2009 Predictions - The complete list

UPDATE: Just checking back 6 months later to see how I went. So far not to bad, but far from perfect.... I blame the smudges on my crystal ball !

Every man and his dog loves to predict stuff... and predicting what apple will do/release is one of the most blogged about things out there. So here’s some more useless predictions from my very cloudy 8 ball.

1)Mac mini (March - April 2009)
It will be a macbook remoulded i.e same internals and hardware, with a move towards aluminum and away from plastic. I expect the entry price to be slightly reduced by maybe $50. Much like the recent video Pretty close

2)20” LED cinema Display (March - April 2009)
At the same time apple will release a 20inch LED cinema display with display port and magsafe power (just like the 24” , for use with the macbook. It price will be $399 I hope but more likely $499. NADA (yet)

3)New iPhone ( June - July 2009)
Only minor upgrade to the look of the phone with a faster CPU, increase to 32Gb on the top end so there will be 3 models 8, 16, 32, with the 8Gb dropping to $99. Hopefully they will add a 3mp camera but I don’t see a front base camera yet. Also I expect to see some big news on the software front. The touch will get increased to 64Gb. Pretty close, new ipods will come in September with a camera!

4)Snow Leopard ( May - June 2009)
Not alot of news here we all know its coming, and it will bring a nice speed boost. Price will be $79. Bit off, who would have guessed apple would be so cheap?

5) Macbooks and Macbook Pro’s (Late 2009)
The Pros will receive a CPU upgrade in September for the back to school prom, which will filter down to the macbook in November. The white macbook will be discontinued at this point. I totally missed the SD card, built in battery and renaming of the 13" to pro. If intel gets the 4 core notebook cpu's out soon then its possible that the pro's could see a cpu refresh before Xmas, but Jan/Feb is much more likely

6)Macbook Air (Mid 2009)
Will get an update with a faster cooler CPU, and the same battery tech that is in the 17” mbp. Hopefully the price will drop a little and the hard drive space will increase.
Still waiting

7)The Mac Pro (Mid-late 2009)
Will see a minor external change and the faster/newer quad core CPUs from Intel... it will also support the new displayport standard. Came sooner then expected but pretty much right here

Updated:
8) iMac (mid year)
Maybe a high end quad core with nvidia 9400 or 9600 gpu across the range.
Still waiting

AND THATS ALL FOLKS no one more thing this time.

Apple Tablet ? Rumors are building, and anything is possible, if it is released expect it around September/October with a price around $800. 10" touch screen, SD slot, small SSD (32-64 Gb), iSight, and around 1kg.

What are your suggestions?
Anything I missed or that your dead certain apple will make?
a

 

The Pro can't actually get a CPU Upgrade. It offers the T9800, the best non-extreme or quad CPU and the best that the Pro can use.

 

Intel should be releasing new 32nm chips&chipsets this year which I'm betting will see there way into the macpro's. Yes they currently have great hardware but 6 months is a long time in the tech world, and the will be due for an upgrade later in the year.

 

where is the macbook wheel???

 

32nm chips will be released in Q4 of 2009, but I don't really see them entering mainstream until Q1 2010, if Apple decides to upgrade to them.

I have a feeling Apply may wait until Calpella officially launches later this year to upgrade the laptops, based off previous ways Apple handled it. I'm not sure if they'll upgrade to Calpella directly, and then wait until Intel's Sandy Bridge launches in 2010/11 to upgrade again, or take the small refreshes Intel does.

We will have to wait and see.

 

^^^
good point... I'm not that upto date with intel's plan's and I wasn't really feeling the macpro update this year anyways.. when it does happen it will be when calpella is release.
a

 

waiting for snow leopard.

having tried iwork 09 & ilife 09, i might consider getting the snow leopard mac box set (if any) if the price is the same as the current bundle.

 

current iMac offers 8800 video card,which was powerful at it's times,so I guess they ll offer something high-end_ish this time too!

 

I see iPhone OSX 3.0 coming with the new iPhone, adding copy and paste functionality yet no MMS for european users still.

If they add a 3MP camera i'll cream my pantaloons, but i'm not hopeful

 

so, we won't see a mac tablet?

 

don't think so!

