Official WWDC '12 Predictions Thread
With the Worldwide Developer's Conference less than a month away, let's start the ball rolling on what maybe announced at the keynote on Monday, June 11th at 1:00 PM in San Fran.
Tim will start by noting how quickly tickets sold out, summarizing Apple's strong business, and the rise of both iOS and Mac compared to the rest of the market. Transitions to iOS 6.
Scott dives into new iOS 6 features. I wonder what new features Apple has in store? I heard that they might be addressing management & deployment issues.
Tim recaps iOS 6 with street date & price. Transitions to Mac and OS X.
Craig will come out to highlight & demo some of the new features of OS X 10.8 "Mountain Lion"
Tim back on state to announce release on Mac App Store and pricing, transition to new MacBook Pro
Phil comes up to discuss details of new MacBook Pro design: Ivy Bridge, thinner design, Retina-class display, loses optical & Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi, USB 3
Tim back on stage with MacBook Pro pricing and availability; shows a video on new MacBook Pro design with Jonny, Bob, etc., then transitions to iOS 6
One more thing? Will Apple still do that? Mac Pro?!
But will there be more? I can't imagine with all that I mentioned that they can fit much more into two hours!
Comments
Final Mountain Lion preview for developers.
Siri, maybe?
Other general tweaks and fixes
First look at iOS 6:
Incredible new Maps application
Siri API
Same GUI
No new hardware (it'll all be out before the event, though I realize that's pushing it at this point). This is probably the most optimistic I've ever been about hardware, and I'll STILL be proven wrong.
No "One More Thing". That's Steve's bit.
The only way the Mac Pro gets attention is if it's a total redesign. Then they might use it to generate buzz and to talk about Thunderbolt.
If all we're looking at is the long-delayed Sandy Bridge Xeon E5 refresh, then no way it makes the keynote.
More thoughts on the Mac Pro. I agree with others who have scoffed at the idea Apple will kill the Mac Pro and concede those markets to Windows. Let's not forget where it all started. Mac OS X is still the foundation of the iOS universe -- to keep it ahead of the curve, Apple needs to produce hardware for the most powerful Intel processors.
As it stands, however, a likely 2011 Sandy Bridge Xeon E5 Mac Pro refresh never happened, thanks to Intel's delays, and now we have a weird confluence of factors -- the E5s going into full production only recently, Mountain Lion leaving behind the Mac Pro 1,1 and 2,1, Thunderbolt now fully implemented throughout the rest of Apple's line of computers and in the Thunderbolt Display, and, finally, an aging Cinema Display that is no longer sold in stores and is only available online.
What can we predict from this?
[1] A Mac Pro refresh with Sandy Bridge Xeon E5s will be multiple-processor across the board. There are no single-processor E5s. This much is certain. At the very least, a refreshed low-end stock Mac Pro and/or Server will have 8 (2x4) cores.
[2] It remains possible that instead of a refresh, we get a redesign. Basically, a Mac Pro redesign originally planned for Ivy Bridge is pushed forward, simply because Apple can't wait any longer.
[3] Almost certainly a Mac Pro refresh or redesign will work with the current Thunderbolt Display. Using DVI will be possible, but we can't be sure that it will be built in (although I think that is likely). The old Cinema Display will be discontinued.
[4] Something else likely to appear in a redesign, and possibly in a refresh: an SSD boot drive built in (I'll guess 256 GB for the stock low-end model and the server, while the stock mid-range and high-end models feature 512 GB).
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenThousandThings
[3] Almost certainly a Mac Pro refresh or redesign will work with the current Thunderbolt Display. Using DVI will be possible, but we can't be sure that it will be built in (although I think that is likely). The old Cinema Display will be discontinued.
I recently read an article where they used an Apple Thunderbolt Display connected to a Ivy Bridge PC motherboard with a graphics card. They just connected the display to the Thunderbolt port on the motherboard and it was able to get image from the graphics card. Apple will certainly make the same thing. If you don't have a Thunderbolt display, you just connect your DVI display directly to the graphics card as people used to do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenThousandThings
The only way the Mac Pro gets attention is if it's a total redesign. Then they might use it to generate buzz and to talk about Thunderbolt.
If all we're looking at is the long-delayed Sandy Bridge Xeon E5 refresh, then no way it makes the keynote.
