CoolMacintosh.com: The Macside: "MacWorld SF Predictions"

The Mac Side:
MacWorld SF Predictions

01/05/02

By Nick Canfield
With Macworld San Francisco right around the corner on January 7 everybody is speculating as to what Apple is going to announce. This is one of the most anticipated Macworlds I have ever seen because there is no limit to the possible products Apple can announce. Everybody is really excited and there are endless rumors and guesses about the coming Keynote. With that said I add my rumors and guesses to the fray. I like to think of myself as somebody who knows Apple and my predictions so far have been pretty accurate. However, Apple is an extremely unpredictable company by nature and nothing I say here is for certain.

One of the most popular rumors and in my opinion the most viable is the LCD iMac. Rumor has it that Apple is going to announce an LCD iMac at Macworld. Apple hasn't updated the iMac in a while and Steve Jobs has hinted at this possibility in interviews several months ago. In addition, Quatra a company that acts as an assembly line for Apple leaked and verified LCD iMacs. It is my opinion that we will se an LCD iMac on January 7.

Another possibility is the Mac handheld. For a long time people have thought that Apple was going to release a Mac handheld like the palm. However, when Apple released the iPod and filled in the gap in the hardware strategy it created last year, the possibility of a Mac organizer seemed less viable. I think that the odds of Apple making a handheld are slim. Steve Jobs is perhaps still sore from the Newton's failure. Although a Mac tablet is still possible, I would bet against its announcement at Macworld San Francisco.

Some people believe that following in the wake of the iPod, Apple will announce iCamera and iCamecorder etc. Unfortunately there is really no evidence on this subject to base a claim on. I see this as a possibility in the future but I do not think that Apple is ready to announce another product such as the iPod so soon if at all. A release of one of these products in San Francisco is certainly possible but I think more likely than not one will not be released.

The update of the iBook and PowerBook are also matters to consider. However, due to their recent update, good sales and extremely popular designs, I do not expect a laptop update at Macworld.

The final rumor and one of the most popular is that of a G5. It is true Motorola is working on a G5 processor. I have heard that they are accepting over 1Ghz speeds on it. There are many that believe in the announcement of the G5 at Macworld SF. However, I have heard that Motorola is having trouble stabilizing the higher clocked G5s. I believe in the announcement of a G5 Mac. But whether at Macworld SF or at Macworld NY I don't know. Due to Motorola's financial troubles and the stabilizing issue we may have to wait till Macworld NY. I expect to see a G5 this year but if I see it on the 7th it may be that we will have to wait for the higher end models.

My predictions here are based on some facts and some rumors. Some things I say are with more certainty that others. The Mac tablets and Apple devices are something that nobody knows much about. The LCD iMac is a popular and well-based rumor. The G5 rumor is also well based, but its time of arrival is more uncertain. And due to Apple's secrecy there may be other things that nobody knows anything about. Apple is very unpredictable, although we can guess and predict, in the end we will have to wait and see.

What do you think?
Go discuss in CoolMacintosh.com's Rumor forums...

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