Seating for Feb 28 event limited, Mac mini expected

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Only a couple hundred outsiders will be provided seating at Apple Computer's special media event next Tuesday, which is expected to yield the first Intel-based Mac mini desktop computer amongst other products, AppleInsider has learned.



Earlier this week, Apple invited select analysts and members of the media to the event, scheduled to take place on the morning of Feb. 28 at the Town Hall Auditorium, located at 4 Infinite Loop on the company's Cupertino, Calif.-based campus.



Unlike recent Apple media events -- which have taken place in large venues located in both San Jose and San Francisco -- the upcoming event will feature a more exclusive audience of several hundred, rather than several thousand, due to the smaller size of the Town Hall Auditorium.



One of the more memorable events that have taken place in the same building was the launch of Apple's first 5GB iPod digital music player and iTunes 2.0 on Oct. 23, 2001. Apple also used the venue to roll out its 500MHz G3 iBooks in May of the same year, and its Xserve rack-mount servers the following year.



While Apple's precise agenda for the event is being kept closely under wraps, sources have grown extremely confident that the company will unveil a new line of Mac mini desktop computers based on Intel's Core processor architecture.



Source predictions aside, several other aspects support an imminent release of the Intel-based Mac mini, including Apple's recent refusal to fill large orders of the miniature computers, a scant supply of PowerPC-based Mac minis at Apple's two largest US-based distributors, and recent word from extremely reliable sources that the Intel Mac mini would soon be transitioned to manufacturing.



An Intel Mac mini is not the only product Apple chief executive Steve Jobs is expected to unveil at the event, though confirmation of other product introductions is still somewhat lacking at this time.



Two additional Apple products believed to be close to an introduction are a 13-inch widescreen Intel iBook consumer laptop and an iPod Boombox audio system, which is expected to provide plug-and-play music for the living room.



The Apple Town Hall Auditorium

Reports have indicated that the former has been under development alongside the Mac mini, while the latter was originally slated for an introduction in January but was pulled last minute when Apple received word there would not be enough supply of the device to meet expected demand.



The company has also reportedly been prepping several other iPod and music consumer electronics devices of unknown nature, as well as an update to its iTunes digital jukebox software.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 49
    So what about the leaked images purporting to be of a new video iPod? Are you totally dismissing them?



    Al.
  • Reply 2 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aallan

    So what about the leaked images purporting to be of a new video iPod? Are you totally dismissing them?



    Al.




    Yup. They're fake.



    http://www.folio.superbaka.com/fakepod.html
  • Reply 3 of 49
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    any live or delayed webcast of the event?
  • Reply 4 of 49
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aallan

    So what about the leaked images purporting to be of a new video iPod? Are you totally dismissing them?



    Al.




    No. They're real.
  • Reply 5 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Gates_of_Hell

    Yup. They're fake...



    How very disappointing...



    Al.
  • Reply 6 of 49
    Well I think we will see new MacMini and possible video iPod and Boombox, if the images are true.



    I myself hope for a MacBook as I want to get one asap.



    I believe the MacMini rumour to be very true while I would expect the MacBook and around April and the videoIpod anytime within the next 6 month.
  • Reply 7 of 49
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    They probably don't need a large auditorium as they have a pretty good set of journalists and other media people that are in their pockets anyway.



    Is a full-size video iPod feasible yet? If Apple continues the trend of being very slim, will it really be able to power itself for more than a couple hours? The 5G has a relatively small screen and it only runs 3 hours, a larger screen of double the area, of the same tech will simply suck down power a lot quicker. They could use OLED to save battery power, but I wouldn't pay for an OLED based device until I see adequate assurances that the short life issues of OLED have been addressed.
  • Reply 8 of 49
    There's demand for a BoomBox?
  • Reply 9 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aegisdesign

    There's demand for a BoomBox?



    I assume it will be more than just a boombox, probably more of a jukebox that can connect to a stereo. iTunes from the living room without having to have a mac there, and better interface/controls/remote for that situation than an ipod.
  • Reply 10 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aegisdesign

    There's demand for a BoomBox?



    I guess you didn't go to MacWorld last month.



    There were at least three different vendors selling modified backpacks and purses that were iPod boomboxes.



    Not to mention all the standard boomboxes in dozens of different styles.



    If there is a market for all those offerings, I don't see why an Apple branded one couldn't be planned.
  • Reply 11 of 49
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by OriginalMacRat

    I guess you didn't go to MacWorld last month.



    There were at least three different vendors selling modified backpacks and purses that were iPod boomboxes.



    Not to mention all the standard boomboxes in dozens of different styles.



    If there is a market for all those offerings, I don't see why an Apple branded one couldn't be planned.




    Are they selling? There is a difference between offering those suckers for sale and actually making a sale.
  • Reply 12 of 49
    davegeedavegee Posts: 2,765member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by aegisdesign

    There's demand for a BoomBox?



    Yea... as sombody else stated (in some thread I was reading)... A boombox?!?! Hey, the 1980's called and want their technology back.







    A living-room / family-room / 'receiver type' player yea maybe but a boombox I dunno...



    Dave
  • Reply 13 of 49
    iGhettoblaster pOwA!
  • Reply 14 of 49
    19841984 Posts: 955member
    I don't know about the term 'Boombox' either but maybe something small like this or this but with wireless connectivity to a Mac running iTunes.
  • Reply 15 of 49
    Quote:

    Originally posted by shanmugam

    any live or delayed webcast of the event?



    I agree, I would be wicked pissed if they don't post a webcast of this event!



    Anyone know if they posted the original iPod announcement which was located the same auditorium?
  • Reply 16 of 49
    yeah, they posted a webcast after the fact for the original iPod intro
  • Reply 17 of 49
    tednditedndi Posts: 1,921member
    Unless it looks something like this.



    then they do an edit.....



    http://tauquil.com/archives/2006/02/...note-bloopers/
  • Reply 18 of 49
    nofeernofeer Posts: 2,427member
    what if that boombox was connected and wifi, so that you could access your music anywhere aka slingbox, then that could be joined to a media center
  • Reply 19 of 49
    You mean they didn't knock down Town Hall for this extra special event? It's a nice Hall. It doesn't need to seat anymore than it does.
  • Reply 20 of 49
    Here's what I think the "boombox" would be like.



    The "boombox" is basically an Airport, with AirTunes capabilities. It is different from the AirportExpress in that the "boombox" comes with a remote, build-in speakers, and a display. You can stream music from a mac to the "boombox" just like you do with the Airport Express, but you can also control it directly from the living room because of these added features.



    Furthermore, the "boombox" can receive video streams from a mac or the internet and feed into a TV set. You can now listen to music, watch videos, movies, etc. that are stored on a mac without leaving the living room. the Front Row will be the interface that appears on the TV.



    Something like this should not be very difficult to be built, and my guess is that it will be something like $300. Yet it can basically turn a mac into a media center in a snap.



    This could be really really big, if Apple can build a movie distribution (streming) system just like the iTunes music store.



    The iTunes will manage the contents so the "boombox" will be available to PC users as well, and Apple can dominate the movie distribution business, just like they did with the on-line music distribution.
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