Let's face it. Macworld Expo 2008 didn't exactly blow people away with its product intros. There was the MacBook Air, Apple TV Take Two and...um...not much else. And there could have been. Think about it. The Mac Pro was quietly upgraded in the days that led up to the event (psst, hey you, interested in some raw computing power?), and now the iPhone and iPod touch have received some major memory upgrades in the February slump. Both upgrades, as we have now seen, were relegated to Tuesday-morning sticky notes.
It's not as if Apple couldn't have announced this morning's memory upgrades in January. I'm pretty sure these new iPods and iPhones didn't just magically spring into existence within the last 3 weeks. The product that was announced, the (*yawn*) major AppleTV upgrade with movie rentals. is already delayed, and no sign yet of the "late February" iPhone SDK.
So what's going on with Apple? Is there some sort of mojo shortage? Or maybe Steve just wanted some of us to do badly in our keynote predictions[1]. You tell us in the comments.
[1] See "tinfoil hat"
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
2-05-2008 @ 1:06PM
Pete said...
I've seen the iPhone announcement all over the news channels this morning.
With the scattered product announcements, they get everyone talking about Apple two weeks before Macworld, at Macworld, and 3 weeks after Macworld. May as well spread out the reporting and not cram it all in one new broadcast.
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2-05-2008 @ 1:09PM
Jeffrey said...
I remember from MacWorld that Steve had mentioned that they had released something every week of 2008 so far (the Mac Pros the first week and then the stuff at MacWorld the next week), and that there were 50 weeks left in 2008. If you count last weeks iLife updates, he has been making sure something comes out every week. The first week was the Mac Pros, then the MacWorld announcements, then the pink iPod Nano, the iLife updates, and now the upgraded iPhone/iPod touch.
It might be that Apple releases something every week of this year. Maybe 10.5.2 next week and the new Macbook Pros the following week?
Just something that I have noticed.
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2-05-2008 @ 1:15PM
StrangeBum said...
And with the rumors of the MacBook Pros getting multi-input touch pads. Possibly the faster (Penryn?) processors too. I can see that coming out before too long too.
That's what I'm waiting for anyway. I really want to get myself a new MBP and after hearing the rumors, I'm just going to sit still and wait for them. 2008 is looking fantastic!
2-05-2008 @ 2:32PM
Katanna said...
I think that Apple is trying to get away from the "two announcements a year" model and more into "we are an exciting company that is always innovating" model. I think that it would be totally awesome if Apple came out with something new every week this year! You can't say that about Microsoft!
Also, like Pete said, this is huge for advertising. The buzz generated by slowly releasing things is much larger than when you do it all at once... at least this way, the buzz can't be blamed on "drinking the Kool-Aide."
Matthew
2-05-2008 @ 2:53PM
robogobo said...
From FSJ's "Options":
It's tough to run any company, but it's an order of magnitude more difficult when you're in a field driven by creativity. My business is all about what's next. We get one product out the door,we need to have five more in the pipeline. And every product is a battle....
2-05-2008 @ 3:32PM
cynyc said...
Hmmm. I like your theory!
2-05-2008 @ 1:09PM
blinkcowz182 said...
Maybe they're trying to turn everyone off and then release some mega-ultra new product. Eh I think they're just struggling. Where else can they go? Music, video, computers, living room, kitchen?
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2-06-2008 @ 9:48AM
gerdozain said...
CARS!!!!
That might be the big next step for apple. Think about, Microsoft released their SYNC system on Ford and other crappy cars, I think Apple will most likely come out with something way better, for real cars!!!
2-05-2008 @ 1:12PM
Victor Agreda Jr said...
If you look back over the past few years you'll see Apple keeping a steady drumbeat rather than blowing everything out for Macworld. MW sort of sets the tone (although the "year of HD" sorta got tabled) and the rest of the year is punctuated with trendy NY announcements and the rare-but-whimsical Apple campus froofraw.
Here's to what I think will be a shiny, sparkly 2008 with a new surprise each month.
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2-05-2008 @ 1:13PM
Bandito said...
The one thing that struck me during the keynote was at the very end. I don't recall the actual phrasing, but Steve heavily implied that there was much more to come in 2008. I think that the iPhone and iPod Touch upgrades are just the beginning. Next up, the MacBook Pros, after that maybe a new processor for the Air. Who knows what Apple has up its corporate sleeve.
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2-05-2008 @ 1:14PM
apeguero said...
