not if but when (I have no doubt that they would come, sorry if I did not make that clear in my last post).

Secondly, I just thought that it was funnly that thinksecret posted that in the TiBooks "…the addition of SuperDrives is not…," meaning no superdrives that round of updates.

That is all. I just think that it is amusing and rather cool that Apple continues to suprise and amaze us all, that even that which we think we know is way off course occassionally, even with all of the rumors and "leaked information" that abound.

Thats's my 2¢

 

[Durandal7]

This sounds like specluation to me. I have 2 problems buying this report:
A) "A number of highly reliable sources within Mac distributors" Now, it seems to me that there is no apparent back inventory and there are shotages of some iMac and Powermac models. You don't need a source to get inventory information.
B) "and high level executives within Apple itself have confirmed the report" Eh? High level Apple executives leak to Thinksecret?

It sounds to me that their sources aren't talking, seeing as how Thinksecret seems to have no idea of what will happen at the expo.

 

[chubakka]

yes!

exactly my thoughts.

 

[pyrotoaster]

I'm not saying there aren't some questions I'd like answered by ThinkSecret, but the site has a very good reputation, and they wouldn't risk something as important as their credibility over a single report days before the expo.
Coming from just about anywhere else, this would all sound very fishy, but I'm willing to give ThinkSecret the benefit of the doubt.

 

[MacKid]

Re: Bad blood...

Originally posted by Timothy

Besides, for me...short of an Apple PDA, I don't know what would excite me anymore. There is no magic hiding behind door number three. We all know the game now, there is no magic G5 chip ready for use...and I am guessing that we won't see any new announcements in this regard until at least 2004. Nothing comes out earlier than we expect; delays are the rule, not the exception.

2003 will be a slow, painful year for mac enthusiasts...

Excuse me if I'm wrong, but was it not Steve himself who said that 2003 would be a revolutionary year for Apple (I know the quote is not exact) ?

 

[pyrotoaster]

Mackid is right, Steve did say something along those lines. In all fairness, the year is about three and half days old. He could've been talking about IBM's PowerPC 970, but assuming a reference to MWSF is in there (and there probably is), it means we are looking at something big out of the keynote.
Also, it wouldn't have sounded very good if Steve had said, "This will be a slow and painful year for Mac users everywhere!"

 

[gregorypierce]

Heck he may come out and demo the Power970 and say... "but wait, you can't have it until Christmas"

 

[lmalave]

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
Mackid is right, Steve did say something along those lines. In all fairness, the year is about three and half days old. He could've been talking about IBM's PowerPC 970, but assuming a reference to MWSF is in there (and there probably is), it means we are looking at something big out of the keynote.
Also, it wouldn't have sounded very good if Steve had said, "This will be a slow and painful year for Mac users everywhere!"

I'm sure SJ wasn't thinking of the 970 when he said 2003 would be the biggest year for apple ever. Think about Apple's 25 year history - that's a bold statement. This would HAVE to be a major strategy shift of some kind for Apple. The biggest strategy switch I can think of that still sounds plausible is for Apple to become a consumer electronics company, like they already started with the iPod. So were talking iPhone, iSetTopBox, etc. I think the other ideas that have been thrown around (i.e. releasing OS X for x86 and becoming a software company like Microsoft) are too disruptive to the existing business model and do not seem in character for Apple. Keep in mind that financially Apple is actually a pretty conservative company - that's how they still have $4 Billion in the bank amidst this downturn. Any move Apple makes will be an incremental change from the existing business model (like moving into the MP3 market as a complementary product for the Mac), NOT a single reckless move that they bet the whole farm on.

 

[pyrotoaster]

Exactly

I agree totally with lmalave here. I think Apple is headed for the consumer electronics market. This has probably been in the works for years, with the Apple retail stores being a critical factor.
I don't think we're looking at an iPhone (yet), but instead an iPDA. Possibly even a tablet that's more like an iPod than a tablet; sort of like a PDA, but with a ten-hour battery and five, ten, or twenty GB hard drive.
I think we'll see a keynote devoted to software for OS X (I'm not ruling out an Apple web browser or iTunes 4) and consumer electronics. That would explain the very rational decision to leave out desktop hardware for the time being.
I can't wait for the keynote, I've got 400 bucks in Apple Store gift cards just waiting to be spent!

 

[pyrotoaster]

ThinkSecret gives its own two cents

Almost as if saying "shut up!" to those who have said that ThinkSecret is just saying what won't be at the expo, not what will, ThinkSecret (redundant, yes) has posted its predictions, including a possible "surprise tablet?"

 

[lmalave]

Re: Exactly

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
This has probably been in the works for years, with the Apple retail stores being a critical factor.

Ahhh, I didn't think about the retail store angle...good call!