[Wyatt]

It's on! Apple has sent out these invites. Click the image for the (skimpy on details) story.

[rasmits]

NOOO!!! APPLE EXPO!!!

What the hell!!!

[psmith2.0]

Ooh, that's what I like! Official word. Now we got something to argue about for another week!

What's that colorful album immediately to the right of the center image? There's some writing on it but I can't make it out.

[kieran]

Isn't that a Beatles album to the left of of the center image?

Could the Beatles finally be coming to ITS?

Edit: Never mind, a poster on Engadget pointed out that it's a Beastie Boys album.

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Ooh, that's what I like! Official word. Now we got something to argue about for another week! What's that colorful album immediately to the right of the center image? There's some writing on it but I can't make it out.

That would be MIKA. I hate him.

Originally Posted by kieran23kk Isn't that a Beatles album to the left of of the center image?

Beastie Boys apparently.

[Robo]

The first half of the year was dedicated to the iPhone, and then we had a dedicated Mac event, and now we have what seems to be a dedicated iPod event. Makes sense, I suppose.

Paul's subnotebook will just have to wait for the Paris Apple Expo.

I'm not sure what I think about the iPod. I'm warming up to the awkwardly proportioned (but apparently real) iPod nanos we've seen, but I'm still not sure if I think the iPod proper will get a touch screen. It might have to, if the iPod nano can play video, games, etc.

I might have spoken too soon. It's this event that's really going to tell us if Apple wants the iPod to stick around as essentially a phoneless iPhone or if they want all eyes on their new handheld flagship. I still have a hunch as to what it's going to be...but we'll have to see.

[kscherer]

As cool as OS X is, it has been the iPod that has drawn Apple into the public spotlight. I have a hard time believing that Apple isn't going to dump a lot of effort into the thing. However, considering how lame the new iMac is (compared to its predecessor) I can see Apple doing a meager update like they did with the iMac.

I am holding my breath, but I have my doubts.

[psmith2.0]

The new iMac isn't lame, you goof. Yeah, it's not huge departure (I think they've distilled it down to about as ideal of a design as possible), but it works. The specs, style and pricing make it a winner in my book.

If you would've told me two years ago that come August 2007 I could get a 20" dual core iMac with a SuperDrive and built-in webcam for $1,199 I would've laughed my head off.

[Anthem]

Agreed. I don't like the concept of an AIO, and I've historically been pretty critical of Apple's pricing, but the iMac is extremely solid.

[randomrules]

The album on the extreme right side appears to be "Rather Ripped" by Sonic Youth.



I don't know if that means anything, but Sonic Youth is on Geffen Records which is owned by Universal.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by kscherer I can see Apple doing a meager update like they did with the iMac.

The iMac update might have been meager if the price of the 20" iMac didn't, y'know, drop three hundred dollars.

Apple took the iMac and gave it a startlingly new yet familiar design, boosted the specs, threw in the new iLife suite and a much-needed new keyboard and lopped off a fifth of the price. How the hell is that "meager"?

[psmith2.0]

Because it wasn't 3GHz and $599.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by Roboman Apple took the iMac and gave it a startlingly new yet familiar design, boosted the specs

I had to take a look at the specs. Similar performing processor, same amount of memory/HD, slightly faster SuperDrive. Arguably worse GPU. Where'd they boost the specs?

threw in the new iLife suite

What, they weren't going to throw it in?

and a much-needed new keyboard

Great, they fixed the keyboard.

Not including the price drop, I'd tend to agree that it would have been a mediocre update.

It'd be pretty tough to make a mediocre update to the iPod. Hinting at coverflow with the invite? Bring on a widescreen iPod.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by MCQ I had to take a look at the specs. Similar performing processor

The midrange and high-end iMacs went from 2.16 GHz to 2.4 GHz. The low end model is still 2.0 GHz (Apple must have blew their wad, oh, idunno, increasing the size of the screen) but all models benefit from the faster FSB (667 MHz -> 800 MHz).

Originally Posted by MCQ same amount of memory/HD

I'll give you the RAM, although it's nice that the RAM is all on one module now. It makes adding more RAM easier right out of the box (so is that an admission of weakness?).

As for the hard drives, the old $1,199 model had 160GB - the current one has 250GB. The old $1,499 model had 250GB - the current one has 320GB. How is that the same amount?

Originally Posted by MCQ slightly faster SuperDrive.

Slightly faster is still faster. It's the fucking DVD burner, for chrissakes - "larger" updates have gone with the optical drives untouched.

Originally Posted by MCQ Arguably worse GPU.

I know the GPU wasn't as earthshatteringly awesome as some had hoped, but you're the first person I've heard argue that the GPU was worse.

