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frankthetank966 · Jul 29, 2006, 12:55 PM

As most Apple users know Apple is holding their WWDC 2006 convention August 7-11 in San Fransico. Apple has announced that they will not charge tax on any of their items sold at Apple stores August 3-6. Because of this announcement does anybody feel that they will be releasing a new laptop, desktop, iPod or some other electronic such as camera, T.V.?

I am in the market to buy a Macbook Core Duo White 2.0 GHz and was curious what ya'll think is the smarted move for me. Should I buy the laptop when I do not recieve any tax or should I buy the laptop after the WWDC to see if anything is released?

mduell · Jul 29, 2006, 01:00 PM

The Macbook will only be about 3 months old; too soon for a major bump, but a slight clockrate increase or price drop is certainly possible. I doubt it would happen at the keynote, but it could happen within a week afterward (assuming the MBP is bumped to Core 2 Duo).

gperks · Jul 29, 2006, 05:23 PM

Where did you see they won't be charging tax? Seems very unlikely they could do that.

Moose · Jul 29, 2006, 05:57 PM

Originally Posted by gperks

Where did you see they won't be charging tax? Seems very unlikely they could do that.

They could lower the price such that [new price] + [tax of new price] = [old price].

dru · Jul 30, 2006, 04:36 AM

Originally Posted by gperks

Where did you see they won't be charging tax? Seems very unlikely they could do that.

It's probably one of those "we'll pay the tax" deals and give you a discount equal to the taxes due. This happens sometimes with furniture promotions.

InThe2ndHalf · Jul 30, 2006, 07:53 AM

Might be a state by state thing. Those are the dates in Georgia that are tax free for certain school related purchases. Computers fall into that category.

mac128k-1984 · Jul 30, 2006, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by gperks

Where did you see they won't be charging tax? Seems very unlikely they could do that.

A number of states offer a no sales tax day in August to help (generate) sales. boston does this near the end of August. Its a very popular program.

Adam Betts · Jul 30, 2006, 01:09 PM

It's amazing at how there's virtually no leaks about Leopard. Not even one feature is known (other than Boot Camp.)

frankthetank966 · Jul 30, 2006, 08:08 PM

I was sent an email by Apple. Maybe it only applies to certain states.

pat++ · Jul 30, 2006, 08:09 PM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

It's amazing at how there's virtually no leaks about Leopard. Not even one feature is known (other than Boot Camp.)

True, but it was the same for Tiger if I remember correctly. We had leaks with Dashboard screenshots just the day before the keynote I think...

Simon · Jul 31, 2006, 02:53 AM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

Not even one feature is known (other than Boot Camp.)

And that wasn't even a leak. It was 'leaked' by Apple deliberately. Rumor channels have dried up a lot over the last few years. Steve's anti-leaker crusade must have accomplished something.

nforcer · Jul 31, 2006, 04:43 AM

Originally Posted by Adam Betts

It's amazing at how there's virtually no leaks about Leopard. Not even one feature is known (other than Boot Camp.)

We know some tidbits about Leopard from various sources (Apple and non).

- Boot Camp; we know multi-OS booting is a major feature of Leopard.
- Obj-C garbage collector. Should cut down on memory management time for most Cocoa developers. Methods are documented for it, options in Xcode exist, and it has been implied on mailing lists.
- Larger icons. I thought some icon guy mentioned developing some 256*256 icons for it. This could actually be related to...
- Resolution independence options for end users. Currently available in Tiger through the developer tools, presumably for testing and preparing code. I expect this to be available in the system preferences or on a per-app basis.
- Quartz 2D extreme turned on as default is also something I expect to be done. They've had since Tiger to work out the drawing problems associated with it and it was mostly done when Tiger was ready.
- Dashcode has been shown before and there is strong reason to believe this will be part of the dev tool suite, especially considering how popular dashboard widgets turned out (I even became an infrequent user).

Safari's webkit/webcore open source developments can also give you some hints as to what will be new in that app (and framework).

