Let's talk Macworld 2009 hardware; what's left to fill up all that time?
iLife, iWork '09?
Macbreak Weekly seems to think we might see these networked HDTV's, and I agree. If they decide to launch the TV's without an iTunes TV Show subscription service, or even make it optional I think we could be very well looking at Apple's entry into the TV Market - the final leg in their stool - as early as January '09.
What do you expect to fill those 90 minutes in January?
The only other thing I can think of is "Mac touch", but a hunch tells me that's still about 12 months away.
P.S. Gut feeling there won't be any LCD version, Plasma only. Call me crazy, but I already know Steve has a plasma. I see them competing in the high-end, exclusive club first. 2 models: 42", and 50" - both Plasma.
Macbreak Weekly seems to think we might see these networked HDTV's, and I agree. If they decide to launch the TV's without an iTunes TV Show subscription service, or even make it optional I think we could be very well looking at Apple's entry into the TV Market - the final leg in their stool - as early as January '09.
What do you expect to fill those 90 minutes in January?
The only other thing I can think of is "Mac touch", but a hunch tells me that's still about 12 months away.
P.S. Gut feeling there won't be any LCD version, Plasma only. Call me crazy, but I already know Steve has a plasma. I see them competing in the high-end, exclusive club first. 2 models: 42", and 50" - both Plasma.
Comments
And how about an iPhone bump or software upgrade.
Then when they release their TV's, they can easily distinguish between their "only" computer moniter, and their flashy new plasma Televisions, both marketing-wise, and in-the-store-wise.
This isn't Apple Computer Inc. anymore, this is Apple Inc. Didn't you hear?
-Mac Pro (speed bump with new Intel Quad Cores)
-iMac (possible speed bump)
-Macbook Air (possible redesign to match current MB, MBP offerings)
-Macbook Pro 17in (redesign to match current 15in MBP)
-Redesign of the other Cinema Displays.
Apple kills off both the 20" and 30" Cinema Displays. This does a few things. It simplifies and clarifies their display business. The 20" probably wasn't selling too well, and the 30" wasn't doing great either. The 23" was the one doing the work so to maximize focus and profits they decide to solely concentrate on this size, 24" in this case.
Then when they release their TV's, they can easily distinguish between their "only" computer moniter, and their flashy new plasma Televisions, both marketing-wise, and in-the-store-wise.
This isn't Apple Computer Inc. anymore, this is Apple Inc. Didn't you hear?
Right. Apple Inc is going to release a series of HDTVs but sabotage it's display systems?
This 24" LED backlit display is an experiment to see how well it's received.
I expect their future Cinema Displays to include DVI-I or they might as well just tell people now to find another solution.
The tens of millions of DVI-I GPU cards out there and their owners could give a rusty f*** that Apple wants to move to miniDisplayPort.
Right. Apple Inc is going to release a series of HDTVs but sabotage it's display systems?
This 24" LED backlit display is an experiment to see how well it's received.
I expect their future Cinema Displays to include DVI-I or they might as well just tell people now to find another solution.
The tens of millions of DVI-I GPU cards out there and their owners could give a rusty f*** that Apple wants to move to miniDisplayPort.
Re-do the pricing/specs on their macbooks that they messed up so badly today?
1) The 17" Macbook Pro needs to be redesigned.
2) The 20" and 30" displays need to be refreshed to the new design.
3) The iMac needs to be updated with new processors and graphics.
4) The Mac Pro needs a massive update.
5) The iPhone needs 32GB of storage.
6) Snow Leopard needs to be shown off.
7) Something needs to be done about the Mac mini and low-end Macbook.
8) And whatever else I'm forgetting. Probably software stuff.
I expect some of those things will happen before Macworld, and some not long after it.
or at least a NEW not so mighty MOUSE ....
Any clue?
A question for does who already have the new Macbook pro, what about windows? the 2 video cards can be a problem on Windows XP and Vista...
Any clue?
This issue will be taken care of when Apple updates the BootCamp drivers. Nvidia has already been making drivers for these Hybrid-SLI machines, so it can't be much trouble to package one tailored for the new MBP with a BootCamp update.
Any prediction on the release, price and features of the Macbook Pro 17"?
You take the new high-end MBP 15", you add (maybe) another FW800 port, since you get more room, the current 1920*1200 display, the same price $2799. Eventually you'll get an BTO option for a 2.66/2.80GHz cpu. January?
Let's see.
1) The 17" Macbook Pro needs to be redesigned.
2) The 20" and 30" displays need to be refreshed to the new design.
3) The iMac needs to be updated with new processors and graphics.
4) The Mac Pro needs a massive update.
5) The iPhone needs 32GB of storage.
6) Snow Leopard needs to be shown off.
7) Something needs to be done about the Mac mini and low-end Macbook.
8) And whatever else I'm forgetting. Probably software stuff.