I'm not confident we're going to see a lot of hardware announcements at it, but I'd like to hear about updated hardware soon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by TenThousandThings
More thoughts on the Mac Pro. I agree with others who have scoffed at the idea Apple will kill the Mac Pro and concede those markets to Windows. Let's not forget where it all started. Mac OS X is still the foundation of the iOS universe -- to keep it ahead of the curve, Apple needs to produce hardware for the most powerful Intel processors.
As it stands, however, a likely 2011 Sandy Bridge Xeon E5 Mac Pro refresh never happened, thanks to Intel's delays, and now we have a weird confluence of factors -- the E5s going into full production only recently, Mountain Lion leaving behind the Mac Pro 1,1 and 2,1, Thunderbolt now fully implemented throughout the rest of Apple's line of computers and in the Thunderbolt Display, and, finally, an aging Cinema Display that is no longer sold in stores and is only available online.
What can we predict from this?
[1] A Mac Pro refresh with Sandy Bridge Xeon E5s will be multiple-processor across the board. There are no single-processor E5s. This much is certain. At the very least, a refreshed low-end stock Mac Pro and/or Server will have 8 (2x4) cores.
[2] It remains possible that instead of a refresh, we get a redesign. Basically, a Mac Pro redesign originally planned for Ivy Bridge is pushed forward, simply because Apple can't wait any longer.
[3] Almost certainly a Mac Pro refresh or redesign will work with the current Thunderbolt Display. Using DVI will be possible, but we can't be sure that it will be built in (although I think that is likely). The old Cinema Display will be discontinued.
[4] Something else likely to appear in a redesign, and possibly in a refresh: an SSD boot drive built in (I'll guess 256 GB for the stock low-end model and the server, while the stock mid-range and high-end models feature 512 GB).
You can still implement E5s in a single package configuration. You would have fewer available PCI lanes in a single package, but it would still work. Alternatively they could use the upcoming Ivy models for a single package model. The mac pro actually began using a dual socket board rather than the daughterboard configuration that they have today. It started at $2300 with the $2500 configuration being a significant jump for a minor price increase. I don't think they'll return to such a model, but this is more of a guess going by their current tangent than really based on anything. I mean I don't think they'd really break away from their current pricing model unless they were trying to push the Mac Pro, and that seems less likely. Personally nothing that is offered currently makes sense for me today. The 6 core is decent, but it's quite expensive. I don't want to drop that much this far into a cycle. The other machines are becoming more an issue of lacking features than raw power for me personally.
that board had on board video and used the tech that let only use the add in pci-e board when needed the Sandy Bridge-E cpu's do have on board video.
I think as shown in the Q2 Earnings announcement, Tim Cook mentioned that the Macbook Air lineup had a very bright future, and the models are the most popular line of macbooks they are selling currently, so they will provide an update to it. I do see less of the macbook pro 17 inch, but will likely see an updated 15 inch model with wifi n/ac and blueray in the near future. As for iOS... I think they have to implement Ping into the music app, and Siri to recognize more commands, like open (name of app) or read me my emails, or check my bills. (haha, on the last one.. but not a bad idea). Who knows? In 2 years tops I expect retina display Macbook Air's, iPhone with haptic feedback, the new iTV with Siri, Siri on macbook's, wifi 802.11 ad, haptic iPad 4, then eventually haptic Macbook Air keyboards ( lcd based, that ui changes and is multitouch. For the iPod... better speaker, better power consumption levels thanks to 32nm and beyond technology processing, and iOS with share to iDevice handshake, meaning you could send large files through nfc or bluetooth to other devices with iMessages, example attaching a word document and sending it over to another iDevice without opening the email application... eventually. eventually.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strat09
…will likely see an updated 15 inch model with wifi n/ac and blue ray in the near future.
BA HA HA HA HA! The optical drive is going away entirely. There will never be Blu-ray Macs.
Quote:
In 2 years tops I expect retina display Macbook Air's, iPhone with haptic feedback, the new iTV with Siri, Siri on macbook's, wifi 802.11 ad, haptic iPad 4, then eventually haptic Macbook Air keyboards ( lcd based, that ui changes and is multitouch.
I buy everything but a television, the haptic tablets, and the haptic laptops. Also provided you mean 802.11ac and that's just a typo.
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…iOS with share to iDevice handshake…
I somehow doubt this, but it could happen, I guess.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
BA HA HA HA HA! The optical drive is going away entirely. There will never be Blu-ray Macs.
I buy everything but a television, the haptic tablets, and the haptic laptops. Also provided you mean 802.11ac and that's just a typo.
I somehow doubt this, but it could happen, I guess.
