Macworld predictions for 2008

Danny Gorog
18 December 2007, 2:15 AM


Will it be movie rentals or a new iPhone? We've put our heads together for you to work out what's going to be released at this years Macworld.


As the annual Macworld silly season approaches we here at APC thought it was a good time to put together our 'what's going to happen at Macworld' checklist.

If you follow the Mac-web you've no doubt read about the many different theories flying around about what Macworld will bring, and if we're lucky we might even get another Macworld Bingo from Ars Technica.

With that in mind two of my Mac-using colleagues, David Flynn and Dan Warne have helped pull this piece together. If you've got some ideas of your own please contribute in the comments. Also, we'll revisit this after the keynote which takes place on Jan 15th (16th local time) to see how right or wrong we were.

Could this be the new form MacBook Pro? (photo: Gizmodo)Could this be the new form MacBook Pro? (photo: Gizmodo)


or is this it? (photo: www.noheat.com)or is this it? (photo: www.noheat.com)

Before the list however just a few thoughts I've had recently about why I don't think this Macworld will be anywhere near as exciting as last years where the iPhone was released.

Apple has a history of launching great products and then slowly improving them over time. This year we saw the announcement then launch of the iPhone, the Apple TV and Leopard, the fifth iteration of OS X.

For any tech company that's a lot of new 'stuff' and you just have to look around at the amount of competition against Apple to see how hard it actually is to develop products that customers really love.

Let's be clear. At this point, six months out from the launch of the iPhone you can see it's a revolutionary device.

In the smartphone segment, it has already captured more market share than all Symbian and Windows Mobile devices combined (and that's just in three months) and as the worldwide launch continues I expect to see that go higher.

Do we even need to mention the iPod? It's still the market leader in all digital music player categories and combined with iTunes is the only music player you'd seriously consider for yourself or your mother (unless of course you need a radio or WM support).

Most people I know have got more than one, and I'm talking about people who don't even like technology. They just want a music player that works and is easy to get music on to.

Despite Apple's shifted focus on music and gadgets, the Mac continues to gain momentum at a rate some say is three times higher than the market average. Even if you loathe the Mac platform you've got to admit that Macs are popping up in more and more places.

Look for the Mac to start infiltrating the corporate world in 2008 -- perhaps not as a standard corporate desktop, but at very least, as a way of giving some staff a more enjoyable workplace.

With the best bundle of native Windows support, good looks, standardised specs and competitive pricing Apple is a lot more appealing to hardline corporate IT departments than it was a few years ago.

While the release of Leopard revealed a few glitches it's fair to say it's been much better received than Vista. Leopard offers more of the same stability that users have come to expect from OS X and offers great features like Time Machine for silent, automated backup, and Quickview to easily view a document without opening the associated application.

Combine Leopard with iLife '08 and you've got the best platform for doing everything outside of the office (and some would argue in the office too). With Microsoft Office 2008 coming out in January Mac users will again be able to read and write to the new MS XML document formats as well.

Room for improvement?

So I think it's fair to say that Apple are firing on all cylinders. But still, like any business there is always room for improvement, and by focusing on this area I think we'll get a better sense of what's going to come out of Macworld.

The most obvious 'problem' product in Apple's portfolio, according to the pundits, is the Apple TV. Launched at Macworld 2007, the Apple TV has met with a whimper of apathy from the public and has yet to revolutionise the way we watch TV in an equivalent manner as the iPod and iPhone have changed their respective categories.

However the take I got from my brief encounter with Apple execs in November was that the Apple TV is tracking as they predicted, and in relative terms has sold more units than the iPod had ten months in to its own life cycle.

Will Apple TV lose its 'hobby' moniker?Will Apple TV lose its 'hobby' moniker?

Still, it's easy to see how Apple could improve the Apple TV. Add support for other codecs like DivX and the product might be an instant hit - possibly at the expense of people buying legitimate content from iTunes.

However, Apple isn't stupid -- it knows that part of the early success of the iPod was its ability to play MP3 files -- the format most commonly used for downloaded, pirated music. If Apple had forced people to convert their whole music collection to AAC before transferring it to an iPod, the iPod would have gone the same way as Sony's attempts at portable digital music players did.

There's talk that Apple will add movie rentals to iTunes, but even if that's the case, don't expect them to come to Australia any time soon.

iPhone generation 2?

Then there's the iPhone. Despite the relatively easy availability of hacked iPhones for use in Australia, lots of people are holding out on buying one until it's got 3G support and built-in GPS but I think those features are at least another six months away.

One things for sure, Microsoft Office 2008 will be out here on Jan 31.One things for sure, Microsoft Office 2008 will be out here on Jan 31.

Apple knows that the iPhone is better than anything out there at the moment so certainly won't be rushed in to releasing anything until the technology is mature and the feature set makes sense. With the imminent SDK just around the corner the iPhone as we know it is here to stay for the short term.

