[People_Eater]

Schneb said:

...and consolidating Suites of application that no one can afford but professionals (try buying Soundtrack Pro by itself).

Umm, did you not notice the "Pro" in the application's name? That might be a hint.

Either way, there are plenty of amateurs, and just plain idiots out there with bundles of cash to spend (Rolex, anyone?), so I doubt the truth of your statement that only professionals can afford this software.

[Jon Seff]

Quote

Apple could sell more desktops if they actually listened to what desktop users want. I love Apple but I am sick of Steve telling me what I want.

This argument comes up every time Apple releases anything these days. I agree with Rob that Apple probably isn't going to make a mid-range tower, but I disagree that there's a large untapped market that Apple is missing out on. I think it's a small but vocal group that wants a system that Apple just isn't looking to sell. Do you honestly think that Jobs is sitting in his lair cackling as he says "they'll buy what I tell them to buy!"? If there was (A) a big enough market to make it worthwhile and (B) it wouldn't cause Mac Pro sales to plummet, don't you think Apple would want to get in on that action?

[medienhexer]

I think, "the brick" could be a classic cell phone, a new power supply or a tool for law enforcement :-)
Seriously though, I have to agree that HD capacity always seems a little low. If I wanted to go mobile from my iMac, I´d need the 250 GB min.

[schoonerman]

As a consumer (not as a proxy for all consumers) I do not need or want to pay for fancy graphics I won't use. I am not a gamer and won't be (I don't have time). (I solved my Tetris problem years ago by removing it from my machine.)
As to Blu-ray: useful--but costly--as a writer for high volumes. Not particularly useful as a reader without Apple meeting "Trusted Path" requirements--without that the best you get from a purchased (rented) disk is content down-converted to 720p and then up-converted to something better. I would rather Apple not cost-increase to meet the requirements so they can offer optional Blu-ray. Nor am I anxious to pay for non-optional Blue-ray. Meanwhile, Blu-ray is not doing well in the marketplace (ask Netflix).

[DCuerpoJr]

Here are my predictions for both Macbook lines:

The Macbook:
- New redesigned case that is slightly thinner and made from aluminum.
- Similar to the iPod Nanos, they'll be offered in a variety of colors.
- Processors will receive a small speed bump.
- Prices will drop to $899, $1199 & $1399
- The low end model will be offered with a 160GB hard drive and integrated intel graphics while the highest model will be offered with a 320GB hard drive and a 256MB, dedicated graphics card from ATI
- All Macbooks will be offered with an optional LED display with resolution bumped up to 1440x900

The Macbook Pros:
- New thinner, lighter, redesigned case made from aluminum and to be offered in black, white, and standard brushed aluminum
- 15" models will now be changed to the 16" format while the 17" models will now be changed to the 18" format (For the 16:9 aspect ration?
- New 16" model will sport 3 USB 2.0 ports, 1 FW400, 1 FW800, 1 eSATA, and an express card slot.
- New 18" model will have 1 additional USB 2.0 port.
- There will still be 3 standard models with lower prices at $1,799, $2,199 & $2,499 (18")
- The Higher end 16" model along with the 18" model will sport slot loading Blue Ray Disc Drives with an HDMI output.
- New keyboard design, similar to the MacBook Air
- Hard Drive sizes will start at 320GB and go up to 1TB (2x500GB offered in the 18" model only) with the option of 128GB SSD drives.
- Processors will get a minor speed boost
- The Dedicated graphics cards will start out at 512MB and go up to 2GB (Crossfire on the 18" model?!?) from ATI.

The MacBook Air
- Same Case Design with 1 additional USB 2.0 Port and a FW400 port.
- New Hard Drive capacities in both standard and SSD formats.
- Not many other additions I can think of for this model...hmm...

Well that's what I'd like to see come true...maybe Apple will incorporate a few of them :)

[samrod]

Anyone else concerned at the possible death of the mini?! I have a number of people holding off buying the current mini in light of an update and I'm afraid it'll be discontinued.
The other main question is, exactly what does Apple consider a product transition? The refresh of the iPod line didn't transition to anything. Is a transition from an Intel chipset to an Nvidia chipset significant enough transition to lower Apple's margins by 3% and mention it in the last conference call? Besides case redesigns and spec bumps, will there be a surprise? What'll Steve's "one more thing" be?
samrod

[DisabledTrucker]

The only thing I'm predicting about this release is that it will be a far cry from what everyone is looking for in the update.
I look for the Macbook to include the Atom processor while the Pro keeps with the more powerful processors. Batteries will still catch fire or need replacements soon, unless they finally start a new trend with the newer cooler batteries that don't have this problem. They're going to make them more earth friendly by using the same technology that they are using to make the Touch. They'll still use the same slow hard drives that don't have enough space on them with possibly an option for the SSD on the Pros. They had a chance here lately to grab memory at a really cheap price, so adding in more than 2GB of memory on it's more expensive models is a possibility as well. Their new keyboards will also likely resemble their latest wireless ones for the desktops, to skimp on costs. You may actually find a memory card reader so you can pop that SD card out of your iPhone and put it in your computer to read it's contents, (also comes in handy with all those cameras out there that are now using them.) I still don't see E-SATA being in this but, a possibility that wireless USB is included too. Blu-Ray's still going to require a replacement drive as it will not be included. And prices will come down to compete against the "Wal-Mart Specials" for the Macbooks. Oh, the wireless "n" will be in all the new models, not just the Pros.
Outside this, I don't see them doing anything spectacular with their new models.

