Applemorphic

John Gruber’s Daring Fireball is perhaps my favorite website about Apple-related stuff. John is a great writer, and his views are well considered and presented. And I love the design of his site. He’s posted a couple of juicy tidbits:

• His own Macworld predictions
• A note that the Web UI for .Mac’s iDisk (link is to the DF homepage) is now full of Web 2.0 AJAX goodness (I missed this too)

I’m glad to see that Apple has started to re-engineer the user experience for its .Mac applications (first Mail, now iDisk).

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.

As we approach the 24-hour countdown to Macworld 2007, I was wondering whether I’d actually be able to purchase my iTV tomorrow, and if so, when it would arrive. My guess is that it will be available for order and will ship either immediately or by the end of the month. (I realize I said I was done with Macworld 2007 predictions, but what’s a guy to do? I’m an Apple fanatic. It’s my drug of choice.)

I also got to thinking… when Apple CEO Steve Jobs pre-announced the iTV, he said it would be compatible with the Apple Remote. You know the one. It looks like an original iPod shuffle in size and design, and has only six buttons. It ships with the newest Mac laptops, iMacs, Mac minis, and is configured to run Front Row out of the box (it can be modified to run other applications as well). It can control an iPod through an iPod dock with infrared sensor, as well.

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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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Crazy Apple Rumors Site (CARS) appears to have the ultimate inside scoop on what to expect during Monday’s keynote. If true, this could dash the hopes of millions of Apple fans around the world.

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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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…

I’m one of ‘em, so I can’t talk. Late December and early January attract Macworld speculators like a California gold rush attracts miners (and just about anyone within earshot). Here’s a quick list of where you can find various predictions. Use our comments feature to make your own predictions.

• Applemorphic (hey, that’s me!)
• MacRumors (who always does a good job of reporting on others’ predictive track record)
• ThinkSecret (no specific Macworld prediction article yet, but expect it; Nick usually does a very good job the closer we come to the keynote)
• The Unofficial Apple Weblog - TUAW (which features multiple authors’ predictions)
• The Apple Blog (these predictions are for all of 2007, not just Macworld)
• LoopRumors (a good overview of the product announcements they expect)
• Mac OS Rumors (they promise their predictions any day now; hopefully before the keynote)

These are the sites I typically rely on for rumors and speculation, among other things. But here’s a quick rundown by Richi Jennings over at ComputerWorld that also includes venture capitalists and others in their rumor roundup.

This next 6-7 days should be fun. Enjoy!

I suppose I made a mistake by taking New Year’s Day off. I had a huge spike in traffic from people interested in Macworld 2007 predictions. By now, most of you have probably also learned about the message and graphic adorning Apple’s website, but here it is just in case. Contrasting one year (2007) with 30 is bold, indeed. Apple usually lets rumor and speculation drive the hype machine until they have something to announce (”you ain’t seen nuthin’ yet” types of media event invitations), but this just sets the stage for both its customers and anyone else who follows the company, including stock market analysts. This likely foretells some really interesting announcements. I may revisit my own Macworld 2007 predictions as a result.

I’m just a guy with a blog, so I can’t possibly give away a computer or a wad of cash. But I will do this: be the first person to accurately predict what Apple will call its product that is code-named “iTV,” and I’ll put your name up in lights. Use the comments feature to enter the contest, or simply take our poll. Personally, I think it will be Airport AV or Front Row, even though I previously suggested iTube. But what do I know?

A couple of weeks ago, I posted a poll asking what Apple would call its long-rumored mobile phone, since Cisco used the iPhone trademark it owned for Linksys-branded VOIP devices. Macworld’s Jason Snell speculates on what Apple might call its phone, and the iTV, which is a code-name for the device and also a trademark owned by another company.

I agree with Jason that it makes sense for Apple to leverage the iPod franchise in naming a mobile phone. But I also think there is reason for Apple to leverage the Mac brand and what I expect to be strong connectivity between the two devices, and the likely capability of the phone to be an extension of the desktop. iPod is a sub-brand to Apple, and iPod already has a collection of sub-brands of its own (Mini, Nano, and Shuffle). There appear to be two options for nomenclature if Apple chooses to leverage the iPod brand: create one or more new sub-brands like Nano and Shuffle, or simply make voice a feature of the iPod and appending the existing sub-brands (e.g., Nano with Voice).

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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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Now that Cisco is using it’s iPhone trademark, and that there seems to be some convergence (ThinkSecret’s specs are very similar to the latest from several Apple analysts) on the likely product features for Apple’s much anticipated device, what will the fruit company call their new toy? Where previously you probably came across dozens of concept phones for Apple’s phone, you’ll likely now encounter dozens more speculative names. Let the name game begin!