Nope 802.11 ad. it's what's after ac. that's in 2 years. And yeah... i personally also think the optical drive is going away... hah.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Strat09
Nope 802.11 ad. it's what's after ac. that's in 2 years.
I feel old. Cheerleading for ac when ad's what I should be after.
No, never mind, forget that.
802.22. Do it, Apple. Kill the carriers for data.
Tallest Skil is quite right. Apple will never, ever support Blu Ray in any product. To do so would be contrary to Apple's strategic interests.
What the favor/not in favor percentage of blu-ray for Macs? I see it as 40/60.
I'd suggest that those in favor of BluRay are in the single digit percentages. You really can't count on the posts here representing the users at large. Many of us reject BluRay dispute to the legal requirements which are overbearing and counter productive. Many more don't even make use of the DVD drives on a regular basis. So really BluRay isn't a concern if you don't believe you need an optical drive at all.
In the end optical is a dead technology.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Winter
What the favor/not in favor percentage of blu-ray for Macs? I see it as 40/60.
Ten for, ninety against, with the former only wanting it because they don't know any better. And ten percent is really pushing it.
That's my opinion, at least. It's close to right, though.
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Originally Posted by wizard69
Leaks? Will we see any leaks before WWDC? The tight clamp on information really has kept us in the dark. Predictions are nice bit it would be fun to see a really good leak of information to hash over before WWDC.
If there's a redesign for the MacBook Pro, I would think we'd see the shell over the weekend before WWDC. And if you go to MacRumors, you'll see thousands of morons screaming about how it's faked, posting inverse-color images from Photoshop pointing out how "this group of pixels doesn't look right" and how "this port doesn't line up with these other ports"…
They're morons, to be sure, but those were some good times. The last time I tore apart leaked images in earnest was when the old case Mac Mini got a Mini DisplayPort port in the back. After I was wrong about my prediction on that, I started taking it far less seriously.
I obviously look forward to all leaked images, but I think I enjoy more now the scrambling from forum users claiming it's real or fake than the thrill of seeing a genuine product early.
I think if Apple wants to be a global powerhouse the devices need to focus on energy efficiency. I suspect they know this better than I do. Thus, in so far as we'll see refreshes for certain products (MBP, Mac Pro, and iTV for starters) the focus will be on their minimal power consumption albeit with substantial computational power.
This is something that European manufacturers have been refining for over a decade in other industries (Tunze powerheads and reef tank lighting immediately come to mind for example) due to the high cost of electricity in those countries. If we couple this logic with Apple's move toward renewable energy and the outlook that the rest of the world is shifting toward renewables it makes sense to me that's where Apple would aim.
I just assume everything is fake until Apple debuts the machines.
As to what is up I'm still expecting a major refactoring of just about all of the machines. The time is really right for Apple to shake up the market.
The "Mac Pro" is due to die. Whether a quick kill or withering death is TBD. I suspect sales of the Mac Pro are now so low as to not justify the continuation of the line.
Apple is a "consumer" oriented company now - that's where all the dough comes from now. So desktop and portables will reflect that.
The iMac will supplant the Pro. It will come with optional dual processors. They may be limited to quad cores, but possibly hex or octo in a few years.
For those "Pro" users who need the "breakout" capability of the pro frame there may be solace in the form of keeping existing pro boxes but controlled from an iMac/laptop via thunderbolt or USB 3.
FW 800? I'd bet if new Macs have FW it will be the last and that new Macs will all sport USB 3.
Has anyone even seen FW 1600/3200 devices out there?
The CD/DVD drive will be gone as well in new iMacs. If you need it, get an external drive. That will satisfy those who need BluRay as well.
Wizard69 wrote:
As to BluRay I avoid that like a crack whore on the side walk.
Do you mean as media for computing or generally?
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Originally Posted by alanbrowne
The "Mac Pro" is due to die.
Hardly.
Quote:
Whether a quick kill or withering death is TBD. I suspect sales of the Mac Pro are now so low as to not justify the continuation of the line.
And I 'suspect' sales aren't the biggest consideration in keeping it around.
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The iMac will supplant the Pro. It will come with optional dual processors. They may be limited to quad cores, but possibly hex or octo in a few years.
That's laughable. Particularly since no one will be making processors of that nature suited for the iMac.
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…controlled from an iMac/laptop via thunderbolt or USB 3.
As though USB 3 has any future in that regard.
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Has anyone even seen FW 1600/3200 devices out there?
Well… they're approved, at least.