Meta Comment

I don’t usually comment on things outside my
sphere, but Apple’s something different - this year will be something different.
Apple’s WWDC is being held in San Francisco (that - I can nearly say - is
Quincy’s part of the world) and its going to be big, well its going to be
exciting… We’ve got the new hardware, the new OS and some software, its all rolled out -
what will Steve Jobs offer us this year? He better play it cool - the Apple
could still turn (bad) iPod’s fallout (Jobs himself calls it the “halo effect”)
is spreading and although they had 75% of the market in digital music…
pre-Shuffle that is, should Apple continue to follow the easy / obvious money
they would soon loose it in price wars. They did it before - so its
Apple
Computer remember, and I’m guessing
that’s it
for the iPod - as we know
it.At WWDC 2005 - in the year of High
Definition Video - I predict this: Apple will update us on Software Sales,
mouths will drop at the uptake of Tiger, but much work is still to be done.
Developers are flocking to Macs, Steve will unveil higher spec Powerbooks and
drop the price of Cinema Displays to entice the corporate crowd… A new HD
world is round the corner Jobs has already talked about his interest in Tivo,
Apple will launch a new direction for Quicktime, or a new iApp - it will
incorporate video in a library (iTunes-esque) fashion for access on your
iPod
video.The
iPod video will come in one size, 80GB. It will be white and the same size as
the largest iPod photo (SJ will also announce that’s it for all mono-chrome
iPods, or draw the line completely - iPod photo is now iPod, iPod video is the
fancy option. Phase out the minis or boost
shuffle.Price of iPod video $100 more
than the top iPod photo, it will sync with the new iApp “iPVR”, it will output
through dock to DVI so you can carry compressed DVDs / TV Shows as you wish.
Getting them on to the Mac is a sore-point, Steve will be open about that, or
the new iApp will be riddled with DRM - and there will be tears from
all.So, WWDC 2005: Powerbooks up,
iPods killed - replaced with iPod video / photo, new iApp for sorting video and
syncing to new device, iTunes to (continue to) sell music videos, Support for
developers (lower prices, higher spec). Possibly an upgrade on Macmini (drop in
price?). iPod video and all that legal business with copying dvds needs to be
tackled by a major software provider. I’d love to see someone with authority say
“its not wrong to copy your dvd”. ITS NOT!