That said, it's obvious by how frequently iPod models are turned over that Apple is well aware that the consumer electro

nics market thrives on 'new' stuff, so it's entirely possible that Apple will surprise us with some sort of iPhone update -- even if it's a significant software refresh rather than hardware.

So, with all that in mind here's our list with a percentage score of how likely things are to actually happen. Comments are always appreciated, so let the speculation begin!

iPhone 
16GB iPhone for $399, to match iPod Touch capacity. An accompanied price drop for 8GB iPhone to $349 to keep the 'iPhone' premium
100%
Ship date for iPhone SDK will be confirmed with select developers announcing/demoing applications, and showcasing how quickly and easily development can be100%
Software update for iPhone to version 2.0 will include 'Spotlight' searching, a feature which is glaringly absent at present.80%
New iPhone with 3G (HSDPA)
50%
  
iPod 
No iPod related announcements will be made, however Jobs will detail number of units shipped over holiday quarter. Expect this number to come close to 30 million.90%
  
iTunes 
Support for iPhone applications
100%
Support for iTunes Movie rentals announced80%
iTunes movie rentals global role-out schedule.40%
  
Apple TV 
Increased capacities and price drops from $299 to $199 for 40GB model
80%
Support for 'direct-to-iTunes' content including movie rentals (similar to iTunes WiFi music store on Touch and iPhone)
80%
  
MacBook Pro
 
Complete chassis redesign, incorporating LED backlit screens across all models
80%
Intel Penryn architecture80%
Introduction of new 'ultra-thin' model
70%
Build-to-order option of SSD disks
50%
Build-to-order option of Blu-ray drives
20%
  
iMac
 
Updated processors, price drop
40%
  
Mac Mini
 
Updated Mac Mini with new processors, new minimum specs
50%
  
Mac Pro
 
Blu-Ray support, and updated DVD player software
50%
New displays
50%
  
Others
 
Microsoft Office 2008 released
100% (this is a known fact)
Jobs will take endless pokes at Vista, that his keynote will include quotes from Walt Mossberg, and that at least one fanboy in the audience will wet his pants from all cheering and adulation
100%
John Mayer will perform on stage
40%
  


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Neal:

They had better have redesigned the keyboard on the Mac Book Pro. It's auful. The enter key is tiny on U.K. models. I realy like the look of the Mac Book Pro (for running Windows) but refuse to buy one because of the enter is unsuable.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Mestara:

Last time I looked, the Keyboard was actually a charged optional extra.. just dont opt to receive/pay for one and get a "normal" (Logitech or MS etc) keyboard and mouse in its place.

29 February 2008, 8:49 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Todd:

Ummm...... as far as i know you cant buy a Mac Book Pro without a keyboard..... unless this is a new cost cutting exercise by Apple, or maybe your thinking about a Mac Pro desktop, in which case you are correct in bot getting one unless you pay for it. Reading the whole comment is such a hard thing to do I know!

29 February 2008, 8:49 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me:

"...at least one fanboy in the audience will wet his pants ..." It will be a mass orgy and one huge orgasm at the end for the Mac Fanboys. Then they'll walk out thinking that the mighty Apple is looking after all its followers instead of gouging as much money out of them as possible ... Oh yeah ! That's right, only MS is greedy. (sarcasm inferred for the Mac boys who don't understand satire) ... :D

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

TonyZ:

Airport Extreme and SSD

How about the Airport Extreme capable of being coupled with an Apple 200Mbps read/write SSD NAS box via USB 3.0 or Firewire S3200? That surely has to be on the cards at some point. Hmmm, maybe not for another couple of years though....

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Kelvin:

If Apple ever comes out with a MacBook-profiled notebook with discrete graphics (eg 8600GT) I'll snap it up. I think lots of people are crying out for a more portable MacBook Pro.

Just look at the bidding wars happening for second hand 12" PowerBook G4s on the online auctions.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Mestara:

Ahh, the fun in trying to predict these things.. I believe APC even ridiculed those who try.. see http://apcmag.com/7523/an_apple_tablet_is_on_the_way_zzzzz

29 February 2008, 8:49 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

jijus:

How about OSX Leopard for IBM PCs? thats going to happen soon for sure!!!

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Me:

When hell freezes over !!!
It's like like installing a Commodore donk in a Falcon ... It ain't gonna happen !!

29 February 2008, 8:49 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

McBanjo:

I'm putting all my money on the tablet Macbook. If the patents Apple are filing are any indication, they seem to be making a touchscreen tablet. If not announced at this MacWorld, it's most probably going to happen sometime in the near future.

All this touchscreen technology detecting rested palms and such shows that this device could be the tablet PC that Microsoft was supposed to make a success on. Just like the iPhone was a dead giveaway with all these patent filings, this ultra-portable tablet looks to be on its way.

I just hope Apple keep up their track record and keep delivering on revolutionizing products.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Keiran:

My 2 cents.. Apple "iUnify" Server / Client IP PBX

Although unfortunately about a 1% chance, I believe there's no other product that could better catapult Apple & OSX deep into the SME / corporate world right now.

