Andy Ihnatko thinks we are all in for a surprise at MacWorld 2009!

[olternaut]

Ok look, I dunno whether this guy thinks he knows something or not but this dude twittered something about Macworld that is worth checking out. I didn't report this first but it was on Appleinsider.

I guess he is in California and in town for the Macworld show and this is what he twittered:

1/3/09 7:05PM
First afternoon in SF and I have already dug up the coolest top-secretest Apple news of the year. I haven't even seen a RUMOR about this.

1/3/09 7:23PM
(I was told solely on a "be ready when it's announced" basis, so I can't even hint. But it immediately elicited a "NO WAY!!!" & happy grin)

Here is the link to the post over at Appleinsider:
http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?p=1356979&posted=1#post1356979

What do you all think? Everyone on the planet has assumed that because Steve Jobs isn't there that there isn't anything hot to show off at this year's macworld. What if there is?

 

[mysterytramp]

A $300 laptop that is nothing but a matte finish screen and a firewire port.

mt

 

[therealdt]

$25 bucks off MacBooks???

 

[bobfitz14]

i don't know who Andy Ihnatko is but maybe he's just trying to look for attention because many people are anxious about MW09 because of all the rumors.

although, if this guy is credible/legit then i guess we're in for a treat within the next week. hopefully whatever Apple comes out with (if anything good) isn't too pricey!

 

[mysterytramp]

i don't know who Andy Ihnatko is ...

He's been writing about Macs about longer than anybody. He has several books on the machines, mostly very techy.

This phrase: "(I was told solely on a "be ready when it's announced" basis, so I can't even hint. But it immediately elicited a "NO WAY!!!" & happy grin)" tells me we're in for a treat.

mt

 

[Lone Deranger]

iPodTouch FingerSocks!!

 

[jaw04005]

i don't know who Andy Ihnatko is but maybe he's just trying to look for attention because many people are anxious about MW09 because of all the rumors.

Ihnatko is not an attention whore. He is a well respected technology writer for the Chicago Sun Times.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Andy Ihnatko is also on TWiT (This Week in Tech) and MacBreak Weekly with Leo Laporte and John C Dvorak* and Patrick Norton (TechTV anyone?) among other guests. Great long podcasts and better watching live. Let's just say it's a lot better than listening to Diggnation with people who've been in the industry for years.

The guy knows a lot of people in the industry and is therefore definitely credible. If Ihnatko thinks something big will be announced then I believe him.

*Dvorak is known to write garbage about tech. However, he's admitted (on video) that he does so to get hits on his sites and more press. If you actually listen to what he has to say every week he's quite smart and usually pretty accurate in his predictions.

 

[jaw04005]

Dvorak is known to write garbage about tech. However, he's admitted (on video) that he does so to get hits on his sites and more press. If you actually listen to what he has to say every week he's quite smart and usually pretty accurate in his predictions.

Dvorak likes to "stir the pot" as sort of a rebuttal against the "group think" that tends to get reported and re-reported out of the technology industry.

He also likes to bait Mac users because we are such a passionate (aka fanatical) group of users — including calling the original iBook "girly" when major reviewers were praising the product's design.

In recent years, Dvorak has been favorable of both the iMac and iPhone.

A few of Dvorak's more accurate predictions include the switch to Intel processors (years before) and the video iPod.

 

[macfan881]

i kinda think apple has something big besides the Iphone Nano i think apple wants to go out of there last macworld with a Bang
i do think it something media related and it will be huge

 

[olternaut]

i kinda think apple has something big besides the Iphone Nano i think apple wants to go out of there last macworld with a Bang
i do think it something media related and it will be huge

Well well well. So this guy is a regular with the TWiT gang and a tech writer for a newspaper. Holy crap! I think there will indeed be something hot at MacWorld.
I suspect though that its just going to be the iphone nano along with the other stuff everyone expects.
The iphone nano will be presented in a way that will make it a hot must have product that will kick the competition in the balls!

Now I'm all excited. This however brings up a couple things that we should all consider.......about Steve Jobs.

The entire tech industry, enthusiast....the tech planet believes that because Steve Jobs isn't there at Macworld this time that the show will be incredibly boring with no exciting products.
But if what we read here is true then Steve Jobs has psyched EVERYONE out.
It will mean that Steve is training the public into expecting other speakers (namely Phil Schiller) to announce the hot new products as opposed to saving the good stuff for himself.

It might also mean that this time around Steve Jobs is truly sick and doesn't have the strength to do the show. It might mean both.

Dunno, but I'm going to keep an eye out for updates to that guy's twitter feed. Here is a link to his feed: http://twitter.com/Ihnatko

 

[MacTraveller]

Ihnatko is not an attention whore. He is a well respected technology writer for the Chicago Sun Times.

Ah yes! Andy Ihnatko and David Pogue. Both are long-time Macintosh experts and field columnists. They've both written TONS of Macintosh manuals in the past. I think I still have Pogue's excellent Applescript guide for OS9.

Andy is the long-haired sideburn-flaunting hippy from days long gone.
Pogue is the cardigan-wearing skinny nerd geekboy.

If there is a Macintosh Heaven.... both would be considered Saints.


---- Frankly I'm more of a fan of the Rabid Cult of Guy Kawasaki. Fighting the good old hate-filled Mac versus PC Crusades of the 1990s! Posting nasty mean insults and Windows-bashing on PC forums just to get a rise from all the rabid Microsoft fanboys. Now THOSE were the good old days!

 

[olternaut]

Ah yes! Andy Ihnatko and David Pogue. Both are long-time Macintosh experts and field columnists. They've both written TONS of Macintosh manuals in the past. I think I still have Pogue's excellent Applescript guide for OS9.

