When and about what do you think the next special event will be?

1. TV Shows and Movies come to Europe.
2. Leopard, iWork & Keynote demo's and release dates.
3. New Keyboard design with USB 2 ports, and iPod dock.
4. Introducing the all new Cinema displays with IR, iSight's, and a design to go perfectly with Leopard's UI design.

Febuary 22nd.

Tues. Feb 13 Octo MacPro with Adobe there to tout Performance of Photoshop in Rosetta until the Universal update debuts. Shipping at the end of the month. Leopard preinstalled. Macmini quietly upgraded to Core2duo before this.

You did ask "when annd what", and there are lots of people on Ai who have little voices whispering secrets in their ears.8)

I like the idea of a pre-Vista trump card, but I believe that it follows too closely on the heels of the iPhone announcement (which in its own way was a Vista trumper). Also, with no software nor computer-repated announcements last week (as if we really needed anything other than the phone), lots of goodies must be jjust about ready to pop out.

Personally, I don't see an octopus coming quite yet; Steve is a present-day Nemo of sorts, but I do see him going towards a few steadier products; the big ones aren't made for special events.

Group 1 (late Feb, early Mar)
- Leopard
- new displays

Group 2 (Apr)
- iLife update
- TV shows and movies in Japan (forget Europe!)
- new iMac
- new iPod

Group 3 (May?)
- iWork major update
- new MBP super porttable with quicktouchpad instead of track pad, othe hot things

The MB, Mac mini and some apps will be updated along the way. Possibly, Leopard will nt come until WWDC, but that is late.

Steve likes themes, and this will be a big year (he said lost is coming). I can't wait.

Group 4 (not soon enough)
- iPhone on sale in Japan

I'd love to see displays with new technologies...
iSight camera
a wheel which will allow portrait and landscape views - and accelerometer too like iPhone ;-)
IR reciever

I think we'll see the next event mid March .. dont recall any feb. events last year?

Did you all forget the Beatles coming to iTunes and special edition iPod event?

i like the notion of annoucing the date of the next event just pre-vista release or aroudn vista release.

I'll try too:

early Feb (hardware):
- Mac mini update: C2D and 802.11n
- Octo Mac Pro BTO update, one model 8x2.66 +$1500 ($3999)

mid March (software mostly):
- Leopard
- iLife '07
- iWork '07
- Pro Apps updates
- New displays (to show Leopard's RI)

end April (iPod+iTunes):
- Full screen iPods (multitouch, OS X based)
- Movies goes international
- The Beatles catalog on iTunes

early June (used to be the WWDC):
- iPhone, available immediately
- Santa Rosa iMac, available immediately
- Santa Rosa MacBook Pro (including multitouch pad), new 13" model, available next month
- Octo Mac Pro all the way (8x2.00, 8x2.33, 8x2.66) + new video cards, $2499-$3999, available immediately
- The new xMac: Bearlake/Yorkfield (4x2.00, 4x2.33, 4x2.66), $1499-$2499, available next month (What? Can't we dream?)

mid September (apple Expo Paris):
- iPod nano updates
- MacBook updates (Santa Rosa) + new 15" model
...

My time line...

Early January:
Macworld - announcements but no new shipping products.

End of January:
New Mac Pros with latest quad-core technology
New Cinema Displays with lower pricing
Shipping in about a week after announcement

Early February:
New Mac Pros, AppleTV, Airport Extreme n base station, cinema displays start shipping

Mid February:
Special Event
Recap of recent new products, AppleTV, 802.11n
New Mac mini with Core2 Duo
New iLife suite previewed - shipping by end of March
New iWork suite previewed - with new spreadsheet applications, ready to go
New "Top Secret" Leopard features revealed, shipping still "Spring"

End of March:
Shipping new version of iLife suite

Special Event
Release date of Leopard announced - April 28
New iMacs announced
- New high resolution display
- LED Backlight?
- Shipping with Leopard
New MacBook Pro Announced
Shipping with 10.5 Leopard at end of April
Santa Rosa chip set w/faster FSB,etc.
New high resolution display (150-160 ppi), with resolution independence, and possibly backlit with LED technology
Adopts some key features from MacBook: removeable hard drive, magnetic latch
new enclosure?