As for the other stuff as WWDC, Mac Pro is a pretty brain dead guess (at least announced, and I'd say highly likely to be shipping soon or immediately). New LCDs also seem likely; the current monitor specs are out of date and the last ones were introduced alongside the G5s, IIRC, with something said to the effect of "new screens to go with our new towers". Built-in isight seems to be the new standard. I will also guess HDCP will be a standard, because that is needed for certain HD crap (bluray and hddvd players at full res I think).

As for the iPhone/iPod crap and whatever else, I'd say all bets are off. This is a developer conference and while it's possible (and even probable) Apple might throw some consumer or general-purpose updates in, I would not count on any of that being the case. It can't be approached like a Macworld or other consumer expo no matter how long ago the last Macworld was or how poor their "special event" in February was. Set the bar low and be realistic and you won't be disappointed.

Nautical · Jul 31, 2006, 02:11 PM

Leopard will support 512x512 pixel icons. Not 'merely' 256x256. And the aluminium screens were *not* released simultaneously with the first G5 PowerMacs but quite some time after.

angelmb · Jul 31, 2006, 03:18 PM

Sure, the displays came one year later than the G5… well, what about a new keyboard?, that Optimus keyboard matches the *current* Power Mac way better than Apple's counterpart… I am not talking about leds and so, even when I can understand such feature would be great for some people, I am talking about the master lines of the keyboard, how it looks, materials being used…

Truth be told I still find the Apple keyboard cool, since it is kinda like frameless, but didn't it come with the eMac?, if so, that is something like four years old…

lookmark · Jul 31, 2006, 03:30 PM

Other unconfirmed rumors for Leopard include a thoroughly redesigned Finder, a collaboration API, a Google Earth-like "Maps" application (!) integrated into the OS, and iChat 4 with VoIP.

Cadaver · Jul 31, 2006, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by InThe2ndHalf

Might be a state by state thing. Those are the dates in Georgia that are tax free for certain school related purchases. Computers fall into that category.

No sales tax in Delaware for anything

JKT · Jul 31, 2006, 05:44 PM

Personally, I'm very pleased that the party poopers are not spoiling the surprise at the moment. They just get everyone's expectations way too high with their rumour hype and then even the good stuff that gets announced feels like an enormous let down. Long may the lack of rumours continue.

imitchellg5 · Jul 31, 2006, 06:54 PM

I can't wait until WWDC, I am so excited to find out what Leopard is going to be like.

- - e r i k - - · Jul 31, 2006, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

- Quartz 2D extreme turned on as default is also something I expect to be done. They've had since Panther to work out the drawing problems associated with it and it was mostly done when Tiger was ready.

Fixed.

- - e r i k - - · Jul 31, 2006, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

- Dashcode has been shown before and there is strong reason to believe this will be part of the dev tool suite, especially considering how popular dashboard widgets turned out (I even became an infrequent user).

It's already out.

lookmark · Jul 31, 2006, 07:24 PM

Not officially. That was an oops on Apple's part.

nforcer · Jul 31, 2006, 07:58 PM

What version of Panther did QD2X appear in? I seem to remember it being previewed (not on the site anymore) as a feature for Tiger.

frankthetank966 · Jul 31, 2006, 10:06 PM

I am most likely going to buy my macbook this weekend

lookmark · Jul 31, 2006, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

What version of Panther did QD2X appear in? I seem to remember it being previewed (not on the site anymore) as a feature for Tiger.

Yeah, I don't believe Q2DX was in Panther... Quartz Extreme was introduced in Panther. There was a small mention for Q2DX in preview pages for Tiger, which quietly disappeared when Tiger was released.

There's a nice discussion of the tech by John Siracusa in his Tiger review here.

Clearly it required some more work, and got bumped to Tiger+1.

nforcer · Jul 31, 2006, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by lookmark

Yeah, I don't believe Q2DX was in Panther... Quartz Extreme was introduced in Panther. There was a small mention for Q2DX in preview pages for Tiger, which quietly disappeared when Tiger was released.

There's a nice discussion of the tech by John Siracusa in his Tiger review here.

Clearly it required some more work, and got bumped to Tiger+1.

Quartz Extreme was introduced in Jaguar.
Quartz Extreme 2D to my knowledge was introduced in Tiger but Erik said otherwise. I'm curious to know if there was a version of Panther that had it. I thought not.

