When Is The Real MacWorld?

I had originally assumed that Apple would never release anything like the iPhone at MacWorld. Because, well, you know MacWorld is for. . . Macs. I thought that if anything like it was released it would be announced at a separate “special event”. However it was not and instead Apple TV and the iPhone made their official debuts at this year’s exhibition. So, this of course leads one to ask, what about all the Macs?

If you recall, only two devices were announced and neither of them were computers. And, of course, no hint has dropped concerning software. And there are so many unanswered questions. In no particular order this is what I want to know:

1. Which Macs will receive moderate speed upgrades?
2. Will any Macs get major processor upgrades? (8 core Mac Pros anyone?)
3. Will new price points be announced on the low end?
4. Will new monitors be announced? (either larger sizes or a built-in iSight camera)
5. Will any new features be announced for Leopard?
6. Will a 12” Mac Book Pro be announced? (or perhaps something better?)

Now, it is possible that Apple will wait till the developer’s conference in June to make all of these announcements, but that is an awfully long time away. That will mean that there will be six months from this most recent expo and the one in June. And when you consider that the last computer announcement was made in November (the Mac Book Pro if you’re curious) that would put the span between announcements at close to 8 months. And that is an eternity in the computer industry.

So, since that seems somewhat unlikely, what will Apple do? Well, I would assume that they would, at the very least, announce some computer updates in the coming months. Maybe the iMac, Mac Book or Mac Mini line will get a minor refresh. However for major announcements like an 8 core machine or a new, ultra light Mac Book Pro, I have to believe they would either hold a separate event or wait until June.

Now, waiting till June has its advantages, but if Apple really does have some new hardware, I think they might want to show it off sooner than later. Because I think we might be in for a few surprises in regards to Leopard. I don’t think Apple has fully revealed all the features. In my opinion they are going to do the same thing to Vista that they did to the Zune. Anyone remember that brief moment when Microsoft released the Zune and every one noted that it had a bigger screen than the iPod? And Apple was out classed. . . for almost two months and then the iPhone was announced. I think we can expect the same treatment for Vista. I think Jobs is going to let it come out, let the press die down, and then say “that’s really nice, but now look at the future.” And we will see what Leopard can really do.

So don’t loose hope, all you dedicated computer lovers, soon enough we will be getting some more relevant announcements. Until then I suggest saving up for an iPhone.