Apple may host Leopard event, intro ultra-portables, bring iPhone to Best Buy

[AppleInsider]

Apple Inc. is likely to hold a media event to launch its upcoming Leopard operating system in the coming months, and may also introduce ultra portables and expand its iPhone distribution to other retailers shortly thereafter, UBS Investment Research said this week.

"We believe Apple is likely to hold another event by April or May to launch Leopard and/or other new Mac products (models with larger displays at least)," analyst Ben Reitzes wrote in a note to clients this week. "We continue to believe Leopard may include several key features not previously previewed revolving around the digital home and telephony, driving demand for new products such as Apple TV and the iPhone."

The analyst said recent retail checks and surveys continue to show solid demand for Apple's Macs, driven primarily by momentum from its compelling notebooks offerings, which should bode well for sales during the three-month period ending March.

"At the Apple store we visited, representatives were wearing T-shirts with the 'Go Beyond Vista' slogan from Apple’s new marketing campaign which we believe highlights how Apple is actively looking to combat the new features of Vista and continue to drive switchers to the Mac platform," the analyst told clients. "Our checks suggest that Mac sales may not be as bad as some feared going into 2Q as demand appears to be holding up into the launch of Leopard."

Reitzes is forecasting for solid demand to continue for Macs through Apple's 2007 fiscal year, stimulated by Adobe's next version of Creative suite, and Leopard, both expected this spring. For the current quarter, he expects year-over-year Mac unit growth of 34 percent (-7 percent quarter-to-quart) to 1.5 million units. His estimates also call for Mac unit growth of 27 percent to 6.7 million units for all of fiscal 2007 and unit growth of 25 percent to 8.4 million units in fiscal 2008.

Looking slightly longer term, the UBS analyst believes Apple may push iPhone technology into other products, including Macs next year and more 'ultra-portable' devices that can bridge the gap between media playing, basic wireless computing needs and even eventually some type of gaming and GPS capabilities.

"We would not be surprised to see a new device this calendar year, featuring touch screen functionality," he wrote. "While the PC market is rather mature with growth expected to be 12 percent in 2007 (driven by growth in emerging markets), the portable segment continues to show strong growth with 28 percent growth expected."

Furthermore, Reitzes said, certain segments such as ultraportable PCs are likely to become a bigger piece of the portable market -- given reduced costs by PC OEMs and new market entrants such as Apple. According to data from market research firm IDC, the ultraportable PC market accounted for less than 8 percent of overall notebook shipments in 2005 (about 5 million units worldwide), and remain at about 8 percent of notebook shipments in 2006 (about 6.4 million units), but is expected to spawn more than 20 percent growth over the next few years.

"We believe Apple could expand this market significantly if it chose to enter it over the next 2 years," the analyst explained. "We believe Apple could see much better growth and drive this category if it stripped down features, optimized the device for media playing and web surfing and used its engineering and scale to drive prices down toward the $500-$600 level."

Meanwhile, Reitzes said checks with Apple and non-Apple stores continue to indicate that the new iPod line-up is experiencing stable but seasonal demand led by the new colored iPod shuffles.

"Since it began shipping on November 3, checks for the iPod shuffle have been extremely positive, with Apple (and non-Apple) store representatives stating demand has been very solid," he wrote. "While we are not expecting any upside to our iPod estimates in fiscal 2Q07, we believe the company will continue to benefit from sales of recently introduced products -- albeit with significant seasonality."

On a final note, the UBS hardware analyst suggested that Apple may eventually expanded its distribution of the iPhone beyond Apple and Cingular stores to include other retailers over time.

"While retail store representatives did not confirm or deny expanded relationships, it is important to point out that Best Buy is a major Cingular reseller," he wrote. "We believe that relationship could eventually provide a window for the iPhone to be available through Best Buy at some point."

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[wilco]

What took so long?

[desarc]

"We believe Apple could see much better growth and drive this category if it stripped down features, optimized the device for media playing and web surfing and used its engineering and scale to drive prices down toward the $500-$600 level."

yeah, Apple is always underselling the other guys... that's why i have a $3k macbook pro and am going to drop $600 on a phone w/ a 2 year ocntract.

[Gee4orce]

"Apple Inc. is likely to hold a media event to launch its upcoming Leopard operating system in the coming months"

No. Sh!t. Sherlock.

[icerabbit]

I really have to get one of these analyst gigs. You just can't go wrong.

[boss1]

Unless 10.5's secret features turn out to be Multi Touch then Multi Touch isn't going to be introduced to any other product line this year. 10.6 or 10.7 maybe or maybe just Mac OS 11

"We believe Apple could see much better growth and drive this category if it stripped down features, optimized the device for media playing and web surfing and used its engineering and scale to drive prices down toward the $500-$600 level."

