[pliny]

Okay. It's just about 2 months away. I'm wondering what we're going to see and hear during the keynote. I've made a short list, perhaps others can comment on how likely any of these are and modify it if they like and add their own.

Here's what I'd like to see, and no, a slot-loading iMac or a 19-inch iMac with all other specs remaining the same, isn't one of them. In no particular order except for the first item.

1. PPC 970 Macintosh. If not for order, then a demo w/specs, if not that, then something about it ala ticking clock, if not this, then maybe the words "PPC 970" somewhere in the keynote.
Likelihood of PPC 970 machine debuting here?

2. A Mac browser that is standards compliant or at least as compliant as IE Windows. What the hell has Hyatt been doing at Apple all these months? Doesn't the deal with MS to bundle IE as preferred browser expire at end of this year? Wouldn't keynote be a good place to showcase a new Apple browser?
Likelihood?

3. News on Panther. When? What will it be? What's the roadmap?

4. iMac and eMac bumps to 1 ghz with 700 mhz being the baseline, PM bumps to 1.5 with 1.0 ghz being baseline, price remaining the same and downward movement on the other models if still available. ddrRAM for iMacs, bus improvements across the iMac and PM line.

5. Rendezvous. What is the status of 3rd-party support and development?

6. Appleworks. Jebus. I loved this software up to version 6. Is there any movement here at all? Is there a plan for Appleworks 7? Will it be Cocoa? Will Appleworks 7 bundle the Apple browser? Something about the status of this would be good.

7. Quark Xpress X. This should be a no-brainer, because InDesign is looking better all the time. I used Quark quite a bit but haven't used it since, well, I started using InDesign.

8. Apple LCD monitor line. What the hell happened to the 15" LCD? They got rid of it, and the 17" is still darned expensive. What about a 19" LCD, so that the price can come down on the 17"?

[Phanguye]

Originally posted by pliny:

1. PPC 970 Macintosh. If not for order, then a demo w/specs, if not that, then something about it ala ticking clock, if not this, then maybe the words "PPC 970" somewhere in the keynote.
Likelihood of PPC 970 machine debuting here?

i doubt it... they dont want everyone waiting for those things to ship to buy a new Mac... i would say G4+ in the new PM

[appledude83]

Well I doubt we'll see the new processor yet, probably just speed bumps for the iMac. I also doubt we'll here anything about the next big operating system upgrade since Jaguar is still pretty new and people are still switching to it. I'd say the LCD line is a possibility, that'd be nice, they are really expensive.

[pliny]

ok the ppc970 is prob not possible given recent IBM news about sampling in 2q 2003.

Two other possibles I've heard/read about here and elsewhere:


IMovie 3.
MSN 8: Mac. Altho IMO if it doesn't allow full access to MSN Zone ala PC then who cares.

[CheesePuff]

No DDR RAM on the iMac. Too expensive for consumers wanting a cheap computer.

And if the Power Mac G4's were updated then it would be something such as Dual 1.44 GHz, not 1.5 GHz, IMHO.