What to Expect at MacWorld
It’s January 2008 and the annual MacWorld Expo is less than 2 weeks away. Naturally, the internet is a flurry of rumors and predictions for what will be happening at MacWorld. As a sidenote, I have no inside information and this post is pure speculation based on market research, past Apple moves and the state of the industry - also known as what Stammy wants to see at MacWorld. Some of my thoughts have been confirmed after talking about MacWorld with famous blogger and PR expert Steve Rubel a few weeks ago.
Will we see iPhone 2.0?!
No. While Apple might be ready for 3G, AT&T sure isn’t and has been on the record saying that 3G won’t roll out on their network until around May 2008. What about GPS? Apple isn’t known to update a product to add one small feature when another is in the queue for later on. They’re going to wait until they can put 3G in it as well, if they even bother with GPS.
Also, GPS isn’t on Apple’s mind since the iPhone 1.1.3 firmware updates the Maps application to add a Google Maps feature that has been out for a few months - pseudo GPS with cell tower triangulation. It’s obviously not as accurate as GPS but can give you an approximate radius of your location. If you’ve ever messed with the Navizon application on your hacked iPhone, it’s the same technology.
iPhone firmware 1.1.3 adds a few other features as well - the ability to bookmark websites on the iPhone home screen with their own custom icon as well as home screen pagination. Pagination will become important when people start adding applications to their iPhone when the official Apple iPhone SDK emerges in February. Speaking of SDK, I think Steve Jobs will be showing off iPhone applications created with the SDK as well as how users can install such applications - perhaps a new iTunes version with another page for managing applications.
Mac Pro
I’m not expecting much in this department other than perhaps an expensive Intel Penryn 45nm quad-core processor option (and 8-core with 2 of them), such as the 3GHz LGA771 Harpertown X5450. However, even that seems like a stretch. The X5450 is the one of the only 45nm processors out and currently costs close to $1k each.
If anything, the Mac Pro will likely receive a refresh with newer video card or hard drive options.
MacBook Line
There are rumors and confirmed reports that point to a newer ultraportable laptop with no internal optical drive, just an external optical drive. That would be great, I’ve used the internal optical drive on my MacBook Pro all of two times - installing XCode and upgrading to Leopard.
If we’re lucky, this sub-notebook will be styled like the MacBook Pro. Rumors also point to another change in the MacBook line. It’s too early to see 45nm processors in notebooks yet but we might see a solid-state drive option instead of a hard drive.
iPods
I have no idea what to expect from Jobs & Ives in regards to the iPod line. I’m not expecting anything spectacular in this department and believe that iPhone/MacBook talks will take up most of the Apple’s presentation at MacWorld.
Hat tip to Mark Stephens and an anonymous Skribit user for suggesting I write about iPhone 2.0 and MacWorld Predictions. Close to 400 people voted for me to write about these topics.
What do you want to see at MacWorld and what do you think will actually be happening at MacWorld?
An updated iPhone better be real good… so sad if I had to upgrade so fast ($$$). I’m looking forward toan ultra-portable MacBook. I used to love my 12″ Powerbook and i can’t wait to trade my 15″ MBP for something lighter!
See you at MacWorld Stammy. I’ve got my lifecasting gear so maybe we could tour the expo together (with running commentary) for our viewers ;)
I wouldn’t count on the mac pro or the ipod. Mac Pro== WWDC or other event. The iPod was updated like 1000x last year, i don’t think they have any intentions till Q2-3 2008 in my mind.
I think the Macbook is going to be the star of the show.
@Kevin - I won’t actually be at MacWorld.. I’ll be covering another event. :-)
Besides your Mac Pro mistake, pretty much standard improvements across Apple’s lineup, nothing shocking. I’d really like to see Apple launch a product to bridge the gap between the iMac/Mac Mini and Mac Pro. I know it wouldn’t go with Apple’s current lineup but it would be damn impressive to have something with a bit of grunt under the hood without shelling out $3000 for an overpriced workstation platform. Too bad Apple is now a consumer electronics company, guess Dell and HP will always have a purpose in this world.
Well, you corrected the minor mixup with the Mac Pro. Let’s hope they put a proper graphics card into the system, the current setup would be great, if it was 2006.
Navizon relies on user contributed data for the cell tower IDs. With Apple officially supporting cell tower based tracking, and not having a point system like Navizon to upload tower IDs (or wifi networks), presumably, this means that Apple’s overall reliability will be much better, because they’re getting direct access to a central listing of all cell phone tower IDs in bulk.
@Joost - nice catch, I completely forgot about the community aspect of Navizon.
So you really don’t see anything happening other than Subnotebook? What about iTunes movies rentals? I would also bet that there is going to be a rev to Macbook Pro. LED screens on the 17. Upgraded graphics chip. New keyboard a la Macbook. Maybe even a higher rez iSight camera.
