Something Big In the Works?

[monke]

I've been thinking lately about Apple and how they have been announcing products apple:TV and iPhone) at keynotes where they don't plan on shipping them for another 6 months.

Could they be trying to hide something big that they can't talk about?
Before the keynote last summer, when was the last time Apple announced a product that far in advance?

They demoed the TV for about a third/quarter of the WWDC keynote, and then another half at the MWSF keynote. The other half taken up by the iPhone announcement.


Any thoughts?

 

[Richard Flynn]

They demoed the TV for about a third/quarter of the WWDC keynote,

I think you're mistaken there. The iTV (as it was then codenamed) was discussed for the first time at a special event in September 2006 (it was I believe one of a series of 'one more things'). The keynote speech at WWDC 2006 involved the introduction of the Mac Pro and the demo of Leopard features.

 

[balamw]

I think you're mistaken there. The iTV (as it was then codenamed) was discussed for the first time at a special event in September 2006 (it was I believe one of a series of 'one more things'). The keynote speech at WWDC 2006 involved the introduction of the Mac Pro and the demo of Leopard features.

WWDC 2007 had more on the TV, but it still wasn't shipping until "February" (translation delivery 3/5/07 for those of us who ordered it the day of the keynote).

From various reports here TV units are sitting in boxes in BestBuy and Future Shop stores today. What are they waiting for?

I'm (generally) with the OP, there's something else they're not telling us that they're waiting for. User Peace says 3/5 will be a busy day here: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/3362572/

B

 

[Richard Flynn]

WWDC 2007 had more on the TV, but it still wasn't shipping until "February" (translation delivery 3/5/07 for those of us who ordered it the day of the keynote).

Er, it hasn't happened yet. What you're now referring to is MacWorld '07. WWDC (the Worldwide Developers' Conference) is in June.

Several people have suggested that the 'reports' of Apple TVs arriving at BestBuy were simply someone's campaign for attention.

That said, your point is valid. But there's nothing any of us is able to say because no one really knows what to expect. Pure speculation has its purpose, but it only goes so far! However, I do believe that it's quite pertinent that these products were pre-announced so far in advance. There are, nevertheless, pertinent arguments for the early announcement of both the Apple TV and the iPhone—the announcement of the Apple TV did nothing to cannibalize sales of any other Apple products, but may have harmed sales of competitors' products. The iPhone needed to be announced before the formal application for approval to the FCC.

I personally think—and I'm pretty sure that there are others with me here—that there are so many new core technologies (and Core technologies, like Core Animation) which will be introduced in Leopard and on which many other proposed products depend, that there's a bottleneck in the pipeline (apologies for the mixed metaphor) until Leopard has been beaten into a shippable state. Once Leopard has been cleaned up (reports from developers who have seen the betas suggest that it's still quite buggy), then they can set about announcing the other things.

 

[monke]

I think you're mistaken there. The iTV (as it was then codenamed) was discussed for the first time at a special event in September 2006 (it was I believe one of a series of 'one more things'). The keynote speech at WWDC 2006 involved the introduction of the Mac Pro and the demo of Leopard features.

As balamw says below you, it was first introduced at WWDC 2006.

WWDC 2007 had more on the TV, but it still wasn't shipping until "February" (translation delivery 3/5/07 for those of us who ordered it the day of the keynote).

From various reports here TV units are sitting in boxes in BestBuy and Future Shop stores today. What are they waiting for?

I'm (generally) with the OP, there's something else they're not telling us that they're waiting for. User Peace says 3/5 will be a busy day here: https://forums.macrumors.com/posts/3362572/

B

Who knows exactly what they are waiting for. I'm going to take a guess and say most of these new products rely on the technology that Leopard has. If they release one product, it may hint at Leopard, and it won't be as big of a surprise.

I personally think—and I'm pretty sure that there are others with me here—that there are so many new core technologies (and Core technologies, like Core Animation) which will be introduced in Leopard and on which many other proposed products depend, that there's a bottleneck in the pipeline (apologies for the mixed metaphor) until Leopard has been beaten into a shippable state. Once Leopard has been cleaned up (reports from developers who have seen the betas suggest that it's still quite buggy), then they can set about announcing the other things.

Thinking the same thing here.

 

[ghall]

As balamw says below you, it was first introduced at WWDC 2006.

Actually, wasn't it introduced at a special media presentation in 2006, when the new iPod's were released/announced?

 

[iZealot]

nope nothing big, i dunno how the hell you came to that conclusion

I doubt they'll be releasing any revolutionary products, thing will be more evolutionary after this point for a while.

 

[netdog]

nope nothing big, i dunno how the hell you came to that conclusion

I doubt they'll be releasing any revolutionary products, thing will be more evolutionary after this point for a while.

Don't be too sure...

 

[Flowbee]

As balamw says below you, it was first introduced at WWDC 2006.

Actually, wasn't it introduced at a special media presentation in 2006, when the new iPod's were released/announced?

Just for the record, ghall is correct. The "iTV" was introduced by Jobs at a special media event in September 2006... a month after WWDC.

Here's the video.