Apples to Apples

Judging by the voluminous over-caffinated outpourings from tech-journalists and bloggers across the globe, Macworld 2007 is nearly upon us. There's nothing quite like a pending Jobs keynote to bring out the pundit in all of us. Even the broadsheets have been chiming in on the hype as everyone tries to predict what the ever-secretive Apple will come up with next.

It really is testimony to Apple's skill at manipulating the media that the hype attending the company in recent years has only increased. I thought it would have peaked several years ago, but was soon proven wrong. Instead Apple continues to reinvent itself as a latter-day Sony, as that particular company spirals into increasing insignificance.

Can Apple do any wrong? Follow the press and it seems unlikely you would draw that conclusion. Me? I'll join those bucking the trend and say that Apple are overdue for a mis-step. Much as I like Apple (typing this as I am I my rather lovely new Macbook Pro), the level of hype surrounding the company and Jobs has reached ludicrous proportions. In some ways, regardless of what the company trots out tomorrow, the keynote can only come as a disappointment - unless of course Jobs unveils a cure for cancer, which again, to judge from what has been written, some would not put past him. I'm sure we'll see a range of solid products from Apple, but I'll be surprised if we see anything truly unexpected or revolutionary tomorrow.

Unusually for Apple, they've already hinted at what is to come, announcing last year the forthcoming iTV (final name TBD) a media appliance designed to do for video downloading what the combination of the iPod and iTunes did for audio. I was curious at the time as to why Apple announce the product so early. CES, the Consumer Electronics Show, running in Las Vegas this week brought the answer: wall to wall internet tv. If the raft of product announcements coming out of CES so far mean anything at all, big things are being predicted for IPTV. Apple rather cannily stole much of the limelight months in advance, rather than just looking like another company picking over the same scraps as everyone else. Not that some companies aren't doing a better job than others. Microsoft is definitely the one to watch in this area. By announcing IPTV software for the xbox360, Microsoft have created a potential audience of 10 million overnight, a figure even Apple will envy. Of course, the primary difference is that Microsoft plans to leave it to it's partners to deal with the content, an approach with which Apple is unlikely to be happy.

My hunch, along with several others, is that Apple will release several LCD tv's to accompany the iTV. In my estimation, such a push into the consumer electronics industry (outside of the audio line) is long overdue for Apple. Their brand is in the ascendent, their product design and attention to detail unmatched and they can command the sort of premiums that will see their products installed in every fashionable living room across the world. All that's been missing so far have been the products. An Apple branded tv will be a start.

As for the iPhone (again name TBD)... well, there are really only 3 scenario's on the table. Apple introduce it tomorrow and everyone is stunned. Apple introduce it and everyone is apathetic. Apple don't introduce it. One of the first two options is most likely - Apple's stock will take a noticeable dip if they don't after all and it's too big a market for Apple to ignore. The current trend for convergence mean that if Apple don't do something now, they're likely to be seen as a follower rather than in the leadership role with which they've grown so comfortable. Honestly, it's a product I find myself rather ambivalent about. The worst case scenario is that it's a phone and it's an iPod and it's exactly what people have been predicting Apple would produce for the better part of a year. Yes, it may have a lickable interface and industrial design to die for, but that's the least of what we expect from Apple these days. The best case scenario is that it features a unique, hitherto unforeseen twist that will make everyone sit and fall in immediate lust. But how likely is this? Again, I doubt that Apple can possibly produce a product to match the hype frenzy into which the media has been whipping itself. Even a solid product is likely to be seen as a disappointment as a result.

The same is true for the long awaited video iPod. Let me put one rumour to rest. We will not see an iPod with a virtual scroll wheel tomorrow. I don't care how many people want it, it's a bad idea. A finger print smeared and sweat marked screen is not what I'd prefer to watch video on, thank you very much, and the same is true for most people if only they'd stop and think about it. Some other iPod derivation is definitely likely however, and a larger screen will almost certainly play a part.

What other products are on the table? Mac Pro's with 8 cores courtesy of Intel's latest quad core processors are a certainty, but almost too dull to be worthy of much attention tomorrow. My belief is that we'll see variations of existing products but sporting a makeover, my best guess being that black will make a comeback to Apple's high end product range. I think Apple have been teasing us with this for a while down in the consumer range. The high end Macbook's (not pros) and iPod nanos for example all sport a natty black livery and I think this will make it to the high end. Anodized black aluminium Macbook Pro perhaps? It would make sense, given that the laptop market has increasingly followed Apple's trend towards silver or coloured enclosures. A return to a high quality black finish would be a bit of a zig where others have zagged. Perhaps OS X will receive a visual overhaul to go along with it. Certainly I think Apple will make further OS X 10.5 announcements giving them a solid riposte to Vista.

Like I said earlier, though, don't believe the hype.

Although.. having said that, looking back at last year, it seems that most of Apples efforts were given over to their transitioning to x86 processors. In terms of hardware alone, it was a good year for Apple, regardless of the fact that we didn't see many - if any - exciting new products from the company. Have they been saving their energies for big things this year? Apple certainly want us to believe that. Their banner for Macworld boldly states "the first 30 years were just the beginning". Is it true? I'm not sure - I can already feel Job's reality distortion field beginning to kick in, which makes it difficult to judge these things objectively. I'll be tuned into the blog feeds tomorrow to find out though. And I shan't be the only one...