September Event to Introduce iPod Updates and More?

[charlituna]

I doubt that. I work on a large campus and from what I see the vast majority of students could care less about esoteric (in their opinion) spec upgrades. If a MacBook is good enough for you, then you're not caring about a bump, unless you hang out on Macrumors.

yep. these are not computers that will be obsolete in a year. aside from hardcore art types like film students that will want a pro with the best graphics etc, a macbook bought now will still hold up for 3-4 years, especially if you up the ram.

so any new computer would have to be major to make a student or mom and dad fell gypped.

 

[charlituna]

Heh, thanks.
I think a hard-drive based touch would be ideal. It would essentially replace the iPod classic in the product line, which would be more AppStore revenue for Apple. It makes sense for them to do it.

actually it doesn't make sense. the ipod is a carry around device and a hard drive has moving parts so if you drop it, there is more of a chance you'll kill it.

if anything they will move out of hard drives and into all flash as the prices come down.

 

[Master Debater]

... While you might point to the lack of mail, weather, maps, notes and stocks initially, a mere $20 puts them all on the device along with 2.0 software ...

$10.

 

[nickane]

Does the same ring true for iMac or is that not a hot backtoschool item?

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//

See for yourself. My answer would be yes, but its not as popular with students so not as often. In fact, it often gets updated during the promotion, whereas the notebooks rarely do. Since the intel switch, iMac updates have become pretty infrequent (every 8-9 months or so), so its hard to say whether or not there'll be one before Xmas. I wouldn't have thought they would wait until January because that's when the mac pro will get Nehalem and the iMac can't get that until mid-2009 (just Xeons and desktop processors at first, I believe). The next release might depend on the timing of the mobile Core 2 Quad...

 

[bigworm0925]

doubt it.

my guess is that those 2 aren't counted because apple isn't counting them in the student promo going on in the stores. this iwork/mobile me thing is likely an extension of the same promo.

i am laughing however because the coupon has a major typo, calling it iwork 09, and there's no such thing as 'mobile me software'. the box is just your activation key. the software is all stuff in the computer already

I did some looking however and the whole thing aint as great as it looks. unless I am reading the coupon wrong if a student walks into best buy buys a macbook black, iwork and mobile me right now, according to the website that's $1679.97-$180=1499.97 (+tax).

but if you go to an Apple store and use the in store student discount plus the current new user MM discount that's $1479 (+tax) AND the apple stores have the ipod rebate and a printer rebate. so basically you end up with those for the cost of the tax which in Cali would be another $33.

so for $1624 you walk out of Best Buy with a laptop, iwork and mobile me. or for $2033 you walk out of Apple with a laptop, iwork, mobile me, an 8gig ipod touch and a printer/scanner and then 1-2 weeks later you have a rebate check for $399 making your grand total $1634. for $10 more I'd rather have the ipod and the printer as well.

My point was not the cost but rather the fact that the ad said iWork 09, something apple traditionally announces with their new computer line. If you look at the ad today you will see that they changed it to say iWork 08 with a totally different SKU. This was a huge blunder by Best Buy. Mark my words... sometime REAL soon apple will be making their announcement about updated computer line. Hopefully they add a dedicated graphics card to the MB and drop the price by $100.

 

[Soxy]

https://buyersguide.macrumors.com//

See for yourself. My answer would be yes, but its not as popular with students so not as often. In fact, it often gets updated during the promotion, whereas the notebooks rarely do. Since the intel switch, iMac updates have become pretty infrequent (every 8-9 months or so), so its hard to say whether or not there'll be one before Xmas. I wouldn't have thought they would wait until January because that's when the mac pro will get Nehalem and the iMac can't get that until mid-2009 (just Xeons and desktop processors at first, I believe). The next release might depend on the timing of the mobile Core 2 Quad...

Is it possible that iMac's could be updated at this September event then? I'll admit I'm not on top of Apple stuff but if they wouldn't want to wait till January, this Paris thing is their last opportunity to announce it unless they do a ninja tuesday update?

Wouldn't that be too far below the average for them to be updated next month?

 

[macdot]

32GB iPhone too?

 

[iMacmatician]

Is it possible that iMac's could be updated at this September event then? I'll admit I'm not on top of Apple stuff but if they wouldn't want to wait till January, this Paris thing is their last opportunity to announce it unless they do a ninja tuesday update?

Probably not.

First it's too many products, many of them redesigns, to be released at once.

Next there's not much performance improvement that comes with Montevina, given that the existing iMacs have a FSB-bumped Santa Rosa. The most you could get that matters is quad-core processors (expensive).