Good write-up Paul. Reasoning looks sound to me. Guess we can wait and see now.
@Spizz - I meant that the only new additions to the line will be the subnotebooks. There are definitely going to be some minor refreshes/updates to the already existing line, but the focus will be on the new portables I think.
Paul–just a quick correction. Major parts of AT&T’s network are certainly live with 3G right now, and have been for quite some time. It’s not nationwide yet, but most major metro areas have it.
I’m looking forward to the ultraportable; I’ve been putting off upgrading my beloved 12″ Aluminum Powerbook G4 because it’s the perfect size for me. :)
I’m really hoping for the sub-notebook with the solid state drive option. It’s about time I get a new portable.
One thing I was waiting for years are the new ACDs. (and they are probably one thing that everybody seem to forget)
I really hope they shell out the new LED backlit ACDs with improvement in design department (Well ACD can’t rotate). Also whilst I love its industrial aluminium design, the specs are subpar compared other monitors. I don’t mind paying for the design but the spec better be as good as the current LCD lineups.
Then again, I was having this dream December last year and see nothing for LCD in 2007.
I think they won’t shell out iPhone 2.0 until next year. iPhone has just released in Europe. That will cause a huge uproar and probably not a good business decision. Heck, even it doesn’t have 3G, you still tons of teenagers in China and Japan carrying an iPhone. (Chinese in particular). Other than that I don’t see much problems with iPhone except people expect to be more that what it’s supposed to be.
Macbook and Macbook pros are in need for minor spec upgrades. I hope we see something like Radeon 3850 mobile in the MBP.
iPods life span is about 9 months, considering the previous refresh was on August, I think we might see new iPods before Easter Holiday. Macworld is usually not a place for new iPod announcement. Like you said, it will focus on the new product like the portable MBP.
Well that’s my £.50 :)
Oh to clarify few things about iPhone in China and Japan. My point is they are the most advanced in mobile phone industry. 5G is common in Japan (they watch TV on their mobile phone heck, China is well in 4G and almost ready for 5G) Yet iPhone is still pretty popular. Of course, when Apple expand their market to Asia we might see some upgrades to the hardware to support the advanced network infrastructure. But that won’t happen until Q3-4 this year I presume.
Personally I am looking forward the subnotebook. I am going to be upgrading my iBook G4 to a better portable in the near future, and the new ultraportable would be a great option. I would wait for the second revision though…
Fuka : 5G doesn’t exist yet, If Japanese (as well as France, Korea, Taiwan…) can watch TV with phones, it’s not trought network but by DVB & co.
Japanese network still are still widely using 3G (UMTS), 3.5G (HSDPA) and sometime 3.75G (HSUPA). As far as I know, Japan do not yet use Wimax or HC-SDMA (iBurst) which are actually 4G
Can never really work out whether these lists are wish lists or predictions :-)
I have been saying for a while that we should expect less these days and I really would like Apple to deliver less and to get what they do do better - too much comes out these days that isn’t the quality that we expect!
Any chance there will be a 16GB iPhone announced? I heard some rumors about this a while back, but it seems like the subnotebook rumors have been the fous.
I got an iPhone for Christmas, but I’m hesitant to open it in case they announce a larger capacity version (probably for $500). I’d rather have the extra space over 3G or GPS (given that Wi-Fi and the My Maps feature alleviate these shortcomings).
i just got back from snowboarding in Park City, where I busted a few ribs and lost my iPhone on the mtn’s…
I was thinking about waiting to see/hear of any iPhone 2.0 developments but I think Paul is right, more on the SDK and applications rather than hardware or 3G announcements..
off to Apple for my new iPhone. ;)
@Stammy: Awe shucks, still haven’t gotten a chance to meet you in the flesh. I’ll be there all week anyway looking for new gadgets at the Expo. :)
Apple seem to have pretty clearly signaled now that iPods will be updated on a yearly cycle in September. I agree that they won’t see any updates.
Your predictions are some of the most conservative I’ve read, and I think you’re on the mark there. These things always turn out smaller than expected, iPhone announcement aside. Speaking of which, the whole subnotebook rumor thing is building to a volume akin to what preceded the iPhone this time last year, so hopefully that’ll make its way out the door. And yeah, now would be a good time to discuss iPhone SDK details - I’m crossing fingers for that because I’m really interested to know how open that is going to turn out.
13″ is a little big for a sub-notebook, don’t you think? While Apple could easily just pull the “thinnest laptop ever” card, they have placed several patents for a tablet machine. Acer has stated that Apple was working on a Tablet, and don’t forget that Apple is the only company with commercially-available multi-touch products.
If we do see a tablet after all, don’t expect to see a physical keyboard. You know how Jobs hates buttons. :P