Predictions for 2008?

Engadgetdamus bids you greetings. With MMVII in the can, we can only direct our ponderations to what fantastical gadgets and events await in the new year. We beseech you, foretell the year's events and present your predictions. Will Android be an out of the gate success, or a slow starter? Will Microsoft without Bill Gates be worse (or better) off? Will Vonage see Jan. 1, 2009? And will we all have multi-touch DisplayPort monitors by then? Will consumers turn on Apple? Will Palm give up the ghost? Can we finally dump our spinning-disk drives in favor of SSDs? Only your latent Engadgetdamus knows what will transpire in MMVIII -- let him speak.

See also predictions for 2005, 2006, and 2007.

[Walt @ Jan 1st 2008 12:39PM]

beta - max outsells blu-ray

[hexoDAT64 @ Jan 1st 2008 1:35PM]

So then Beta-Max out sells HD-DVD 4-1?

Sony: Focus on bringing new and more games to PS3. Home launches summer with new additions to PSN to make it more competitive with XBL. PS3 gains steam.

Nintendo: Wii continues to sell well, and maybe tapers off around august. Update to DS Light

Microsoft: Fixes XBL =p. Updated SKU of 360 with built in wireless and run cooler and better. XP SP3 and Vista SP1. Vista will gain more acceptance among home users but businesses stay with XP.

Finally...global warming kicks into full gear and the world is screwed!

Apple: 3rd party apps for iPod Touch and iPhone. Updated iPhone 3rd Qt with GPS and 3G. Minor Capacity upgrades on iPods. Touches double in capacity.

[John @ Jan 1st 2008 2:03PM]

Traveling American business owners and self-employed actually start to log their business mileage.. har har

http://www.i4u.com/article13487.html

[Jay @ Jan 1st 2008 2:53PM]

@hexoDAT64if, if they double the capacity of the touch I'll be happy. I've decided that the replacement of my current ipod will be dependent on whether they can put out a touch that at least matches my current 30GB video before it dies, I'll get one....if not I get a classic.

[hexoDAT64 @ Jan 1st 2008 3:07PM]

@Jay. I believe there are a lot of other people in the same boat as you. I don't think people would be as bothered with a 32GB iPod for 399 with all that it can do (hopefully FREE 3rd Party Apps as well)

I also see the format war being in a similar position to what it is now. I think Blu-ray will still be on top, but I don't see HD-DVD going anywhere. I don't see digital distribution taking off as a replacement to Blu-ray/HD-DVD either. I think it might put a dent into renting sales, but I would much rather have a physical copy of a movie and be able to bring it to another TV or being able to loan it to a friend. Others might feel different though

[Will H. @ Jan 2nd 2008 3:13AM]

I think the most important thing that will happen in 2008 is the mass-manufacture and installation on a large scale of solar panels.

http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/10/researchers-create-printed-solar-cells/

Right now it doesn't look like much, but a step in the right direction, and in the hands of some very bright minds, we may see great advances very soon.

[icepop4who @ Jan 1st 2008 12:43PM]

Starcraft II launches, turning millions into zombies.

[Baba Booey @ Jan 1st 2008 12:57PM]

>:D

And a Cowon D3

And continuing decrease in price of flash/sd cards.(16gb now 95, 8gb now ~45 on newegg as of 1/1/08)

[Zach @ Jan 1st 2008 1:21PM]

amen

[wesg @ Jan 1st 2008 1:34PM]

I'm excited for that game.

[david @ Jan 1st 2008 2:45PM]

starcraft II launches, south korea goes into a severe recession.

[Sam @ Jan 2nd 2008 1:32AM]

oh yeah, SC2 is gonna be amazing..

.. loading up on activision stock now =P (they bought blizzard for anyone who doesnt know hehe)

[ExYLE @ Jan 4th 2008 12:37AM]

uhh, no. vivendi (blizzards owner as well as universal) bought activision.

[rndmnme @ Jan 1st 2008 12:49PM]

People stop listening to Nickelback en masse, radio plays decent music for once, and the world is completely peaceful...





Alright, if the radio stops playing Nickelback I'll be happy.

[Sir_Drace @ Jan 1st 2008 1:28PM]

Agreed

[BoZs13 @ Jan 1st 2008 1:28PM]

Oh man, I feel you brother. Can't stand that shite. How the hell d'the radio wind up like this...

[scott @ Jan 2nd 2008 1:59PM]

is it just me or do ALL of their songs sound EXACTLY the same?

