Applemorphic

BusinessWeek online has a new special report up called “The Apple Economy.” Articles cover its influence on other companies, its success in corporate markets, and its relationships with partners, among others.

Okay. I’ve made my own predictions (here and here), and I’ve reported on those of others here, here and here. Now, Sunday morning before Tuesday’s Macworld 2007 Keynote, I’m done with predictions. But I’m not done dreaming. Besides, Apple is being even more proactive and obvious with their hype machine, given that the Keynote is now 2 hours instead of 1-1.5, and the Apple homepage dramatically promotes what is to come in 2007. Here’s what I’d like to see, which is all within easy reach of the fruity one and it’s mercurial leader, though far from likely, at least in the near future.

Mac OS X Embedded: A lite version of the OS for embedded applications. The new OS would be made available only through Apple’s own products and carefully selected strategic relationships. For example, Mac OS X Embedded would be bundled on future generations of the iPod, the iTV, and an Apple mobile phone, as well as in certain car-based systems (dockable iPod, iTunes head-end, music through stereo, video through rear-seat displays, etc.).

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According to ThinkSecret, iWork 2007 will be released at Macworld 2007, and it will include a new spreadsheet module called Charts or Numbers. My experience is that ThinkSecret’s predictions get more and more accurate as Macworld approaches, even if no new real information is available to the public, so there might be something to this. Their post even includes images of the icon and UI, though stating that there is no way to tell at what stage in the application’s development they were created. The screenshot would be very easy to fake using existing iWork applications. It is interesting to note that Styles are shown below the Sheets, looking very much like Keynote’s slide master and slides sections.

True or false? We’ll know soon enough!

A post over at TUAW (The Unofficial Apple Weblog, for the acronymically challenged), highlights a new widget called CharacterPal, which allows you to find glyphs and other special characters with relative ease. It reminded me of a Classic Mac OS utility I used called PopChar, so I shuffled on over to The Google to see if it still existed, and if so, if it was updated for Mac OS X. It does, and it was.

PopChar is a menu bar utility, but the menu item lives in the far upper left-hand corner of the screen, to the top and left of the Apple menu. When you click the relatively unobtrusive P icon, the PopChar window appears, allowing you to select the character you wish to insert into the active application. This “&” was inserted in this way: while typing this blog entry in Firefox, I simply clicked on the P, clicked the “insert HTML button,” and clicked the ampersand in the main window. PopChar disappeared, and the HTML code for the ampersand was in my post. The next time I invoked the utility, PopChar remembered all of my most recent selections, including that I wanted to insert the HTML code for the character.
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Ever since Mac OS X was first released to consumers as a beta in 2000 (is that right? I’m surprised Wikipedia’s history section of its Mac OS X entry doesn’t included such a date, but I distinctly remember running it while I was working at VarsityBooks.com in the Spring of 2000), there have been rumors of a so-called “lite” version of the operating system that could be used on a new-century version of the Newton and other devices. Speculation about a limited version of Mac OS X has been increasing of late, particularly with regard to iTV and the rumored Apple mobile phone (nee, iPhone).

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Other World Computing on January 9 (right after the keynote) claims to be announcing the first Mac tablet computer. Dubbed the ModBook, it appears to be a modified MacBook, with a touchscreen, pen input, inkwell support, and built-in iSight, plus optional GPS. The OWC site claims that it will be made of aircraft-grade magnesium alloy.

My guess is that this thing will be spendy. Even if they buy the MacBooks at wholesale, they’ve got the labor cost of completely de-constructing them and putting them back together in the new casing, plus the cost of the new screen. Only those who really, really want or need a tablet Mac will be buying one of these puppies. If, and I emphasize if, Apple doesn’t try to shut them down.

Dan Benjamin at Hivelogic makes his picks, and he sees things similar to the way I do, at least with regards to Macworld 2007 predictions.

Macworld magazine put together an impressive panel and asked for their predictions for Apple in 2007. The panel includes Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, Andy Ihnatko of the Chicago Sun-Times, and John Moltz of Crazy Apple Rumors Site, along with Christopher Breen and Adam Engst, both of Macworld. These are all long-time followers of Apple who are usually on the money with their reporting and/or analysis. Most of the predictions are quite level-headed, and this makes for an interesting read. Most interesting will be the follow-up article next year to see how everyone did with their predictions, as Macworld did for a smaller set of authors at the conclusion of this article.

Several readers have said they want a more concise version of my earlier Macworld 2007 predictions, so here it is. If you like the highlights, you can always read the full post.

