The Apple rumor sites now all concur that there will likely be a special event on January 26th. That event is most likely going to focus on the long rumored Apple tablet.
There has been much debate amd speculation on what OS that tablet will run. Will it be Mac OS X or will it be iPhone OS?
I believe it’s almost certain that the tablet will run some version of iPhone OS. The reason, two words: App Store. Apple is almost certain to want to leverage the success of the iPhone App Store for its new tablet device. With over 100,000 available apps, the App Store is perhaps the most successful software distribution tool ever developed. And so any device Apple will introduce will need to tap into that ready-made resource.
Even if the tablet’s OS is more of a cross between iPhone OS and Mac OS, it will almost certainly be made capable of running iPhone apps in order to tap into the App Store in its current form. Beyond that, I would even venture to say that some version of the App Store for the Mac may be forthcoming as well.
It is just hours to go before the beginning of the WWDC keynote presentation by Apple at 1:00pm ET. So, like so many other “bloggers,” I thought I would echo the prevailing rumors and speculation heading into the event, particularly with regard to the next iPhone.
Most of the so-called credible rumors seem to center on the following enhancements in the next iPhone:
1) faster processor (CPU and GPU) for a faster and more responsive system;
2) More system RAM (to improve handling of beefier Apps);
3) More main storage, likely at least two levels – 16GB and 32 GB
4) faster data throughput, up to 7.2Mbps downlink;
5) higher resolution camera (at least 3 megapixel);
6) autofocus camera;
7) video recording (and limited editing) capability;
“8”) magnetometer (digital compass);
9) a subtly tweaked design with a matte back covering and loss of the chrome front bezel; and
10) price points at $199 and $299 (16GB and 32GB respectively).
Some of the more interesting, desirable, but less likely additional rumors include:
1) tiny front facing camera for video conferencing (very cool, very desirable, but very nebulous);
2) available today (a very interesting possibility, but since the Apple Store online is still up as of 10:00 am ET, more and more unlikely); and
3) lower end models with less storage (4GB and/or 8GB) at lower prices ($99); or
4) continuation of sales of the current 8GB iPhone 3G at the lower $99 price point.
Well, there you have the summary. I am betting on pretty much all of the first ten likely items being announced with an availability of the new models at the end of June or mid-July. And I think some sort of lower end model at a $99 price point is likely at some point, but perhaps not for announcement today.
Oh, there’s just one more thing. There has also been speculation that Steve Jobs is recovering well from his health issues and may make an appearance at today’s WWDC, perhaps even as that “one more thing” intro at the end of the keynote. Other rumors indicate that he will make his formal return to work at Apple later this month at some other special event (reveal of an Apple Tablet or iPad maybe?). I think there is a very good chance that he will at least make a cameo appearance today, but I wouldn’t put any money on it (including shares of AAPL stock).
Let me clarify something: I am not “one of those Mac people.” I have been a user and owner of a Microsoft/Intel-based PC since 1984, when they were called “IBM-compatibles”. And, truth be told, I do not yet personally own a Mac myself unless you count the iPhone (although I use a couple of Macs that are owned by my roommate on an almost daily basis now).
The first computer I owned was (and is… it still works) an IBM PCjr. Yes, that’s right, the much maligned “failure” that was the PCjr, IBM’s first attempt at a true “home” computer. And I learned a lot from that computer, using and relying on it for longer than any other computer I have owned. I even upgraded its memory by soldering new memory chips onto a memory card’s board! I learned to look for details on system requirements and what programs really did in order to be sure they’d run on the not-quite-100-percent-IBM-compatible PCjr.
And I actually worked as a cooperative education engineering student for IBM from 1984 to 1986. As an IBM employee, I used to bristle at Steve Jobs public comments about IBM as “the enemy” and “Big Brother.” I knew IBM to be just like any other company: a collection of people, bad and good – but mostly good, just trying to make a living. I thought Jobs was an arrogant a$$.