[Ghen @ Jan 1st 2008 6:56PM]

There ARE good bands out there. But the people that pick the songs at Infinity / Clear Channel / etc. tell you what you're going to like: more nickleback.

So thats why I say in-car mp3 becomes as ubiquitous as air-bags.

Also, Android will be released. Phones based on the OS will cover a wide range from freebie with subscription to $500 touch screens. VoIP becomes one of the first android hacks and the second (as a tie in) is a program to search for unsecured networks to use.

[Jack @ Jan 2nd 2008 6:01AM]

Android released

Phones become self-aware

massive robot uprising

we welcome our open handset overlords

and halo 3 hits PC and no one buys it

[CT @ Jan 2nd 2008 11:27AM]

I'd rather listen to my own baby's death rattle than Nickback.

[nickelbacksucks @ Jan 3rd 2008 11:58PM]

Yes, they do sound the same... clickity click click

http://www.thewebshite.net/nickelback.htm

[MrFairladyz @ Jan 1st 2008 12:50PM]

An update to the PS3... possibly a bigger hard drive, but with the 60 GB backwards compatibility...

Termination (or a price drop) of the Mac Mini.

The iPhone 2 of course.

Halo 3 for PC...

A new line of iPod(s) (towards the end of '08)

HD-DVD + Blu-Ray drives under $200- (if HD-DVD lasts that long).

Some sort of sneak preview or leak of ideas about the next generation of consoles.

[SoloSalsa @ Jan 1st 2008 2:48PM]

I agree completely about dropping the minis.

[perfectionist @ Jan 1st 2008 4:08PM]

I don't know why everyone wants to get rid of the Mac mini. Many people use them as HTPCs or when they want a Mac and have peripherals. It might not be incredibly successful, but Apple would be wiping out a considerable portion of their userbase. If anything, they have only not seen success because of their intention on leaving it one generation behind in components and the base model not having a DVD burner.

If they:
- Set price points at $599 for SuperDrive and low-end MacBook specs, $799 for specs equal to low-end iMac.
- Price dropped to $499 and $699.
It would be more successful.

Predictions
Nintendo: Wii sells well. Sales go normal around back-to-school time. SSB: Brawl sells out massively.

Sony: PS3 gains a little popularity with price drop; PS2 still sells. AIOs, Mylo, UMPCs, some laptops get dropped because of high price, low sales, and lack of practicality.

Microsoft: 360 sales are steady. XP no longer available. Vista Service Pack 1 does nothing amazing. People forced to buy Vista; don't care.

Apple: Penryn all around. Mac mini revamped. Minor iPod capacity bumps including Shuffle price drop to $49 in September. 3G iPhone along with international releases. AppleTV revamped/dropped. iTunes 8 with movie rentals/HD downloads. iPhone/Macs gain market share.

Wireless: T-Mobile gets 3G. 802.11n gains acceptance. WiMax fails. 3G rolls out.

Trends: All-in-ones rolled out by nearly every computer manufacturer. Capacitive touch is used more. More EEEPC-like computers. Demise of UMPCs and sub-notebooks priced over $999.

Misc: Price cuts by Dell on the XPS One to $999. Gateway One way overpriced; gets component bumps.

[Tyler Pfaff @ Jan 4th 2008 9:13PM]

hd-dvd is already under 200, bluray noob fanboy

[cmj2405 @ Jan 2nd 2008 7:06AM]

"Wireless: T-Mobile gets 3G. 802.11n gains acceptance. WiMax fails. 3G rolls out."

What is this, the dark ages? We've had good 3G coverage since early 2006.

Here's to 3.5G all over the UK in 2008

[Brian f @ Jan 2nd 2008 2:18AM]

The funny part is that I literally work 10' away from the table where we sell our mac hardware and I didnt even know the mac mini was still available. I don't think I've ever heard anyone ask for one. On a side not we just got a new Pico-ITX box that comes with everything except the laptop ram to get up and running for $299. Oh, and it fits in a drive bay so you can install it in the front of your case plus has DVI-out. Why I need one I don't know, but thats not stopping me from desperately wanting for it. My prediction is solar. Cheap, ubiquitous, heavily tax subsidized solar power on a local scale. Oh, and were already seeing a global warming backlash by non-hysterical scientists who look at long term climate trends not this microscopic take on the global warming timescale we've been fed like cows for the past decade. The truth is that Al Gore can't predict the weather 10 days out let alone 50 years out. So the Man gives us a real take on global warming this year, but then he also gives us cheap forever renewable solar power due to increased subsidies and plunging manufacturing costs. The man he always wins, damn him!

