Macworld 2009 Predictions

[iMacmatician]

Yeah, I thought it was weird they hadn't announced Jobs doing the Keynote. I honestly don't think they can scrap together about new stuff for the show. It's gonna be a looooong iLife/iWork demo.

Add Snow Leopard in there and the wait will be a little less bad.

But there's been new hardware at every MWSF since at least 2003. I don't think it'll change with 2009. And the last few years have seen alternating Mac and iDevice releases. This would predict an iDevice at MWSF 2009.

Quick MWSF / iPhone thought out loud:

The iPhone at some point, potentially might need to update it's screen (e.g. OLED, but also resolution).

Would they bring out a mini iPhone, which had a different resolution, then basically hint that the v3 iPhone will have a higher resolution than currently, to get developers ready for it? (I'd imagine resolution independence is a bridge to be crossed a wee while after the developers have been told about it).

Depends on whether Apple thinks that developers need to be briefed on this, in that case we'll see a high-res iPhone after WWDC 2009 at least. Apple has had Macs with different DPIs, but with touchscreen devices, DPIs can't change that much, unless there's resolution independence. But yes, if the iPhone nano had the same resolution at a smaller display size, that would hint at a resolution bump for the next iPhone.

It's almost too quiet, just a few weeks before MWSF...

Come on where are the last minute rumors?!

 

[FieryFurnace]

All I "hope" for is an Apple Netbook,...

I plan on retiring my EEE PC 4G next summer and wish to have an Apple Netbook released by then.

 

[t0mat0]

The one good thing about lack of last minute rumors which are very accurate (and basically being spoilers/areas of contention in the forums) - the posters will be more intriguing. I'd imagine hardware at least. And a quick flash of Snow Leopard would put Microsoft (promoters) on the back foot potentially. The old underpromoted, over ship seems still useful (see how MobileMe updates not being vaunted for example). I guess we'll see. Just a throwaway comment as to what performance increases are coming up through OpenCL for example, would be enough to create quite a stir.
(Will Apple have some more companies up with tailored app demos?)

 

[natteaap]

The one good thing about lack of last minute rumors which are very accurate (and basically being spoilers/areas of contention in the forums) - the posters will be more intriguing. I'd imagine hardware at least. And a quick flash of Snow Leopard would put Microsoft (promoters) on the back foot potentially. The old underpromoted, over ship seems still useful (see how MobileMe updates not being vaunted for example). I guess we'll see. Just a throwaway comment as to what performance increases are coming up through OpenCL for example, would be enough to create quite a stir.
(Will Apple have some more companies up with tailored app demos?)

And there you have it, circumstantial proof that Apple itself is feeding the rumors. They had such a letdown last time where they couldn`t present something that wasn`t in the forums amd rumors before. So everybody thought it was a big dissapointment, since you allways hope for the `and one more thing` to be an incredible new device or breathtaking new feature.
Apple isn`t going to burn itself a second time so this time they keep a lid on any rumors they provide otherwise.

That, or the company really has nothing new.

Though it would be nice to see some new MacPro`s as far as I`m concerned. Too bad it will be mostly about the macmini and some more whining on that overpriced phone.

 

[darijoe]

Add Snow Leopard in there and the wait will be a little less bad.

But there's been new hardware at every MWSF since at least 2003. I don't think it'll change with 2009. And the last few years have seen alternating Mac and iDevice releases. This would predict an iDevice at MWSF 2009.

Interesting concept. In fact since MWSF 2001 there has been new hardware! Here's a list:

MWSF 2000: None (introduced iTools, iReview, iCards and Mac OS X)
MWSF 2001: PowerMac G4s with the "Power to Burn", PowerBook G4 Titanium (great moment)
MWSF 2002: 14" iBook, iMac G4
MWSF 2003: 17" and 12" PowerBooks (these escaped the rumor sites)
MWSF 2004: Xserve G5, iPod mini (the start of something big)
MWSF 2005: Mac mini (watch out for this), iPod shuffle
MWSF 2006: Intel Core Duo iMac and MacBook Pro
MWSF 2007: Apple TV, iPhone (who could forget that)
MWSF 2008: MacBook Air

MWSF 2009?: New Mac mini, updated 17" MacBook Pro, new displays?

 

[iMacmatician]

MWSF 2009?: New Mac mini, updated 17" MacBook Pro, new displays?

Seems sensible to me.

But unfortunately there won't be a MWSF 2010.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/081216/aqtu113.html?.v=55

 

[ipedro]

I predicted this yesterday:

Could this be the reason why almost every system was released before Macworld and now we're hearing no rumors whatsoever?

The term "Macworld" has grown to be unrepresentative of the majority of Apple's business. Apple does Mac, but they also do iPod+iTunes, iPhone, tv...

