[tomtom]

Nah!
Apple for the first time might well make a big acquisition in the CE space.
Judging by the recent extensions to the London store - huge - there is need for many things else to fill this prime retail space.

[woode]

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I've been a little disappointed in the past with Apple raising hype to absurd levels, only to release cool, but somewhat obvious products.

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Apple raising the hype to absurd levels? Nah. Don't blame them. Apple's not saying much of anything, but the rumor and other Mac sites sure are. That's where the hype's coming from.

[Schneb]

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They've been working on an actual Time Machine.
The demo at the last WWDC was just a smoke screen. And the reason Steve looked a bit thin and tired at that keynote was because he'd been testing the prototype perhaps one too many times.

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Actually, what you were seeing was the time-delineated Steve Jobs. The one who went back 1 year in time to fix a severe security breach in OSX before it could do any permanent damage. But, unfortunately, he had to live that 1 year all over again. The Real Time Steve Jobs was watching from the wings. He thought he looked tired as well.

[osxfoundry]

I don't think it will be a TV because Apple business is not in TV business. However, Apple is in computers and gadget related to computers.
When you work or travel you use: a computer, an ipod and a phone.
I think they could release a computer that shows the latest and futuristic technologies.
Here is my thought: Sleek Design borrows the shape of the iMac because of space saving. The keyboard is hidden and only comes up when needed by pressing a button or saying "computer mode".
When the computer is not in computer mode, it is more a Media Center with voice recognition. The computer has the best sound system built-in, support 5.1 channel. It has video cam and built-in and Skype like capabilities:
People can call you computer and you can talk to them.
If they call you using Apple phone, they can see you and you can see them.
The computer use RSS feeds and you can select them using the built-in "touch screen". You can ask the computer to read them to you (see last Stevo Speech demo).
It uses front Row to select music, movies, and photos, all thru touch screen.
It has a "redesigned AtEase" app where you can add your favorite App.Mail, Safari etc... You select them with Touch Screen.
So Basically, Touch Screen, voice Recognition, Speech, WebCam, Phone Connectivity (why not answering machine). This is the center of your home. And of course, it streams movies to iTV.
3rd party devices are available to control lights and other Appliances.
The computer can of course be accessed remotely and you can program whatever you want.

[osxfoundry]

I think they have created a Time Machine so Apple Execs can go back in Time and change those Back Dated Stock Options Back to the correct date.

[keyboard55]

The 30th Anniversary Mac speculation is mostly on track. One exception-- the unit will have no hard drive, opting instead for flash memory. This is clearly the future, with the technology already existing, so it makes sense for Apple to-- as is often the case-- put a stake in the sand by making the future shape of things become the present. The tablet form factor is also one area where everyone thinks there is enormous potential, but none of the Wintel mfrs. has been able to make a compelling enough unit to kick-start the category's sales success. This is just begging for Apple to "lead the way."

[storyman]

This TV idea I like, with built in iTV and DVR. And the added features of calling in via iChat and talking video wise from the new apple iChat phone with your big face projected right on that 32" Cinema Display. Hello mother......
Dream a little dream of me ............

[leicaman]

It's an iSegwey!
All white, and they'll redesign cities around it... /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[AI_Joe]

Does that mean Jeff Goldblum is going to be making more Apple commercials? /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Oh wait that is a Teleporter. But that works too. How cool would it be to have Paul McCartney in London one second and then ZAP to San Francisco the next?