I think that an update to the Mac Pro and bumping the memory on the iPhone were more welcoming news than what the announcement of the MacBook Air. Had the MacBook Air had more ports and a replaceable battery, hell, even an optional Optical drive that can be used with any other computer, let alone Macs, then I could see it being an exciting announcement. But in the end, in my opinion, it's not an exciting new system.
I'd say that perhaps Jobs wants to leave new system announcements for MacWorld but then that wouldn't make sense since he also announced an update to Apple TV and Airport Extreme. So why did he leave out the Mac Pro and the new, updated iPhone and Touch? My answer to your question would have to be that perhaps he wants to take away the tradition of announcing ALL news on MacWorld and therefore become a little more unpredictable. This way he would have more time in the year to make these kind of announcements and help pump up the stock rather than getting on time in the year to do the same.
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2-05-2008 @ 2:29PM
Sabon said...
apeguero said...
I think that an update to the Mac Pro and bumping the memory on the iPhone were more welcoming news than what the announcement of the MacBook Air. Had the MacBook Air had more ports and a replaceable battery, hell, even an optional Optical drive that can be used with any other computer, let alone Macs, then I could see it being an exciting announcement. But in the end, in my opinion, it's not an exciting new system.
I couldn't agree LESS than what you said.
You don't need more ports. The MacBook Air is for people that travel a lot and don't need or want the extra weight or bulk that would be needed for those. And if they need more ports, there are dongles for those that fit those needs.
If you been paying attention --at all-- you would know the battery IS replaceable. You just have to unscrew a few screws on the bottom and the battery is right there. Please keep up to date on things.
The optical drive does not need to be compatible with any other device since, well, exactly what other device that Apple makes doesn't already have an optical drive as an option? The iPhone?
If Steve Jobs has talked about the Mac Pro and iPhone/iTouch upgrades and rolled out the MacBook Air without fan fare you would have moaned and groaned about that too.
2-05-2008 @ 4:29PM
robogobo said...
and hopefully this won't be yet another topic hijacked by the MBA bickering.
2-05-2008 @ 10:33PM
John said...
Here are my predictions for announcements in the upcoming months if our theory of a new announcement every week/two weeks:
-New MacbookPro updates
-iPhone SDK
-Aperture..? although, i would have thought they would have released t this week or last....
-10.5.2
-Apple TV/Time Capsule release
-iPhone international announcements
-New Cinema Displays
2-05-2008 @ 1:17PM
Kris said...
Not every incremental upgrade needs a press conference. An entirely new iPhone model, then yeah, but adding more RAM doesn't make it a new product.
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2-05-2008 @ 2:12PM
Tony C said...
My thoughts exactly! This was not a "major upgrade" or even something slightly evolutionary for the iPod, except for more available memory. So they soldered higher density NVRAM chips onto the iPhone and Touch's system boards, big deal. More memory, sure! Great! But definitely nothing to go all splashy-keynote or press-conferency on.
2-05-2008 @ 2:31PM
Techslacker said...
I agree. Having said that though the iphone is what it is and will still gather attention even with nothing more than a memory upgrade.
Apple has in the past had those types of upgrades announced but I think this year's show was to have more focus on Apple TV and the Macbook Air. One is about getting into the living room more and the other is about getting more into executive's offices and briefcases. More memory on the iphone or touch doesn't really get them in anymore than the already impressive share that they have.
My only disappointment is that the price for the difference in memory is what it is. I have this feeling now though that Apple is staging things for their next version of the iphone and will be sticking with these pricepoints. Their next version will likely be yet another $100 or $200 more. I only say this because Apple doesn't typically get into pricewars but likes to stick to pricepoints and then try to "out feature" the competitors.
2-05-2008 @ 1:17PM
apeguero said...
Oh, and one more thing, I think that by Apple Computer Co. becoming just Apple Co., meaning they're developing more than just computers, might mean that the next Apple Cinema Display will be similar to the Gateway XHD3000 and the new Dell. This is wishful thinking on my part but it would be a welcome surprise if that new display also includes a tuner thereby making it the first ever Apple HDTV. That would be sweet and I would think would bring them more into the consumer electronics segment rather than just putting out a plain Jane Cinema Display with one DVI port.
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2-05-2008 @ 1:19PM
HadrianM said...
My guess is they knew sales would slump and stocks would drag and dip this quater or this year. They could draw out the hype with smaller releases instead of blowing the whole wad at the Keynote.
Refreshed Macbook and Macbook Pros? Multitouch pad?Backlit keyboard for Macbook? smaller faster proc? yez plez. k thx.
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2-05-2008 @ 3:11PM
DistortedLoop said...
It hasn't helped the stock today, if that was their plan...