iPods, MacBooks, iMacs up next on Apple's 2008 roadmap

[AppleInsider]

With a multinational iPhone 3G launch now successfully under its belt, electronics maker Apple Inc. is preparing to close out the year with a final phase of product introductions that will stretch over the course of the next two months.

Included on the company's roadmap are new iPods, overhauled notebooks, and refreshed iMacs, according to people familiar with the situation. They say availability of those products should follow that particular progression, with a handful of ancillary announcements staggered in between.

It will all kick off in September when the Cupertino-based firm attempts to dazzle the media through the showmanship of chief executive Steve Jobs, who will headline an event believed to be tentatively scheduled for the second week of the month.

Cheaper and slightly modified iPod touch players, new iPod nanos and related service announcements are expected to take center stage, as Apple emphasizes a particular focus on pushing adoption of its fledgling multi-touch platform and App Store. However, and despite on-and-off-again background noise, the event will not give birth to a new breed of handheld multi-touch device, those familiar with Apple's plans say.

At the same time, the scope of the event remains somewhat of an enigma. Internet reports have failed to pinpoint a precise agenda, as it's unclear whether the the event will dual as a launch pad for Apple's next-generation Mac notebooks, or whether those systems will be presented at a separate forum.

While those sources close to AppleInsider have not addressed the matter specifically, they were explicit in stating that availability of new MacBook and MacBook Pro systems would succeed the introduction of iPods at a different point in time -- suggesting the Macs will come later in the month, if not the next (October). Of course, Apple could certainly choose to pre-announce the systems alongside iPods, but it would represent the first time the two distinct product lines share the same stage in nearly four years.

Expectations for the new notebooks have been outlined in a series of reports (1, 2, 3) over the year. Both will see their first industrial design overhaul since adopting Intel processors over two years ago. Most notable will be the 13-inch MacBook's metamorphosis from a plastic-wrapped portable to one clad in aluminum and stainless steel.

Like the upcoming redesign of the MacBook Pro, the MacBook will be highlighted by aesthetic revisions reminiscent of those used on the new MacBook Air and the latest aluminum iMacs, such as instances of matte black on portions of the casings and tapering around the edges to produce a slimming effect. Internally, both are also rumored to sport a mysterious chipset that is something other than Intel Corp.'s Montevina. (Note: this should not be confused with the CPU, or primary Intel processor.)




The new MacBook Pro (pictured above) will also sport a new form battery cover that spans the width of the system, also providing access to the notebook's hard disk drive when released via a latch on the bottom of the casing. Together, the redesigns of the MacBook and MacBook Pro are radical enough that they'll warrant a special introduction.

Separately, Apple is also planning to refresh its line of 20- and 24-inch iMac seasons ahead of the holidays. People familiar with these plans have described the refresh to consist of 'speed bumps' rather than major internal or external changes. Based on the roadmap presented to AppleInsider, these systems would debut later this fall following the release of the new MacBooks, making their way to market with little fanfare.



Apple's Mac Pro, which has failed to make cut in consecutive holiday quarters, as well as the long-lost Mac mini, were not mentioned amongst the company's plans for the remainder of 2008. However, that doesn't necessarily preclude them from making an appearance; AppleInsider can only report on what it has heard.

The Mac mini, in particular, remains an intriguing story. After entering a state of indefinite limbo two and a half years ago, it was reported that the miniature Mac had all but been thrown to the wolves. It was only amid increasing economic uncertainty earlier this year that signs of life were spotted in an area of Apple's labs reserved for the company's most cost-affordable system.

Sources reported that a major overhaul was underway -- the most significant in the mini's short history. That was only five months ago, however. By comparison, it took the Mac maker nearly a year to deliver the MacBook Air to market from the time AppleInsider first reported functional prototypes in existence on Apple's campus.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[digitalclips]

Usually a good time to buy AAPL, the stock seems to dip prior to these events.

[marzetta7]

Bring on the Blu-ray enabled iMacs!

