Apple Store is down - Worldwide - new iMacs, Pros & Displays?

The Apple Store is currently unavailable, ahead of rumoured new iMacs, Mac Pros and Cinema Displays. It seems pretty obvious that we will see something new from Apple today. For starters, the Cinema Displays definitely need to reflect the current iMac sizing. I think we will see a 21.5-inch model and 27-inch model for sure, making it uber cool to run dual display iMac setups. For those who run a Mac Pro, yes I know you want to see a 30-inch model too.

On the iMac front, I predict that we will see Core i3 processors as the base specification. Let's hope that prices stay the same too. If this does happen, they can count me in for an order. I didn't want the high end i7 really (or at least the price associated with it), but a Core i3 27-inch would do me nicely to replace my current 3.06GHz Core2Duo machine.

As for the Mac Pros, well, when I am a bit richer then I would show more interest. Sorry guys (and gals) but this is not my bag.

Surprises… well one would like to think so, but is a Mac Mini Tower every really going to happen?

Apple iPad iSlate Tablet Predictions

Apple iPad iSlate Tablet Predictions. Apple are holding a special event on January 27th 2010. For a long time now many websites and journalists have been trying to predict what is going to be announced. In the run up to the event, a whole host of companies are announcing tablet devices. Here are my views in the hope that you can add your thoughts to the comments.

Apple's It's only Rock & Roll Event - Expectations

Today at 10am Pacific Time, 6pm GMT, Apple will be holding an event to launch a slew of new products. The 'It's only rock and roll' event takes place at the Yerba Buena Centre for the Arts in San Francisco, where they have adorned the front with a striking music banner.

Every September we see new iPods. So, it is a forgone conclusion that we will see a new iPod Nano and touch. There have been many pictures doing the rounds of new cases. The most likely being the Hama cases that featured on Engadget. It seems an obvious step for Apple to introduce a camera to the iPod touch, bringing video capabilities and simple editing akin to the iPhone 3GS. The Nano will more than likely only be able to take photos. There has also been rumours that Apple experienced problems with the initial batch of camera units. If this is true, we might see a slight shipping delay after launch.

We might also hear two bits of sad news too. The iPod classic is likely to be retired. When it was announced as the 120GB version available today, the company said it would be the last version of this model. The second wipeout news, is that of the AppleTV. The 40GB version has been showing as 1-2 weeks shipping for a while in the Apple online store. This may well indicate that stock is being run down on this model. It would be nice to think that Apple does keep on developing the AppleTV, maybe even showing us a new version later today.

A new iTunes (version 9) is also likely. With social networking additions for Facebook and Twitter. It seems as though the application is getting a little cluttered now and is certainly trying to do too much. Keep it simple Apple, or people will lose interest! Also rumoured is The Beatles coming to the iTunes Store. This is not a big deal for me, plus I don't think it'll happen today anyway.

The most anticipated product that people want to see is the Apple Tablet. If Steve Jobs takes to the stage, he may well surprise us. I personally don't think it is that likely, but I really would love to see it. A 10-inch touch screen device, with HDMI output would be superb. Surely acting as the coolest media type server on the planet. Of course, it would do a lot more besides just serving up content. Apple will do the touch interface just right and you will see a lot of people opting for these over a laptop. Keep checking back on Geekanoids later today and tomorrow for full coverage of what Apple has up its sleeve(s).

Apple Tablet ? Cue the Archos 9 !

Whilst we all wait (very) patiently for Apple to bring us their version of the tablet or netbook Mac that we all want, Archos have announced a very interesting device. Take a look at the Archos 9 PC Tablet below, running Windows 7, with its Atom processor and 80GB or 120GB hard drive.

Look down the left hand side of the screen and you find a 1.3 megapixel webcam, plus shortcuts buttons for setup, on-screen keyboard and left/right mouse buttons. Along the right side is the power button and an optical navigator for moving your pointer around the 9-inch screen. There is also stereo speakers and a mic. That screen looks quite nice too. It is a resistive touch screen, with multi-touch, so you can use it with your finger or a stylus.
For multimedia nuts it has a kick stand at the back, so you can sit it on a desk for movie watching. It also sports twin antennas for Digital TV reception on the go. This includes HD reception with recording too. Optional 3.5G sim support for internet on the go, all bundled for £450-£499, not too shabby.

