Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Rumors, Other Events
We'll always have Paris... or will we?
Apple unveiled the iMac G5 at Apple Expo in Paris last summer. The Powerbooks were introduced there in 2003. In other words, there's a history of Apple announcing super-cool hardware at the Apple Expo. This has many speculating about what this year's Paris Expo (Sept. 20-24) has in store for Apple fans. Steve Jobs is expected to give the keynote at the Palais des Congres on the morning of September 20, and we know from experience that Steve doesn't get out of bed too early in the morning for just anything. Still, Apple won't officially confirm or deny Steve's flight plans for that week.
So what, if anything, do you think will be unveiled? Will we get a 2.0GHz G4 Powerbook as a fond farewell to the PowerPC line? Or a Powerbook G5? Maybe a renamed portable lineup (Gigabook has a nice ring to it)? A color-screened iPod mini? A higher capacity iPod shuffle? Will the Power Mac G5 finally hit or break the 3.0GHz barrier? A new Mighty Keyboard to match the Mighty Mouse? A pony? C'mon... everyone loves ponies!
Your guess is as good as ours... so start your predictions below.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Alex said 3:13PM on 8-12-2005
i'm honestly hoping they show off more mactel and give more info and dates we can expect to see them on market.
one thing i've always wanted to see from apple is an affordable LCD screen for those who buy mini's and don't have screens (not for me, i have a powerbook).
I would be disapointed if they announced a more powerfull cpu, seeing as people will buy it, then be disapointed when they start coming out with mactels.
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eleongonzales said 3:16PM on 8-12-2005
Video iPod. Nuff said.
Other things I would like to see... Apple tablet, itunes phone, a new and improved newton, more affordable lcd displays, and the list goes on.
I doubt the powerbook will get much of a speed boost.
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matth said 3:21PM on 8-12-2005
What about the perennial favorite: Video Pod? Maybe an iPod-Phone. A coffee mug that downloads podcasts?
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Felipe said 3:21PM on 8-12-2005
a pony would really be great... even greater if it worked wirelessly... or sould I say tailessly?
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narco said 3:24PM on 8-12-2005
Well, everyone was going crazy over the supposed "300mhz speed bump" on the Powerbooks that Appleinsider was claiming. Now they switched it to a 30mhz bump, which makes the new Powerbooks at 1.7ghz. That's hardly something worthy of a Paris keynote.
Also, if they released more Power PC stuff, that doesn't necessarily mean that people are going to go ape-caca when the Mactel stuff comes out. Steve said something about universal binary and all that jazz -- that's not my area of expertise, but from what I understood, PowerPC macs will still be relevant for a good number of years.
Fishes,
narco.
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Peter Koritschan said 4:38PM on 8-12-2005
Laurie, isn't this a recycled post? Reading the stuff about the keyboard and the PONY, I just had a deja vu (sorry, couldn't find the e with the accent on my keyboard...)
Anyway, I hope some BIG news will be presented, as it's time for some new products, refreshing old products to me is not an announcement, merely an update that deserves mention on the Apple news page, but definitely not a keynote.
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Felipe said 3:35PM on 8-12-2005
They could beat the LinuxiPod guys to it and release an ipod software update to make it play videos...
if they make that like the photo transfers, I think current iPod colors could support videos, of course, small-squinting-res sized, but videos all the same...
I don't really know what the hell they are waiting to release the iPhone also... gosh, come on already! it's been what... a year since the rumors were confirmed? about time, Mr. Jobs...
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Geap said 3:41PM on 8-12-2005
I saw a good name suggestion at powerpage and added my own twist to it. How's this?
xStation or xMac: Pro line Desktop
xBook: Pro line Notebook
xServ: Pro line Server (which they already have)
xPod: Video iPod
iMac: Consumer Desktop
1Book: Consumer Notebook
iPod: Photo/Music iPod
eMac: Education Desktop
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Sean said 3:50PM on 8-12-2005
I think the iPhone, whether it works as an iPod or just integrates with iTMS, just a phone designed by Apple would be good enough. Current cell phone interfaces suck so bad it's not even funny. I don't want to play video games like it was 1982, I want to be able to hit the buttons with my fingers.
Also, more of a pipe dream, but.... the Apple Sony PS3.. Ooooh... works on the PowerPC core chip, looks like a Mini, has the bluetooth mouse + keyboard, DVI out, DVD/CD RW, OSX, but plays PS3 games... How sweet would that be? Directly compete against XBox.