Finally Apple might want to wait a little longer and do a more comprehensive update. Montevina will get a small speedbump early next year, which would help.

Wouldn't that be too far below the average for them to be updated next month?

There's quite a bit of variation from the average.

32GB iPhone too?

I don't think so. More like early next year.

 

[cWags]

What kind of a power boost can we expect for MBPs in September?

Also, are previous rumors of glass trackpads already defunct?

 

[Rtb1]

1. update will happen right after back to school promotion ends. (mid sept)

2. ipod touch may get a better battery and memory upgrade, but nothing else until the iPhone leads the way.

3. the ipod touch WILL NOT have the same plastic back as the 3G, they changed to plastic so that the antenna for the cellular network can have a larger reception area, wi-fi antenas do not need the increased surface area. They curved the back of the iphone b/c its nicer to hold up to your ear, the ipod is thinner and does not get held to your ear, hence the case will remain aluminium.

 

[iMacmatician]

What kind of a power boost can we expect for MBPs in September?

CPU bump to 2.4/2.53 GHz or 2.53/2.8 GHz.
RAM bump to 800 MHz or 1067 MHz.
Possible HDD bump.
GPU bump to an NVIDIA 9xxx or ATI HD 3xxx.

Also, are previous rumors of glass trackpads already defunct?

I don't think so. They're recent and from a reliable source, so I wouldn't count them out unless (and maybe even if) there's an upcoming rumor that says no glass trackpads.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I don't think we'll see a replacement for the current iPod nano, though.

For one reason: the device is just too small for a touchpad version. What I personally think may happen is we'll see a "3.5G" nano that looks externally exactly the same as the current model but will have internal circuitry changes. Apple will offer two versions, a 16 GB model (US$199) with up to ten different color cases, and a 32 GB model (US$249) with black and Product Red color cases.

 

[nickane]

Probably not.

First it's too many products, many of them redesigns, to be released at once.

Next there's not much performance improvement that comes with Montevina, given that the existing iMacs have a FSB-bumped Santa Rosa. The most you could get that matters is quad-core processors (expensive).

Finally Apple might want to wait a little longer and do a more comprehensive update. Montevina will get a small speedbump early next year, which would help.

There's quite a bit of variation from the average.

I don't think so. More like early next year.

Agree with you about everything here. Since that cryptic earnings call a few weeks ago, there's been a flurry of speculation about what's coming next and as is often the case with apple announcements, most people will end up being disappointed. When apple announced the iPhone at MWSF 07, they did so after 2-3 months of no mac or ipod updates (standard for the holiday season), and followed it with 3-4 months more of no mac or ipod updates. The keynote gave us more info about the already announced apple tv, and unleashed a phone, a widescreen video ipod and a breakthrough internet communications device. Unfortunately, the fact that all that represented only one device and was 6 months away, didn't stop apple neglecting all of their hardware and software lines to the extent that Leopard became heavily delayed. With an ambiguous product shift (or new product) on the horizon, the imminent notebook redesigns and little to offer the iMac at the moment, it'll probably get slept on until january.


As for the iPhone, it seems likely that we will enter an upgrade cycle of capacity bump in Jan, features bump mid-year. Fluctuating rates of flash price drops may cause that model to change eventually, but in the meantime what with the prevalence of 18 month contract, getting 2 capacity bumps and 1 features bump (or vice versa) at the end of every contract, seems like a good deal. I doubt any of the network carriers will let ppl upgrade before their contracts are up now that they're subsidizing the phones like any other; the shift from the revenue sharing model was probably just a one-off.

 

[sellitman]

I already bought my daughter a low end Mac Book and received the free iPod Touch. For a student it's all she could want and more. I won't feel cheated at all when the new ones arrive. Unless she was into graphic design the Mac Book will serve her well for 4 years or more.

 

[Akzel]

Agree with you about everything here. Since that cryptic earnings call a few weeks ago, there's been a flurry of speculation about what's coming next and as is often the case with apple announcements, most people will end up being disappointed. When apple announced the iPhone at MWSF 07, they did so after 2-3 months of no mac or ipod updates (standard for the holiday season), and followed it with 3-4 months more of no mac or ipod updates. The keynote gave us more info about the already announced apple tv, and unleashed a phone, a widescreen video ipod and a breakthrough internet communications device. Unfortunately, the fact that all that represented only one device and was 6 months away, didn't stop apple neglecting all of their hardware and software lines to the extent that Leopard became heavily delayed. With an ambiguous product shift (or new product) on the horizon, the imminent notebook redesigns and little to offer the iMac at the moment, it'll probably get slept on until january.


