Apple planning event in SF on September 12th?

We haven't yet been able to confirm the reports starting to come over the wires, but it sounds like Apple's got an event cooking in San Francisco for September 12th. They typically like announcing these things about two weeks in advance, so it clicks, but we were kind of expecting something in October in terms of fall/winter buying season announcements from Cupertino. Of course, the predominant rumor going around right now is the iTunes Music Store movie support we've all been expecting for, well, forever, but we wouldn't peg anyhting for sure. Anywho, apparently this keynote will be beamed to London, possibly in lieu of a keynote at Apple Expo Paris, which also begins that day. We'll keep you informed!

[Shreedhan @ Aug 31st 2006 6:26PM]

No biggies really, merom laptops , 8gb nano?

Side Note:
I ordered my Apple Notebook PC over 10 days ago and they still havent shipped it! Sort it out apple!

[ian @ Aug 31st 2006 6:28PM]

Shouldn't the movie portion of the itunes store coincide with a new video ipod?
would make sense to me

[Richard Hudson @ Aug 31st 2006 6:35PM]

I wonder if this has anything to do with the nintendo event on the 14th.. probably not.. but there has been rumours of an apple-nintendo co-operation

[Dan @ Aug 31st 2006 6:37PM]

Oh goodness. That'd be perfect. I get money on the 7th, Merom MBP's would come on the 12th and free iPod wouldn't end until the 16th.

[CharlieX @ Aug 31st 2006 6:42PM]

G5 laptops on Tuesday!

[kyle Garchar @ Aug 31st 2006 7:10PM]

anyone wanting to get rid of an older mac(no less than 1ghz?)

someone email me at [e-mail] or im me at wristtalksback

i need to get a 1+ghz machine

[Mike @ Aug 31st 2006 8:00PM]

I'm hoping for the MacBook's to get Merom chips, I'll be getting one December and be rather bummed if they come out in January.

An 8 GB Nano (miniesque) would be nice, too.

[James @ Aug 31st 2006 7:10PM]

My money's on an updated MBP with the advances from the MacBook line added i.e., magnetic latch, removable hard drive, and then maybe better screen res and firewire 800, and of course Core 2 duo...

[shon @ Aug 31st 2006 7:10PM]

it would, of course, make sense that no new ipods would be out till after the free nano deal. However, i keep hoping for that dern video ipod. im still sportin my 3rd gen! hooray for no clickwheel.

[javaflash @ Aug 31st 2006 7:10PM]

Isn't Merom = pop in a core 2 duo, update the BIOS? Does that takes a press event to announce it?

[Dan @ Aug 31st 2006 8:11PM]

It's a significant upgrade from core duo, and Apple seems to be really trying to emphasize 64-bit. Also, if they update the case (it's due for an update especially since the MacBook got a nice case) it's definitely worth the press. They could also announce a larger nano and a bunch of other stuff. I feel like Apple has too much new and updated stuff that's getting readied that they don't have enough anual events to show them all off to the extent that they deserve.

[Yem @ Aug 31st 2006 7:38PM]

Sept 12 is the CTIA opening day in LA..

[All Your Lost Socks @ Aug 31st 2006 7:39PM]

Charliex - Haha. ...Joke, right? :)

Richard Hudson, that was my FIRST THOUGHT. XD I looked at that date and went "That's funny, there's a Nintendo event on the 14th... but of course that's unrelated." I'm sure it is, but it's funny how the news I keep on mostly relates to Nintendo and Apple separately, and so they link to each other in my brain now with things like this. :)

[Raj Nigam @ Aug 31st 2006 7:45PM]

What's with the question mark engadget! Quit getting my hopes up (but thanks for reporting Apple rumors). You need spies inside Apple (see if you can get Jobs, I bet he's never kept in the dark) that can give you products (with specifications, pricing and availability), exact event details, and also if they're planning on upgrading the processor a month in advance just so I don't buy a computer and have it outdated by the time it ships.

[All Your Lost Socks @ Aug 31st 2006 7:53PM]

Hehe. Wouldn't it be great if every time a rumor site said "A reliable source from within Apple", they really meant Steve Jobs?

[Ray @ Aug 31st 2006 7:58PM]

Just get the Archos PMA400, it has all the features you will ever need.

[Brian Richardson @ Aug 31st 2006 8:03PM]

I agree with a larger GB Nano, saw the 4GB Black Nano at Sam's Club today with a "last one" sticker above the price. So either more GB's or new colors. Hopefully both!

[nick @ Aug 31st 2006 8:09PM]

I hope to god its the new iPod, i have been waiting for a few weeks for a new one....

[Raider @ Aug 31st 2006 8:13PM]

I think this is a strictly iPod only affair...

But when the Macs are updated.....
Expect the Merom and Conroe craze.
We will see everything updated from the Mac Mini to the MacBook Pro.
The only machine that will get a Conroe is the iMac.....

[CloaxaMaxima @ Aug 31st 2006 8:20PM]

Maybe this is the rumored iphone. Palm is making an announcement the same day. Possibly announcing a deal between the two? That would take the steam out of any media player or phone announcement in the next while!

[blah @ Aug 31st 2006 11:56PM]

Apple is a company! That sells stuff! Computers and whatnot! News at 11!!

[Perrey Z. @ Aug 31st 2006 9:17PM]

It amaze me how the name "Apple" and anything associated with it get so many replies in here. 20-plus replies and still counting.