With IP PBX's like Asterisk & Trixbox proving how easily, powerful software based phone systems can be deployed & managed, the maturing of VoIP & iTSP services, and Microsoft's complex & expensive OCS 2007 product considered a future dominant player, the time is right.

Apple, is once again the only company with all the arrows - an OSX IP PBX would simply be the quiver for the lot. The SIP enabled softPBX would simply ship with Leopard Server as another application, and have all the polish, stability & ease of use as most other Mac applications. iChat could be easily upgraded into a SIP enabled multimedia client app that again, ships as standard with all new Mac's. As iMac's all have camera's inbuilt, iChat would manage voice, video, IM and presence, and also sync seamlessly with Address Book. Throw in the recent 'data detectors' and you now have a very simple 'click to dial' from almost any application. Compelling.

Furthermore, extending this enterprise telephony infrastructure for true unified communications would simply be a case of porting a simplified version of that same iChat application onto the iPhone (or a MacTablet!?). As you can see, it's Apple from end to end, it's all integrated, and it all works.

Running the SIP standard would allow companies to connect their own choice of SIP enabled IP desk phones if required, however the general stability of OSX provides a reliable environment for a 'mission critical' application like a softphone handling voice telephony. Unfortunately for Microsoft, I doubt Windows users would feel that their OS would be up to that task every hour, of every day.

Anyone else agree?

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply
29 February 2008, 8:49 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Steve Oldeson:

An individual paragraph for each sentence is not required. I believe its time to hire a new editor, or just proofread.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Simon Sharwood:

I'm pretty sure we can expect a storage announcement too.

Plenty of video pros are praying for it. 



29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

MDK-PopinFRESH:

iPhone:
-Sales Talk Back / Pat on the back
-Anouncment of SDK... wait for it... Available NOW!!!
-New iPhone software / feature updates (e.g. Multi-Contact TXT Msgs)

MacBook:
-All New Glass + Aluminum "Pro-sumer" cases

MacBook Pro:
-New Glass + Aluminum cases
-Quad Core ULV Xeon chips (making Apple the First major brand to offer a Quad Core laptop and first "Workstation class" notebook)

MacBook Nano:
-Ultra Mobile Product Anouncment
-32GB & 64GB SSD Drives (will also help drive down costs for upgrade path of iPhone and iPod Touch)
-New Ultra-Thin Glass + Aluminum case ~.5" thin
-1.86GHz, 2.0GHz ULV Core 2 Duo chips
-Support for upto 4GB DDR2
-Multi-Touch enabled 13" Screen

Apple TV / Mac Mini:
-Apple TV & Mac Mini Merge to 1 HTPC Product
-Revamp of Mac Mini designed for the living room
-Add AV output options of Apple TV to Mac Mini (HDMI, Component, Optical Audio, etc)

Mac Pro:
-All 8-Core line up
-2.66GHz @ 1333MHz FSB, 2.8Ghz @ 1333MHz FSB, 3.2Ghz @ 1600MHz FSB Models
-Multi-GPU support for high-end ATI cards (Cross-Fire)
-DDR3 Support
-Support for upto 32GB
-HDD Upgrades to 500MB replacing the low end, 750GB and 1TB options
-New SuperDrive Dual Layer DVD+-RW with BluRAY and HD-DVD Playback
-FireWire S3200 "Ready" FireWire 800 Ports (Like the MacBook Pro 802.11n flash update) Probably wont be anounced but new FireWire chip likley included in the new Mac Pro that is just waiting the ratificaiton in Feb '08
-HDMI or Better yet, DisplayPort output on Graphics Cards with increased resolution support
-Available Today!

Apple Cinema Display:
-Thiner Design ~.5" thin
-Addition of FireWire 800 / S3200 port(s) to go with the current USB and FireWire 400
-New Sizes 24", 27", 32" (Not likley if Apple switches to OLED display panels)
-Photo Sensitive LCD, The actuall LCD Panel acts as a webcam (Apple has a new pat. relating to this)
-Switch to LED Backlight or Switch to OLED display allowing thin, cooler, brighter & more vibrant colors, and MUCH higher contrast ratios with MUCH lower response times
-Increased Display densities if DisplayPort & OLED adopted
-Multi-Touch enabled display
-Available Today!

Mac OS X:
-OS X 10.5.2 Update
-Support for New Displays
-Support for New CPUs
-Support for Resolution Independance on New Displays
-Support for New Advanced Gestures for Multi-Touch displays and New Multi-Touch technology that allows for the distinction of Multi-User Touch input
-Support for AirPort Disk in TimeMachine

My Finances:
-Wallet empty
-Checking Account Empty
-Credit Cards Maxed
-Student Loan Used
-Car Sold
-House 3rd Mortgage

My Desk:
-2x 24" Apple CinemaTouch Displays
-8 Core Mac Pro with

Steve is going to need a lot of water to announce all this. There is a lot on the table and it will be intresting to see what gets put out and what gets put back to Dev until WWDC.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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