Apple online store goes down for scheduled maintenance, new hardware rumored
As planned, Apple's online storefront was taken offline early Tuesday morning for what maintenance, sparking hopes the company is preparing to launch its first hardware product of 2017.
On Monday, Apple updated its system status webpage with an announcement saying customers would be unable to access the online Apple from 3 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Eastern due to a scheduled maintenance downtime. As noted, Apple usually issues press releases at around that time, stoking speculation that a new product will see release once the store returns to service.
While an official announcement has yet to be made, recent rumors suggest the company is planning to launch a series of new iPads in the near future. At the forefront of those rumors is a 128-gigabyte iPhone SE, a device that is due for an upgrade but might not rate the usual media event treatment. Apple launched the original SE last March, meaning a minor specification bump could be in the cards.
More recent rumblings suggest Apple is looking to launch new iPads including a hotly anticipated 10.5-inch iPad Pro model with a thin-bezel display and overall footprint just slightly larger than the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Uprated iPad Pros are also slated for release, including a revamped 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a 9.7-inch variant, the latter of which might replace iPad Air 2 as Apple's student and enterprise tablet.
New iPad Pro models are less likely to debut tomorrow, as Apple traditionally holds public events for such high-profile launches. While the company might add a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad and upgrade iPhone SE to its online store with little fanfare, a newly designed 10.5-inch model is unlikely to see release without a media presentation.
Apple's online store is expected to return to operation at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, 5:30 a.m. Pacific.
On Monday, Apple updated its system status webpage with an announcement saying customers would be unable to access the online Apple from 3 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. Eastern due to a scheduled maintenance downtime. As noted, Apple usually issues press releases at around that time, stoking speculation that a new product will see release once the store returns to service.
While an official announcement has yet to be made, recent rumors suggest the company is planning to launch a series of new iPads in the near future. At the forefront of those rumors is a 128-gigabyte iPhone SE, a device that is due for an upgrade but might not rate the usual media event treatment. Apple launched the original SE last March, meaning a minor specification bump could be in the cards.
More recent rumblings suggest Apple is looking to launch new iPads including a hotly anticipated 10.5-inch iPad Pro model with a thin-bezel display and overall footprint just slightly larger than the current 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Uprated iPad Pros are also slated for release, including a revamped 12.9-inch iPad Pro and a 9.7-inch variant, the latter of which might replace iPad Air 2 as Apple's student and enterprise tablet.
New iPad Pro models are less likely to debut tomorrow, as Apple traditionally holds public events for such high-profile launches. While the company might add a low-cost 9.7-inch iPad and upgrade iPhone SE to its online store with little fanfare, a newly designed 10.5-inch model is unlikely to see release without a media presentation.
Apple's online store is expected to return to operation at 8:30 a.m. Eastern, 5:30 a.m. Pacific.
Comments
What duh?
This had better be a new iMac! Come on Apple just do it.
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/03/20/microsoft_on_arm/
SBSA
The key to the future of ARM servers that came out of the Microsoft ARM reveal is perhaps the most under-reported piece of information from the event. Microsoft's Windows Server for ARM distribution is able to run on both Cavium's ThunderX2 and Qualcomm's Centriq, both 64-bit ARM-compatible SoCs.
This is possible because of the Server Base System Architecture (SBSA) specification undertaken by ARM in 2014. This means that - for server-based ARM chips at least - hardware can be talked to using a generic ARM ACPI driver. In essence, we now have ARM chips that have the important bits of standardization that allowed the x86 ecosystem to grow, flourish and dominate the server space.
This is huge. SBSA is the real threat to Intel. This is what can and will allow every flavour of Linux, BSD and whatever else to run on ARM CPUs with minimal fuss or headache. SBSA allows for operating systems and advanced ARM hypervisors that can work across platforms provided by multiple vendors. SBSA allows for an entire extended ecosystem of hardware components and peripherals to work with ARM servers without having to go to a vertically integrated monopolist and beg them for inclusion into their ecosystem.
The thing is monitors aren't really static any longer. My current mac desktop is 2011 iMac, and with SSD and gobs of RAM it's going strong -- when I replace it (I won't be throwing it away btw, there's always someone who wants my old macs) the monitor will need replacing as well since its outdated too. 4k, 5k, who knows.
It's not a huge let down if you don't have unrealistic expectations. That's where rumors folks often get into trouble, they build so much of their personal hopes and dreams into Apple announcements, and then crash when reality comes to pass.
I expected absolutely nothing from a non-event update to the store, thus whatever they put in there cannot disappoint.
Yes, I saw that!
There are so many possibilities for Apple to exploit this -- for internal use, for enterprise, schools, hospitals, homes...
...And Apple has all the right pieces at its disposal!
KKKK...
Kontent, Konnected, Kollaboration, Kreation is King!