Predictions for Apple, 2003
 

- Macs will be running on 1,800 Mhz processors by the end of the year; there will be dual-1,800 machines available.

- OS 10.3 will come out in October. It will be a full-price upgrade, but will have a discount for Jaguar owners.

- A version of Star Office will be released for OS X.

- .Mac will offer a discount for existing users who renew; it will also provide more storage and services.

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There, that's a start. Carry on . . .

- Apple will release an LCD iMac finally putting to bed those pesky rumours... Oh wait now...

- They'll increase the capacity of the iPod and get rid of the 5GB model.

- Though we'd all like them to release a PDA, they won't. Instead, the iPod gets more and more features.

- Jonathan Ive astounds us all again by creating something like the Cube, but this time, it sells and sells and sells...

- Bluetooth installed as standard on PowerMac G4 computers.

- New case design for G4 servers - tall form factor, space for 4 x 5.25" drives, tons of stuff like that :)

PPC 970 with HyperTransport bus, GigaWire, USB 2.0, integrated Bluetooth, highspeed 802.11 (a or g) AirPort.

64-bit Mac OS X, and a high end and pricey workstation to go with it. Multiple-user remote desktop builtin.

A low end server model, possibly based on the Cube design. Single highspeed G3/G4 processor.

A new iBook/PowerBook design, made to leverage Inkwell and iChat/QuickTime video-conferencing.

A version of Mac OS X Server for Intel/AMD (no Carbon or Classic support, but including Sybase or Oracle), based on Rhapsody. Basically a replacement for OpenStep. Will target .Net Server. This is the Marklar project.

Cocoa AppleWorks 7.0. Also a HyperCard->AppleScript Studio transition app.

That ambitious enough for you, Phil? ;)

<u>Predictions For The New Year</u>

New Standard Features In New Macs : USB 2.0, Gigawire, Bluetooth, 802.11G, Serial ATA
Microsoft <b>ABANDONS</b> the Macintosh platform, will announce this in April
Apple Releases the iPad (Mac PDA)
Apple Releases a 19" iMac
Apple Releases 10.3 In November, Will Only Work On G4 Based Computers, Will Charge Full Price (Again)
Apple Releases OS X For 64-bit AMD Chips (Hammerhead)
Apple Makes Superdrives The Standard Optical Drive
Apple Finally Makes A Two Button Mouse Standard Equipment
Apple Makes .mac Free (Just Webmail Though, will continue to charge for everything else)
Apples Releases iTunes 4, iCal 2.0, iPhoto 2.0, iDVD 3

I'm worried about the Microsoft thing. It may happen. If it does, Mac, for what its worth, is dead.

Happy New Year

Apple will go out of business.

Isn't that the standard prediction?

Yes, Craig, great list. And tsugaru, too!

Tsugaru, I can't see MS discontinuing their MacBU unless it starts losing money. OTOH, if they were making money (as I'm pretty sure they are) and dropped the Mac, that would be . . . well, MS! :rolleyes:

Well MS is still mad at Apple for spending more money promoting the iPod than OS X. Also, with Mr. Browne leaving for the xBox and that Ho character taking over, I am worried.

If the MacBU shuts up shop and Microsoft stops developing for the Mac, I think something like StarOffice will be released to take up where it left off. Can you imagine if that happened? MS will have shot themselves in the foot... Why buy MS Office if StarOffice is free or cheaper and just as compatible?

They are making money out of the Mac. It would be silly to stop doing it. And after all, isn't that what Microsoft are there for???

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Now, back to the predicitons...

I think that the iBook change is possible. Apple may make the screen slide around and act as a graphics tablet using the Inkwell tech, a la recent Toshiba laptop. Though obviously, it will look and act a lot better - Apple are innovators, not copiers!

tsugaru, are you worried for the MacBU or for Kevin Browne leaving for the XBox? I heard recently that the XBox may not make it another year, because it's not competing well enough against the established console companies. MS may be forced to withdraw it and just write games for other companies... We can all hope ;)

Here's another prediction that is probably as much a wish.

With 10.3, Apple will start focusing it's Switcher campaign on Linux users. The new OS will feature easy enablement of XWindows using a Classic-like option in a System Preference. A whole slew of X86 applications will be included with the new OS as well. Wouldn't that be nice?

Just wondering where the 10.3 stuff is coming from? Apple has stuck fairly consistently to the 18 month rule for pay-to-play upgrades (as I was reminded while bitching about the 10.2 up ;) ). The only part-exception to that was 10.1, which was out 6 months after 10.0, but was also free.

Or have I been living under a rock recently?

As for predictions? I reckon 2003 will be pretty restrained by Apple standards, with lots of improvements to current systems. The PowerMac case WILL be updated, but I can't see them making many updates to the current cases as they're all quite "unified" now.

