Special: MWSF ’07 Predictions

Once again, it’s less than a week to go until Macworld San Francisco, so that means that I thought I’d share my predictions for what will be introduced. These are by no means backed up by anything, but I always have a little fun thinking about what Apple might come up with.

Yes: iTV

This is guaranteed, since we were told that. What is unclear is what exactly it will include. The USB port still has me wondering if it will have more features than just something to play your media on a TV. Also, despite it being the year 2007, I really wish Apple would include a good ol’ composite video jack or at least S-Video for all of us who are clinging to our old TVs for a few more years. I expect this device to be either a huge success or something that just sells okay like the AirPort Express.

No: iPod Updates

Part of me wants to say that Apple is going to give us a true video iPod, but that would certainly take away from other announcements. Furthermore, the other iPods were completely redesigned only a few months ago, so if anything we’ll just see pricing changes.

Yes: Leopard News

I expect we’ll see more of Leopard from a “here are some of the new features” standpoint. I think that an official release date will also be announced along with system requirements.

Yes: iLife ’07

Once again, iLife will get an update that will make all of the programs match iTunes in appearance (well, except for GarageBand). iWeb will get some more features to make it worthwhile for more than just very basic sites. iPhoto will get some performance improvements and maybe some more Aperture-like features. GarageBand might have a few more “pro” features added.

Yes: iWork ’07

With iLife getting an update, so should iWork. Features-wise, I think the suite is good, with the exception of a spreadsheet/chart making program, which will be added.

Maybe: Apple-branded Phone

This has been an idea being thrown around for years and has been hot as heck right now, but I just don’t see it happening. There are too many problems Apple would face in trying to get it to work with carriers (since Cingular, Sprint, and Verizon all have their own music store, why would they carry a phone that supports competing options?) and selling it without service would drive the price up for consumers causing them to choose that $50 RAZR with service over Apple’s product. However, carriers like T-Mobile or Centennial might love their own “hottest phone” that everyone wants. Also, Kevin Rose’s predictions have been accurate in the past.

No: New Macs

Unless the iTV turns out to be a Mac in its own right, I doubt we’ll see any major hardware updates. Maybe a few speed bumps or price changes, but this Keynote will probably be more of a “Okay, we made the transition to Intel. Let’s talk about something besides that,” type demonstration.

Yes: Why Didn’t I Think of That?

The “One More Thing…” this year still has me guessing. With Apple putting the above graphic on their web site just a few hours ago, I’m not sure what to make of it. Although Apple could surprise everyone and throw out a phone or some smaller MacBook Pro, I expect the surprise to be bigger than that.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Apple introduces, but be sure to come back for our Keynote coverage and after the Keynote when we make sense of it all. Now that we have commenting on our site, feel free to throw your predictions out there for all to read!