The iPod Nation

With so many new Apple news today, the one that caught our eyes were the Apple Netbook rumors. Ezra Gottheil of Technology Business Research said in an interview that Apple would most likely introduce two new Apple netbooks at MacWorld 2009. Gottheil believes this because of several different factors. According to him, because of the slow economy, the rise in sales for inexpensive netbooks, and Steve Job’s comments back in October, Apple has no choice but to release an inexpensive netbook. According to Gottheil, Read the rest of this entry »

The great thing about Apple products is how attractive they are and their versatility. MacLife has just introduced four great Apple prototypes that will sure grab the attention of consumers. Although many of these prototypes are too far fetched, some of them may actually sell well on the market. The first to mention is the Mac desktop computer made from Legos. I am pretty sure we won’t see a Lego Mac, or LMac as they call it. Another prototype that MacLife introduced was a Macbook with three screens. A little outrageous, but cool nonetheless. The last two prototypes seem more reasonable and we could possible see these in the near future. The first is a Apple dock for the iPhone or the iPod Touch. With the dock, you could use two wireless gaming controllers to play games on your iPhone or iPod Touch. The last prototype is the iCom, which is just a mix between a music player, a digital picture frame, and a holophone. The iCom is something I would surely look into if they were to develop it.  All these prototypes sound great, but no official word on whether they would continue the development of these prototypes.

- Geoff

[Source: Gizmodo]

The good people at ifixit have already taken apart the new Apple MacBook and have some interesting features and details. Here is what they has to say, and we don’t recommend you try this at home.

• The optical drive is identical in the MB and MBP, and it’s SATA
• MBP RAM isn’t tough to replace, but hard drive requires a Torx screwdriver
• The keyboards can be user-serviced, but require removing 56 screws first
• “Unibody” construction is “elegant”
• “The new MacBook is really a 13″ MacBook Pro. It uses the same design, and same manufacturing quality”

-Ray

[Source: Gizmodo]

When we first reported that new Macbooks will be making their debut on October 14, bloggers and speculators were all wondering what Apple had up their sleeve. Well, it has been reported by AppleInsider (a rumor they say) that the next-generation Macbooks and Macbook Pros have surfaced. Apparently, both the Macbook and the Macbook Pro share similar aluminum enclosures as well as similar aesthetics. The new Macbooks and Macbook Pros have a design that is a cross between the Macbook Air and the aluminum iMac. It has also been reported by AppleInsider that Apple has eliminated I/O ports, such as the Firmware 400 port, and altered others in order to reduce the overall footprint of its next-gen notebooks. Again, this is all just speculation and we will have to just wait till Apple gives us an official announcement. Remember to check back as more information comes our way.

- Geoff

[Source: AppleInsider]

Ever since Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event, there have been rumors spreading that Apple will be introducing new Macbooks on October 14. A few days later, there were reports that Apple have already begun shipping the new Macbooks, although the report is still questionable. Now it has been reported by an anonymous source that six new placeholder SKUs have appeared in Apple’s Future Store’s inventory system. Future Store is a Canadian subsidiary of Best Buy. The SKUs seem to be consistent with reports from major retailers regarding placeholder part numbers from Apple. If these reports remain consistent, then we should be expecting new Macbooks from Apple soon. Last February, placeholder SKUs for the new Macbook Pro at Best Buy were leaked, and three months later, the new Macbook Pros were released. Will these leaked SKUs hold up this time around? We shall see.

- Geoff

[Source: MacRumors]

In a report by MacDailyNews, a NPD data report reveals that Apple’s Notebook Marketshare in the United States has increased significantly. A year ago in the second quarter, Apple’s notebook sales were only 6.6% of the market. This year, in the second quarter, their notebook sales increased to 10.6% of the market. When one analyzes the chart (and I know we all do that), one can see that most of the shares were taken away from Toshiba and Acer. Interesting to see how Macs are starting to increase in popularity and therefore there might be more products that will be coming out to further increase their marketshare.

- Geoff

[Source: MacRumors]

A report from Barron has stated that CitiGroup analyst Richard Gardner has received information that the new Apple Macbooks have begun shipping. According to the report, the new Macbooks have an “very thin aluminum casing, an LED-backlit display and an aggressive entry-level price point.” Richard Gardner is relying on “field checks” as his source for the news. If these rumors are true, they would confirm earlier rumors that new Apple notebooks will be available by October 14. Again, only time can tell us if these rumors will materialize. For the meantime, all we can depend on are the leaked photos of the new Macbook.

- Geoff

[Source: Barron]

Here are iPhoneSpies, we are starting to feel the hangover from Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event. With enough news about the iPod and iTunes to report on, we are starting to feel a little tired on reporting on the same news over and over again. Well guess what. It has been reported by IDG World Expo that registration for attendees to Apple’s MacWorld San Francisco 2009 have just opened. For all of you who have been living under a rock, MacWorld San Francisco is a Apple-based expo in which Steve Jobs and Co. introduce new line of products and firmware/software. MacWorld San Francisco 2009 will be taking place on January 5th to the 9th in the year 2009. Early and discounted registration for attendees will be made available till December 1st, 2008. If we all remember, MacWorld 2008 was when Steve Jobs introduced the Macbook Air, iTunes movie rentals, iPod Touch and iPhone software update, and Time Capsule. What should we expect at MacWorld 2009. Let the rumors and speculation begin!!!!

- Geoff

[Source: MacWorld]

At Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event, Steve Jobs and Apple Inc. basically refreshed their whole iPod lineup. They introduced the new iPod Nano and the new iPod Touch with the new iPhone/iPod Touch 2.1 firmware. Additionally, Apple unleashed iTunes 8 to the world. But there were many consumers who were awaiting the update on Apple notebooks. Well it has been reported by DaringFireball that Apple will be revealing new notebooks on October 14 according to source “familiar with Apple’s hardware plans”. The timing of this seems reasonable even though the Macbook and the Macbook Pro are way overdue on their updates and revisions. It is also rumored that the Macbook Air will also be getting some new revisions and updates as well. There are rumors that the Macbook Air will be receiving a 120GB HDD, which is an upgrade to the maximum 80GB hard drive of the original Macbook Air. Only time can tell if these rumors will materialize.

- Geoff

[Source: DaringFireball]