Don't expect any "Future Hardware" this expo!

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
<a href="http://www.thinksecret.com"; target="_blank">www.thinksecret.com</a>









January 3, 2003 - Exclusive It's Expo time again and just like we did in July of 2002, we're ready to divulge what you can expect from Steve Jobs & Company at next week's much-anticipated Macworld Expo in San Francisco.



Over the past few days, we've read a lot of predictions. Some of them very ingenious; others just downright stupid (although you get the impression the person writing them truly believes what he or she writes). As you read this story remember this: Except for percentages between zero and 100 percent, Think Secret doesn't make predictions. What we report is based on actual source material, and our sources are checked and re-checked.



So what can you expect? We've been working our sources and here are the specifics, with the chances of our picks based on percentage:



100% - iAPP UPDATES...BUT FOR A FEE

After Steve Jobs begins his keynote by putting a positive spin on his Apple retail stores -- which by the way aren't having any impact whatsoever on Mac market share -- he'll dive right into the updates to a number of iApps ranging from iDVD, to iMovie, to iPhoto. He'll wow the crowd with all the new features. He'll feed his ego with the crowd's "ooooohh's" and "aaahhh's."



And then he'll drop the bomb that if you want full version upgrades of these products, you'll pay a little less than $50 for a bundled package, sources tell us. Isn't it funny that Apple finally learned something Mac shareware authors have been living off of for years. What's the famous Michael Douglas line..."Greed is good"? You be the judge.



100% - 802.11g

While the Windows world is just now waking up in droves to the value of Wi-Fi (a.k.a. AirPort), Apple wants to stay on the cutting edge. It's time for 802.11g and data transfer rates of up to 54Mbps in the 2.4GHz spectrum. Don't buy an existing AirPort base station (even if you could get one!). Hello better, faster AirPort.



100% - NO RE-VAMPED iMACS/eMACS

As hard as this is to believe, there will be no iMac/eMac speed-bumps or all new models in San Francisco, as we reported earlier today. Why? Apple's focus in San Francisco will be software and wireless (and maybe something else that we'll get to later). Also, Apple is sitting on a huge inventory of existing products because of poor Christmas sales.



If you see anything about existing Macs at Expo it might be price reductions to clear out inventory before new, speed-bumped products are introduced in late January or early February. Usually if Apple reduces prices, there's no announcement at the keynote, but simply quiet price cuts online later that same day.



100% - NO MONITOR LINE RE-VAMP

Why re-vamp your monitors when you're not going to do the same thing on your professional towers? Sources confirm no new flat-panel displays will be announced, so the 15-inch version will not be killed off immediately, as has been so speculated. Look for a display re-focus in late January or early February.



75% - APPLE-BRANDED BROWSER

If this is announced, kudos to Apple for keeping it so tightly under wraps. We hear rumblings and we hear something Apple will announce Microsoft won't be happy about. Is this it?



50% - iCHAT UPDATE



0% - G4 TOWER SPEED BUMPS

Not now. Soon.



0% - POWERBOOK/iBOOK RE-VAMP/SPEED BUMPS

Too soon. 1 GHz G3 processor in iBooks coming later.



0% - XSERVE RAID DEBUT

It was delayed from December, but this Expo is more of a consumer-oriented show, so forget it until later in January.



0% - QUICKTIME 6.1

'Disappointing' is the best word we could put on this news, but 'embarrassing' is just as good. Get on the stick, Frank Casanova. Microsoft's Windows Media Center Edition is kicking your butt.



0% - APPLEWORKS 7

Office compatibility will be added, but this product isn't ready for prime time.



0% - iPOD UPDATE

Lower prices, bigger capacity and added Bluetooth? Not now, but it's coming.



0% - BLUETOOTH WIRELESS KEYBOARD & MOUSE

It just a matter of time, but because it's still so expensive to make Bluetooth products cheap enough, it won't be now.



0% - APPLE PDA

Our thanks to Dan Gillmor of the San Jose Mercury News for his hilarious prediction that Apple would come out with a PDA. For a man with his finger on the pulse of technology news right in his own backyard, you wonder how he keeps his job. When is this rumor ever going to stop? Apple is not going to get into the PDA business. Everyone, please give up.



0% - 19-INCH, FLAT-PANEL iMAC

Where do these rumors get started!? Don't believe every rumor from Asian newspapers. Stop the madness!



So after looking at the list, you're reaction is, "Is that all?!" Maybe not. We can't see Steve Jobs doing a keynote with just a bunch of iApp announcements and a new AirPort base station as the main items. There are rumblings of something bigger than any of this; something Apple should be congratulated for keeping under such tight wraps, if true. Let's say it's 40% inspiration, 60% clues, but we wouldn't be totally surprised to see an innovative tablet Mac in the $1100 to $1500 range. Just think of it...Inkwell handwriting recognition, iSync capabilities, Bluetooth and a PCMCIA slot for an optional AirPort card. Just like the iMac, it's time for Apple to innovate again.



Is this the best place to remind you that of our 100% Apple announcements last July every one of them came true?



............

Need I say more? How many of your are totally pissed off at the idea of Apple making us pay for the iApps? Yea, thats what I thought. And I'm pissed as well I wanted my Apple Stock to go back up. However, a realy cool Apple Tablet with 54Mps Airport could make for a really cool machine. Though, Not one I would ever buy...



So what do you guys think? Is thinkSecret right this time like all the other times? Or could they just maybe have been feed some false information? Here's to hoping that we get new iMacs at least. But my bets are with ThinkSecret in the end.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 1
    See the Temporary Insanity forum.



    There are already threads discussing this possibility.



    FYI: we had the dirt on the iApps before TS reported it.



    [ 01-03-2003: Message edited by: Brad ]</p>
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