Originally Posted by MCQ Where'd they boost the specs?

Where didn't they boost the specs? Higher clock speed, faster FSB, larger hard drives, faster optical drives, new GPU, and bigger screens (on the low end) or lower prices (on the high end). Sorry to devolve into a spec whore, but come on - the only thing that Apple left untouched was the RAM - and even that is all on one module now.

Originally Posted by MCQ [regarding iLife] What, they weren't going to throw it in?

Just because an improvement is expected doesn't mean it isn't an improvement. The new iLife suite will probably have a larger impact on the way I use my new iMac than all the spec improvements combined (or at least, the differences in the software are more tangible.) And we could still be waiting until January for iLife, after all.

Originally Posted by MCQ Great, they fixed the keyboard.

Saves me from dropping $50 on another one! Not to mention that the included keyboard looks even better than the "other one" I would have purchased. Don't slight the keyboard - much like the software, it has a much larger impact on actually using the iMac compared to, say, the extra 240 MHz.

Originally Posted by MCQ Not including the price drop, I'd tend to agree that it would have been a mediocre update.

Where have I heard that before?

Originally Posted by Me! The iMac update might have been meager if the price of the 20" iMac didn't, y'know, drop three hundred dollars.

Kidding aside, you can't remove what might be the most appealing part of the update - the $300 price drop of the 20" model - and then say that the update was "mediocre." No shit, Sherlock!

[Dovek916]

well, not to be off topic or anything, but as for the upcoming iPod event, I am not really looking forward to it. While I think the iPhone looks cool, I don't really want the iPod to follow, and again with the interface, while the iPhone interface is nice, I would rather the iPod not copy it. My thinks that apple will try to make all/most of their products uniform, aka, the iPod, iPhone, and iMac. Yet, me hopes that apple will push the iPod beyond the expected semi-wide screen, touchable, iPhone looking media device, and totally redesign the iPod, meaning the shape/size, the interface, and the price. But with all this revamping, I hope that it stays unique, and doesn't take to many features/idea's from other products

[zippy]

Well the one thing the iPod really must do is adopt some version of OS X. It's the only Apple product left that hasn't (excluding the socks and Hi-Fi of course).

I don't expect it to look exactly like the iPhone, and I don't think it will have wi-fi.

I would expect wide screen - perhaps even full 16:9 instead of whatever the iPhone has, and bluetooth.

And we may have seen the last of the hard disk iPods. I predict everything will be FLASH from now on.

And I think we'll here of one or two more labels joining the DRM free world.

[MCQ]

Originally Posted by Roboman Where didn't they boost the specs? Higher clock speed, faster FSB, larger hard drives, faster optical drives, new GPU, and bigger screens (on the low end) or lower prices (on the high end). Sorry to devolve into a spec whore, but come on - the only thing that Apple left untouched was the RAM - and even that is all on one module now.

I guess it's all a matter of perspective. I didn't even bother comparing to the old 17" $1199 model, as that just desperately needed to be removed from the lineup. Looking from the perspective of lowered price points across the iMac line (old $1499 -> new $1199, old $1499 -> new $1499 w/slightly better hardware, old $1999 -> new $1799), price cuts were to be expected after a year without updates. There wasn't any wow factor in the iMac revision, but that's just my opinion.

We'll just have to disagree.

-------

Back on topic:
I'm hoping for a special event "one more thing" to be Apple offering movies/TV shows in HD quality and Apple TV support for those downloads. That would be really nice to see.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by MCQ Back on topic: I'm hoping for a special event "one more thing" to be Apple offering movies/TV shows in HD quality and Apple TV support for those downloads. That would be really nice to see.

Ditto.

Also: TV shows and movies for people who don't live in the US.

And that damned ringtone feature that was leaked before the iPhone launched.

If Apple charges ridiculous amounts of money for ringtones, I will be really pissed. There's no way they can charge $2.49 for a fifteen second audio clip when they sell the entire song for $0.99...right?

I'll never understand the price of ringtones, or the fascination with them, for that matter.

But it's funny when a totally mild-mannered person's phone rings, and it's really loud death metal and stuff.

[Doxxic]

Originally Posted by fcgriz It's on! Apple has sent out these invites. Click the image for the (skimpy on details) story.

They surely seem to be suggesting there will be something about the Beatles, aren't they? Those album covers have definitely not been chosen randomly, let alone the pay-off...

I hope very much that the whole Beatles catalog has been remixed and optimized for headphones in terms of stereo image. Because a lot of Beatles work is pretty badly suited for iPod listening. Steve Martin and his son suggested something like they were intending to do this in an interview about the album "Love". If remixed, everything could sound a lot better, technically, while artistically remaining the same - I'd be very curious if they manage to do that.