[Tidewind]

To read what may come next, don't watch Steve's other hand.
Think it over, boys and girls. The hardest thing to hide before a big Apple announcement is new hardware. Apple, like any other PC or consumer electronics manufacturer, depends on a variety of subcontractors and partners. It's relatively easy to get a clue on new hardware to come, NDAs or not.
Software, on the other hand, is something that Apple can keep away from prying eyes more easily. With Microsoft about to very publicly unleash a torrent of marketing, PR, advertising and FUD to keep Vista in the public eye, Apple needs to stay a step ahead. And that is something I have a hunch Steve and his team are doing. Think for a moment: how would YOU counter any moves and hype from Microsoft on Vista? I have a hunch that we only saw the tip of the iceberg at last summer's WWDC. The general public is pretty clueless about OS-X, and may be led into thinking that Vista's Aero interface is groundbreaking. It's not, but that's another story. The point is that if Microsoft is zigging to try to appear to catch up with Apple, our favorite company is about to zag big-time. I'll leave you to speculate how.
Another thing that can be fairly well concealed has little to do with hardware or software: deals. Don't underestimate the power of a pen, in this case, the signature on a contract. If Steve Jobs trots out Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr on stage, along with a cavalcade of Hollywood comb-over executives pledging allegiance to release movies to the iTunes Store, it might not sound sexy to many of you obsessed with THE NEXT GREAT THING. And add to that a couple of suits from major telcos for good measure. Dull though announcements like these may sound, they're essential to making THE NEXT GREAT THING happen. For example: what good would an iTV be without content? Or the first color TV without the networks broadcasting in color? Or a video iPod without the ability to purchase and download movies? Or having access to phone networks, the ability to share critical information from a phone/PDA/entertainment/communications device in the palm of your hand. Closing deals that put Apple in the driver's seat as the leading source of content will be very important for the company in the future.
Amazing new devices. Mind-blowing software. An OS that can work on devices large and small (fill in your predictions here). And major content deals that make all the above must-have. I think Tuesday's news might underwhelm some of you at first, but fast-forward one, two, even five years, and it will start to make sense. The bright lights behind the Apple logo on their home page isn't for some whiz-bang device. To me, it hints at a strategy for an ecosystem of products, deals, outlets and related companies, even industries that harness the genius that is Apple.
Trust me: you railbirds will be the first to complain on Tuesday that you were underwhelmed. But mark my words - in a year or two, you'll start to understand why Tuesday was significant. It's always that way with a genius. They have to wait for the rest of us to understand what was obvious to them a long time ago.

[pdbreske]

I'm going way out for this one:
Some futuristic technologies have been acquired by Apple and they are going to make their way into the 30th Anniversary Mac. These will include touchless, electric-field-sensing computer control (you control the computer by "thinking" of what you want it to do and the smart sensors apply that command), all solid-state storage (the flash-based hard drives already mentioned), organic LED screen, two side-by-side iSight cameras for 3D video conferencing (you'll need the Apple-branded Bluetooth 3D glasses to watch it), and small super-capacitors for power storage (these can be recharged in a few minutes by placing the computer on top of an inductance charger with the same small footprint of the computer).

[sg9]

I hope you're right and something big is announced that no one saw coming. If i were a betting man, looks like odds are favorable for new displays and possibly new imacs (applerumortracker.com). I just can't believe an Apple phone would be the "next big thing," that is unless it works differently than every other phone out there.

[neffair]

I wonder why Apple hasn't taken the built-in iSight, iChat, and microphone and made each computer, particularly laptops, a telephone, either wireless, wired, or both? This could be one of the announcements ath the Expo.

[OM_user]

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Apple raising the hype to absurd levels? Nah. Don't blame them. Apple's not saying much of anything, but the rumor and other Mac sites sure are. That's where the hype's coming from.

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You serious? I can't speak for others, but I tend not to put a great deal of stock in the rumor mills, because quite frankly, it's their charter to dredge up any possibility of new cool stuff coming from Apple. Some sites go to extremes to try to string together seemingly unrelated facts into something that points to a particular product release.
So, while I agree they build up a lot of hype, I personally don't think anything the rumor sites say can compare to Apple making a statement on their own website that is akin to "you think the last 30 years were cool? What'll you see what we've got comin' this year!" Sorry, but that is building hype. Apple has done some absolutely amazing stuff over the last 30 years, but I don't need to tell you that. To say that that has all been a warm up to what's coming is quite bold if you ask me.
Now maybe it's not to absurd levels, but they sure are teasing us big time here.