[Nolan @ Jan 2nd 2008 7:07AM]

PMP's become voice activated, same technology as those kitchey car aommercials, and it will work as long as you can get your more annoying friends to stop yelling annoying band anmes at you while listening.

[MrFairladyz @ Jan 6th 2008 2:00PM]

Check this out...

"Mac Nano
Steve mentions the iPod Nano, calling it the best-selling music device in history. He then reminds us that the “Nano” used to be “Mini” and brings up the existence of the Mac Mini. Steve then unveils the “Mac Nano,” a redesigned Mac Mini that is approximately half the height of its predecessor and in an anodized aluminum shell to match recent design changes in the Apple lineup.

The Mac Nano will come in two flavors, 2.0 GHz and 2.2 GHz (using current Santa Rosa chips), each of which comes standard with a 32 GB solid-state drive. Build-to-order options will include a 64 GB solid-state drive, as well as the option to instead use a conventional hard drive, with sizes up to 160 GB, all 5400 rpm.

On sale: TODAY. Shipping: FEBRUARY."



found it @ http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=407435

[brent summers @ Jan 1st 2008 12:50PM]

After Apple enters the clothing industry, everyone will rush to stores to purchase the iThong.

[Alex @ Jan 1st 2008 12:53PM]

That'll go nicely with my iBlade :)

[Daniel Spiegelman @ Jan 1st 2008 4:33PM]

haha

im wearing a shirt right now that says iBlade

but it has a little rollerblader

[Sam_Smith @ Jan 1st 2008 12:52PM]

Duke Nukem Forever is launched?

[bondsbw @ Jan 2nd 2008 12:09AM]

Wishful thinking... but since George Broussard said a full trailer "is coming", we might at least get that!

[Yannick Desjardins @ Jan 1st 2008 12:53PM]

With popularity comes bad stuff, now Apple will start getting tons of Virus, people will start bitching about it, fanboys will get frustrated and suicide.

[rlh82 @ Jan 1st 2008 12:57PM]

I like the idea of 'suicide' as a stand-alone verb.

[Rk @ Jan 1st 2008 1:14PM]

Lol I thought that too.

[low tech @ Jan 1st 2008 6:24PM]

I like an hero better.

[michas_pi @ Jan 1st 2008 10:45PM]

An hero: become one.

[Peter @ Jan 2nd 2008 4:14AM]

Agreed - Apple needs to prepare for that change to come by updating their marketing messages to keep from offending new buyers when they find that their "virus-proof" Mac OS X starts getting into the same issues PC users have been dealing with for decades. Call it "virus ready" or something when the data centers go up to handle all the virus outbreak announcements and provide patches immediately (more than a day risks loosing a big reason people are considering Macs - though anything I can do to ditch klunky, error-prone Norton and McAfee, I'm on board for! Unfortunately I suppose we'll be stuck working with them again on the new platform unless Mac will handle everything internally?

[Rafer @ Jan 1st 2008 12:58PM]

The population en Masse will ditch paying people for pre-assembled computers and will start building them themselves. Saving money of course.

Apple will release OSX for PC hardware, Which means Microsoft will release a Bootcamp like program.

[Jesse S @ Jan 1st 2008 7:51PM]

You're dumb.

1. You can already run OS X on any processor that supports SSE2. (Although it violates your license.)
2. Why would MS do that? Why would they even need to?

[Mobius_1 @ Jan 1st 2008 10:55PM]

Wishful thinking

[Taylor @ Jan 2nd 2008 12:18AM]

Few people could even replace a hard drive or graphics card themselves.

The population in general is not going to start building their own PCs this year, though Dell and the like are huge rip-offs.

I see the Mac starting to get ever so closer to rivalling Dell and HP.

[Yannick Desjardins @ Jan 1st 2008 12:59PM]

Microsoft might wake up and launch a usable Windows Mobile platform. You know, like a phone where my wife can actually place a call without asking me to dial it for her.

[nick @ Jan 3rd 2008 3:19AM]

your wife must be dumb!!!

[n3rd @ Jan 1st 2008 2:09PM]

question.
why did you get your wife a windows mobile phone if she obviously can't handle it..

[Sam @ Jan 1st 2008 2:56PM]

easy, so the wife will get tired of it and give it back to you to use....which was the plan all along

[Carl Vitullo @ Jan 1st 2008 3:07PM]

sounds like she needs to get back in the kitchen.

[Josh L @ Jan 1st 2008 4:41PM]

So you married a woman so idiotic, she can't dial a phone number and then press a green button?

I don't think this is failing of Microsoft.