Prediction posts - Page 4

Multitouch tablet
Cube 2.0
Ultraportable laptop

Are my hardware predictions. 3 new seems to be a bit much so I'm figuring 2 of those out of 3.

Maybe some smaller announcements?

I'll make a guess at a standalone Apple External hard drive (iDrive?) to complement Time Machine as well as OS 10.5.2 support back in for air disk support through airport express.

.Mac as it stands becomes free but with additional .Mac+ with much higher storage capacity at current prices.

iPhone update allows for cover-flowing remote for Apple TV 2.

With Bestbuy Reward Zone Card you can get 12% off computer accesories January 11-14! the DAY before the keynote.. and i plan on getting a mac mini or its update/replacment. so i need to get a wireless mighty mouse and wireless keyboard.. do you think it will be safe to buy before macworld?

AppleTV to include wireless operation of another mac similar to screen sharing but much faster and including audio. Can operate AppleTV with wireless keyboard.

Finally someone with common sense.
Vox, I have been saying that for months. I understand that would be very cool to have BR on AppleTV but like you said it detracts from people buying iTunes content.

AppleTV needs IMHO:
1080p
5.1 audio
iTunes store built-in so you do not need your Mac to get content
LCD touch screen remote control ala iPhone
larger HD
Movie rentals
Higher res content. at least 720p
more and more content on iTunes, specially movies and tv shows.

not necessarily.
1 - 2y ago, I posted here the 'business model' of selling 'CSS/DRM keys' at iTS ...
the disk is the mass storage media - which doesn't allow a 'ripping' as we know for usage on iPod/iTouch/iPhone/Mac/AppleTV ..

so, you pay your 14,99$ at the store and an additional 'fee' of 99¢ at iTS which allows the rip of that disk on your Mac ... iTunes is then enabled to rip that DVD/BR once ...

iTS just has to deliver a few kB, the Terms of Usage are the same as with iTS delivered content (one Mac, sharing to 5 pods) .. you use the disks for 'downloading' 20Gigs of HiDef content.. saves bandwidth..

^^^ a very cool idea. im a supporter of the built-in BR, i understand that it may not be the best way to sell iTS content, but it'd be the cheapest BR player on the market (at today's prices)... which would make it an instant sell-out! and while i like what you said about "buy the disc, pay apple, rip the content..." (i've been saying this for two years!!! great thinking!) on the other hand, i am a bit skeptical about ripping 20gb at a time to my MBP... i only have a 100gb hdd, and its over half full as is now, if AppleTV included a 1TB HDD, or if Apple made a stand-alone 1TB HDD (that matched and stacked under the AppleTV or AEBS that we could plug directly into the AppleTV using 3.0gb SATA... then they might have something! even though at 20gb/movie, thats only 50 movies/TB


another thought... why include 1080p out, no Blu-Ray/DVD player, but only offer downloadable content up to 720p? i dont understand the logic... are you just playing at future higher quality downloads?

Ok - one more prediction. A bit left field.

Apple, Intel and Google introduce a WiMax high-speed wireless data network. (Air)
The new iPhone will be a WiMax product. Apple are skipping 3G.

Unlimited data, high data rates, free voice calling.

How's that for "boom"?

C.

"Isn't this incredible?"

Hate to spoil your fun but only clearwire and sprint own the wimax spectrum in the US.

Not gonna happen.

The only thing that I'm 100% sure about is the notebook and iTs rentals.
The notebook has to come. I mean, "It's just gorgeous.", "We think you're going to love it"

Besides the obvious (the MacBook "Air" subnotebook), I want to see the following:

1) A new, improved Apple TV device with movie rentals through the iTunes Music Store.

2) A new, completely revamped iTunes software that adds the new movie rental feature.

3) A new iPod shuffle with a small LCD display and 1 and 2 GB versions.

4) An iPod nano upgrade with a 16 GB version in black and Product Red case designs only.

You don't think Clearwire want to monetize their investment?
Apple can either partner with 3g providers with pre existing infra-structure or leapfrog over them to a better, cheaper technology. WiMax is a disruptive technology. Apple like being disruptive.

C.

