Official Macworld 2009 Prediction Thread

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  • Reply 101 of 151
    gugygugy Posts: 794member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by gugy View Post


    I will predict or wish:



    Mac Pro redesigned case



    Cinema Display 24", 30", larger than 30"? redesign like the new 24 but with option for non-glossy screens please!



    Mac Mini redesigned. slimmer case.



    AppleTV hardware and software update.



    iLife and iWork apps.

    maybe iPhone 32gig.



    Snow Leopard preview



    that's it.





    Even with no Steve at the keynote, I stand by my predictions. The only thing I can see is possibly a no redesign enclosure for Mac Pro. Everything else can be introduce by Phil. Let's hope so.
  • Reply 102 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Outsider View Post


    My predictions:



    Snow Leopard demo, but not too much. SL is supposed to be an evolution to Leopard, so maybe some technology details will be expanded on, demo the new Finder, application demos to show off the speed of Grand Central.



    iMac updates. No case redesign, but the motherboard will use DDR3 and NVIDIA nForce chipset with 9600M GT graphics chip. Intel Core 2 Quad and Duo. Same screen sizes. No-brainer update.



    Mac mini. Gets discontinued.



    Mac TV upgraded.



    The Mac. A cube Mac in the same vein as the PowerMac G4 Cube.
    • 8x8x8 cube

    • Big enough to house a full size optical drive

    • 3.5" hard drive

    • 7.6x7.6 motherboard

    • 3 DIMM slots for triple channel DDR3

    • Core i7 processor (2.6-3.2GHz)

    • 1 PCIe 16x slot

    • External power supply

    • $799 for 2.66GHz - 3GB RAM - 250GB HDD - Radeon HD 2400

    • $1299 for 2.93GHz - 3GB RAM - 320GB HDD - Radeon HD 2600

    • $1999 for 3.2GHz - 3GB RAM - 500GB HDD - NVIDIA 8800GT

    No Mac Pro updates at this time.





    I like the $799 model actually, Aluminum and black case - that would be very cool.
  • Reply 103 of 151
    What I would like to see, regarding only the iPhone, and only software updates:



    1) add the capability of using the iPhone as modem, via Wi-Fi or cable, it doesn't matter how;



    2) new "traditional" SMS view mode. I don't like the "chat mode";



    3) add the capability of synchronizing calendard items/events with Windows Calendar or Mozilla Thunderbird/Lightning or Sunbird (all of these use the .ics format)



    That's my 2 cents



    Regards,



    Marco
  • Reply 104 of 151
    nceencee Posts: 857member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DHagan4755 View Post


    No, inappropriate venue for that...it will wait until NAB in Vegas in April.



    Did Apple not attend NAB last year? MacExpo may not be the right place, but if they are not going to be going to any or as many tradeshows, then they'll have to take full advantage of the shows they do attend or yes, have mini announcement events themselves.



    Skip
  • Reply 105 of 151
    nceencee Posts: 857member
    Or are they going to want to give Phil a hugh platform from which to be announced to the world, and have him showing off a ton of new stuff?



    Is steve going to be gone from all future announcement events, and is phil the new steve?



    I'm thinking this could be a much bigger event then most folks expect. This is Phil's jump-off event

    as the new (or is it temporary spokesman) - and if so, they are going to want folks leaving saying "Man did you see that NEW (X) that PHIL showed off, Man that thing rocks" "What do you think of the NEW (X)" "God I never saw that one coming!"



    Some food for thought.



    Skip
  • Reply 106 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by ncee View Post


    Or are they going to want to give Phil a hugh platform from which to be announced to the world, and have him showing off a ton of new stuff?



    Is steve going to be gone from all future announcement events, and is phil the new steve?



    I'm thinking this could be a much bigger event then most folks expect. This is Phil's jump-off event

    as the new (or is it temporary spokesman) - and if so, they are going to want folks leaving saying "Man did you see that NEW (X) that PHIL showed off, Man that thing rocks" "What do you think of the NEW (X)" "God I never saw that one coming!"



    Some food for thought.



    Skip



    I have no idea how many announcements Apple will make and I don't care about Phil showing off, but there are a lot of new products they need to release in the near future. Every desktop Mac, right now, is more or less odsoleted by new tech. and needs to be replaced with an updated model. Plus the 17" Macbook Pro, Snow Leopard, and most of the rest of Apple's software suite.



