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In The Center Ring (1/17/00)
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Here's something we've been chewing on for the better part of a week, now. There's been lots and lots of speculation about what exactly happened to Steve's Expo keynote a couple of weeks ago. Some optimistic folks were expecting a 17-inch iMac and the new "Pismo" PowerBook. Other more-optimistic folks were looking for a Graphite iBook DV and Pismo. Slightly less-optimistic watchers figured on faster G4 systems (maybe even a multiprocessor model) and Pismo. The most conservative observers expected Pismo and nothing at all. As it turns out, the pessimists were at least half right-- we got nothing at all.
Now, there's been plenty of speculation about why literally zero hardware was introduced. We've heard that G4 chip production is still too far behind to announce new, faster G4 systems-- Apple learned its lesson from that last too-early announcement. We've heard that Pismo was running so hot it was literally melting its own case. We've heard that poor LCD availability scotched the possibility of producing enough Pismos or iBook DVs to justify a Macworld Expo announcement. Most intriguing, though, is the rumor that Apple pretty much has all of this hardware ready to go-- except that Mac OS 9.0.1, which all of them need to run properly, wasn't working well enough to allow the hardware to be demonstrated.
Why is this so interesting? Because faithful viewer Gary Blackburn had a nifty thought: Apple may soon be able to revamp the entire Macintosh computer line at once. Now that would be a show. All four categories could be refreshed at one big "media event" once Mac OS 9.0.1 was ready for public consumption. Think of it: a four-ring media circus starring new Graphite iBooks, bigger and/or faster iMacs, faster and/or multiprocessor G4s, and the new Pismo PowerBooks, with Steve Jobs as the eternal ringmaster. And you could even throw in that Apple-Palm device rumored to be so near completion. Will it happen? We dunno, but it's fun to consider. We certainly don't expect any hardware announcements during Apple's end-of-quarter party this Wednesday, but a few weeks from now, who knows?
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SceneLink (2037)
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And Now For A Word From Our Sponsors |
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 | | The above scene was taken from the 1/17/00 episode: January 17, 2000: Security concerns about Apple's new iTools plug-in has certain types a wee bit spooked. Meanwhile, rumors of faster iMac DVs surface in Knifeland, and is Apple getting ready to refresh all four product lines at once-- while adding a fifth, to boot?...
Other scenes from that episode: 2035: Unlabeled Black iTools (1/17/00) So we're just getting back into the swing of things, and we're pretty amazed by the sort of Rip Van Winkle effect one can invoke by being near-comatose and off the grid for a few days. (Bill Gates to step down?... 2036: A Hit of Speed (1/17/00) Time for another iMac refresh? More than one rumormonger seems to think so. Not so long ago we had all kinds of buzz coming in that Apple would surely unveil a new iMac DV Special Edition with a monster 17-inch display once Steve took the stage at the Expo...
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