WWDC ‘07 Apple wishlist
By Triston McIntyre
So, with June 11th quickly approaching, it is safe to say the hype is beginning to climax. Though rumors will never end, here is the Mac.Blorge.com team’s wishlist for Santa Steve at the upcoming developers’ conference.
1. Early Leopard release - listen, we’ve been over this, I know…it doesn’t mean we can’t hope. I’m still sticking to my guns that Apple could theoretically meet their original launch date, especially because Leopard has already been finalized for a show at the WWDC.
2. new iPod unveiling - Apple is overdue for an update to the iPod line, and a complimentary update to match the release of the iPhone, for those who aren’t interested in the phone capabilities, would be just swell.
3. Mac Mini facelift - it’s pretty much agreed that the Mac Mini truly has no place in the computing world…we need to see a significant power boost to legitimize what is now a child’s toy.
4. Santa Rosa-ized Macbook and MBP line - an updated processor to accompany the forth-coming LED displays would really make for excellent toys for all those enterprising developers, would it not?
5. ultra-portable compact iMac - a few people have thrown this idea around, but with the Mac Mini being obsolete, and the 17″ iMac losing support as well, I would bet we will see a newer, more portable and less expensive system surfacing at this WWDC.
There they are kids, the toys and products that make me lose sleep nightly. Does anyone have their own predictions or insights into releases staged for the WWDC?
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Stumble It!
May 26th, 2007
“it’s pretty much agreed ” not “its…”
“a couple of people” not “a couple people”
“obsolete” not “obselete.”
Editor on vacation?
May 27th, 2007
I don’t think Steve would introduce a new iPod at this time because it would dilute the publicity over the iPhone. Unless competition forced my hand, I would let people start buying their iPhones first, and then release new iPods at the start of the holiday shopping season.
I’m hoping for some fresh design in the PowerBooks and iMacs. Since the MacBooks were just updated, I really wouldn’t expect a change now; try at least three months from now or they wouldn’t have bothered with the refresh.
Displays could use a built-in iSight like the iMacs. I seem to remember they discontinued the iSight and that move doesn’t make sense without displays picking up the slack.
And of course exciting new Leopard features. I suspect a lot of them will be about integration with the iPhone, which is why they were top secret. I think we’ll see a new version of iWork which works on the iPhone. But that may be something that happens with the iPhone’s release, not the WWDC.
I would like to see a clarification on how one can get certified to build iPhone applications. I know they need some kind of vetting procedure so the iPhone will remain virus free; I tangled with a phone virus and it was a horrible experience. I predict something of that nature will happen during WwDC.
D
May 27th, 2007
I simply hope for anything more than just the iPhone. I agree with david that apple would be smart in not releasing the 6gen ipod until the beginning of the holiday shopping season, but it better be freakin cool. I also want to see better notebooks. DYK you can now get a mac book that is better than a macbook pro for nearly 200 less, simply because it isn’t a macbook pro? lame. Also, the mac mini’s are in desperate need of revamping, include a display and wireless keyboard and mouse or something.
May 27th, 2007
Sally,
Thanks for the editorial notes; occasionally I neglect my own editorial proofing responsibilities and let errors like that run loose in the wild. My mistake, I apologize
May 27th, 2007
So, exactly when was the last time Apple released an iPod at WWDC?
Answer: never.
May 27th, 2007
The winner for Top secret Leopard feature is!
Leopard will install on a PC. You will have a sneak peak at the last of the “I’m a Mac” comercials which end with the lines.” “I’m a Mac” and then PC says “And so am I!”
This will bring more people to OSX and ultimately drive even more people to buy a MAC once they see how solid the OS is they will realize that the apple made hardware is important as well.
May 28th, 2007
You can wish for an early Leopard release all you want, but unless you want what will be a pretty buggy OS then it’s not going to be released before October.
And John, that is not going to happen. It would cannibalise Mac sales and take away from the OS X experience. Apple makes most of it’s money from hardware sales so it just doesn’t make economic sense for them to allow OS X to run on PCs
May 28th, 2007
I have heard that Tired old argument forever. It will NOT cause harm to MAC (Hardware) sales. The people that ALREADY buy MAC hardware no the magic that is a MAC. This move will bring MORE people to buy MAC hardware after using the OS on the PC’s they already OWN. You see this move should easily push OSX to a 30% Market share.
Jobs is NOT scared to take chances and shake things up. This will be a BIG shake…
May 28th, 2007
John,
I have to say I disagree with you; yes, making OS X available to the market would up its market share in theory, but consider this: as it stands, the people who are locked into a Windows world will remain there, and those that are interested in OS X software will continue to purchase Macs…if you notice, just because Linux is mainstream doesn’t mean people are drifting over to it. Furthermore, though Apple is unique in the software they create, they are also unique in the services they provide; to simplify Apple’s contribution to the technology world to simply software would be foolish. Their customer service is excellent, and particularly unique to the company. Also, though the innards of Macs are the same as PCs, there is a certain image projected by Apple computers, and one must admit, the form factor of say, an iMac is far superior to that of a standard PC.
On the same note, just because Jobs could theoretically achieve a larger market share doesn’t mean he would sell out to do so; the current campaign has more than doubled Apple’s market share just within the past year, and that number is steadily climbing. If Jobs wanted to sell out, he would have done so when it was prudent (i.e when he returned to Apple and revolutionized the direction Apple would take). If you ask me, it is not Jobs that should be looking to make a change but Gates; his operating system is flopping, he’s losing market share to Jobs, and frankly, his dominant hold on the computing industry is waning.
May 28th, 2007
You mention linux as a proof of failure because it has not been widely accepted as a DESKTOP solution. The reason for that is the same reason I am typing this on a 17″ MacBook Pro. I spent a very long time trying to replace windows with Linux. I finally realized that my Mac G4 did everything that I wanted linux to do and more. Since purchasing this laptop my wife has purchased her own MacBook and now she is understands why MAC users are MAC users and not PC fans.
I really don’t understand why you would call Steve Jobs a sell out if he let OS X be installed on a PC? Do you think that was never in the mix when it was decided to move to Intel? You don’t see the writing on the wall when “Apple Computer Inc.” to “Apple Inc.” Steve Jobs is not selling out when he makes OSX installable on a PC. He would not be sacrificing MAC sales either. Are you saying that given the choice you would rather have OSX on a thinkpad rather than a MACBook?
I have several PC’s in the house. They are going to be running OSX as soon as it is available.
Think about all the mini apple stores opening in Best Buy… ramping up for an OSX explosion?
May 31st, 2007
It’s extremely doubtful that Apple would release OS X into the PC world. It was already there, and it didn’t work out. OS X started life as an OS called OpenStep which ran on Job’s NeXT computers, PA-RISC, Sun SPARC, and i386. OpenStep was a bit of a fizzle until Apple bought it and turned it into OS X. It’s doing very well now because it is proprietary. I think Jobs learned that lesson the hard way.
June 2nd, 2007
We shall see what we see.
I guess maybe you havent watched the “Everythiung Digital” interviews. Steve Says. “Apple is a Software company.” If you listen to the way he chooses his words… if you read between the lines and connect the dots to the facts that I have outlined.
30% Market share in 2008.
February 12th, 2008
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