 

I really hope Apple jumps on the 32nm architecture as soon as possible for the MacBook line. I would love to have a MacBook that supports 4 threads and has an integrated memory controller.

Josh

 

I think Iphone will get 5mp camera (at least 3mp). Do you remember the leaked rumors and photos which said it would have dual back lights with one always on? Check macrumors.com, its somewhere there

This is a different market now, and not one where Apple can takes its time uploading old technology onto its phone at its own pace. The worsening economy will eventually take its toll on Apple (thank god!)

Yes of course Macbooks and MBP's will get Capella. Probably Jan 2010 but hopefully before December. Apple is not going to skip any possible updates from Intel. They have to keep their overpriced laptops up to date.

no idea on imac or mac mini except what you have already said. With the amount of money that Apple has and resources and talent, I wonder why they take so long to release new computers - mac mini has not been updated for so long its ridiculous and its stayed at the same price! I mean, look at the other companies pumping out at least 20 models of computers twice a year (and I know a lot of those haven't had much industrial design put into them, but Apple only works on a handful of computers).

 

Where are the new cinemas??? Or a Mac Pro that can support display port connections?

 

Yeah, that's why it took Apple sooo long for them to use Montevina in their lineup.

Seriously, I would expect March - April 2010 until they bring Calpella to their mobile range.

 

Quad-core in the MacBook.

 

No chance, untill 20?? that is...

 

NEW cinemas!!

 

I hope so, we need more of a selection here...

 

Interesting how you didn't add iPod refreshes when it's almost a sure thing as a September event.

 

So the iPod Touch isn't an iPod?

I don't really think Apple can do much more with their iPods, maybe phase out the Classic and bring a new iPod Nano out.

 

^^^
Yeah I only see an increase in the touch line... that is the future for apple. The app store and expansion of that eco system. My bet is that the rumoured nano phone is really a nano touch.
a

 

I'm predicting something to rival the Archos 5, maybe an iPod Touch HD.

 

That would be sweet!

 

cinemas are the #1 need....2004-2009 is too long for one monitor. Look at the Dell 30" 3008WFP...it's got specs higher, a TON of inputs, and it was $1338 with discounts last time I checked down from $1999. Apple needs to come out with something with MULTIPLE ports, LED, whatever...and price it around 1500 or so to really compete.

 

^it will be replaced...but don't bet on multiple ports

 

thats such a shame...i bet they will do multiple ports...how can you release a true display with ONE connection in 2009???

 

check 24" LED ACD

 

The iPod classic hit a evolution wall about two years ago, when the 5.5G came out....

A touch HD would be cool, but what we need is an iPod touch UMPC. 4.8" 800x480, capacitive touch, 800MHz atom, a less limited form of OS X....unfortunately, the price for a device like that would be like $600 or more, which is kinda sad, but you gotta admit, something like this would be amazingly cool.

 

I'm seeing mutli-colored Touches this fall.

 

It might be like the nano event, but with touches. Pretty cool...

 

I would also predict a Product Red addition to the iPhone line.

 

That would be great! Red iPhone = Talk of the town.

 

He pegged the update as being in June/July.

Most recent updates suggest iPod refreshes in Sept.

 

Oh, alright.

I'm thinking there is a possibility for a super thin shuffle, like credit card thin.
And a netbook, resembling the old PlasticBooks.

 

Tell me about it...I already own a 2GB product red shuffle and a 16GB 4G product red nano

 

http://www.colorwarepc.com/p-161-iphone-3g.aspx

Somebody say red iPhone?

 

That looks awesome! I would definitely get my iPhone painted!

 

You might want to check out the price tag.

 

Didn't see that when I posted that!

 

Yeah colorware has always been ridiculously expensive for their paint jobs. Apparently they also to paint jobs on macbooks. Not to mention that your warranty becomes voided when you do that.

That being said, there has been some buzz around replacing the back housing of your iphone to suit your color tastes. For example, you can get a product red back housing for about 20 dollars off of ebay.

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-BACK-COVER-...5|66:2|65:12|39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50

P.S. I am not the seller nor am I in anyway linked to the seller. I just posted the first hit on ebay for the search parameters listed above. This link is for reference purposes only.

 

updated the predictions to see how close I got !