NVinNYC

Apple will announce some “fun new products” today (as noted here). In the grand tradition of predicting what Steve will do, here are my bets:

1. iPod Boombox: These little things are cash cows and Apple wants a piece of the pie, but I would expect some differences from the ones already on the market.
2. Intel Mac mini: Probably with a Core Single (perhaps a Duo on the high end) and including Front Row functionality. I’m hoping for even more multimedia options like DVR and iPod docking but I’m not holding my breath since these features would increase the cost beyond Apple’s low target price point. It’s possible we’ll see a Mac mini A/V or something as a higher end option at some point, but again I don’t expect this.
3. More iPod accessories like the FM Tuner Remote and Socks: again, this kind of stuff is a cash cow for Apple.

Think Secret – Apple Event Set for February 28:

Apple has announced it will hold a special event Tuesday, February 28 to show off some ‘fun new products’. [...] Solid information on what Apple may unveil at the event has escaped sources, but reasonable speculation suggests the debut of further Intel-based Macs or a new video iPod.

“Goody Gumdrops.”

Some guy had the great idea of starting a contest with donated prize money for the first person who can get Windows XP booting on an Intel-Based Mac. He threw in $100 of his own money to start, but (at the time I’m writing this) is up to almost $8,000 in donations. I threw in $5 early on, but it was subsequently dwarfed by Shipley and his Delicious Monster machine. Anyway, I’m hopeful that we’ll have a solution soon (maybe by the time those Intel Mac minis ship?).

Sorry for the lack of new posts over Thanksgiving. I was totally lazy over the break.

Anyway, ThinkSecret released a scoop on the next version of the Mac mini that Apple is supposedly set to release at the MacWorld Expo in January. It was ThinkSecret that nailed the introduction of the first mini a year ago, so, despite the fact that the specs they list are almost too drool-worthy, they come from a fairly reputable source.

• Front Row 2.0
• PVR Functionally
• iPod Dock
• 3.5″ Drive
• Intel Processor

Check out the report for mote details: Road to Expo: Reborn Mac mini set to take over the living room.

I gotta say, if Apple manages to drop one of these for lest than $700 or so I’ll be hard pressed to keep my credit card in my pants and it probably wouldn’t be the only thing struggling to get out.

Over the weekend I performed a clean install of Tiger on my G5 and immediately upgraded it to 10.4.3. (I do this every 6-12 months to keep my computer as fast & clutter free as possible). After upgrading, one of the first things I noticed was that the column window now provided information on an application’s “Architecture” as shown in this screenshot:

You can see on this shot of the venerable Quicksilver that both Intel & PowerPC listed here (since Quicksilver is a Universal Binary). However, most applications still are listed as PowerPC only.

This, more than any rumors I’ve read, has convinced me that the first ICBMs are due to launch sooner that the originally expected timeframe of Summer 2006. I’ve finally come to terms with the transition and I’m looking forward to both the chaos and wonder.