• Leopard: Expect a few big surprises–in part to contrast Mac OS X with Windows Vista (since large parts of Vista look so similar to OS X–though I have no idea what they will be.
• Computers: The Mac Mini is due for a Core 2 Duo update, and unless the 8-core Mac Pro rumors are true, that might be it.
• iTV: Support for 802.11n (Apple has adopted several technologies before they become standards or common, such as wi-fi and USB), NAND Flash memory, Internet connectivity beyond Apple’s movie trailers (such as accessing Flickr, YouTube, etc.), and the ability to browse/purchase from iTunes while sending the media to the iTunes library iTV accesses. Also, a name such as Airport AV or Front Row (borrowing from the software). Take the Applemorphic iTV Name Poll.
• LCD Monitors: New displays will include iSight video cameras and HDMI. They may also include TV tuners and cable card slots, but this is far less likely.
• iPod/iTunes: Expect to see a new full-size iPod, possibly the long-rumored “true” video iPod (full-screen display), as well as new content and software updates for iTunes.
• Other Software: iLife and iWork, as well as .mac, are overdue for updates. Also, the much-anticipated spreadsheet companion to Pages and Keynote may finally make its debut.

I don’t expect to an Apple-branded mobile phone introduced at Macworld 2007, but do expect it this year. Either Apple has to introduce it, or they need to quell the rumors because their stock will ultimately take a hit if they don’t respond to overwhelming analyst predictions. I also think there is strong evidence that rumors of a Mac OS X Lite to be included in iTV, a future mobile phone, and even the iPod (which would mean new software under the acclaimed UI) are true.

Instead of covering the actual keynote and announcements about Macworld 2007, Applemorphic will be posting quick analysis of each significant announcement. Stay tuned…

Okay, I admit it. I’m a bag whore. I’ve chastised my wife for buying Kate Spade diaper bags, but that’s really the pot calling the kettle black. For a few years, I used and cherished my Tom Bihn backpack with the PowerBook insert. Then I decided I needed something more professional, so I got a leather Kenneth Cole satchel about two years ago.

Now I’m on another binge. The K. Cole is a great, professional looking bag, and the InCase insert is an ideal companion I use to protect my newer MacBook Pro. But it’s not ideal when I’m traveling with lots of gadgets. And it turns out I don’t need anything so professional looking anyway; I’m an Internet consultant, after all. So I went searching for a new bag. And I have a new obsession.

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My wife derides me for not making new year’s resolutions, which I avoid because the change from December 31 to January 1 seems an arbitrary marker for prioritizing one’s life. Still, for many people, the turning of the calendar to a new year is often a time of reflection, planning and goal-setting. With that in mind, today’s Friday Software Spotlight focuses on Life Balance by Llamagraphics.

The company calls its product “the to do list for real life.” And in many respects, this is true. I’ve been using it for over a year now, and have come to rely on it to keep track of all my activities. For a to list manager, Life Balance has two key features I cannot live without, and one that I cannot stand. First, some background about the software and its positioning.

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Need another present for the Mac or iPod enthusiasts in your real-world social network? Here are a few ideas:

• MacSanta: Through Christmas Day, MacSanta is offering 20% discounts on software from over 100 companies. MacHeist aside, software just doesn’t go on sale everyday. Hurry to take advantage.
• iTunes Gift Certificates: You don’t have to buy a iTunes Music Card ($25)“>gift card at Amazon to spread iTunes goodiness, but you can. Need it quicker, go straight to the source and email a gift certificate directly.
• Apple Store Gift Card: It won’t make it to it’s destination by Christmas, but you could download some artwork from the Apple store, print it, and tell the recipient to watch for it in the mail. Hey, whatever works.
• Go to your Nearest Apple Retail Store: Seriously, if you’ve waited this late, you’re starting to run out of options. Hopefully there is one near you. Besides, they have several items set up for express shopping, which may be the easiest retail experience you’ll ever… well, experience.

Happy Holidays! See you next week.

Ah, the aroma of fresh cut evergreens and baked goodies. The twinkle of tree-topping stars and children’s eyes. Parties with eggnog and gifts exchanged. It’s that time of year again, alright. Time for predictions about what Apple will do at Macworld 2007.

Like the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Macworld is held in Las Vegas in early January every year. It seems as though the post holiday shopping season is the perfect time to announce new electronics gear. Product lineups for Christmas are usually set by September or October, so as to allow time for inventory to fill the stores and marketing to take effect.

January comes along at a time when people want to spend on their own to buy the gifts they didn’t get, and these major shows fill the new product introduction void that has existed for a couple of months. The media eats it up, and so do consumers. The Mac news sites and rumor mills will go mostly radio-silent during the last week of the year as well. Together with Steve Jobs’ keynote flair (aka, reality distortion field), and some truly innovative and memorable product introductions, Macworld is an explosive event.

Reader Karin wants to know what Apple has in store for the upcoming Macworld. Only Jobs’ knows for sure, but here are my predictions.

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Reader Shawn writes to ask about Mac-related podcasts, including MacBreak Weekly and Macworld in his own lineup.

First, a bit of a disclaimer. I rarely listen to Podcasts. Read the rest of this entry »