    I'm just saying, if they're going to make a lot of announcements, they have no shortage of things to announce.
  • Reply 107 of 151
    Quote:

    very desktop Mac, right now, is more or less odsoleted by new tech. and needs to be replaced with an updated model.



    Amen.



    Lemon Bon Bon.
  • Reply 108 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by FuturePastNow View Post


    I have no idea how many announcements Apple will make and I don't care about Phil showing off, but there are a lot of new products they need to release in the near future. Every desktop Mac, right now, is more or less odsoleted by new tech. and needs to be replaced with an updated model.



    Not only updated tech, but by lack of growth margins in the designs. When you count on mobile platform keeping up with the desktop systems (like it had in the core series prior to quad core systems) and then chip technology moves in a way you did not expect, you either have to wind up changing the design, perhaps taking a couple steps back in the process, or staying the course with a machine that is falling further and further behind contemporary desktops.
  • Reply 109 of 151
    idaveidave Posts: 1,283member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Not only updated tech, but by lack of growth margins in the designs. When you count on mobile platform keeping up with the desktop systems (like it had in the core series prior to quad core systems) and then chip technology moves in a way you did not expect, you either have to wind up changing the design, perhaps taking a couple steps back in the process, or staying the course with a machine that is falling further and further behind contemporary desktops.



    Hear here! It's time Apple stopped making nothing but portable computers (except the Mac Pro).
  • Reply 110 of 151
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iDave View Post


    Hear here! It's time Apple stopped making nothing but portable computers (except the Mac Pro).



    Well I do think Apple realized this issue when they turned the iMac into a hybrid system with the higher wattage "portable CPUs". To be honest I don't mind to much the approach taken with Mini as it has it's purpose. The problem with Apples line up is the lack of alternatives.



    In any event as iMacs have continued to adopt wider and wider screens the use of desktop processors should have become far less of an issue. Cooling should be much easier to manage in a large wide screen with the right thermal considerations.



    What I'm saying is that Apple doesn't need to sacrifice the iMacs design in order to address the thermal issues of desktop components. The very wideness of the screens gives them a lot more area to cool the components.



    The other thing Apple could consider is some of the components being moved to the base. This would lighten the machine a bit and spread out heat production. An example here might be to put the CD drive and disk drive in the base. That would atleast make the CD drive easier to get to.





    I'm still hoping for a bigger surprise than seems to be the common wisdom.





    Dave
  • Reply 111 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    Well I do think Apple realized this issue when they turned the iMac into a hybrid system with the higher wattage "portable CPUs". To be honest I don't mind to much the approach taken with Mini as it has it's purpose. The problem with Apples line up is the lack of alternatives.



    In any event as iMacs have continued to adopt wider and wider screens the use of desktop processors should have become far less of an issue. Cooling should be much easier to manage in a large wide screen with the right thermal considerations.



    What I'm saying is that Apple doesn't need to sacrifice the iMacs design in order to address the thermal issues of desktop components. The very wideness of the screens gives them a lot more area to cool the components.



    The other thing Apple could consider is some of the components being moved to the base. This would lighten the machine a bit and spread out heat production. An example here might be to put the CD drive and disk drive in the base. That would atleast make the CD drive easier to get to.





    I'm still hoping for a bigger surprise than seems to be the common wisdom.





    Dave



    Or they could realize that the iMac is perfect as is, it's just not the right tool for the job in the upper middle to high end desktop market. It can't be the perfect universal desktop that Jobs wants it to be and if they try to cram even the 65w SFF quad cores you're going to get a machine that is too noisy for consumers and doesn't do the trick for the prosumer market due to its lack of expansion. Its dead quiet and takes up very little room making it ideal for families. Why screw it up trying to make it more than the form factor allows.
  • Reply 112 of 151
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by BenRoethig View Post


    Or they could realize that the iMac is perfect as is, it's just not the right tool for the job in the upper middle to high end desktop market.



    There are two problems with that thinking upon Apples part. First the large screen iMacs make them very suitable for higher end uses. Second, Apple doesn't have a middle to upper end machine performance wise, so it would make lots of sense to beef up the big machine.

    Quote:

    It can't be the perfect universal desktop that Jobs wants it to be and if they try to cram even the 65w SFF quad cores you're going to get a machine that is too noisy for consumers and doesn't do the trick for the prosumer market due to its lack of expansion.



    It would help out with that segment of the market looking for more reasonable performance for their CPU dollar. That is important. As to thermal management, really it isn't a problem as they have almost the entire length of the display to arrange cooling. A proper layout of the motherboard would spread out the hot points to maximize thermal flow.