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iFelix said 4:02PM on 8-12-2005
My thoughts and wishes are:
iPhone - a phone that works like an iPod
iVideo - a tablet style video player, something with a 6" screeen, I don't think we will see something the size of an iPod playing video
iTablet - a fully fledged Tablet Mac
iHub - an Apple media server connected to your TV to stream video, photos, music and the web... (okay so that's eyeHome, but you never know).
iMovies Store - aka iTunes Music Store but for video.
I think we might see a collaboration between Sony and Apple, not sure if this will be an Apple PS3, maybe a Sony PC running OS X. But then again they are competing on a lot of levels in the same markets.
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Pedro said 4:30PM on 8-12-2005
all of the above! ...and maybe a home theater mac box and software.
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christine said 4:30PM on 8-12-2005
trifecta:
video ipod?
tablet?
new monitors?
i wouldn't get a video ipod, but i'd consider a tablet!
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ben said 4:43PM on 8-12-2005
I'm putting my money on larger capacity iPod minis with color screens. Does anyone else think they're clearing the channel by giving them away to students with the purchase of a new Mac? Yeah, I do.
Who knows, maybe we'll get lucky and they'll announce a Bluetooth version of the Mighty Mouse... that's ergonomic. Or maybe a flying pig! ;)
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Justin said 4:47PM on 8-12-2005
I don't want to start a flame war - if a comment like this could - but regarding an iPhone and a video iPod, I have one, and it's called a Treo 650.
I know, I know. It's Palm. It has a 1998 interface. You've read that they suck, they reset all the time, they have bad reception.
Let me tell you my experience:
My Treo (Cingular) works great. Good coverage, good sound quality.
I have it working as a wireless Bluetooth modem for my PowerBook.
I have it syncing almost perfectly with iSync. (Yes, there are some issues, like multiple addresses. But I don't use them.)
Using MissingSync, it integrates with iPhoto and iTunes. (Plug it in, and it appears as a source in the iTunes left-hand panel for drag-and-drop. In iPhoto, there's an export option for the Treo.)
Using PocketTunes, I can stream Internet radio.
Using HandBrake, I can easily rip DVD's to a small size that play perfectly with free software.
And of course, it holds photos, addresses, numbers, etc.
And it's a phone.
And it's a Web browser.
I'm not a PalmOne shill or anything. But I have been drooling over the idea of a vPod and an iPhone, and I have found that with some tweaks, a Treo 650 can be an iPod, a vPod, a Shuffle, an iPhone, an XM MyFi (kinda)...it is a very cool thing.
Point is: mine works extremely well with my Mac, and it seems to fill many of the gaps for me that many are hoping the vPod or iPhone will.
So there.
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Eric said 5:00PM on 8-12-2005
I say/hope for dual core G4 powerbooks with a minor speedbump, 2 meg cache, and sum decent FS bus.
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Terry said 5:33PM on 8-12-2005
I would love to see a Mac PDA.
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Wheels said 5:55PM on 8-12-2005
I want to see a Mighty Track, a track ball version of the mighty mouse (physical limitations prohibit me from using a mouse, so I feel left out...sniff); an iMac or eMac mini, which would look like the original mac with a 12" LCD; a keyboard that has a nice, mechanical feel that doesn't cost as much as a new pony(!). I think the Emac and PowerBook G5s will be announced.
Sorry about the fact that there's no video iPod, but I just can't get excited about watching video on a screen that's smaller then certain parts of my body!
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narco said 5:53PM on 8-12-2005
I agree with Justin.
I waited (what seemed like) ages for this mysterious "iTunes phone" but I just gave up and bought the Treo 650. I do everything Justin specified, plus I use Salling Clicker to control iTunes on my G5, DVD player on the Mac mini/media center setup, and it all works wonderfully.
Fishes,
narco.
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Justin said 6:21PM on 8-12-2005
Yep, narco. I use Clicker as well. The other night while my wife was using my PowerBook, I sat on the patio with my Treo and played various songs at high volume on the PowerBook. it took her a while to figure out what was going on.
Good, pointless geek fun. :)
My wife's a Realtor, and her Treo opens locks on homes for sale.
Add in MMS, Bejeweled, Toccer (free IM app)...and it's pretty amazing. If Apple came out with something that did half of what a Treo does, and did those things well, it would be a world-beater.
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Justin said 6:23PM on 8-12-2005
And one more thing before I shut up: I have my Treo skinned with an OS X look, and PocketTunes is skinned just like iTunes. If this isn't an iPhone, it's the next best thing. :)
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