As for the iPhone, it seems likely that we will enter an upgrade cycle of capacity bump in Jan, features bump mid-year. Fluctuating rates of flash price drops may cause that model to change eventually, but in the meantime what with the prevalence of 18 month contract, getting 2 capacity bumps and 1 features bump (or vice versa) at the end of every contract, seems like a good deal. I doubt any of the network carriers will let ppl upgrade before their contracts are up now that they're subsidizing the phones like any other; the shift from the revenue sharing model was probably just a one-off.

Interesting post, I haven't thought of that.

Well, I've heard that we can expect a new Macbook in late September, but a new Macbook Pro only in January. Which is kinda disappointing to me, as I've been waiting for a new MBP for a while... But makes perfect sense with your post.

Being a little optimistic, should I hope for at least a small spec bump in MBP this September and a new design (ha!) and maybe Quad chips in early 2009?

Well, if they just added a discrete graphics card to the Macbook, I'd buy one in September and forget about the MBP for a while... (Almost impossible to happen, I know...)

 

[macdot]

Can I get a 32GB iPhone along with those updates?

 

[cousinskeeter]

If I had known it was going to take this long to update I would have bought my MPB when the back to school promo began. Now I'm in it for the long haul, hopefully they will be out by October.

 

[.Chris]

actually it doesn't make sense. the ipod is a carry around device and a hard drive has moving parts so if you drop it, there is more of a chance you'll kill it.

if anything they will move out of hard drives and into all flash as the prices come down.

thatr has nothing to do with a HD based touch

 

[iMacmatician]

Well, I've heard that we can expect a new Macbook in late September, but a new Macbook Pro only in January.

Heard from where? All the rumors point to September for both notebooks.

Being a little optimistic, should I hope for at least a small spec bump in MBP this September and a new design (ha!) and maybe Quad chips in early 2009?

I'd say optimists and realists can all hope for a redesign next month.

 

[jonnyb]

Heh, thanks.
I think a hard-drive based touch would be ideal. It would essentially replace the iPod classic in the product line, which would be more AppStore revenue for Apple. It makes sense for them to do it.

I don't think there's any chance of an HDD-based Touch. The hard disk is dead as far as iPod evolution is concerned. The Classic will stay while the Touch gradually increases in capacity. At the point where the Flash-based iPods reach 160GB, or thereabouts, the HDD iPods will cease to be, I think.

 

[dalvin200]

Can I get a 32GB iPhone along with those updates?

probably around xmas time...

 

[maccompaq]

Can I get a 32GB iPhone along with those updates?

You can have anything you want.

 

[Dudeman486]

I believe apple will only update the ipods with the september event. a poster mentioned that all the people who bought macbooks in anticipation for school would feel b*tch slapped by apple if they updated their laptops literally a week or two after school started.

besides, if apple focuses on just ipods for this update, they can leave macworld to announce updates for all the macs that need them (hello mac mini!). that would, IMO, leave a more cohesive feel with the updates, rather than scattering similar products between the two events.

i hope this comes true. i want a 64gb touch before '09

 

[.Chris]

I believe apple will only update the ipods with the september event. a poster mentioned that all the people who bought macbooks in anticipation for school would feel b*tch slapped by apple if they updated their laptops literally a week or two after school started.

Does apple care? No they dont. They only care in making money.

besides, if apple focuses on just ipods for this update, they can leave macworld to announce updates for all the macs that need them (hello mac mini!). that would, IMO, leave a more cohesive feel with the updates, rather than scattering similar products between the two events.

i hope this comes true. i want a 64gb touch before '09

erm no. Macworld will be for the major updates and product announcements. (mac nano, new iphone,mac tablet etc )We may see updates to the macs in time for christmias shopping season.

its not scattering kid, its called marketing..... get used to it

 

[Dudeman486]

Does apple care? No they dont. They only care in making money.

i disagree, at least this time around. remember the stunt apple pulled when they dropped the price of the original iphone 200$? they got SO much bad press. I'd be surprised if they tried to backstab their customers like that again.

erm no. Macworld will be for the major updates and product announcements. (mac nano, new iphone,mac tablet etc )We may see updates to the macs in time for christmias shopping season.

its not scattering kid, its called marketing..... get used to it

i disagree, at least this time around. remember the stunt apple pulled when they dropped the price of the original iphone 200$? they got SO much bad press. bad to the point that they almost immediately issued 100$ credits to all affected. I'd be surprised if they tried to backstab their customers like that again.

As for updates in time for christmas shopping, I think this is a valid point. to account for this, apple might do a speed bump, and wait for macworld to announce the major redesign. as you said, macworld is for the major revisions/new products.