I expect some of those things will happen before Macworld, and some not long after it.
1- See my other post above
2- The 20" display will certainly get the same treatement as the 24", LED BL, mini DP, USB hub, Magsafe? Same price as the current one $599. Same for the 30" maybe?
3- iMac. Will certainly get the same treatment as the new MBs. LED-BL displays, increase in price, about the same in cpu power (anyway, there is no plan for more than 3.06GHz mobile cpus from Intel, and until SnowLeopard, it is not certain that the 2.53GHz quad is really faster than the dual 3.06GHz). Probable line-up:
$1399 LED-BL 20" iMac 2.26GHz
$1599 LED-BL 20" iMac 2.53GHz
$1899 LED-BL 24" iMac 2.80GHz
$2199 LED-BL 24" iMac 3.06GHz
4- Mac Pro. There are rumors about a delay on the upcoming Nehalem Xeons. If it is so, The best we could get is a speebump (or a new BTO option) to 3.4GHz. If the Nehalem Xeons make it for January, I am afraid the Mac Pro will also see an(other) price increase since, for example, the upcoming quad 2.53GHz Nehalem Xeon will cost about the same as the current quad 2.80GHz Harpertown.
5- I pass on the iPhone, don't care what they do with it in terms of hardware/storage
6- I hope they'll show some SnowLeopard features/performance too.
7- Mac mini. Who knows? Low-end MacBook. Maybe not at MW, but maybe next spring (notebooks referesh/speedbump...). A return to the regular pricing:
$1099 2.00GHz ($200 price cut)
$1299 2.26GHz (0.26GHz speedbump)
$1499 2.40GHz ($100 price cut)
8- iLife/iWork '09? iPod touch maxi?
iMac - Update with Display Port, LED screen and Nvidia dual GPU as on the MBP, maybe with quad processors, and a little less chin. My understanding of the reasoning for the iMac's chin was to house the speakers in there. The 24" LED screen has speakers and no chin, so they should be able to reduce it on the iMac, at least.
Mac mini - Hmm, this place always seem to put the doom hammer over it, but I hope it stays around. Display Port, Nvidia integrated graphics (can't see it getting the MBP dual GPU), maybe reposition it as a 'super Apple TV' living room computer, rather than a switchers box.
Mac Pro - Display Port, newer processors and GPU. Don't know much about Xeons so I'm generalising
iLife 09 if it doesn't happen before then. Snow Leopard news.
Cinema Displays - Can LED do a 30" screen yet? Is 20" to small for a pro screen in 2009? Just sayin'...
1- See my other post above [17" MBP]
This may come before MWSF09, just as a press release. Too bad the 45 Watt Mobile Extreme processors aren't in play. 3.06 GHz dual-core or 2.53 GHz quad-core would be interesting for the MBP. Since they did "refresh" the MBP 17", MWSF09 could be the time. A quick 30 second 1 slide announcement.
2- The 20" display will certainly get the same treatement as the 24", LED BL, mini DP, USB hub, Magsafe? Same price as the current one $599. Same for the 30" maybe?
Inevitable. They are moving to display port. Also inevitable that Apple won't lower the price either. They are a premium PC seller afterall.
3- iMac. Will certainly get the same treatment as the new MBs. LED-BL displays, increase in price, about the same in cpu power (anyway, there is no plan for more than 3.06GHz mobile cpus from Intel, and until SnowLeopard, it is not certain that the 2.53GHz quad is really faster than the dual 3.06GHz). Probable line-up:
$1399 LED-BL 20" iMac 2.26GHz
$1599 LED-BL 20" iMac 2.53GHz
$1899 LED-BL 24" iMac 2.80GHz
$2199 LED-BL 24" iMac 3.06GHz
I think this will be the big hitter for MWSF09.
LED backlighting probably. I don't think they'll go down in CPU Hz. Current bottom-end iMac 20" is 2.4 GHz with 6 MB L2 cache, 1066 MHz FSB, 1 GB DDR2-800 SDRAM, 128 MB ATI Radeon 2400 XT, all for $1199! That's a pretty big spec list. Unfortunately, it's also Apple's least competitive product.
People can get 2.4 GHz quad-core desktops for $1199 now, with mostly the same specs as the iMac. Or get a 2.4 GHz dual-core for $800. Apple has to do something to get into performance or spec parity at the $1199 price points and above.
I think the bottom end has to be at least 2.4 GHz dual-core with 1066 MHz FSB, Nvidia core logic with 9400 iGP, 2 GB DDR3-1066 SDRAM, 128 MB Nvidia discrete graphics, 500 GB hard disk. Above that, they should use 2.33, 2.4, 2.53 or 2.66 GHz quad-cores, with 2.8 and 3.06 dual-cores as options. Corresponding increases in graphics performance, memory size, storage size too, and screen size. Obviously DisplayPort will be there. I think Firewire will stay.