Maybe we'll begin hearing from Steve at Apple scheduled special events from now on.

Nonetheless, I'm still ambiguous about this and I think that if Apple were to drop out of this longstanding tradition of having a keynote address at MWSF, they'd put out a press release explaining their direction to avoid sparking rumors of the company's or its CEO's decline.

 

[Tofaha]

thats sad
i want to watch those awesome keynotes...One Last One

 

[aethelbert]

But unfortunately there won't be a MWSF 2010.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/081216/aqtu113.html?.v=55

There's more to the expo than Jobs walking onto a stage... It doesn't last five days for nothing. They haven't showed up to Paris for years yet that still goes on well year after year. MacWorld is a third party event; it will do just fine without a keynote.

 

[iMacmatician]

MacWorld is a third party event; it will do just fine without a keynote.

Like the summer Macworld did?

 

[queshy]

Here is what I think:

-Progress Report
-"Today we will focus on the Mac"
-"Mac mini re-design" - 2.0 C2D/2GB/250GB $599
-"Snow Leopard" - details + release date
-17" MBP quietly added, ACD lineup stays as is

 

[jfull15]

Hmm, after seeing that Phil is giving the keynote I bet it will be heavily mac focused.. here's my predictions:

Keynote:
-iPhone lookback, sales, huge focus on AppStore, show a quick slide about 32gb iPhones
-Mac OS X Growth, Mac Sales, etc. Strong look at Apple's environmental push (possibly even some more green-like enhancements to the way Apple does things, a timeline for going more green, internal changes, etc.?)
-Snow Leopard - slated for a summer or March release
-iLife & iWork '09 - slated for a summer or March release with Snow Leopard
-Mobile Me Status, declared stable, possible new syncing features (like gallery syncing), and even more storage & reduced pricing?
-Look Back at the Mini
-Mini's updated - smaller and in colors, more powerful, SSD, etc.
-Huge Marketing push for the mini: showing all the different ways to use the mini, big switchers push, etc.

Silent:
-iTunes Plus revamped
-Kill off 20" ACD
-iMacs & Mac Pros with display port & speed bumps (possibly a week before macworld)
-Firewire adaptors for Macbooks?
-SDK updated with push notifications system

P.S - I bet we'll see an AppleTV + iPhone event later on in the year, either in March (if no snow leopard + isuites '09), possibly at WWDC, or with the regular iPod event. For the AppleTV take 3 will be shown off, and new hardware will be introduced. For the iPhones, a look at 3.0 with copy&paste, more stable, performance updates, "snow leopard for the iPhone", and hardware updates: colors, better camera, service-independent (only with new iphones - as a way to garner sales), and better batteries. The iPhones would be available immediately instead of a huge launch.

OK I can't resist saying my predictions for the entire year -
-Final Cut Studio 3 - with Shake Integration
-MacTablet in the Fall
-Airport Express & Base Station Updates
-Time Capsule Storage Upgrades & Home-Media server features
-iPod Touch 64gig
-30" Cinema Display like the 24"
-New iPod Shuffle form factor
-iTunes 9 with Quicktime X, more social features, better movie organization, more playlist features,
-Apple partners with another company for something cool?
-Bigger push for the enterprise
-Possible MacPro Redesign??

whew. This would be an amazing year if all of this was pushed out.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think we'll see the following at MacWorld 2009:

1) A demonstration of the final version of MacOS X 10.6
2) New, updated Mac Minis and Apple TV boxes, now with DisplayPort support
3) New Mac Pro desktops with more powerful CPU's and latest nVidia graphics with DisplayPort connectors
4) A demonstration of the next version of iLife
5) A surprise public announcement of Blu-ray optical drive support on the Mac Pro and possibly higher-end MacBook Pros now, iMac when they are refreshed later in 2009

Why Blu-ray optical drive support? Despite Jobs' statements recently, the continued rapid drop in Blu-ray pricing on both console players and software and the imposition of download capacity limits by Internet Service Providers here in the USA may force this change. Because of Apple's importance, the Blu-ray consortium may offer Apple a substantial discount on licensing fees to get Blu-ray drives on Macs, which should be fairly easy to do given that Apple has started to build HDCP-compliant hardware with the MacBook Pro and could apply that same technology to all its Mac platforms.

 

[elppa]

iMac when they are refreshed later in 2009

BluRay may indeed be coming soon.


Telling people refreshed iMacs are coming “later” is a great way to kill iMac sales, which aren't too crash hot at the moment anyway.

 

[SactoGuy18]

Telling people refreshed iMacs are coming “later” is a great way to kill iMac sales, which aren't too crash hot at the moment anyway.