End of April:
Leopard and new versions of iMac, MacBook Pro start shipping

End of May:
Special Event
New MacBooks announced with Santa Rosa technology
15-inch widescreen version of MacBook added, resolution independence
Availability of iPhone
New iPods based on iPhone multi-touch technology and software

June:
iPhones ship
New version Airport Express to include 802.11n technology

OK,
Let me add to the mix:

February
MacPro octo-core
Cinema displays price reduction.
AppleTV shipping
Airport Extreme shipping

April
Leopard shipping
iwork shipping
ilife shipping
New apps for both apps suites above

May
iMac update
MacMini update

June-July
iPhone shipping
New bare bones lower price iPhone version announce
MacBook update

August
WWDC:
MacPro new case redesign (octo-core updates)
Cinema Displays redesign and new bigger than 40" Cinema Display (iSight optional on displays)
stand alone iSight
Final Cut Studio apps upgrade
MacBook pro updates

October
New line iPods
New widescreen iPod
New movie partners
New iTunes version

Also sometime this year something new and cool. Maybe the MacBook smaller size, etc.

Cheers!

Special event with iLife /iWork '07 announcement, brief demo, and release (with iWork bundled with new Macs, one can only hope) + jaw-dropping "Top Secret" Leopard demo preview with late spring release date... just previous to, on, or immediately following Vista's release.

I have never understood this idea that the iLife and iWork updates will wait for Leopard.

Apple is all about the money these days, and it makes zero financial sense to tie these releases to Leopard upgraders only.

Both suites are huge profit centers for Apple's software division. While certain Keynote effects may be enhanced by Leopard, there is no reason to restrict these upgrades to such small numbers of potential customers.

I still say we'll have both iLife and iWork by the end of January.

I agree - Apple would like the "07" version to sell for at least 11 months of 2007. After that, I suspect the market becomes quite thin. How many people are buying iLife 06 now that it's 2007 already? The name on the box tells you it's obsolete!

I think iLife will be integrated into OSX.5 sales. Jobs hinted, or mentioned something about it, and I think it's going to happen. iLife will be a part of the OS X disk series from now on. That's my big guess.

But it's a very wrong guess.

First of all, Jobs said no such thing, by hint or otherwise.

There's no reason to bundle the iLife suite since it sells very well on it's own.
Tying it to Leopard means that probably 90%+ of Mac users won't be able to use it in the first six to eight months.

Once there are sizable numbers of Leopard users, it will be almost time for iLife '08.

thats rather limited thinking isnt it?

are you saying i cant use iLife 06 NOW... because its obsolete... bugger... what do you make of someone still using a G3 iMac? or is any work they do on it also obsolete?

I wasn't referring to literal obsolescence - sheesh, I'm still using a five year-old Powerbook G4 even though Apple doesn't even sell them anymore. What I meant was that to the average consumer, a product suite from '06 (when it's '07) is old hat - they naturally are going to look for the same software with '07 across the title.

Unless software companies are planning to release a suite every year, it makes no sense to name it with the production year. For instance, I'm using the latest version of Microsoft Office - it's 2004! That's pretty weird if you ask me.

Anyway, I certainly won't be buying iLife '06 considering 2006 is over.

I wouldn't be surprised if computer companies started doing what car companies have been doing for decades - releasing the new model year 6 months before the new calendar year!

It might be a wrong guess, but Jobs _did_ insist on Leopard being "the complete package" and at one point said something like "we have all this great apps... ...and we're including them _all_" (I think he emphasized the "all"). I don't generally believe in reading too much into his words, but this really felt like it at least _could_ be about iL and maybe iW.