Andy is the long-haired sideburn-flaunting hippy from days long gone.
Pogue is the cardigan-wearing skinny nerd geekboy.

If there is a Macintosh Heaven.... both would be considered Saints.


---- Frankly I'm more of a fan of the Rabid Cult of Guy Kawasaki. Fighting the good old hate-filled Mac versus PC Crusades of the 1990s!

Since this guy is a bit of an oldie techie do you think he is just overreacting on the news about an iphone nano? While an iphone nano will be hot I don't think it will be THAT exciting. Ya think?

 

[MacTraveller]

Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller:

"And ladies and gentlemen.... before I wrap up my keynote..... oh, and there's One More Thing....."

Steve Jobs walks into center stage....

 

[olternaut]

Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller:

"And ladies and gentlemen.... before I wrap up my keynote..... oh, and there's One More Thing....."

Steve Jobs walks into center stage....

No way Steve would be that devious. Wishful thinking. I think Steve has chosen his successor and that person is Phil Schiller. Its Phil's time to shine in the spotlight and do the "one more thing". But it won't be Steve coming out on stage the one more thing will be Phil debuting the next hot Apple product.

 

[jaw04005]

Since this guy is a bit of an oldie techie do you think he is just overreacting on the news about an iphone nano? While an iphone nano will be hot I don't think it will be THAT exciting. Ya think?

I would have to go back through old episodes of the MacBreak Weekly podcast, but I don't think Andy has been favorable to the idea. If I remember correctly, he thought that Apple would just continue to lower the iPhone's price (as costs went down, economies of scale) not necessarily introduce a new product.

I think Steve has chosen his successor and that person is Phil Schiller.

Well, if it was any other company Schiller would have been the one doing the keynote all along. After all, he is Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

Schiller will not be Apple's CEO anytime soon. That's not his professional forte.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Since this guy is a bit of an oldie techie do you think he is just overreacting on the news about an iphone nano? While an iphone nano will be hot I don't think it will be THAT exciting. Ya think?

First off he never said the rumor was of an iPhone nano. Actually, what he said is "I haven't even seen a RUMOR about this," which I take to mean that it isn't of an iPhone nano. I'll go out on a limb and open a can of worms and say it's a multi-touch laptop. But really; who knows.

I would have to go back through old episodes of the MacBreak Weekly podcast, but I don't think Andy has been favorable to the idea. If I remember correctly, he thought that Apple would just continue to lower the iPhone's price (as costs went down, economies of scale) not necessarily introduce a new product.

That's exactly what they all think. An iPhone nano doesn't really make sense because it changes the screen res and complicates Apps in that case.

 

[olternaut]

I would have to go back through old episodes of the MacBreak Weekly podcast, but I don't think Andy has been favorable to the idea. If I remember correctly, he thought that Apple would just continue to lower the iPhone's price (as costs went down, economies of scale) not necessarily introduce a new product.



Well, if it was any other company Schiller would have been the one doing the keynote all along. After all, he is Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

Schiller will not be Apple's CEO anytime soon. That's not his professional forte.

Maybe. But at least when it comes to doing keynotes, high profile keynotes with major product announcements, do you think Phil be the regular from now on?

First off he never said the rumor was of an iPhone nano. Actually, what he said is that he hadn't even seen a rumor of this yet, which I take to mean that it isn't of an iPhone nano.


That's exactly what they all think. An iPhone nano doesn't really make sense because it changes the screen res and complicates Apps in that case.

Understood. And I agree. But then there are all those asian vendors with iphone cases.

 

[QuarterSwede]

Maybe. But at least when it comes to doing keynotes, high profile keynotes with major product announcements, do you think Phil be the regular from now on?

Probably. He's got more experience than anyone else with keynotes and product demos. He's sort of like Jobs' keynote sidekick. The only other guy that comes close to that experience is ... well, I don't remember his name but he's skinny and rather young.

Understood. And I agree. But then there are all those asian vendors with iphone cases.

True. That is hard to explain with the past iPod nano case leaks. Still, what Ihnatko is clearly talking about is not the iPhone nano. He has to have seen the rumors about that, it's probably the biggest one!

 

[MacTraveller]

Probably. He's got more experience than anyone else with keynotes and product demos. He's sort of like Jobs' keynote sidekick. The only other guy that comes close to that experience is ... well, I don't remember his name but he's skinny and rather young.

Justin Long?

 

[QuarterSwede]

Justin Long?

Hahaha, no.

 

[olternaut]

Justin Long?

Umm......no. lol

I think he is referring to that guy in charge of the iphone department. He has that Mr. suave/cool about him. But nah scratch the thought of him leading Apple. Apple is about the teamwork....singular vision (Steve Jobs') but about the team as well. Still though they need someone who can do a good keynote and be a leader. I'm sorry Tim Cook isn't it. Yeah let him run the show in the background but they need a good person for the sales pitch. Maybe this Phil guy will do.

 

[Lone Deranger]

The only other guy that comes close to that experience is ... well, I don't remember his name but he's skinny and rather young.

Scott Forstall

 

[olternaut]

Scott Forstall

Yeah the iphone guy.

 

[bobfitz14]

He's been writing about Macs about longer than anybody. He has several books on the machines, mostly very techy.

This phrase: "(I was told solely on a "be ready when it's announced" basis, so I can't even hint. But it immediately elicited a "NO WAY!!!" & happy grin)" tells me we're in for a treat.

mt

Ihnatko is not an attention whore. He is a well respected technology writer for the Chicago Sun Times.

then i guess we have something to look forward to this week!