They could go crazy and do the 30" 2.4:1 aspect ratio screen! That would be pretty cool, and productivity enhancer too.
4- Mac Pro. There are rumors about a delay on the upcoming Nehalem Xeons. If it is so, The best we could get is a speebump (or a new BTO option) to 3.4GHz. If the Nehalem Xeons make it for January, I am afraid the Mac Pro will also see an(other) price increase since, for example, the upcoming quad 2.53GHz Nehalem Xeon will cost about the same as the current quad 2.80GHz Harpertown.
Agree here.
5- I pass on the iPhone, don't care what they do with it in terms of hardware/storage
Like last year, a 32 GB iPhone and a 64 GB iPod touch will be released. They probably won't do big marketing on it either, just like last year. Also, I think iPhone OS X v2.2 will be out, maybe v2.3, with push notification, a partner for navigation, and likely, more content announcements (music DRM, video content).
Actually iTunes content stuff could be the MWSF09 headliner. Come on Apple. Copy Hulu. Free with advertizing is the way to go. Offer it on iTunes.
6- I hope they'll show some SnowLeopard features/performance too.
Hope so too. I'm dying to see Jobs explain this breakthrough they have.
7- Mac mini. Who knows? Low-end MacBook. Maybe not at MW, but maybe next spring (notebooks referesh/speedbump...). A return to the regular pricing:
$1099 2.00GHz ($200 price cut)
$1299 2.26GHz (0.26GHz speedbump)
$1499 2.40GHz ($100 price cut)
Mac mini can easily be spec-bumped, albeit very quietly.
8 - I'd like to see the television iMac though. An iMac for the living room with 10-ft UI. Remote control is an iPod touch or iPhone.
Numbers - Gets two modes like Pages, one for spreadsheets and the other for databases. This will allow people to get their AppleWorks databases into iWork so they do not have to worry about relying on a non-supported application to handle their database needs.
iMovie - Chapter markers are back so people can start chapters where they want and not have to rely on iDVD to insert them in equal increments.
iWeb - Support for projects so we can use iWeb to work on multiple web sites without having to rename the Domain.sites files.
Mac mini - Updated with the MacBook innards. The FireWire400 port will be swapped for a FireWire800 port. The removal of the DVI port will free up enough space so the lock and audio ports can be moved to the bottom which will allow more vents to be included up top. I think Apple will make it easier for user to change the hard drive and RAM. There will be one model (no combo drive) that can be customized.
iMac - Gets better graphics, DDR3 RAM, DisplayPort, 2 FireWire800/1600 ports (FireWire400 is dropped), LED screens.
AppleTV - I do not know if it can be done already, but what if Apple made it so people can play their video games on their TV and use their iPhone/iPod touch as a controller like they do now?
Other things mentioned will be "Snow Leopard", MobileMe, the App Store, and iPhone stats. Who knows, maybe we will even get to see Intuit show off their Quicken Financial Life for Mac.
iMac speed update
MacMini speed update
Redesign MacPro
Redesign Cinema Displays
iLife and iWork suite update
iPhone 32gig.
That's it.
4- Mac Pro. There are rumors about a delay on the upcoming Nehalem Xeons. If it is so, The best we could get is a speebump (or a new BTO option) to 3.4GHz. If the Nehalem Xeons make it for January, I am afraid the Mac Pro will also see an(other) price increase since, for example, the upcoming quad 2.53GHz Nehalem Xeon will cost about the same as the current quad 2.80GHz Harpertown.
The mac pro can't go any higher as the gap from the mini to pro is to big as it is. That can make the price of the EFiX Dongle + OS X in your own system look good.
Apple kills off both the 20" and 30" Cinema Displays. This does a few things. It simplifies and clarifies their display business. The 20" probably wasn't selling too well, and the 30" wasn't doing great either. The 23" was the one doing the work so to maximize focus and profits they decide to solely concentrate on this size, 24" in this case.
Then when they release their TV's, they can easily distinguish between their "only" computer moniter, and their flashy new plasma Televisions, both marketing-wise, and in-the-store-wise.
This isn't Apple Computer Inc. anymore, this is Apple Inc. Didn't you hear?
No way, you are lost here buddy.
Apple will not kill or reduce to one their Cinema displays line. This clearly shows you are not a professional that depends on a Mac.
30" display is a God send for creative professionals. If Apple kills it will outrage professionals. Plus it will limit the choices out there big time. Just 24" makes no sense.
Plus Apple do not need to kill or reduce these Cinema displays to "differentiate" anything relate to their HDTV (if they ever do that). One is for work with much higher resolutions on the 30", the other for mostly pleasure with 1920x1080.
Apple will update their displays,20", 24" with LED and if available on the 30" as well. They will probably keep the DVI port (so old mac can still plug) and add the display port and iSight. The look might be just like the new 24", hopefully with a matte option, since glossy is horrible for color accuracy.