Someone putting something other than caffeine in your coffee? This will happen the day Lexus offers a $15,000 model to compete with Honda Accord.


The only plausible ideas in this article are that Apple will hold a special even to release leopard and that iPhone may find it's way to Best Buy stores in time.

[BenRoethig]

Originally Posted by boss1

Unless 10.5's secret features turn out to be Multi Touch then Multi Touch isn't going to be introduced to any other product line this year. 10.6 or 10.7 maybe or maybe just Mac OS 11





Someone putting something other than caffeine in your coffee? This will happen the day Lexus offers a $15,000 model to compete with Honda Accord.


The only plausible ideas in this article are that Apple will hold a special even to release leopard and that iPhone may find it's way to Best Buy stores in time.

Touch screen iMacs would be cool, but I don't see them happening. They would add $300-$500 to already expensive machines.

[McDavies]

What features do people want in a ultra-portable? Can anyone give an example of an ultra-portable on the PC side? Do they sell well.

[brianus]

Ugh. Can't AppleInsider set up a "page 2" section like MacRumors does, just for "analyst" comments? The headline is misleading, making you think that AI actually has insider info about any of this.

Remember the analyst who said, months after the Intel switch was announced, that a G5 Mac mini was imminent? I don't comprehend why a rumors site with as good a track record as AI continues to post this crap alongside genuine insider info.

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by Apple Insider

On a final note, ... Apple may ... expand ... distribution ... over time.

Apple to expand distribution over time? Insane! Crazy! I don't believe it!

[Ireland]

What's Best buy?
What's Cingular?
What's an Apple store?
Where's Leopard?
Where's iPhone junior?
Where's Mac tablet?
Where's my Apple television?

[fuzz_ball]

Originally Posted by desarc

yeah, Apple is always underselling the other guys... that's why i have a $3k macbook pro and am going to drop $600 on a phone w/ a 2 year ocntract.

ROTFLMAO!!!

[saschke]

Originally Posted by desarc

yeah, Apple is always underselling the other guys... that's why i have a $3k macbook pro and am going to drop $600 on a phone w/ a 2 year ocntract.

i second that :P

[Macvault]

Originally Posted by Gee4orce

"Apple Inc. is likely to hold a media event to launch its upcoming Leopard operating system in the coming months"

No. Sh!t. Sherlock.

Ha! Yea, that's Halarious!... Do reporters really get paid to tell us stuff we already know?

This just in... "The sun is likely to move across the sky in the coming hours"

[jpellino]

which, incidentally was the code name for the powerbook duo...

I'd like to have my iBook g4 1.33 performance in something the size of our toshiba portege 2000.

I'd excuse the lack of optical drive. I don't watch DVDs on my laptop, and what doesn't install from a file on the web anymore? OK - the OS - but they'd figure that one out if they did this.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by desarc

"We believe Apple could see much better growth and drive this category if it stripped down features, optimized the device for media playing and web surfing and used its engineering and scale to drive prices down toward the $500-$600 level."

yeah, Apple is always underselling the other guys... that's why i have a $3k macbook pro and am going to drop $600 on a phone w/ a 2 year ocntract.

Too bad, though. Because what the analyst is saying is spot on. There's a much greater market for the iPhone if it weren't for the fact its tied to Cingular and has that whole cell phone part in it. Take out the phone and sell it standalone for the same price. It would sell like hotcakes.

But, you're right. Apple doesn't want to sell to the masses as much as being known as a high-priced maker of consumer electornics and computers.

BTW, I've been trying to buy a $2500 MBP, but it keeps getting stolen off the truck, amazingly before it even leaves the distribution center for delivery. See, that's the benefit of buying the 6-ton mac towers. There's no way anyone can take them without a forklift.

[TBaggins]

Originally Posted by Macvault

Ha! Yea, that's Halarious!... Do reporters really get paid to tell us stuff we already know?

This just in... "The sun is likely to move across the sky in the coming hours"

You're not saying it right...

"We have a real CHANGEWave newsflash... it's our understanding that the SUN, barring unforseen apocalypses or supernovas, will CONTINUE to MOVE ACROSS THE SKY! That's RIGHT folks! So think about how you could use this CHANGEWave insider data to drive your investment portfolio to EVEN... HIGHER... RETURNS!!!"

Man, piling the BS higher and deeper must be a gas of a gig.

[Porchland]

Originally Posted by Gee4orce

"Apple Inc. is likely to hold a media event to launch its upcoming Leopard operating system in the coming months"

No. Sh!t. Sherlock.

I think he means a media event to announce Leopard rather than waiting until WWDC. 'Tard.