Now, if Apple take this concept one step further and add their design flare, this would take such a device to another level. Imagine a sleek aluminum shell, wi-fi, bluetooth, iPhone OS with a rear facing 3-megapixel camera too. iChatAV right out of the box. iPod dock connector for charging and displaying content on your HD TV. This could be one serious piece of kit. Being an Apple OS lover, the only thing holding me back from this Archos device is Windows 7... that just sucks!

Apples Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 Preview

Apple will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. A team of Apple executives, led by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the keynote. WWDC will offer in-depth sessions on both iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and Mac OS® X Snow Leopard, an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s best desktop operating system and the foundation for future Mac innovation.

All of my readers are spread throughout the world, but being based in the UK, 6pm GMT will be the focus of my coverage. Normally Steve Jobs would take to the stage at Moscone West, San Francisco. This year will be Phil Schiller again, as Steve is not due to return to his active role at Apple until the end of the month. As things unfold at the Keynote, I will be putting together a video of the announcements, which should be online by around 7:30pm. This will also be followed by a series of videos looking in-depth at what Apple has delivered.

Expectations
We will see a massive concentration on giving us the full details of iPhone OS 3.0. This will deliver a raft of new features that we already know about, including MMS and that all important copy and paste. We should also see the introduction of background processes, so running more than one application at a time will be possible.
Snow Leopard will also be detailed, with a shipping date. This new streamlined version of the OS for Mac desktops and laptops will not offer many new features, but will certainly take up less system storage and resources to get the same job done.

I personally also expect to see a revamp of the iPhone range. The much rumored iPhone Video should make an appearance. With four models in the line-up, ranging from 4GB to 32GB in capacity. This should also include a front facing camera, so iChat video conferencing is bought to the handset. The rear facing camera will be boosted to somewhere in the region of 3.2 to 5 megapixels, with that all important video recording functionality. From the various rumors and photos floating around, the fingerprint magnet should be gone and a nice rubberised matte black finish will be applied to the back of the device. The silver trim around the front bezel will also disappear, in favour of a black powder coated bezel. Sizing and the overall form factor will remain exactly the same.

One more thing...
Will we get that 'one more thing'. Well, we all know that Apple is working on some sort of touch enabled netbook or tablet device. I doubt that this will be announced today. Steve Jobs is going to return at the end of the month of June. I think it is more likely we will see a hardware announcement to coincide with his return. Again, this may be too early for the netbook/tablet launch, so we may have to wait until January 2010 for this new eagerly anticipated device.

Apple Newton Revisited or Tablet Mac ?

AppleInsider report on a rumour that Apple may be working on a new PDA type device. Supposedly 1.5 times the size of the iPhone, with a high resolution 720x480dpi screen. This next gen device could appear in the first half of 2008 and may even be announced at MacWorld in January.

So, could this really be the return of the Newton?
My take on this is that the iPhone is a very Newton-like device anyway. You can schedule calendars, make notes, text, transfer files via Wi-Fi, connect to it via BlueTooth, play music and videos, the list goes on. Of course I would like to see a device like this, and yes it would sell very well indeed, but I think we are more likely to see something a little different.

Another rumour doing the rounds is that of an ultra portable laptop, perhaps a 10-inch or 12-inch offering, very thin, still a clamshell type design, all aluminium and maybe sans hard drive. This may well come to fruition as a totally separate product, but if this Newtonesque device is true, it may well be born as somewhere between these two rumors. Let me explain...

One segment that Apple do not participate in is that of the Tablet PC. I think it unlikely for them to try a PDA device again (once bitten, twice shy), but I do think they would like to do the Tablet PC thing right. Remember the ModBook that generated so much interest, well surely this did not go under the radar of Steve Jobs. Personally, I think we will see a 10-inch, maybe 12-inch Tablet Mac, with a very thin aluminium lid to cover. Full touch screen interface like the iPhone and iPod Touch, but with a more fully fledged version of OS X. This device would allow many of us to travel around very lightly, but still have the power to complete real-world tasks. Solid state memory for storage, somewhere around the 32GB mark and maybe even a small 80GB or 160GB hard drive for saving files too, allowing the solid state to be emptied (apart from OS X of course). Maybe I am dreaming, but I think this is a lot more likely than a device that would be touted as a large iPhone.