I hope the shuffle never gets a screen, I like it the way it is. We have a decent chance of a 16GB iPhone, but I don't see a 16GB nano anytime soon. I definitely see new Cinema Displays.

I think you'd be lucky to get one of those let alone two.

i can see apple sharing with google spectrum but to put a wimax in this before 3 g is off
rem they are to prep for asia how much wimax is in asia????

when the contract with att is over then they will do a mvno with google
that's off...i'm sure they are secretly trying this.


usually when it comes to hardware surprises we are off way off

but lets think apple elegant solution

apple mini, becomes apple tv home server, then you have one product that can do 3 things and compete with slingbox, tivo, MS and the basis for early adopters of apple.....now that would be an elegant solution

they really need to create the home server market....it's big big big. an elegant apple solution

Sure. I'll bet clearwire would love to do a deal. Their stock has been hammered ever since their deal with Sprint fell apart. But wouldn't ATT have to be a part of it?

Don't get me wrong I like WiMax, or the promise of WiMax.

The next-generation iPhone has to have a way forwards. Mac laptops could also benefit from wireless broadband.

There ain't much choice. Apple has to go with one of two technologies.
1) 3G
or
2) WiMax

If Apple goes 3G it means hooking-up with a hundred different providers around the planet.
These providers have spent billions in setting up their infra-structure. They want that money back from someone. 3G is not that fast, not that cheap, not that low power. These providers are best described as "cellphone networks" which is another way of saying they are all money-grabbing a**holes. Not only are they bad partners for Apple, they are screwing their customers which creates a great market opportunity.

WiMax would mean Apple & partners having to invest their own billions on network infrastructure. But with the right partners, and the right handsets, and the right chipsets, Apple could disrupt the entire wireless industry.

Would AT&T be allowed on the AirBus for the ride? Possibly, possibly not. They would not have to be involved. AT&T cannot pull-out of supporting the first gen iPhone. The ink has dried on the contract.

Would Apple like a network pal? I dunno, it would depend on whether Steve has had his Shiatzu.

C.

This is unlikely to happen, it's just what I'd do if I had $15bn in loose change. And it seemed a more imaginative idea than a Laptop built from AeroGel.

Here are some wishes i have. They are based upon the "air" banners as well as several other patents apple has issued.

The ability to have itunes act as a media server that an iPhone can accessed anywhere. All music, pictures, and video on your home computer could be played at any time, giving the iPhone almost unlimited storage while in a network or using wifi. Data can be deleted directly on the iPhone as well as the ability to download itune's data from the base computer. Once connected to the home computer, browsing music would be almost identical to the regular interface. Coverflow would only be enabled while in wifi, and a search function would be added. There would also be a server tool to set up group collections with DRM free music and video. Passwords could be put in place for group collections so that only some people could access them, but other could be completely open. Itune will have a special library that will be able to be wirelessly accessed. Users will just drag and drop data into this file but, there will also be an option to host a user's entire library online.

Wireless desktop access for mac users on the iPhone. The iPhone would act as a wireless "screen" that could interact with one's computer from anywhere in the world. Zooming and regular navigation will be enabled, but a new gesture to lock the screen in its current position will also be added. (perhaps two double taps in quick succession) Once a screen is locked in a certain position, files and applications would be much easier to interact with. Applications developers could also make it so that when their applications are accessed on the iPhone, a select set of buttons are brought up on the side of the screen. These buttons will be semitransparent and could vary their function based on what aspect of an application is in use. Developers could also use the accelerometer.


If only this could happen.

The new "Air" product has nothing (directly) to do with any notebook announcements. Check out TacoJoe's thread... It's a wireless network drive...

For my money, this MWSF will be a mobile event. The MacBook Pro is in desperate need of an update, and there are some new patents I have heard rumor of.

+ One of the rumored patents would allow Apple to create a tablet a la iPhone, using Apple's Multi-touch technology. In my mind, this is the only way Apple will ever make a tablet. I have been saying for a long time that they would never make a tablet, but I believe they might if they integrate multi-touch.

+ The other rumor relates to Apple using Multi-Touch in conjunction with a new type of track pad for the MacBook line.

