In the past several months, we’ve been treated to much from our favorite fruit no-longer-just-a-computer-company company: a new AirPort Extreme, the Apple TV, the much-anticipated iPhone, and who could forget: colored iPod shuffles?
But something’s been missing from this product barrage: news of the computer that was for so long Apple’s sine qua non, the Mac. Despite the fact that Macworld Expo has come and past, news on the Mac front has been virtually non-existent. Let’s take a walk back down the calendar:
August 7, 2006: Mac Pro released; Leopard previewed
September 6, 2006: Core 2 Duo iMacs released (24” added); all Mac minis to Core Duo
October 24, 2006: Core 2 Duo Mac Book Pros released
November 8, 2006: Core 2 Duo Mac Books released
And then…nothing.
We haven’t a new Mac model, revision, or news on 10.5 in over three months. Is this a sign that Apple is losing interest in their computer business? Fears have abounded ever since Apple dropped the “Computer” from its moniker that the Mac would be taking a backseat to the iPod and iPhone. I’d hardly say such fears are unfounded; one only need look back over the last few years financials to see that Apple’s primary business is now selling iPods.
But I don’t think the Mac is by any means dead—far from it. As I’ve argued before, it’s no longer the basket for all of Apple’s eggs (admittedly, a bizarre piece of food-related imagery), but neither is Apple about to a) become a hardware-only business, selling generic PCs or b) become a software-only business, licensing OS X to generic PC manufacturers.
Back to the point, though: where is all the Mac news? Coming, I say. Rumors of Apple events have run rampant, screaming in the streets, in the post-Expo haze. Though none of them have been confirmed, it seems assured that something in the Mac vein will be announced before June’s Worldwide Developer Conference.
If anything, 2007 is shaping up to be an exciting year for the Mac: on the hardware side, with the Intel transition now complete, I’d expect to start seeing more radical revisions of the existing models and perhaps even a few new models introduced. As far as software goes, Leopard is the halfway point on the trip to Mac OS XI, or whatever they’ll be calling it in 2017, and I’d be surprised if Apple wasn’t holding back something more than the likes of Time Machine and Spaces.
As for timing, I’m as antsy about it as the rest of you. The dearth of meaty Mac news means that I spend far too much time speculating about the iPhone and talking about Vista. Believe me when I say that’s not my ideal way to spend my time at MacUser. All we ask of you, dear readers, is that you stay with us through the hard times, and that you don’t buy into the rumors saying that you’ll hear “The Mac is dead” when you play the startup chime backwards.
Yes, Apple will continue to make great computers, a amazing OS and iPod.
But I for one want the new iMac sooner than later... I don't know how long the current model has been around but come-on it is worn thin, it still is stunning but...
That certainly is a good point. Perhaps Apple are planning a big barrage of new macs to rollout alongside Leopard. People are definitely getting worried though, which in the current climate of stock option madness doesn't help. I don't think for a second they intend to de emphasise the mac in anyway, but could there be a degree of distraction within the company. I doubt we'll have to wait much longer though. I hope.
I know what you mean, I love my macs, and the fact that Apple have dropped 'computer' from its name kind of casts a shadow on the whole computing side of Apple. It is fair to say though, that Apple are innovating further, and into a wider range of products which are not so specifically related to the mac. We're talking downloadable movies that you can stream to your TV, the iPod, Hi-Fi's, and now even mobile phones. I definitely feel that this is proving Apple have the advantage in the market, and they know what they are doing, so it wont be long until they start telling us more exciting stuff about the mac. And hey, if it wasn't for the mac, Apple probably wouldn't exist as we know it today, and I'm 100% certain that Jobs wouldn't wan to start using a pc. It's just a tactic!
Dan, it's funny you mention hearing "The Mac is Dead" when playing the startup chime backwards, because in the last episode of Lost, which I know you're a fan of (who isn't?) there is a hidden message.
When Sawyer, Kate, and Alex find Karl in the brainwashing room, if you play a clip of the techno music backwards, you'll hear a woman saying "Only fools are enslaved by space and time."
Creepy huh? I found a clip of it on YouTube.
the current iMacs are so ugly... people prefer to buy a mac mini than buy the iMac because of it's uglyness... i can't believe that thing has lasted this long and the AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL iMac G4 only lasted what? a couple of years? i say it's bullocks.
*ranting mode turned off*
yeah, i'm worried too... leopard should be released NOW that vista is shipping...
I think this will be more of a trend in the world where Intel processors power our Macs. Apple no longer has majority control when it comes to the power of the Mac. Instead they have to rely on Intel. So no more "here's the next big processor!" announcements or announcements featuring speed boosts. By the time Apple incorporates the next big speed boost/nexgen processor into their line of computers, so have all the other computer makers. It's just not the exclusive news anymore, and that's what Apple craves – exclusivity. Just look back and see how many speed bumps there have been throughout all the lines that were released without any hoopla. That's a fact of the Intel world. I think the next big Mac announcements will feature totally re-designed Macs. Or like jumping from a clam shell iBook to the snow iBook, or the Blueberry iMac to the Pixar lamp iMac.
Wait Basil, your observation about the difference between the publicity opportunities with the former PowerPC chips and the Intel chips is an excellent one.
However, I think Apple will still be able to create hype within the Mac community with new processor announcements, but as SJ has said new users are more than 50% of the current Mac business.
Apple will also generate a great deal of attention for Macs with new enclosures if and when that comes to pass.
IMO, the state of the Mac is fairly tired. The MacBook Pro ships in the PowerBook enclosure, the Mac Pro ships in the Power Mac enclosure, and the same goes for the Mac mini and the iMac.
I assume that Apple will release new enclosures (with faster processors) this year on the heels of Leopard. That will go a long way to breathing the life back into what I believe has become a lifeless Mac lineup (just look at how much personality the old designs exuded).
Don't worry. The new Macs will appear right after I cave in and finally decide to order a new one. For the past 5 Macs I've bought, new models are announced within 2 weeks of my order being shipped.
I've been trying to hold out, and I apologize for being the reason we haven't heard anything for 3 months.