The Significance of Wireless, the iPod, and the mac.

[sPAULj]

Apple is looking to make the next two years ones which will make wireless technologies come to the forefront of their computing plans. The new iMac will be out within the month, and even though it will most likely not be a G5, it will be a faster G4 with wireless built in. It will most likely be less expensive as well(around a hundred dollars less expensive).

Apple has started incorperating wireless connectivity between all of its products. First with the Powerbooks having it standard, and now by creating AirPort Express. They are expanding on the (long forgotten) image of the "Digital Hub" and are betting that wireless is the way to keep the connections in this hub working seemlessly together.

Expect Wireless iPods, iPods with a standard format built in such as 802.11g. These iPods will have many advancements, such as being able to sync with a stereo (via AirPort Express), automatic song uploading when you walk in a room which has your computer and your playlist in it. Other features still being considered, but will likely get scraped soon due to the record labels objecting would consist of wireless networking between iPods allowing users to share music files and such. The iPod will get color, but you will never see a video iPod. It will simply allow for users to have little things like alternate colored backlights and such.

In the fourth quarter of this year, you will see something from Apple that you would never expect. It has to do with the digital hub; that is all I can say.

 

[PlaceofDis]

do you have anything to back you up besides your word? this is a rumor site you know and your probably just speculating, it would be cool if you were right, but for some reason i dont trust anything unless there is something there to back it up just a little bit

 

[KingSleaze]

do you have anything to back you up besides your word? this is a rumor site you know and your probably just speculating, it would be cool if you were right, but for some reason i dont trust anything unless there is something there to back it up just a little bit

What is a rumor? Maybe he actually does know something, but a little thing like a Non Disclosure Agreement prevents actually saying anything.
How do these rumors start if NDAs are in place?

Internet anonimity only goes so far.

 

[mkrishnan]

Hmmm...here's some completely baseless speculation:

1) There are now a few CFlash etc wifi solutions with advanced power management and relatively low power consumption. At least one SD wifi card exists, so packaging-wise, it may be feasible to fit a wifi card into the full-size iPod without making it any bigger....assuming there's a way to bridge the tech that's in the SD card with the iPod's controller without adding a new bus.

2) Apple's batteries are good, but not best-in-class...so if they upgrade battery tech, they can either approach life of the bigger boxes from Dell et al, or they can target the current iPod life and add WiFi

3) Obviously, Airtunes begs for this.

I dunno about the fall, but I think the *pieces* are falling in place to do this. And as much as I like the technology, screw BT...it looks like WiFi is ready.

But remember, *baseless* speculation...