[kotatsu]

I'm waiting on an iMac with a quad core Montevina chipset in it, and a blu-ray writer.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

...they were explicit in stating that availability of new MacBook and MacBook Pro systems would proceed the introduction of iPods...

Precede?

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Internally, both are also rumored to sport a mysterious chipset that is something other than Intel Corp.'s Montevina.

The margin-reducing Product Transition? Is Cringley finally right?

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

The new MacBook Pro (pictured above) will also sport a new form battery cover that spans the width of the system, also providing access to the notebook's hard disk drive when released via a latch on the bottom of the casing. Together, the redesigns of the MacBook and MacBook Pro are radical enough that they'll warrant a special introduction.

Separately, Apple is also planning to refresh its line of 20- and 24-inch iMac seasons ahead of the holidays. People familiar with these plans have described the refresh to consist of 'speed bumps' rather than major internal or external changes.

I still cannot understand why the 15" MacBook Pro can be easily engineered to allow consumer access to the hard drive, but the 24" iMac cannot.

[calguy]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Bring on the Blu-ray enabled iMacs!

And lets not forget the MBP
Yea, Yea, Yea to Blu-ray!!!

[teckstud]

An improved iSight camera please.

[Virgil-TB2]

Originally Posted by Frank777

... I still cannot understand why the 15" MacBook Pro can be easily engineered to allow consumer access to the hard drive, but the 24" iMac cannot.

Cause an iMac doesn't have a battery door?

[wizard69]

After buying a MBP in the early spring and a 3G iPhone very recently I'm unfortunately spent. This could be very frustrating if the new MB are as innovative as implied in some of the rumors. Ipod wise there doesn't seem to be much hope for an iPod evolved to the configuration I'm hoping for. So at least that is not likely to hurt.

By the way I'm very happy with my MBP, it has been a better transition than I could have hoped for.

Dave

PS

If you want to see an interesting movie about California wines see BOTTLE SHOCK!

D

[Abster2core]

Originally Posted by marzetta7

Bring on the Blu-ray enabled iMacs!

And how much of a premium would you be willing to pay?

Remember that the Blu-Ray Disc Association has yet to allow manufacturing in China.

[ltcommander.data]

Originally Posted by AppleInsider

Separately, Apple is also planning to refresh its line of 20- and 24-inch iMac seasons ahead of the holidays. People familiar with these plans have described the refresh to consist of 'speed bumps' rather than major internal or external changes.

I wonder how they are going to speed bump the CPUs in the iMacs with no internal changes given that the iMacs currently use a custom Santa Rosa chipset and custom mobile Penryns to support a 1066MHz FSB and DDR2 800 on the Santa Rosa chipset which is only officially qualified for 800Mhz FSB and DDR2 667 operation? It would make more sense and probably take less effort to just switch to the Montevina chipset and Montevina qualified Penryns for official 1066MHz FSB support and so they can bump things up to DDR3 1066. That way they don't have to keep trying to overclock last generation parts. Of course, switching to Montevina would be an internal change, but whether it's "major" can be debated.

[bdkennedy1]

I wonder what they'll do with the iMac. The new design is only a year old.

[nagromme]

Black keys on the iMac please. Lighted like the Air (Even the wireless one could have that, with a sleep timer and an option to turn it off.)

[StuBeck]

Originally Posted by Abster2core

And how much of a premium would you be willing to pay?

Remember that the Blu-Ray Disc Association has yet to allow manufacturing in China.

Probably close to the $200 you can buy one for now from newegg. Apple will probably charge much more though.

I just hope with all these announcements they haven't done too much. Just the problems Apple has had since introducing the iPhone (pushing back Leopard while removing features, mobileme, product delays, etc) makes me nervous when they announce more than one big thing a quarter.

[NeilM]

Originally Posted by Frank777

Is Cringley finally right?

Let's not wander that far into the realm of the improbable...

[FuturePastNow]

Originally Posted by bdkennedy1

I wonder what they'll do with the iMac. The new design is only a year old.

New processors, new chipset, and new graphics, but I bet they won't change the design at all. Intel has mobile quad-cores now, but they're very expensive.

