The keynote is now just five days away, and speculation about what announcements might grace Steve's agenda continues to mount-- despite the ever-harshening consequences Apple doles out to punish those guilty of the heinous crime of Unsanctioned Pondering. Most recently, some hardened thoughtcriminals have raised an interesting possibility: that one of next Wednesday's biggest announcements may, in fact, be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. With the prospect of faster Power Macs next week looking ever dimmer, some have turned their attention to potential keynote revelations of a more 'Podular persuasion.

When the original 5 GB iPod first surfaced, did you scoff at the supposed wonder of being able to carry a mere "thousand songs" in your pocket? When the 10 GB model was introduced, did the prospect of toting even two thousand tunes in your trousers raise in you nothing more than an impatient sigh and a roll of the eyes? For the past six months or so, have you occasionally been heard to mutter "if they expect me to shell out half a grand for a portable digital music player, that thing better sure as shootin' let me stuff no fewer than four thousand of my fave raves into my jeans, by cracky" to yourself as you went about your morning ablutions? Well, good news, Mr. or Ms. Hard-To-Please (of the Rhode Island Hard-To-Pleases): Think Secret has selflessly obliterated its chances of ever scoring an Expo press pass ever again for all eternity by spilling the beans about next week's alleged new 'Pod.

And yes, apparently it'll hold four thousand songs, thanks to its 20 GB hard disk. Nobody who's been paying attention will find this notion particularly startling, since a 20 GB iPod has always been a matter of "when," not "if"-- but the "when" is allegedly next week, and that's just fine by us. Even more exciting is the price, which Think Secret pegs at $499-- in other words, the cost of a 10 GB iPod today might get you a 20 GB model next week. Meanwhile, the 10 GB unit slides down to the $399 price point, and the lowly 5 GB model goes poink. Vague rumors of a revamped look and/or interface and Bluetooth support are swirling, but it's all too sketchy for us to take seriously. The report that iTunes 3 will accompany the iPod upgrade, however, is music to our ears.

But what of the buzz, loudest at SlapTech, that iTunes 3 will include Windows compatibility, thus officially opening up the iPod to the Dark Side of the Force? Assuming it's true (and we're not yet totally convinced that it is), we're slightly torn on the issue. We certainly like the idea of Apple selling more iPods-- you gotta love some extra money in the till. And getting Windows users to fall in love with their iPods may foster a real appreciation of the elegance of Apple design, and therefore might get those users considering a switch to the Mac when it comes time to upgrade the ol' Wintel. Of course, the flip side of the coin is that adding native Windows compatibility to the iPod removes one of the distinct advantages of Mac ownership; after all, we have met people who bought new Macs solely to use an iPod. It's a tough call.

About all we can say for sure is that if Uncle Steve does announce iTunes 3 for Windows on Wednesday, we bet the screams originating from Mediafour's headquarters will be heard up to three counties away. Perk up those ears!