[rtdunham]

"While retail store representatives did not confirm or deny expanded relationships"

it's my impression local store reps--even managers--know very, very little about future announcements. Maybe a day or two before anew product arrives they're told something's arriving, so they can make space; maybe, shortly before a new arrival, they're told to rearrange the furniture to accommodate it. But as to WHAT it is, or how it will function/be priced/sized etc., i don't think they know jack, and i say that with no offense meant to the local store people: i think they're exceedingly good at what they do.

but you only have to read the wall street journal's recent article about secrecy surrounding the iPhone prior to the announcement--few people even at the highest levels of management had even seen it--to know things are kept under a tight wrap. For this analyst to visit one store, and to talk about what representatives there wouldn't say or couldn't say, makes the attribution for this story exceedingly thin.

peace out

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by TBaggins

[B]"We have a real CHANGEWave newsflash...

Heh... Changewave... I just wet my diaper and now I need a changewave.

[bdkennedy1]

So basically I just read "Blah blah possibly blah". I deleted my MacRumors bookmark. Do I need to delete Appleinsider too?

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Originally Posted by McDavies

What features do people want in a ultra-portable? Can anyone give an example of an ultra-portable on the PC side? Do they sell well.

SONY VAIO VGN-X505 is 1.85 lbs. and has a 10" display.

[onlooker]

Originally Posted by Porchland

I think he means a media event to announce Leopard rather than waiting until WWDC. 'Tard.

Being that Steve Jobs said Leopard would be ready in early to mid spring, not early summer I think WWDC was never a possibility, unless there was a delay in which they would have noted it at a shareholders meeting.

And don't call people names - "Tard". Or you'll get banned.

[Louzer]

Originally Posted by onlooker

Being that Steve Jobs said Leopard would be ready in early to mid spring, not early summer I think WWDC was never a possibility, unless there was a delay in which they would have noted it at a shareholders meeting.

And don't call people names - "Tard". Or you'll get banned.

Um, WWDC is in eary June, which, last time I looked, is not summer, anywhere. I don't recall Steve-o promising early-mid spring, just saying spring. So WWDC is a possibility.

However, I don't think its a non-shocker that there might be a media event for the launch. I don't recall a media event for Tiger. And I'm not sure the point of a media event anyway, unless its where they're going to disclose those 'top-secret uber-great features' that Steve made up......um....I mean.....uh.....disclosed....yeah, that's it, disclosed!

So, technically, there is no delay (Apple has pushed the limits of these seasonal promises before, you know). But even if there was, they couldn't have noted it at a shareholders meeting. The shareholders meetings take place in April. They might have needed to mention it on one of their earnings conference calls, but that's not likely necessary, either.

[reverie]

The headline is misleading. You think there's some new inside information and you just get these wild analysts' speculation. I totally agree with brianus and bdkennedy1 and I guess this is just a way of AI to push more ad views.

[Bishop of Southwark]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Um, WWDC is in eary June, which, last time I looked, is not summer, anywhere. I don't recall Steve-o promising early-mid spring, just saying spring. So WWDC is a possibility.

Erm, I think you will find the WHOLE of June IS fully considered to be in summer in most places around the world. Don't know about the US.

[onlooker]

Originally Posted by Louzer

Um, WWDC is in eary June, which, last time I looked, is not summer, anywhere. I don't recall Steve-o promising early-mid spring, just saying spring. So WWDC is a possibility.
...................

June 21st is the first day of summer. I don't know about you, but AFAIAC early spring probably wouldn't be one week before the first day of summer.

[onlooker]

Originally Posted by Bishop of Southwark

Erm, I think you will find the WHOLE of June IS fully considered to be in summer in most places around the world. Don't know about the US.

Your right about that. In California, and AZ where I am. It's freaking 110º 120º by June. We definitely consider it full blown summer by then.

[mrtotes]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

"We believe Apple is likely to hold another event by April or May to launch Leopard and/or other new Mac products (models with larger displays at least)," analyst Ben Reitzes wrote in a note to clients this week.

Err 'models with larger displays' could only really be a 15" MacBook or am I overlooking something obvious?

[onlooker]

Originally Posted by mrtotes

Err 'models with larger displays' could only really be a 15" MacBook or am I overlooking something obvious?

Yeah, like Mac Pros with 33' cinema displays.

[mrtotes]

Right, because Apple bundles displays with their Pro Desktops?!?!?

If it said "and/or other new Mac products (new models and larger displays at least)," then I could understand the ambiguity.

[Bageljoey]

Originally Posted by Bishop of Southwark

Erm, I think you will find the WHOLE of June IS fully considered to be in summer in most places around the world. Don't know about the US.