[xflare]

Awwww... poor Mac Mini, no one seems to like you.

[ralphdaily]

I am looking for a mac mini upgrade. I use a 20" ACD, don't care for the iMac screen, and really don't want or need to spend money or limited space in my area for a Mac Pro. It's gross overkill for what I do. My existing mac mini is in pretty good shape but an upgrade would be welcome.

The mini really hits the spot. It's not just money, it hits a different market need than the iMac or MP.

[spacevator]

Apple's Multi-Touch technology is seriously stunted on the small screen of the iPhone and iPod Touch. I love those products for what they are, but zooming and panning the web on them is really getting old. Apple is sitting on a gold-mine tech here. Let's get the iPhone OS's touch GUI on something just a little bigger!

[zunx]

What about the Apple secret products?

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/we...ook_touch/P100

http://connectme.typepad.com/news/20...-the-ipad.html

http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/gal...mage_med/15417
http://www.ilounge.com/gallery/iphon...iphonePro2.jpg

[Solar]

Originally Posted by kotatsu

I'm waiting on an iMac with a quad core Montevina chipset in it, and a blu-ray writer.

Good luck with that.

[Frank777]

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Cause an iMac doesn't have a battery door?

Yeah. I wonder if an enterprising third party could make an alternate rear backplate for the 24" imac?
Is it even possible to access the HD if there was a 'back door' opening?

[bigmc6000]

Why the red text?? I saw that and I was thinking we actually got some official word or something. This is nothing more than just iterating more of the same stuff we've been seeing for the past two weeks. Oh wow, some un-named source agrees with what was already out there and all of a sudden it's red text worthy?

Eh, I just want AlumiMB's - my 12" PB is need of replacement and I have little to no need for the power of a MBP (let alone the $800+ extra that I would end up spending on it)

[dm3]

Need
new
Mini
!

Everything else in a minor rehash. Do something, anything with the Mini. Its just painful to witness its slow tortured demise.

[Xxplosive]

yeahhh niggasss, thats thug.. will the mb's and ipod touches definitly be out sept 9 or whaaa maa fackaaaaaaaaasssssssssss

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Frank777

I still cannot understand why the 15" MacBook Pro can be easily engineered to allow consumer access to the hard drive, but the 24" iMac cannot.

The MBP does not allow any easier access to the hard drive than the iMac. I think you confused it with the MacBook.

Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2

Cause an iMac doesn't have a battery door?

The first two or three revisions of the iMac G5 allowed pretty easy access to the hard drive, two screws and the back pops off. When they went to a curved back (iSight G5 and later), that was over.

Originally Posted by StuBeck

Probably close to the $200 you can buy one for now from newegg. Apple will probably charge much more though.

Those aren't the notebook drives. The original request was for it to be in an iMac:

Originally Posted by kotatsu

I'm waiting on an iMac with a quad core Montevina chipset in it, and a blu-ray writer.

Originally Posted by bigmc6000

Why the red text?? I saw that and I was thinking we actually got some official word or something.

Red text is the site software's way of noting what stories are getting a lot of reader hits.

[kotatsu]

Originally Posted by FuturePastNow

New processors, new chipset, and new graphics, but I bet they won't change the design at all. Intel has mobile quad-cores now, but they're very expensive.

I'm hoping for a BD writer. The drives are cheap now and the movies are everywhere.

There's no excuse not to offer it as an option.

[theBigD23]

Any insight to a new Time Capsule? I don't want to spend the $500 on a 1TB for it to be updated a few weeks later.

I also am hopeful of the new monitors this January. That's a long time coming and LED is the way I want to go.

[FuturePastNow]

Originally Posted by Frank777

Yeah. I wonder if an enterprising third party could make an alternate rear backplate for the 24" imac?
Is it even possible to access the HD if there was a 'back door' opening?

You have to remove the screen to get to the guts of the aluminum iMac.

[bizlaw]

There has to be something more than speed bumped iMacs and new cases for laptops. Apple said in their last quarter's results teleconference that profit margins would be down because they're coming out with technology in September which would be impossible for Apple's competitors to compete. That's not speed bumped iMacs or removable-battery laptops.