[wingsy]

Funny that no one has mentioned Apple's purchase of P.A. Semi a while back. Although I think the primary focus of that purchase is to enhance the iPod/iPhone line, I also think that something is coming for the laptop & desktop line. Probably a h.264 decoder and encoder chip nestled in a corner somewhere. Whatever it is (if it is), they've had enough time to get a chip into production, and since we haven't yet seen it in an iPod or iPhone, it may well make its debut in a laptop. Remember that Oppenheimer said that Apple will be introducing something that their competitors cannot match, and a custom chip from Apple's own design team would certainly qualify for that statement.

[montgomery_burns]

Jon Seff said:

Do you honestly think that Jobs is sitting in his lair cackling as he says "they'll buy what I tell them to buy!"?

Your question was probably intended to be witty and sarcastic, but quite honestly, I would not put it past him.

[montgomery_burns]

samrod said:

Anyone else concerned at the possible death of the mini?! I have a number of people holding off buying the current mini in light of an update and I'm afraid it'll be discontinued.

People who follow South Park know that the characters Terrence and Philip were created in response to TV critics claiming that South Park was nothing but cheap animation and toilet humor. Just like Terrence and Philip, the Mac Mini was created as a way of getting back at critics. It is Steve Jobs' way of saying "F* You" to anybody who does not want an iMac. "You want a Mac minitower? Well, here's something that I pulled out of my anus, just for you!".

In other words, it was not really intended to address the issue at all. If Apple decides to discontinue the Mac Mini, they will probably try to spin it into something like "we made the Mac MIni and hardly anyone bought it, which proves that nobody wants a Mac minitower".

[MacGod]

I'd like to see Apple deal with some of the small things that other notebooks on the market have. A built-in card reader, for example, or additional USB ports. Minor things that can really make nice additions to a laptop. Also, I'd love for them to put a two-button trackpad on there. I periodically use Parallels or Boot Camp, and it's frustrating that I have to use an external mouse if I want a right mouse button. And to be honest, even in OS X, I use a right button all the time. I generally use an external mouse anyway, but it's nice to have the option of using just the trackpad when I'm in a hurry or on the go. The two-finger-tap works well (though not 100% of the time) in OS X, but there's nothing I can do in Windows.

I'd envision something like the Mighty Mouse button-have one button under the trackpad, but with a touch sensor to figure out which side you pressed.

[uncdomination]

So what about all the rumors of the touchscreen trackpad? I belive that all the computers will have this technology.

[tfrogh]

Cannibalize...not really the term I would use. Yes, for my Business, I would probably stop buyng MacPros and buy the MidTower. Instead of replacing 1 G5 iMac or tower every 2-3 mos I would be replacing them about once a month. Instead of replacing my machines every 4-5 years I would replace them every 2-3 years.

I may not be that good at math but I am pretty sure that would be a "good thing" for Apple. Instead of 4-5 MacPro purchases a year I would be buying 10-12 MidTowers. A lot of small shops would be doing the same I bet. $1,200-$1,800 is the range I think they would sell at. It would keep the iMac as a "Deal"in price but give those of us with slightly deeper pockets something expandable.

I also feel it is time for a 2U Xserve with 8 drives. Two drives in a mirror RAID for booting and six in a RAID 6 for Data Storage. But again, Steve tells us what we need and after all of these years I still don't have an Xserve. Bought a MacPro and someone elses eSATA RAID.

ahhhh to dream.



Tom

[tfrogh]

B) it wouldn't cause Mac Pro sales to plummet, don't you think Apple would want to get in on that action?

You actually made my point. What you and many people keep intimating is that MacPro sales are only what they are because people have no other choice. Given a choice, many users would choose a less expensive Mid-Tower because they do not need/use the power of the MacPro. Sounds like the MacPro is designed for what Apple says we need and not what we feel we need.

Shouldn't the arguement be that a Mid-Tower would eat into iMac sales? A Mid-Tower at HALF the price of a MacPro and with a Core2Duo really shouldn't be a threat to MacPros if people are buying MacPros for the power of an 8-core XEON powered machine and because they need 8 RAM slots with 4 PCIe slots and 4 Hard drive bays. There is no realistic comparison between an 8-Core XEON processor and Core2Duo. Someone opting for the Mid-Tower is doing so because they need more flexability than an iMac and less power/cost than a MacPro.

Lastly, if Apple is serious about attracting PC users, many of whom have had towers for years, wouldn't make sense to offer them a form factor they are used to? Also, they could pull their HD from their PC, install it in the Mac MidTower and with Boot-Camp be able to easily switch back and forth as needs arrive in less than a hour after unpacking their Mac. How cool would that be? Instead of a Mini and KVM sitting on their PC, their PC would be pitched. The heart having been transplanted into the Mac MicTower.

The number one complaint I get from PC friends thinking about switching to a Mac is the fact that they do not want an All-in-one machine. That form factor terrorizes them. What if the screen dies? What if the HD dies? What if the Power Supply dies? I can tell you becuase I have been through all of them with various iMacs. You take your machine to an Apple Store and 5-7 days later you get it back. No Loaner. No access to the web you have become addicted to. The Kids can't do their homework. With a Tower...You swap in an old monitor or buy a cheap one at Wal-Mart. HD, no problem. Easy to SWAP a new one in. Power Supply, no problem...2-3 screws and about 20minutes.

Apple is missing the boat. Laptop sales are strong across the industry because Laptop continue to evolve and change. Desktops are no different than they were 6 years ago. The guts have improved but there is no inovation or coolness.

My 2cents...Again