Read the Siracusa stuff before, but good links nonetheless.

surferboy · Aug 1, 2006, 01:29 PM

Tank,
I am agonizing over the same question. In Missouri, we have a tax free weekend for back-to-school purposes. I am trying to decide whether or not to save a few bucks in tax or sweat it out for the new Merom. As dissapointed as I am, I think I will wait it out for the better laptop.

Cheers.

Catfish_Man · Aug 1, 2006, 02:46 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

Quartz Extreme was introduced in Jaguar.
Quartz Extreme 2D to my knowledge was introduced in Tiger but Erik said otherwise. I'm curious to know if there was a version of Panther that had it. I thought not.

Read the Siracusa stuff before, but good links nonetheless.

My guess is that he's pointing out they've had *since* Panther, not that it was introduced in Panther. Judging by WebKit's branch/trunk policy, this seems like a logical assumption to me... it seems that very little code gets backported to .x.y releases.

lookmark · Aug 1, 2006, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by nforcer

Quartz Extreme was introduced in Jaguar.

Oh, that's right. How time flies.

crzdc0l0mbian · Aug 1, 2006, 03:49 PM

will we get a new macbook pro? or at least a new case?? cause im gettin really tired of waiting

xe0 · Aug 1, 2006, 09:34 PM

Finally!! Leaked screens!

Presenting, Leopard

MovieCutter · Aug 1, 2006, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by xe0

Finally!! Leaked screens!

Presenting, Leopard

YES!!! That will go GREAT with my MacBook Porn....err....Pro

boazh · Aug 2, 2006, 12:39 AM

I got my MacBook at the Apple store and didn't pay any sales tax

But then we don't pay sales tax on anything here in Oregon...
So come on down here we got plenty of Apple stores in the Portland area for everyone.
I read somewhere that Tigard (town close to Portland) is the smallest town in the country with 2 Apple stores

As for WWDC... for me every news is good news!

pat++ · Aug 2, 2006, 05:12 PM

From macrumors.com: http://page2.macrumors.com/

MacRumors has obtained unconfirmed information that could shed light on what the community can expect next Monday during Steve Job's keynote.

Xserve
According to our source, Apple will be set to unveil Xeon-based Xserves. It is unknown what speed they will come in, or whether they will pack dual processors, but speculation would indicate that Apple forgo Intel's top-of-the-line 3.0 Ghz Xeon in order to meet the heat constraints of the 1U Xserve.

Mac Pro and Displays
According to our source, both Core 2 Duo (Conroe) and Xeon chips will be used. Along with the new desktops, Apple will also unveil new displays with up to 1:1000 contrast ratios, built-in iSights, and built-in IR receivers for use with Apple's remote.

Merom?
Also mentioned was a slight design update and Merom (Core 2 Duo Mobile) upgrade for one of Apple's products. Currently, MacRumors believes this to be in reference to the MacBook Pro, however with iMac supplies dwindling at many retail locations, the possibility exists that it could also be the target of an upgrade.

Leopard
A half-dozen or so features of Leopard are said to be ready to be displayed during Job's keynote. While not mentioned specifically as the features to be displayed, the UI is said to be updated, as well as better functionality for businesses, Safari improvements, and the underpinnings of "OS 11". The most intriguing hints are that Apple will incorporate 3d effects in an impressive new feature of Leopard.

frankthetank966 · Aug 2, 2006, 09:23 PM

What is dashboard...

xe0 · Aug 3, 2006, 03:23 AM

Only a few days to go.

I really do hope that Apple are going to put more emphasis on the business side of Leopard.
A welcome change from the consumer driven updates of the past.

Simon · Aug 3, 2006, 04:13 AM

Originally Posted by pat++

From macrumors.com: http://page2.macrumors.com/

MacRumors has obtained unconfirmed information that could shed light on what the community can expect next Monday during Steve Job's keynote.
...

No offense, but that sounds more like a guess than a rumor passed on from an informed source to me. It's just about what some of us expected to happen. No real tech details as you'd expect from an inside source. What's their track record? Haven't gone there in ages.