I know that there will be other announcements on Tuesday, but since the Mac Pro has already seen it's facelift, I think that the rest of the hardware announcements will be related to the mobile Mac.

I think you're wrong. I think it is the new MacBook. Associating it with "air" is just a clever way (and very Apple-like of late) of marketing its light weight to the mass consumer. However it could also be Apple's new AppleTV. It's not for a wireless network drive, cause that isn't sexy enough to be a main announcement - ergo the Airport Extreme.

He's since admitted he was faking

I do think there is a chance for an 16 GB 3G iPod nano, mostly because Apple needs such a product to compete against new, small media players from Sandisk (Sansa View) and Creative (ZEN) that are already available in 16 GB models. Even if it costs US$249, the 16 GB iPod nano would sell like ice cream in summer (I'd buy one myself!).

By the way, besides a new version of iTunes (Version 8.0) that will include movie rental download support and a completely revamped interface, I'd like to see Apple include a built-in Audible manager on the Windows version so it makes it easy to download Audible audiobooks.

Remember 2 things:

1) Most recent MWSF keynotes are about software, company progress, and iTunes Store, not about speed bumps to the hardware. You're thinking of the old days when all they had to talk about was another 100 mHz on the G4s and iMacs, and wow - Superdrives!!

2) Even if one of the iPods gets a memory bump, that isn't keynote material. It's a press release.

There will be plenty to take up the 90 minutes if movie rentals, iPhone SDK, retail stores, Christmas sales results, MS Office 2008, and the new notebook are discussed.

The new subnotebook could very well be the MacBook Air. Light and made for travel.... and the name does not imply less expensive.

And why is that a problem. When Apple wanted Edge they only signed up one provider. If Clearwire and Sprint got their act together they would make sure that customers could easily leverage the facilities of the others network with out the massive roaming fees and other disincentives that plaque cell technology.

Actually I see 3G as dead technology myself. So I see something happening as an alternative. Maybe WiMax is young, I know the expansion is slow around here but frankly it offers up many conveniences that simply don't exist in other technologies.

So clamor all you want about 3G but it is something that is already on life support and frankly I just don't see it competing well against the alternative.

Dave

Wise words.

Hey you're preaching to the choir. I've been very positive about WiMax and for a time owned clearwire stock.

I would love for Apple to leapfrog over 3g and go straight to a 4g technology. WiMax is the going to be the 4g tech that will make it to market first. But with Apple tied to ATT and ATT showing little signs of adopting WiMax, I don't see it happening.

This 4g technology looks very promising as well. But its uncertain that ATT is going to adopt this or go with something different.

Then it's obviously ridiculous not to use 3G. Your talking about stuff that's not going to happen for a few years, and 3G is now. Well we need the increase in speed now. I think it's time for a 3G iPhone today!

You are probably right.
But you gotta admit, there is something very amusing about taking all that money from AT&T and O2 and the rest - and using it to build a cheaper, faster network.

It's sort of like what Apple did to the record companies. :-)

C.

Yes, if Apple don't use WiMax then it will need to use existing 3g technology because the other 4g technologies are a few years off.

WiMax will be available this year. But unless ATT buy Sprint, I don't see them offering WiMax. But who knows.. the telco industry seems to be in flux at the moment. In part due to the changes Apple themselves have brought to the industry.

Look for
1: The availability of BEATLES songs and Movie rentals from the iTunes Music Store. Possible purchase of Netflix.
2: new mac touch/ultra/sub notebook/iTablet
2: Merging of the mini and Apple TV into a media server with iPhone remote control feature
3: Update of iPhone software with possible VOICE DIALING. Less likely, but far more desirable, and a true KILLER APP for the iPhone would be DICTATION SOFTWARE, similar to iListen, that would let a user dictate an outgoing Email, that could later be retrieved on a home computer, then to be filed or printed.

That's what I suggested elsewhere and someone pissed all over my parade. Content box that holds all your media. Wirelessly sends it to all other devices.

[Goes grumbling off into a corner now, complaining to himself that I was using Apple II's before most of you were born and started programming on a Wang punchcard system.]

... (female voice screams: Dinner is waiting, honey)