Would be a nice "one more thing", after a plethora of iPod/iTunes related goodness

[MAJB]

Looks like the UK got TV shows on iTunes today.

Also 15" MBPs are showing a shipping time of 7-10 days on both the UK and US sites. Does that mean that my MBP that I ordered 2 weeks ago and is due to ship on 14 September will be a new one if they are upgraded on the 5th?

[Gizzer]

And out of nowhere: Apple have just released TV shows on iTunes in the UK.

...No fanfare, no big announcement. Yet this is fairly big news (first country outside US to get TV).

In which case, if it wasn't September 5th-worthy, whatever products they are announcing it would appear that it will be purely hardware related .


*EDIT* Damn beaten to the post --^

[MAJB]

Originally Posted by Gizzer And out of nowhere: Apple have just released TV shows on iTunes in the UK. ...No fanfare, no big announcement. Yet this is fairly big news (first country outside US to get TV). In which case, if it wasn't September 5th-worthy, whatever products they are announcing it would appear that it will be purely hardware related . *EDIT* Damn beaten to the post --^

Yep, thought I'd keep my post as low-key as the announcement!

Anyone got any views on the answer to my question? I'll be annoyed if they upgrade and I get stuck with an old MBP...

[thegeriatric]

Originally Posted by Kickaha Oh, I know it's Nov, I'm just being a cheeky monkey.

YOU YOU....................Cheeky Monkey You.................

[Gizzer]

Originally Posted by MAJB Anyone got any views on the answer to my question? I'll be annoyed if they upgrade and I get stuck with an old MBP...

...Looking at the invite. I'd say it's an iPod only event (and possibly Apple TV).

IF they are going to announce new MacBooks, I guess the Paris Expo might be more suited?

[MAJB]

Originally Posted by Gizzer ...Looking at the invite. I'd say it's an iPod only event (and possibly Apple TV). IF they are going to announce new MacBooks, I guess the Paris Expo might be more suited?

Yeah, I guess so. Although, say new iPods are the "main event", MBP bumps could be the "one more thing" - maybe a processor bump in line with the iMacs and a revised keyboard like the MacBooks and new iMac keyboards? Although if that weas the case, I guess the 17" MBP would be showing longer shipping times too...

When's Paris Expo?

Any chance of announcing iPhone outside US?

[Wyatt]

First of all, I don't think there's any chance that this event is about anything but iTunes, iPods and Apple TV.

I think we'll see three different iPods. We'll see the new nanos, which will have larger screens (I'm thinking 1.5-2") and support video playback. I think the iPod will basically just be the iPod portion of the iPhone. I don't think we're going to see an iPod with WiFi (and therefore the other non-phone functions of the iPhone) until next year.

I also think we'll see HD downloads in iTunes, at a 50-75% price premium over SD content (which will still be available). When you buy HD content, you'll get SD content included for free to play on your iPod.

To complement HD content, I think the Apple TV will get a hard drive upgrade. The 40 GB model will move to 80 GB and the 160 GB model will go to 200 GB.

[mooty]

Originally Posted by fcgriz First of all, I don't think there's any chance that this event is about anything but iTunes, iPods and Apple TV.

Yeah - I think if a MBP or macbook update was on the cards it would have come with the "Mac only" announcements earlier this month...

[chris e boy]

Originally Posted by Gizzer And out of nowhere: Apple have just released TV shows on iTunes in the UK. ...No fanfare, no big announcement. Yet this is fairly big news (first country outside US to get TV). In which case, if it wasn't September 5th-worthy, whatever products they are announcing it would appear that it will be purely hardware related . *EDIT* Damn beaten to the post --^

Perhaps they haven't made a big announcement because most of the shows are crap. South Park is OK but where are the UK shows? They need to add stuff like the IT Crowd, Alan Partridge, iDeal, Father Ted, The Office etc. If we must put up with US shows why can't we have quality stuff like Family Guy?

[turbulentfurball]

Originally Posted by Gizzer (and possibly Apple TV).

That was hinted at during the last event.

[InactionMan]

Ars mentioned this in their post this morning, The Beat Goes On is the last line of the press release announcing the break up of the Beatles. It's seems pretty clear that Apple will be announcing the addition of the full catalouge nest week. Here's the full text from the last Beatles PR:

Spring is here and Leeds play Chelsea tomorrow and Ringo and John and George and Paul are alive and well and full of hope. The world is still spinning and so are we and so are you. When the spinning stops — that'll be the time to worry, not before. Until then, the Beatles are alive and well and the beat goes on, the beat goes on. — Final Beatles press release, April 10, 1970

I'm really hoping for a full screen iPod, - my G3 iPod is barely hanging on.