Comments on: WWDC 2007 Predictions

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 16:18:48 +0000

I know the whole tablet thing is a stretch, but it's something I could see them pulling out at the end. But I don't think it would be a tablet in the traditional sense, or at least not positioned that way.

I can see it being a small version of an imac... say 10 to 12 inches that would be placed in your kitchen. It would be used for checking email, listening to music, video chatting, etc. All without a keyboard. Think of it as a big iPhone. As an added bonus, you could detach it from the base and carry it around the house.

This predication is classified under the "pulling things out of my ass" clause ;)

But I think everything else: iLife, .Mac, iWork, new iMac... all circles around Leopard.

By: JP

JP — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:32:46 +0000

Apple Tablets, it's 1993 all over again. They were ahead of the game then, it'll be interesting to see what they do this time round. A iphone that's twice the size and doesn't have a phone I would buy in a second.

Sadly due to my boycott of Cingular/At&t I won't be getting an iphone for a few years, and will have to make do with my new HTC Apache.

By: JP

JP — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 14:29:01 +0000

Don't forget the addition of bittorrent functionality built into the OS level architecture.

Many people have questioned why Apple annouced they were doing this, my prediction is that they are playing catchup with vudu who's big thing over itunes is that downloading a movie it plays almost immediately. They're able to almost stream high quality video because the vudu box downloads not only from the main server, but also from any other vudu boxes that have that movie (and even more from ones that will allow the fastest download speeds).

Vudu is a total apple TV killer (especially considering how badly the sales are doing).

But in theory you could apply the same download technology to the iPhone as well.

As broadband rates have gone through the roof, actual download speeds are usually dictated by the server not the receiver. Using a bittorrent approach gets round that.

So expect to see itunes, video, system updates, etc all being accessed via this bittorrent network at break neck speeds.

By: Bruce McCarthy

Bruce McCarthy — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:13:15 +0000

If all of this comes true it will be wonderful. Seems like a lot, though, and the tablet seems like a stretch. New iMacs make sense, as does the touch screen. That seems to be a theme across the industry.

I'd dearly love an upgrade to iWeb and .Mac but I wonder if Apple thinks this is strategic. The whole iLife integrated experience plays to Apple's strength in integrating HW, SW and services - and it's why I bought a Mac again some years back when I had converted to a Windows machine for most routine things - but it just seems like they've neglected it for a long time.

By: Ben

Ben — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 17:51:08 +0000

I love predictions. I am really pining a way for a new .Mac. I am subscriber but it's really just the syncing that I need, and I am often tempted to to ditch the whole overpriced service. I think the time is right for them to announce some big improvements there.

A detachable tablet monitor on the iMac? That would really surprise me. I am still dreaming of a mac competitor to the Nokia N800 - basically the iPhone as a tablet PC.

I think they'll be announcing a lot of Google-iPhone integration as well, and possibly dangling the possibility of developing 3rd party apps for the iPhone.