PDA? It's not going to happen guys! iPod will probably expand its role to become more like the Zire, I suspect - but I doubt it will ever feature the ability to DIRECTLY INPUT DATA. Apple want you to use iCal, Address Book, iSync and other such software to put stuff into the iPod. I reckon the biggest iPod change will be when they stick a Bluetooth transciever in it, so it can sync dynamically with your cellphone (which will be able to connect GPRS-stylee to your .mac account and iSync with any new data)...

Just my ideas... The only other thing I could think of would be an Apple branded cellphone. I can't help but remember how heavily Apple touted Watson before releasing Sherlock 3 when I see them touting the likes of the T68 from Sony-Ericsson...

I hope to see Apple release the iPad (Apple PDA) and/or the iTalk (Apple Cell Phone). Those would be quite interesting to see. The iPad would have to be running on a G3 for any real use (MP3 playback, MS Office Integration). The iTalk would have to allow 2.5G or 3G Wireless Internet Access via your phone to your computer or laptop.

As for a tablet Mac, with the way that they cost on the PC end, I can't see the iBook line becoming a Tablet Mac. I feel only the Titanium line would be worthy of such an upgrade.

realisticly:

I'd say 10.3 in oct/nov they seem to be flying through the smaller numbers and 10.1 was only at 10.1.5 when 10.2 came out.

An updated to iCal and iSync will finally come out of beta

iPod will change somewhat dramaticly in feature and function, but the design will change very very little.

you won't be able to get a mac that doesn't have a combo drive or superdrive

the G4 will top out at around 1.8 by year end and we'll start seeing the 970 in servers right before.

Bluetooth will be standardly integrated, but i don't see apple making us put batteries in our keyboards or mice, can wireless prospeakers be done?!

Microsoft will continue to try and scare us, but will continue to make software and services to try and dominate the mac market from within (full featured MSN services etc)

I think Craig's talk of OS X server for x86 hardware would be genius... but i don't think it'll happen.... yet

Star Office will finally drop

Apple will continue to make itself more independant from MS by beefing up Quicktime more, recruiting more business software makers, and funding the Chimera Project to become the apple standard browser.....
slowly defeating the need for windows media player and IE

iChat will add a ton of features to answer people's squabbles about it's limits and then some. I expect it to be the best chat client around undesputedly in a year or two. integrating quicktime, ICQ and maybe more chat services (as long as they can make nice nice with aol about it)

I think inkwell is a sign of things to come... most likely a tablet mac.... but i think it'll be fleshed out before hand... maybe early-mid 2004, that'll be a lot of work.

the phone won't happen... we'll see an apple branded digital camera before we ever see a phone... and i don't think that'll happen any time soon either since they seem to be kissing canon's ass so nicely

Apple will further develop and strong arm itself into the music/movie industry and buy out more companies when we least expect it

Ad lastly, no one at this site or at apple will have any interest in either of my sites.. www.illusionsofconspiracy.com or www.baloolapalooza.com

You don't think Apple might make a phone?

http://members.shaw.ca/avu/applecells.jpg

I got that pic off www.applele.com. Check it out. Pretty cool site. I like the cube/G4 tower fusion picture.

Or check out http://www.theapplecollection.com/de...ign/index.html
I nearly wet my pants.

Check this one out. I laughed my ass off.
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/showph...=3369&size=big

Real world
-- new G4 case design, which will seem ugly at first until we get used to it.
Fantasy world
-- unballyhooed G5, incorporating a memory chip that resides on a multi-facted diamond, increasing processing speeds and capacity by a giga-fold. However, after six months the G5 breaks up with you but keeps the diamond.

:)

if apple ever did make a phone it would look nothing like that ugly thing

I dont think they are going to go into that market though, not anytime soon....

A camera or PDA with a 5 gig harddrive would make a hell of a lot more sense

But at this point neither would be a surefire sucess like the ipod, which was a can't miss idea

the PDA is the most likely but i don't think so

I don't know about OS X Server on x86, but wouldn't it be cool if IBM dropped Linux on their servers and promoted Darwin...and Sun joined on the band wagon too? Darwin is already x86. That would go a long way toward helping people adopt OS X for desktops. (Heck, with IBM, they could just adopt os X server which is made for PPC...)

I'd like to see the new IBM chips and new bus system in high end desktops by the end of 2003.

Well...
 

I don't know that we did too well. Except for the 970. And that Panther would be full price. :D

Phil, want to do a 2004 prediction thread? Or would it mostly be the same stuff?

Picked up my dual 1.8Ghz day before yesterday, thus retiring a well-used G3/350 (which cost about the same). Never woulda guessed that would happen one year ago.

:)

Not sure we'd do much better for a 2004 thread, seeing how badly we blew it for 2003. I was right on a couple, at least.

Anyone want to start one for 2004? Have at it.

Whoah, he got the name right.