Andy Ihnatko's rumor might be true after all..

Rumor - The Mac Mini and something “huge” to come from Apple this month?
by Jake Gaecke on Jan 9, 2009

Disappointed by Apple’s Keynote announcements? Me too. We were all expecting something in the way of hardware that wasn’t completely obvious (i.e. the 17” MacBook Pro). Well, we received some potentially good news. While discussing the fate of the expo with a long-time Macintosh software developer, we received a tip from someone in the know about Apple’s coming plans, and it seems that those plans involve a big finger to Macworld.

The tip goes like this. Apple is planning on updating the Mac Mini very soon, and that update won’t be it’s death. In fact, it’s most likely ready as you read this, and could have been announced at Macworld. But instead of announcing it here, Apple held back, seemingly in an effort to prove that they don’t need Macworld. The announcement could come as soon as two weeks. But, as much as I want a new Mac Mini, that’s not the juice in this tip.

Apparently, Apple also has a “huge” announcement that will make the Mac Mini news pale in comparison to the other half of this rumor. Unfortunately, that’s all we know. Our source, who says he heard this directly from Apple reps at this week’s Expo, wouldn’t tell him more than that, but he finds this particularly peculiar. He has had Apple reps slip information to him before, but not this freely. This info, he says, was offered straight off without any questioning, as if it isn’t a secret, but is. He believes Apple is purposely letting this information slip in an effort to further prove the company doesn’t need the Macworld Conference and Expo, and to immediately start generating interest in their own event and to build bigger news than what’s coming from the Moscone Center this week. If this is true, it’s working.

Apple will more than likely be holding a special event shortly for the two big announcements; the first is the Mac Mini, to which Apple expects to you… excuse me… yawn. The second is in true Apple style, completely a secret. But it’s gigantic and will make your mouth drop in a way that doesn’t involve yawning. Stay tuned, things should be heating up shortly.

Originally Posted by hobBIT

iPhone nano anyone? Yawn...

But perhaps it's a mid-range tower? The X-Mac!
What other hardware could reasonably be presented along a Mac mini?

Alternatively something along a Superbowl ad, some 25th anniversary Macintosh.
Although '2009 won't be like 2009' somehow does not have the same ring as '1984 won't be like 1984'.
[They could try that again in 2012, perhaps.]

We'll see. We should know no later than 1st week of February. And if really Apple intentionally leaked those 'rumors' then I'm sure they're going to leak some more until the official unveiling.

Yet last time Apple stirred up public interest all we got was a lukewarm iTunes announcement...

Originally Posted by ajprice

If Apple did make a small tower or 25th Anniversary Mac model, and it used i7 processors, how would the i7 processor power compare with the quad and 8 core Xeon MacPro? I'd expect it to slot inbetween iMac and MacPro, in terms of power. There's a lot of confusion over the potential new desktops though, with the 28" iMac, Mac mini/Apple TV, xMac and whatever else there is flying around. Maybe they'll kill the iMac and sell packages with the 24" DisplayPort LCD (yeah right).

Originally Posted by murk

How about Apple buys Sprint. Your precious Pre is screwed.

Originally Posted by KingOfSomewhereHot

That's not new ... it's called an iPhone (or iPod Touch.)

Originally Posted by wizard69

While I don't see it as a device specifically designed to be an ebook reader that would be a functionality supported on the device. Or I should say devices as I can see Apple marketing Touch based devices in several sizes. Hopefully the first device is paperback sized or slightly bigger.

I still see such a device filling the roll of a Newton 2 or bigger iPod Touch. The larger screen obviously makes for better net connectivity and eBook reader functionality. With the tech Apple is able to throw at it the device should come in very thin and hopefully crammed with flash.


Actually I hope you are very close, but no genius award for you. I'm also hoping I'm close when it comes to internal storage. I really hope that Apple grasps just how important lots of flash will be in this device.

For example I have several magazine subscriptions that I read regurally. Some of these I would very much like to see stored on a device like this basically forever. Not all magazines mind you but at least the ones that I like to refer back to often. It would sort of become an electronic book shelf of sorts, greatly reducing the sizes of physical collections. Likewise with books, some you just need to keep forever others are only good for a partial read.

The other twist Apple needs to throw on this is searchability. Hopefully every delivery of a newspaper, magazine or book would result in that publication being indexed and cataloged into a searchable database. The one thing that sucks about physical books is finding that piece O' info you know you read about last year!


Dave

Originally Posted by Hudson1

I'm having a hard time believing all of this "jaw-dropping" device stuff. If this is such an incredible thing and so secretly guarded, why would Apple see that a couple of outside people were told about it (a journalist no less)? If this really happened it wouldn't still be a secret.