The suites needn't be "tied" to Leopard--it likely won't be a requirement, and they could still be sold separately (the price could be adjusted, and that would permit iL and iW '08, etc.)

Not saying this'll be, but the arguments against it are weak.

I remember reading something saying the Beatles catalog would be released to iTunes in February. I'll try to track it down.

Rumor Mill Heats Up Over Beatles/Apple Deal

January 19, 2007

Sgt. Pepper's one and only lonely
hearts club band

The music industry has been waiting for The Beatles' camp to enter the 21st century with the Fab Four's catalog, which is unavailable digitally. While the Beatles' Apple Corp. has famously feuded in court on-and-off over the years with Apple Computers (now Apple Inc.), last year it was rumored that the entire Beatles catalog was being remastered for a re-release in 2007. Now the rumor mill is turning again, with release dates being thrown around this time.

The Toronto Sun is reporting that the entire remastered Beatles catalog could be in stores by this June, and that their music could make its way onto the iTunes Music Store as early as February. The CD releases could possibly be timed to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and that album could also be released as a box set with stereo and mono mixes. The paper also notes that Apple Inc. is planning a "special announcement" during the Super Bowl, which could be the news Beatles fans have waited for.

Beatles fan sites are also hearing that the iTunes release date could be Valentine's Day, with a promotion tying it all together with the Cirque du Soleil/Beatles LOVE collaboration.



At the recent MacWorld convention, where the company unveiled the iPhone and Apple TV, CEO Steve Jobs slyly played a clip of "Lovely Rita" to try out the iPhone and tease the audience.

http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=336546

I was the person who started this thread and I have been having this personal debate about what to do for my Mac situation for weeks now and I'm getting impatient. I also read today that the next MacBook Pro could include a new LCD screen that will save battery and be brighter. This is my predicament,

I have two options, The first option is taht I can sell my PC laptop now. It will be in brand new condition because it will be just formatted and be like brand new by my IT guy, because it just completely crashed a few days ago and is being restored. I was thinking about selling it now, and when I go on vacation to the States I would get a MacBook Pro off eBay. It's cheaper and I can avoid all taxes and customs. I would also be forced to pay extra for a copy of Leopard...which isnt exactly cheap for a piece of software.

Two, I use my PC. I will have to go through reformatting everything at the time I purchase my Mac and I will get less for my computer later on. However, if I do that, I will wait and Mac Leopard will come installed on the computer, and potentially then the 15" MacBook (not pro) will be out then and hopefully with a bettter video card and a bigger standard hard drive. I see that Mac updates their hardware fairly often to increase the standard hard drive, memory & graphics card. However, this option forced me to use my piece of s*** PC for a while more and this option will be pricier because MacBook Pro's are cheaper now before they are updated and come with Leopard. I know this sounds like the obvious choice, but keep in mind this will cost much more $$$. I will get less for my PC and the Mac will be more expensive because its the newest, latest one.

Overall, I appreciate peoples in-depth feedback too, but overall I just want a simple poll from you guys. Simply, would you go with option 1 or 2?


Ian


P.S. Do you also think that buying an Applecare warranty is really worth it? Can you buy one off of eBay and when you recieve it, then register it to the Mac?

sorry my apologies....I posted this in the wrong thread

With 204ppi screens out there, and every out mac has builtin iSight

I hope it out on the 20th Feb annoucements.

this is what I am thinking.

special event will be held in the middle of FEB just after Superbowl.

Leopard will be annoced but shipped in the middle of March. there will be still no video ipod. but Apple will inform Beattle's version of special video ipod will be shipped before WWDC 2007. iLife, iWork 07 will be shipped. built-in isight cinema display will be out (17, 24, 30-inch). Apple TV will be started to ship. Steve Jobs will give us more about iPhone. finally, it will be possible that other countries itunes store will sell movies as well.