Chuckit · Aug 3, 2006, 04:54 AM

I predict that Steve will not say "OS 11" in his keynote.

milhous · Aug 3, 2006, 04:18 PM

one thing that i never understood was apple's need to include an IR receiver for remote control/frontrow purposes. since all the macs now come with bluetooth standard, why can't they just include a bluetooth-based remote? i just feel that it's unnecessary to introduce another protocol and the hardware associated with it when there's an existing one that can easily do the job and also does not require a direct line of sight.

the integrated isights in desktop displays makes sense, though i'm sure that people in specialized industries and sectors will balk at this for security purposes.

parsec_kadets · Aug 3, 2006, 04:57 PM

Originally Posted by frankthetank966

As most Apple users know Apple is holding their WWDC 2006 convention August 7-11 in San Fransico. Apple has announced that they will not charge tax on any of their items sold at Apple stores August 3-6. Because of this announcement does anybody feel that they will be releasing a new laptop, desktop, iPod or some other electronic such as camera, T.V.?

I am in the market to buy a Macbook Core Duo White 2.0 GHz and was curious what ya'll think is the smarted move for me. Should I buy the laptop when I do not recieve any tax or should I buy the laptop after the WWDC to see if anything is released?

What do state sales tax and future hardware purchase decisions have to do with OS X?

You do have 14 days to change your mind and return the system, so you could buy now and save on sales tax, then return it if something better is announced.

Chuckit · Aug 3, 2006, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by milhous

one thing that i never understood was apple's need to include an IR receiver for remote control/frontrow purposes. since all the macs now come with bluetooth standard, why can't they just include a bluetooth-based remote? i just feel that it's unnecessary to introduce another protocol and the hardware associated with it when there's an existing one that can easily do the job and also does not require a direct line of sight.

Bluetooth must be turned on, synched up and consuming power. An IR receiver is much more lightweight.

parsec_kadets · Aug 3, 2006, 05:36 PM

Along the same lines as above, Salling Clicker has been performing many of the same functions as Front Row (and many more) for years now. But use it with your cell phone and watch your battery life be reduced to one or two days (instead of five or six with mine).

Abbas · Aug 4, 2006, 04:03 AM

Any chance of the event being streamed live over the web this year? Its nowhere near as much fun watching websites update info in text rather than watching Steve unveil the stuff.

-a

OreoCookie · Aug 4, 2006, 08:28 AM

Since I expect many WWDC threads to pop up over the next few days, I have made this one a sticky.

Please use this thread for any speculation on MacOS X. New WWDC threads will be closed. Please use the proper forum for discussing new hardware/applications!

Enjoy reading tea leaves, people

romeosc · Aug 4, 2006, 09:38 PM

Originally Posted by parsec_kadets

What do state sales tax and future hardware purchase decisions have to do with OS X?

You do have 14 days to change your mind and return the system, so you could buy now and save on sales tax, then return it if something better is announced.

Tennessee has the tax free weekend today thru Sun. The Apple Store had a line over 150 long
all day standing outside in 96 degree Memphis Humidity!

surferboy · Aug 5, 2006, 12:39 AM

missouri is this weekend. big line early in the morning. i get the feeling that apple timed things so that they clear their inventory before they start announcing whatever comes out on Monday.

??

shecky · Aug 5, 2006, 01:20 AM

massachusetts has a tax free weeekend august 12-13. thats what i call good timing

crzdc0l0mbian · Aug 5, 2006, 10:59 AM

o that is SWEET !!! I hope they update the MBP so I can get it 100 bucks cheaper in MA, I live in Ct less than 40 min away, and can visit my bro who lives in boston

jbleisure · Aug 7, 2006, 07:23 AM

Is it today 7th. I'm in UK, by when do they usually have it posted on the apple site. I like to watch it in QT.

jbleisure · Aug 7, 2006, 07:24 AM

By the way - that's Steve's keynote referred to above.

min_max9000 · Aug 7, 2006, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by jbleisure

Is it today 7th. I'm in UK, by when do they usually have it posted on the apple site. I like to watch it in QT.

Apple usually has it poted by the end of the day. You can, however, keep up to date with several text streams:
http://live.macnn.com/
http://redundancy.macteens.com/
http://www.macosrumors.com/
http://www.macrumorslive.com/web/
http://community.livejournal.com/macintosh/2449585.html