If I remember correctly, Apple usually "refreshes" their iMac models circa April of every year. It would be natural for the next iMac "refresh" to happen April 2009, which may make it possible for the new iMacs to get MacOS X 10.6 pre-installed on the machine.

 

[elppa]

If I remember correctly, Apple usually "refreshes" their iMac models circa April of every year. It would be natural for the next iMac "refresh" to happen April 2009, which may make it possible for the new iMacs to get MacOS X 10.6 pre-installed on the machine.

Whilst a Spring refresh may be likely, they still won't broadcast it.

 

[liquidh2o]

I have a feeling MW09 will be mostly about Snow Leopard and little else. Not that I'm complaining, if SL delivers the goods as promised then I'll be a happy camper

 

[iMacmatician]

If I remember correctly, Apple usually "refreshes" their iMac models circa April of every year.

No they don't, at least not in the past few years (besides this one).

It would be natural for the next iMac "refresh" to happen April 2009, which may make it possible for the new iMacs to get MacOS X 10.6 pre-installed on the machine.

I remember speculation going around about how the 2007 redesigned iMacs would get Leopard preinstalled. That didn't happen.

 

[surferfromuk]

1) Final Cut Studio 3 with Super Motion Pro ( incorporating Shake successor)
2) Snow Leopard
3) New Mac Mini
4) New Apple TV with PVR and DVD slot
5) New Mac Dock concept for 2nd Gen Macbook Air & Mactablet - looks like iMac with a side loading slot
6) New MacTablet
7) Apple iRead 'ebook reader and management app (part of ilife)
8) iLife 09 preview
9) New 3rd Gen iPhone with 5MP camera
10) New iPhone Nano
11) Mac Pro Update
12) iMac update
13) Announcement they have bought Nvidia
14) Announcement that they have bought EMI so they can finally get The Beatles on iTunes
15) Announcement that they have bought Universal so they can finally stop being screwed by stupid music labels altogether.
16) Record sales in itunes
17) Competitive ram pricing on the Apple store

 

[MacsBestFriend]

*Cough*

-Touch screen iMac
-Unibody MacMini (slim, aluminum body)
-Snow Leopard release
-.1 Ghz more for MB and MBP
-Blu-ray announcement and option
-Mac Pro update (Core i7)
-Apple TV update, unibody redesign
-No more mouse: touch only (trackpads for SL)
-iPhone Nano announcement (release in June)
-17" MBP
-iLife '09
-No SJ (Longshot )

 

[Schtumple]

thats sad
i want to watch those awesome keynotes...One Last One

There will still be presentations... It just means it's going to be a little bit harder for the rumour mill to predict exact dates of product releases, as presentations could happen at any date, on a tuesday

 

[CmdrLaForge]

• ilife 2009
• iwork2009
• mac mini
• mac pro
• cinema displays
• preview Mac OS 10.6
• TV version 3
• iPhone nano
• update to mobileme
• app store for TV
• iMac

 

[aswitcher]

• ilife 2009
• iwork2009
• mac mini
• mac pro
• cinema displays
• preview Mac OS 10.6
• TV version 3
• iPhone nano
• update to mobileme
• app store for TV
• iMac

Whoa, that would be a pretty fine MacWorld.

 

[Digital Skunk]

1) Final Cut Studio 3 with Super Motion Pro ( incorporating Shake successor)
2) Snow Leopard
3) New Mac Mini
4) New Apple TV with PVR and DVD slot
5) New Mac Dock concept for 2nd Gen Macbook Air & Mactablet - looks like iMac with a side loading slot
6) New MacTablet
7) Apple iRead 'ebook reader and management app (part of ilife)
8) iLife 09 preview
9) New 3rd Gen iPhone with 5MP camera
10) New iPhone Nano
11) Mac Pro Update
12) iMac update
13) Announcement they have bought Nvidia
14) Announcement that they have bought EMI so they can finally get The Beatles on iTunes
15) Announcement that they have bought Universal so they can finally stop being screwed by stupid music labels altogether.
16) Record sales in itunes
17) Competitive ram pricing on the Apple store

*Cough*

-Touch screen iMac
-Unibody MacMini (slim, aluminum body)
-Snow Leopard release
-.1 Ghz more for MB and MBP
-Blu-ray announcement and option
-Mac Pro update (Core i7)
-Apple TV update, unibody redesign
-No more mouse: touch only (trackpads for SL)
-iPhone Nano announcement (release in June)
-17" MBP
-iLife '09
-No SJ (Longshot )

If it's anything less than what both of these posters have written, or if anything is missing, I will be here ranting.

 

[queshy]

hah, crazy predictions. Apple only talks about a few things during a given keynote, 3-5 on average.

The keynote is on the 6th, right? Coming soon!