The other telling factor is that no one can identify the agenda of the event. Usually keynote speeches have at least some idea of what's coming a couple of weeks ahead of time. Not here. Everything is strangely silent, like the calm before the storm.

If Apple has something truly revolutionary, which competitors could not duplicate, then it would be under ultra-tight wraps deep inside Cupertino. I imagine Steve has some orders regarding leaks that involve a guillotine or some other slower, more painful mechanism.

Something big is coming in Sept., and for once I hope it's a complete surprise to all of us. Let's pray for the return of "One More Thing . . . ".

[webhead]

Originally Posted by FuturePastNow

You have to remove the screen to get to the guts of the aluminum iMac.

A little off topic, but is there a 3rd party industry created yet for replacing the 24" iMac glossy screen with a mat screen? The screen just lifts off and could be replaced super easy. Personally I love my 24" glossy screen but I see so many people complaining about it, why doesn't somebody start selling replacement glass?

Looking forward to the new products!!!!

[spinnerlys]

Just for the love of mock ups, and a little nice spam, I came across this one.




PS: I already posted it in the other thread about Apple's next-gen MacBook Pro casing design revealed, but think this will be more frequented.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by digitalclips

Usually a good time to buy AAPL, the stock seems to dip prior to these events.

After.

[SpamSandwich]

Originally Posted by Xxplosive

yeahhh niggasss, thats thug.. will the mb's and ipod touches definitly be out sept 9 or whaaa maa fackaaaaaaaaasssssssssss

What the....?

No Canadian gang signs, please.

[bigmc6000]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Red text is the site software's way of noting what stories are getting a lot of reader hits.

Really? There must be something wrong with it then because the thing about the ad being pulled was never red (at least on my screen) and it got a boat load of comments on it VERY quickly as opposed to this article that's been out for hours and doesn't really have that many.

[theBROWNhulk]

Originally Posted by spinnerlys

Just for the love of mock ups, and a little nice spam, I came across this one.




PS: I already posted it in the other thread about Apple's next-gen MacBook Pro casing design revealed, but think this will be more frequented.

I like certain things about it, but it honestly just looks like a macbook air with black hues..infact in may be just that.... It doesnt feel MBPro-ey enough.

[Jbach67]

I've been waiting (not long) for the imac refresh - a little bit better would be good, and I'm hoping for lower power consumption, a montevina CPU, a hybrid graphic chip that can drive Crysis at 25 - 30 fps (current macs can't) and a better keyboard - extra credit if they jam one of those new glass multipoint touch screens on it, i.e. the kind that will adorn the MB pro.

[satchmo]

Originally Posted by nagromme

Black keys on the iMac please. Lighted like the Air (Even the wireless one could have that, with a sleep timer and an option to turn it off.)

My guess is silver keys to match the silver frame of the keyboard. White is no longer in the colour scheme.

These same keys will be used for the new aluminum MacBooks. Only one model colour...silver.

MacBook Pro's will be now all black with black keys (same as MBA's)

Just wild speculation.

[mcarling]

Originally Posted by calguy

And lets not forget the MBP
Yea, Yea, Yea to Blu-ray!!!

I hope that all Apple laptop optical drives will be external. Not having an internal optical drive is one of the things I like most about my MacBook Air. I wish Apple would sell an 11 inch 1920x1200 MPB with external only optical.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by bigmc6000

Really? There must be something wrong with it then because the thing about the ad being pulled was never red (at least on my screen) and it got a boat load of comments on it VERY quickly as opposed to this article that's been out for hours and doesn't really have that many.

I'm just repeating what Kasper said. I have no reason to disbelieve him on this.

A lot of replies don't necessarily mean that the story itself had more hits as a story with fewer replies.

The problem with the ad story - if you look through that thread, I think you'll probably find it's mostly a handful of people arguing with each other, a long argument can jack up the length of a thread, but doesn't mean a lot of people are in it.