I knew it was coming.

Someone with too much time on there hands should track how many discussions on the dates of spring have been started on AI as a result of Leopard and WWDC...

[desarc]

i read an article on appleinsider that one analyst believes that summer should start on june 21st. june 20th and earlier is technically spring.
..and another analyst has reliable inside sources who hint that technicaly it's winter until march 21st.
regardless, apple will be holding a special event to discuss the iSeasons where Q2 lasts until Adobe releases intel-native apps.

[mrtotes]

Originally Posted by Bishop of Southwark

Erm, I think you will find the WHOLE of June IS fully considered to be in summer in most places around the world. Don't know about the US.

But it's a fact of planetary rotation that the Summer Soltice is 21 June - the longest day of the year. So while some people may think all of June is Summer they are not following the natural laws.

[marbiol]

Originally Posted by Bishop of Southwark

Erm, I think you will find the WHOLE of June IS fully considered to be in summer in most places around the world. Don't know about the US.

For half of the planet June tends to be autumn/winter - Here in NZ it's usually pissing sideways rain by then...

[nvidia2008]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mozzarella

SONY VAIO VGN-X505 is 1.85 lbs. and has a 10" display.

Looks like I might slice up my arms just trying to hold that thing?

[nvidia2008]

End of March, end of March, end of March... Full shipping Leopard in April.
Just my prediction (and predeliction) ... 8)

[OS X Guy]

Aparently from this and other rumors sites - we will see a sub notebook from Apple soon... Any predictions on pricing, features, and how this will affect the Mac Mini? Is Apple daring enough to do an HD-TV?

PS Unfortunately, Lexus is the other way and has a $35,000 competitor for the Accord - Called the ES350, basically a Camry with $10,000 to 15,000 to the price tag... Same engine and suspension, etc. as the Camry except for the body panels...

[Bishop of Southwark]

Originally Posted by mrtotes

But it's a fact of planetary rotation that the Summer Soltice is 21 June - the longest day of the year. So while some people may think all of June is Summer they are not following the natural laws.

"not following the 'natural laws'.", please!

I don't see where you get this idea that I'm denying when the summer solstice occurs?
(And incidentally the 21st isn't really the longest day in practice now).
At least we are agreed that day is in summer (we are agreed on that arn't we?) - because it would be VERY strange if the longest day wasn't.

I think the problem comes down to how you define the change point. There are various ways you can define the seasons, ways that can incorporate either/both astronomical factors and metrological ones.

Does the longest day mark the START of summer or can be said to be safely within. Another name for the summer solstice is 'midsummer' - it would be odd if that name applied to the start of summer wouldn't it?

I believe the traditional/normal/expected method involves the season label itself being centred on the seasonal peak, where as I have noticed some people who have this idea that the standard practice is for the name/label change to occur on the leading edge of the peak, rather than at the true change / low point.
I don't know if that's how its taught in america and if it's creaping in through popular culture imports etc, but the majority of people I've noticed this with have been americans.

Like many things, its a question of where you put your zero point.
But I don't think I could summarise quite how odd and non standard your method seems to me (and indeed to a great many people).

[dutch pear]

Originally Posted by Bishop of Southwark

"not following the 'natural laws'.", please!

I don't see where you get this idea that I'm denying when the summer solstice occurs?
(And incidentally the 21st isn't really the longest day in practice now).
At least we are agreed that day is in summer (we are agreed on that arn't we?) - because it would be VERY strange if the longest day wasn't.

I think the problem comes down to how you define the change point. There are various ways you can define the seasons, ways that can incorporate either/both astronomical factors and metrological ones.

Does the longest day mark the START of summer or can be said to be safely within. Another name for the summer solstice is 'midsummer' - it would be odd if that name applied to the start of summer wouldn't it?

I believe the traditional/normal/expected method involves the season label itself being centred on the seasonal peak, where as I have noticed some people who have this idea that the standard practice is for the name/label change to occur on the leading edge of the peak, rather than at the true change / low point.
I don't know if that's how its taught in america and if it's creaping in through popular culture imports etc, but the majority of people I've noticed this with have been americans.

Like many things, its a question of where you put your zero point.
But I don't think I could summarise quite how odd and non standard your method seems to me (and indeed to a great many people).

Dude, I don't know where you are from, but in my country, and I suspect most of Europe, schools teach the astronomical definitions of season: the equinoxes and solstices mark the beginning of the seasons. For my country (the Netherlands) this definition is actually quite correct, july and august and early september are the hottest months on average and tend to be considered summer.

Edit: That doesn't mean I don't hope apple follows the meteorological definition of spring, as i need a macbook by may and would love leopard to go with that 8)