Macworld is fast approaching, so here’s a rumor round up plus a bit of speculation as to what’s going to transpire in January.
HardMac predicts 10.5.2, a new Mac Pro, and Blu-Ray burners.
Computerworld reiterates the persistent rumor of an “ultra-light” Mac notebook. Price point is $1500, LED-backlit 13.3 inch screen, 50% lighter than current notebooks, and a thinner form factor due to flash memory for storage. There will be no hard drive or optical drive.
Apple Insider speculates a 3G iPhone by the middle of 2008. The beans were spilt on this one by AT&T themselves a few days ago.
Apple Gazette has eight predictions: iTunes update, AppleTV update, the strongest holiday season ever, updated Mac Books, No iTablet, iPhone and iTouch software updates, iPhone SDK, Mac Nano.
I spent a couple of decades on the road. So, the ultra-light Mac notebook is most interesting. The rumored price is astounding considering that most companies upcharge a premium on their smallest notebooks.
A ultra portable would be nice, but $1500? I don’t think so. Not from Apple. We would be lucky if it came under $2000. With the way Leopard is doing, maybe they should re intro Tiger as a option for new Macs? I have never experienced more lock ups and reboots as I have with Leopard. I think Apple has some bad growing pains.
I always wonder about how much “innovative” 3rd party software folks have on their computers – when they make statements like #2. Yes, “innovative” means “why look at the specs from Apple when you write it?”
I’ve installed Leopard for several folks [and my own family] and not a hiccup. More to the point, I have this bad habit of looking at lots of these “lifestyle” whines as counterpoint to what the business side actually produces.
The Leopard rollout is proceeding at a higher rate than any preceding intro. Someone is not only happy – they’re telling their friends.
That doesn’t say that aren’t the usual early bugs. That’s why folks wait for 10.5.1. Which is already out. And 10.5.2 will be along in a few months – as one of the links above states.
Never needed to wait. Slowly wending my way through all the new functions – especially enjoying a couple, so far.
#2 – Sony has some ultra portables for around $3000. $1500 for a quality ultra portable would be a bargain.
And I’ve found Leopard to be slightly more stable than Tiger. My Macbook now goes to sleep and wakes up reliably, which it rarely did under Tiger. The wireless is a bit more fiddly though.
13.3″ is not an ultraportable. I “live” on ultraportables for a decade and for typical user with need for them even 12″ is on a large side. I would welcome 10-11″ ultraportable from the Mac (and I am actually waiting for it, keeping my Fujitsu Lifebook beyond planned lifetime). However, if they stop at 13″, they do not understand the needs of people who do use ultraportables…
You guys are missing that #1 and #2 are hacks, both of whom I’ve destroyed numerous times. No reason to take them seriously, and no reason for them to continue posting. (Owned.)
All of those rumors are in line with what I’ve heard, and I’m looking forward to going to Macworld this year for my company.
The only conflict in the rumors goes off of what #6 posted. The $1500 price point is right, as it fits in between the MacBook and MacBook Pro lines… but how are they going to go with an all flash memory drive (to meet what #6 needs) at that price point?
Doesn’t quite add up.
I’d love a 15″ macbook pro with at least 100GB of flash disk and an LED monitor, the later already available. Imagine the power savings and thus the battery life with no spinning disks.
There will be no hard drive or optical drive.
Soooo, it’s going to be a broken ultraportable? Not having a built-in optical drive was one of the biggest reasons tablet PCs didn’t take off. And Dongle drives are just a sloppy solution to that problem. Somebody who carries that around is probably going to want to watch movies, or at least be able to get a disc with the presenter’s materials, or any of the thousands of other uses an optical drive has. And with the current capacity of flash drives, simply copying everything over won’t work either.
You guy’s do realize these are just rumors. My guess is a smaller Macbook and a new category device 32Gb iPhone with 6″to 8″ screen, wifi, Intel’s new mobil processor and works seamless with Back to My Mac and everything google… oh and no phone.
people are speculating that just because the screens are 13 inches that ita an ultraportable. REGULAR macbook screens are 13 inches. so we’re going to get a new MACBOOK NOT an ultraportable. okay?
I may go Mac. Microsoft has been promising evil on my deskto for many years now and hasn’t included it in any service pack yet.
http://www.bbspot.com/News/2000/4/MS_Buys_Evil.html
For whatever it’s worth, I’ve used nearly every MacOS, and Leopard is the buggiest release in years. I have it on only 4 machines here, and won’t install it on any others until I see an end to the kernel panics, keyboard/mouse lockups and black screens on wakeup.
I want a 3g iPhone but I don’t wanna wait until May/June.