I find it intriguing that you chose to leave out the 20" Cinema Display. Looking at this, from a business and ease of choice point of view I agree. I think they should make a budget 17" minoter with IR, iSight, Mic. and speakers included. And then have the 24" and 30" Pro moniters with very high ppi., very thin, all the new tech. built in like iSight's etc. and make them LED backlit and height adjustable.

This is just a guess, and most likely wrong...

I think that Apple will have a special event showcasing the Mac Pro with Adobe when they are ready to ship CS3. The Mac Pro will be upgraded to dual quad cores on the high end. Based off of the lag time between the Mac Pro release and the release of the chips from Intel this will happen no earlier than mid February. Steve might not be able to get Adobe on board for this, they havent had the same type of relationship that they had in the Old days, but it would be good for both companies. Apple will also use this event to showcase 10.5.

April is the most likely month for the release of 10.5. That said they will probably have their entire line updated by the end of May. Assume one line updgraded a month this timeframe is about right for their current line-up.

Superbowl could bring us something, since there is the nostalgia of the 1984 ad. If so I think that it will be on the iPod line.

WWDC in June in time for the release of the iPhone, and the anouncement of a developers kit for it. Apple got a bit of bad press having it labeled as not being a smart phone due to having only propriatary software. I think the developers kit will be an offshoot of widgets rather than a full blown developers solutioin. This might be a good venue for the 30th aniversary Mac as well.

Displays will be updated with either the release of 10.5 if they are a higher resolution than the current line or with the release of new Mac Pro's.

I think there will be a February anouncement on the Apple TV front, with the iTMS upgrading their video to 720p and hopefully another movie studio on board and maybe a suprise on previously unanounced features.

iMac, Laptops, Mac Mini...just rutine upgrades is all I see for now.

According to Apple Recon, the next event will be Feb. 20 to release iLife '07, iWork '07, and new Mac Pros. They're saying Leopard will ship on 3/24. I've never visited them prior to hearing this, so I can't vouch for their track record. Not trying to stoke the rumor fire here, just some food for thought.

Well the time frame is right, but I'm not sure about their information. They claim it might be a week one way or the other based on Leopard development. I would imagine that Apple has a build that is stable enough for a public event showing off some of those top secreat features. They could do this at any time now, the only need for waiting on Leopard to have the event is if they want to anounce a definate release date, which they dont have to do, and the OS is not stable enough to know that release date. I would imagine that if they are planning a release in March then they have a pretty good idea if they are going to make that date by now.

I'm kind of in the camp that iLife and iWork will come with Leopard. I think we will have 2 hardware releases before Leopard and 3 after.

The two before would be the Mac Pro's and the Mac Mini. The Pro because they have a new quad core chip to put in them and the Mini because the network hardware needs to be upgraded to work with iTV, it will probably need more memory for Leopard, and they have the Core 2 Duo's to put in them.

I haven't been following the Intel news lately so I'm not sure of this, but I have not seen anything on the processor news hit the Mac news other than the Quad Core's release. If this is the case then the only processor updates they could do now are to faster Core 2 Duo's. Therefore the updates this cycle will be fairly small for these computers and we wait till Jan 08 for new Mac Book's and or iMacs that give us a new design direction for the Mac Line.

apple could come out with a macbook that has a real video card for $1500 now.

I hereby change my position on iLife bundling with Leopard and apologize profusely to Hobbes, Onlooker and DoctorRobert.

This is the first piece I've seen that lays out a compelling, strategic reason to bundle iLife with Leopard.

I was unaware that Redmond was bundling iLife-clone apps with Vista, and Looprumors is right - FrontRow is essentially useless with iLife. Given those two points, it makes sense that Apple would forego separate iLife box sales to integrate the MacOS experience.

Still disagree on iWork though. Apple won't cut the legs off of Office and chase Redmond off the platform. At least not yet.

All I remember is SJ saying something that led me to believe that it was going to be bundled with OS Leopard when he first demoed it. No need to apologize. Everybody is entitled to their opinion.

April fools day for leopard, iLife and iWorks