What's next for Apple to update?

[seb-opp]

Im not really waiting for it, but I expect that in the next iMac revision the mighty mouse and keyboard keys will be coloured black. Seems very unusual that apple sell peripherals for their computers that don't match the computer's colours.

 

[Gregintosh]

could be made fairly cheap ($799).

there was a recent analysis that mopst users are disappointed by the low performance of their netbooks. so apple could do it right and provide something like a netbook but with enough performance. that sounds like a typical apple aproach.

I agree. They definitely will not overlap prices (none of their computer product lines ever overlapped), so the new macbooks in stock configuration cannot meet or exceed $1199, and more likely even $1099.

A starting price of $799 would allow them to offer a 799, 899, and 999 model. With the first two being 11" or so and the most expensive model will be a 13" (I don't think they will go 10" or less because they said they hate the cramped keyboards of netbooks, and 11" would be the smallest size that would still allow them to put in something decent for a keyboard such as a full size or 95% of a full size).

I see them offering either a 120GB HD or 64GB SSD as standard, with an upgrade to 128GB SSD available.

 

[nickane]

I'm calling it now: we've seen the last ipod classic update. When the touch goes to 64 GB this September, they'll kill off the classic. The touch has replaced the classic as the flagship model. The very name "classic" indicates it's an older design on the way out.

I know some people need/want more than 64 GB and will be sad to see the classic go, and I'm not saying it makes sense or I agree with it, but this is clearly the way we're headed. Maybe, *maybe* the classic has one more year (until the touch hits 128), but I doubt it. 64 GB is enough space to hold 98% of consumers' entire music libraries, and even if you have more than that, that's still a lot to take with you.

So IMO, the next update is ipod touch and nano in September. No shuffle because it was recently updated and no classic because it will be quietly killed off.

pah. the last ipod classic update achieved 3 things:

1) halved the product line so that they only had to support single tray models
2) forced ppl with massive libraries to realize that ipods weren't gonna be getting bigger any time soon by reducing the capacity of the largest model
3) left the highest capacity model conveniently less equipped than the 128GB ipod Touch will be, which will presumably come out a year before the 256GB ipod Touch.

So the transition is already happening a year earlier than it otherwise would have. Why would they ditch the 120 GB ipod (that incurs no development costs now that it only comes in one size and is not in their interests to update as it weakens the status of the flagship model), a year before it's overtaken by the iPod Touch, just because you don't think there's enough ppl in the world with 64GB+ libraries who want their music, tv shows and films on them at all times, to justify them stocking the most iconic product they've ever released until its been inarguably superseded?

Every DJ I know has a classic, even if they have an iPhone. When they announced the 120GB classic, I rushed round to find a refurb 160 whilst I still could, even though I have an iPhone.

Until Apple updates iTunes to offer downsampling on the fly when syncing with iPods (which they didn't do during the transition to flash, suggesting they probably never will), anyone who backs up their CDs with Apple Lossless will hunt around for as much space as they can find because a 160 gig iPod is only good for around 500 CDs. There may be a lot of overlap between audiophiles and record collectors, but I suspect they make up more than 2% of the iPod market and it doesn't cost Apple much money to keep a well-established model in their line-up for one more year to cater for them.

 

[rgarjr]

Im not really waiting for it, but I expect that in the next iMac revision the mighty mouse and keyboard keys will be coloured black. Seems very unusual that apple sell peripherals for their computers that don't match the computer's colours.

The white keys are nice cuz they dont show the wear and finger oils at all as opposed to the black keys.

 

[suekitch]

I don't see them changing the iMac looks much. Just because they match the current MBPs so well now

 

[Frosties]

30" Cinema HD Display

I would think an update to the 30" Cinema HD Display is needed and it's quite frankly idiotic that it hasn't a DisplayPort. The whole stupid reason for the change from standard dvi to the DisplayPort was that it supported higher resolutions and we are still stuck with Apple's crappy dual-dvi display adapter that don't work even after all this time.

Wake up Apple and support your own DisplayPort!