But throughout that time, I recognized the Macintosh as a very nice little machine. It just didn’t make sense for me to own one at the time. The incompatibilities between the Mac OS of the 80s and 90s and DOS/Windows of the same timeframe were much greater than they are now. Heck, the two systems couldn’t even read each other’s floppy diskettes. Now there is no need or use for floppy diskettes. They have been replaced by CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVD-Rs, DVD-RWs, and flash drives and flash cards, all of which use fairly universal file systems (ironically based on FAT32, an extension of the old MS-DOS FAT structure). So it is now much easier to go back and forth between Macs and PCs.
And that’s what I do. I use my PCs for some things (at work and for games) and Macs for others (video, iTunes, and development).
Steve Jobs may still be arrogant, but I also recognize that he is just a person, mostly good, much like those at IBM, who is trying to make a living and do something he finds meaningful. And he has become something of a visionary at Apple in the last decade or so. Apple’s products seem to stand apart because of it. As Steve Jobs and Apple like to say, “They just work.”
Well, Apple’s last keynote appearance at MacWorld in January of 2009 has passed. No new Macs… unless you count the refresh of the 17-inch MacBook Pro to the new unibody aluminum stylings of its 15-inch and 13-inch siblings.
Then at the beginning of March, Apple somewhat surprised the Apple-watching world with updates to the iMac, Mac Pro, and Mac mini. While the fact that they were updating these systems was not surprising at all – both the mini and Mac Pro had not seen notable upgrades in well over a year – the timing was surprising. Thanks to some rumors in February, the consensus was that Apple would announce these hardware updates on or about March 24th. As for the updates, the Mac Pro got welcome updates to the new Intel Nehalem architecture and a new high-end graphics option in ATI’s Radeon HD 4870. The iMac saw the least notable spec upgrades with slight proessor bumps and a switch to Nvidia’s newly rebadged GT 120, GT 130, and ATI’s HD 4850 (as a BTO option). No quad core Core 2 processors nor Core i7 (however, in fairness, we must remember that there isn’t a quad core mobile i7 available yet). The entire desktop line added Mini DisplayPort and phased out Firewire 400 in favor of Firewire 800.
The Mac mini (the subject of my personal Mac lust) saw the most notable upgrades, finally bringing it useable graphics in the form of Nvidia’s 9400M chipset, just like the MacBook. The only problem many critics have had with the mini updates is that there was no improvement in price. At least the iMac saw effective price reduction by moving the price of the entry-level 24-inch model down to $1499. The entry mini remains at $599. Granted you are getting notably better graphics performance (from woeful Intel GMA950 to Nvida 9400M), slightly improved CPU capability (bumped from 1.86Ghz to 2.0Ghz the bus going from 800Mhz to 1066Mhz), and slightly increased hard drive size (80GB to 120GB). But given the passing of time from the last update a little more hard drive space at least would have been nice. Worse, the higher end model shares the same 2.0GHz CPU, an extra 1GB or RAM, and a 320 GB hard drive. Nice, but somewhat overpriced at a whole $200 step up. If Apple had given that model, oh, say an included 2.26 GHz CPU that is otherwise available as a BTO option, then the $799 model would be a decent value.
That all being said, I do believe that the new entry level Mac mini is a good system and worth the price, especially considering that you can perform your own RAM and hard drive upgrades if you wish or need to. If I had the extra $600 laying around, I’d snap one right up yesterday.
And, actually, by NOT dropping the price on the mini too much, Apple has left themselves room to do so if they see the economy and demand wane further as the year progresses. Given that recent articles have implied that demand for the new desktops is unexpectedly high, I don’t expect any such price adjustments any time soon.
So what is Apple up to for its rumored March 24th event? Probably nothing, because they have just announced an invitation-only press event for March 17th. The topic… much like last March, a new iPhone OS! More on that in part 2.
srhawk.com 