[Tom @ Aug 31st 2006 10:30PM]

anyhting..... oh my

[Mack Swift @ Aug 31st 2006 9:09PM]

It's official and confirmed:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=4027

iTunes Movies Coming This September, Walmart Left Out

New releases will cost $14.99, older movies $9.99

With the lion's share of the market in digital music downloads and a portable video player that has become so recognizable even your grandmother knows what an "iPod" is, Apple officially threw its hat into the movie arena with the announcement of movie downloads from the iTunes store in mid-September - and retail juggernaut Wal-Mart couldn't be unhappier about the news.

BusinessWeek's Robert Grover reports that Apple plans to begin offering full-length movie downloads via iTunes beginning in September. New releases will be sold for $14.99, and older films for $9.99 - an increase from Job's initial hope of a flat-rate $9.99 per film. Movies will be protected under a similar FairPlay-style agreement, where users are permitted to play the content on a limited number of devices. The ability to record to DVD will likely be provided as well.

Recently, Walt Disney Studios signed on to distribute their movies digitally with iTunes Movie Studio - not a surprise given Steve Job's shareholder status after the Pixar purchase. Fox Entertainment may join at a later date, as may Lion's Gate Entertainment, but only if other studios come along for the ride. Part of the studio's reluctance to hop on the iTunes bandwagon might be related to Wal-Mart's massive share of DVD sales, approximately 40% of a $17-billion-per-year market. Judging by history, Wal-Mart isn't afraid to play hardball with Hollywood - earlier in 2006, they threatened not to sell Disney's High School Musical after the studio released it initially as an iTunes exclusive.

In exchange for "playing nice," Wal-Mart executive David Porter is asking for a reduction of the wholesale DVD price - currently $17 - to compete with Apple's lower costs. In addition, they want marketing help when they launch their own movie download site in the future to supplement their existing music download site.

Of course iTunes isn't the final word in movie distribution either. Disney already has its own in-house distribution method set up for online purchases. GUBA has also done its fair share of getting people excited for $0.99 online movie rentals. However, being first to market is only a slight advantage when competing with the ubiquitous iTunes -- including Microsoft's Zune distribution system.

[Mack Swift @ Aug 31st 2006 9:13PM]

iTunes Movie Studio Details Leaked

http://dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=3846


iTunes movie downloads coming by year's end

Apple's patriarch, Steve Jobs, isn't too keen on product leaks and goes after employees who spill the beans with a vengeance. It's likely that Jobs isn't too happy over the latest leak, there's not much he can do about this one. Lions Gate Studios announced in a quarterly conference call that it is signed on with Apple to provide digital movie downloads to iTunes before the end of this year.

CEO Jon Feltheimer also went on to say that the studio has announcements planned with at least two other heavy hitters in the industry. For all we know, one of them could be Microsoft as it has been rumored that the Redmond-based companies has been trying to lure movie studios to provide content for its Zune portable media player.

It has already been reported that Steve Jobs has been pushing for movie studios to stick to a $9.99 price model for movie downloads. Some studios have been hesitant to agree to a fixed-price download model, but Jobs' $0.99 cent music downloads have proven to be a success and attempts to raise the price have met with failure due to the steadfastness of Jobs.

[Hypothisus @ Aug 31st 2006 9:13PM]

1. Fullscreen video iPod and iMedia (new iTunes - or some other name like that)
2. Core 2 Duo MacBook Pro's.

[insider @ Sep 3rd 2006 2:58PM]

Finally a new nano!!! I've been waiting for a long time.....don't really care for the video ipod, to big and bulky. I'm buying the new nano the day it comes out, whatever the biggest capacity is. :)

I wouldn't be surprised if they announced the new "true video" ipod as well. It'd actually make sense - to coincide with the launch of the movie store.

Can't wait.

[Matt @ Aug 31st 2006 9:28PM]

I know, its Nuclear War! That crazy guy on youtube! Apple is going to cause Nuclear War!

[Jesse @ Aug 31st 2006 10:59PM]

My guess is that Apple knows that they have been keeping their Video Ipod tightly under wraps. Since Creative has gotten their Vision W pics and specs up, it's a potential loss for Apple. From what I remember, a lot of people have been having a "That's it?" reaction to each of Apple's events. So we have a confirmed movie download service. We have Creative unveiling their movie player. Sounds like an excellent opportunity to unveil the video Ipod to me.

[K Time @ Aug 31st 2006 11:10PM]

I just had a shipping update on my (specced up) macbook ordered around 2 weeks ago. It was meant to be shipped on 29 Aug, but surprise, surprise it's now being shipped on 13th Sept (in Australia, so 12th Sept in U.S.).

Coincidence?

Ordinarilly I'd be pissed at the delay, but it might be worth waiting for.

[morty salt @ Sep 1st 2006 8:14AM]

http://www.apple.com/movies


it is now forbidden!!!!

[Galley @ Sep 1st 2006 1:28AM]

I'd love to see an 8 gigger nano for $249.99. I just bought a 4 gigger two weeks ago; perhaps I should return it.

[Franssu @ Sep 1st 2006 11:36AM]

What I really don't understand is, why make a special event in SF and a video transmission in London when there's the Apple Expo in Paris ? Why not simply a keynote in Paris and a video transmission all over the world, as usual ?
Has his Steveness developed a new contempt for the French ? Does he want to show us his new clone (one in SF, one in Paris) ?

[Ben @ Sep 1st 2006 1:00PM]

Of course he's got contempt for the french, they're trying to open up iPod + iTunes. He's kicking them in the balls. In fact i'm surprised the expo is going ahead at all. Bet it's in london next year.

[Narfmaster @ Sep 4th 2006 12:30PM]

I was up at the London Regent street store a week or so back and they're doing lots of building work in the demoing area where they hold the program tutorials etc. Might have been doing some work for the London Stream. Maybe.
Personally I'm hoping for a Core Duo MBP, I wanna buy one. :B