    Quote:

    Its dead quiet and takes up very little room making it ideal for families. Why screw it up trying to make it more than the form factor allows.



    It is not a question of screwing it up but maximizing the machines potential. Besides there needs to be more differentiation between the lowest end machine and the top end. In any event if you got it in your head that a 65 watt processor is impossible then for you it never will be. You have convinced yourself before the attempt.



    Look I know this won't get us to top end desktop performance range at all. But it will bump the iMac Enoch that it will cover a wider range of applications easily. Plus what is with complaining about a 65 watt CPU and then not complaining about the GPU? Heck I'd like to see two GPUs in the high end iMac and I believe it is doable.





    Dave
  • Reply 113 of 151
    It would be very expensive considering they use mobile GPUs in the iMac.
  • Reply 114 of 151
    cubitcubit Posts: 846member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Daniel B View Post


    Why the rudeness? Let me offer one of my favourite quotes by Bertrand Russell:



    "The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts."




    Thank you for the quote. I've been trying to remember who said that, but I wasn't sure....
  • Reply 115 of 151
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Where is my mactouch dang nabbit!!!!!!!111111
  • Reply 116 of 151
    Here's my predictions:



    Mac OS X Snow Leopard demo, "coming Q2 2009".



    iTunes 9 and Apple TV Take 3

    -1080p full-length movie downloads for Mac and Apple TV (this is the reason why there's no Blu-ray in Macs)

    -Enhanced Front Row integration on Macs; Media Center integration for Windows Vista

    -Free download available today



    New iMac

    -Same form factor

    -Core i7 processors

    -Up to 1 TB storage

    -$1199 to $1799



    New Mac mini

    -NVIDIA chipset, faster Core 2 Duo

    -New, 25% smaller form factor

    -$499 and $699



    Mac distribution deal with Walmart and Sam's Club:

    -iMac, MacBook, and Mac mini to be sold at many Walmart and Sam's Club stores



    The iPhone

    -"Huge success worldwide", talks sales

    -Announces five major new carrier deals for iPhone: Verizon Wireless (USA), Telus (Canada), KDDI (Japan), SK Telecom (South Korea), China Mobile

    -iPhone 3G for Verizon Wireless: features both CDMA/EV-DO 800/1900 and GSM 850/900/1800/1900+HSPA 2100 radios for world connectivity, along with Wi-Fi

    -All features of other iPhone models are present

    -Launches in February; same pricepoints as AT&T's iPhone models

    -New version of iPhone: iPhone nano

    -Smaller and lighter, "fully-featured", runs App Store apps

    -4 GB for $99, 8 GB for $149

    -Available in March in US, Canada, Japan, and most European countries; April elsewhere (will be offered with prepaid plans in Europe)
  • Reply 117 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iNtel iNside View Post


    New iMac

    -Same form factor

    -Core i7 processors

    -Up to 1 TB storage

    -$1199 to $1799



    With a Core i7 and the associated x58 chipset, the iMac's casing would melt.
  • Reply 118 of 151
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by iNtel iNside View Post


    Here's my predictions:

    -Announces five major new carrier deals for iPhone: Verizon Wireless (USA), Telus (Canada), KDDI (Japan), SK Telecom (South Korea), China Mobile

    -iPhone 3G for Verizon Wireless: features both CDMA/EV-DO 800/1900 and GSM 850/900/1800/1900+HSPA 2100 radios for world connectivity, along with Wi-Fi



    Wait...

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ntil_2010.html



    Didn't this get locked in exclusive until 2010? Apple isn't bailing THAT fast on ATT...hell...they still can't keep them in stock!
  • Reply 119 of 151
    it has never been confirmed that apple is locked in to att til 2010, all the reports out there were based on an article by usa today.



    I am not saying usa today was wrong.....just that they might be. keeping my fingers crossed. In my opinion this is the perfect time to release an iphone for verizon.
  • Reply 120 of 151
    frank777frank777 Posts: 5,839member
    Since most people are predicting an 'Apple TV, Take 3' intro, I'll also add that Apple needs to embrace USB drives as a key device for the transportation of iMovies.



    iDVD is so yesterday. 4GB and 8GB flash drives are cheaper, faster and reusable.



    In lieu of the DVD drive they refuse to put on the machine, a front mounted USB port could be the way to go.
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