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

[MacTraveller]

I don't get it; what was the big announcement that would put a gleeful grin on the face of Apple fans? Maybe Ihnatko is a huge Tony Bennet fan.

I was crushed that it wasn't Hannah Montana.

 

[NT1440]

True; no date was mentioned in the original post but the timing made it seem MacWorld related. Speaking of which, let me just say, in my best Comic Book Store Guy voice, "Worst, Macworld, ever!"

Wasnt there a macworld where the big announcement was the hifi player?

And come on, the software is just kick ass!

 

[olternaut]

"I promise you all that the Big Secret is indeed real, is indeed very cool, and when it becomes public I'll point it out"

So the Big Secret wasn't part of Phil's keynote.

Yes I caught this tidbit over at the appleinsider thread about Ihnatko's secret news. So apparently he had to defend himself on twitter concerning the secret Apple news.

*takes deep breath* *sigh*

Ok..............lets assume for a moment that there is indeed some big apple news that was not to be revealed at macworld and that Ihnatko simply ran into one of his contacts before the show and learned of the secret.
If this news was not to be revealed at macworld, on purpose, then when do you suppose this product will be revealed now.

There is no macworld anymore (to speak of anyway). So perhaps it will be at WWDC? An "October event"? When do you all think?

 

[MacTraveller]

Ok..............lets assume for a moment that there indeed some big apple news that was not to be revealed at macworld and that Ihnatko simply ran into one of his contacts before the show and learned of the secret.
If this news was not to be revealed at macworld, on purpose, then when do you suppose this product will be revealed now.

Alternate possibility:

Andy was the victim of an an intentional "False Rumors Leak" by Apple.

Apple does this from time to time. They leak extremely false rumors, having nothing to do with any product that they could ever (or would every feasably) manufacture. And then they leak it to well-known Mac industry "blabbermouths".

This tactic is very potent, because it tends to distract some of the Mac rumor-mongering community away from REAL (top-secret) products which Apple really is preparing. By spreading false rumors, Apple is using a powerful weapon (FUD) which will marginalize the effectiveness and believability of more valid rumors.

 

[sushi]

the timing made it seem MacWorld related.

Agree.

Sometimes announcements are made in such a manner to simply draw attention to the author.

Ok..............lets assume for a moment that there indeed some big apple news that was not to be revealed at macworld and that Ihnatko simply ran into one of his contacts before the show and learned of the secret.
If this news was not to be revealed at macworld, on purpose, then when do you suppose this product will be revealed now.

MacWorlds have continually driven Apple's software and hardware in the past. This was both good and bad. A two edged sword if you will. However, now with Macs being based upon the Intel chip, and the rate at which the computer arena seems to change, it make sense for Apple to make it own schedule for release rather than to rely on artificially set dates.

Plus it drives individuals to their stores to see and test out the new products.

 

[arkitect]

Wasnt there a macworld where the big announcement was the hifi player?

28th February 2006… A date that will live in infamy.

A special event for the iPod Hi Fi…

Oh, and the

hand-crafted Italian leather

Case for iPod…

 

[MacTraveller]

28th February 2006… A date that will live in infamy.

A special event for the iPod Hi Fi…

Oh, and the Case for iPod…

Corinthian leather! Hand-crafted authentic Corinthian leather!

Ricardo Montalban would be proud!

 

[olternaut]

Alternate possibility:

Andy was the victim of an an intentional "False Rumors Leak" by Apple.

Apple does this from time to time. They leak extremely false rumors, having nothing to do with any product that they could ever (or would every feasably) manufacture. And then they leak it to well-known Mac industry "blabbermouths".

This tactic is very potent, because it tends to distract some of the Mac rumor-mongering community away from REAL (top-secret) products which Apple really is preparing. By spreading false rumors, Apple is using a powerful weapon (FUD) which will marginalize the effectiveness and believability of more valid rumors.

The problem with that theory is that Ihnatko isn't a blabbermouth and really seems to be an honorable professional. Also, I'm not sure if there was any distraction taking place because there wasn't any freaking products introduced at macworld to speak of! LOL!

 

[olternaut]

Corinthian leather! Hand-crafted authentic Corinthian leather!

Ricardo Montalban would be proud!

Say it with me.......KoooooRINtheeAN leather!

 

[IJ Reilly]

The problem with that theory is that Ihnatko isn't a blabbermouth and really seems to be an honorable professional. Also, I'm not sure if there was any distraction taking place because there wasn't any freaking products introduced at macworld to speak of! LOL!

I wouldn't put too much weight on any of this. I think it's fairly likely that Apple will be coming out with cool new products this year. Don't you?

 

[olternaut]

I wouldn't put too much weight on any of this. I think it's fairly likely that Apple will be coming out with cool new products this year. Don't you?

Yes I do. In fact, its probably going to be multiple product announcments throughout the year (press events) with big ones at the WWDC.
But now we have no way of knowing when Apple might release such and such products. I mean, at least from now on its going to be harder to guess.

 

[spork183]

I wouldn't put too much weight on any of this. I think it's fairly likely that Apple will be coming out with cool new products this year. Don't you?

to quote the onion, "I'll buy anything if its shiny and made by apple..."

 

[IJ Reilly]

to quote the onion, "I'll buy anything if its shiny and made by apple..."

They're counting on it!

 

[olternaut]

Guess what all.

It would seem that Andy Ihnatko might be vindicated after all. It would seem more than one tech columnist besides Ihnatko was given inside information (probably on purpose by Apple) about Apple products that will debut later this month probably at a special event. That would mean Apple really is trying to diss IDG.

Read....

Quote:
Rumor - The Mac Mini and something “huge” to come from Apple this month?
by Jake Gaecke on Jan 9, 2009

Disappointed by Apple’s Keynote announcements? Me too. We were all expecting something in the way of hardware that wasn’t completely obvious (i.e. the 17” MacBook Pro). Well, we received some potentially good news. While discussing the fate of the expo with a long-time Macintosh software developer, we received a tip from someone in the know about Apple’s coming plans, and it seems that those plans involve a big finger to Macworld.

The tip goes like this. Apple is planning on updating the Mac Mini very soon, and that update won’t be it’s death. In fact, it’s most likely ready as you read this, and could have been announced at Macworld. But instead of announcing it here, Apple held back, seemingly in an effort to prove that they don’t need Macworld. The announcement could come as soon as two weeks. But, as much as I want a new Mac Mini, that’s not the juice in this tip.

Apparently, Apple also has a “huge” announcement that will make the Mac Mini news pale in comparison to the other half of this rumor. Unfortunately, that’s all we know. Our source, who says he heard this directly from Apple reps at this week’s Expo, wouldn’t tell him more than that, but he finds this particularly peculiar. He has had Apple reps slip information to him before, but not this freely. This info, he says, was offered straight off without any questioning, as if it isn’t a secret, but is. He believes Apple is purposely letting this information slip in an effort to further prove the company doesn’t need the Macworld Conference and Expo, and to immediately start generating interest in their own event and to build bigger news than what’s coming from the Moscone Center this week. If this is true, it’s working.

Apple will more than likely be holding a special event shortly for the two big announcements; the first is the Mac Mini, to which Apple expects to you… excuse me… yawn. The second is in true Apple style, completely a secret. But it’s gigantic and will make your mouth drop in a way that doesn’t involve yawning. Stay tuned, things should be heating up shortly.

link to article at appletell: http://www.appletell.com/apple/comment/appletell-secrets-the-mac-mini-and-something-huge/