Spy shots of Apple's Macworld booth are of giant black shroud, shockingly enough

Apple, a company normally and notoriously known for being fast and loose with its product announcements just blew our minds: spy shots from within the Macworld expo revealed a large, black, shrouded booth; there's simply nothing to see. More on this story as it develops -- Tuesday morning.

[Nick @ Jan 13th 2008 3:15AM]

Steve is sleeping.

Ssshhhhh...

[phrozunsun @ Jan 13th 2008 10:22PM]

ZOMGGG!!!!!! black curtain spyshot!!!! that's proof of a the iTablet and a 500 gb SSD iPhone!!!

(boy, this was terribly newsworthy...)

[roach @ Jan 13th 2008 3:28AM]

Coincidence?

I think not. Ole' Stevey has something up his sleeve... you watch ;)

[Ben @ Jan 13th 2008 3:29AM]

Que?

[Mark Olenski @ Jan 13th 2008 3:30AM]

The secret is out. Apple is coming out with a line of kitchen cabinets and counter tops.

[ck @ Jan 13th 2008 3:44AM]

Steve: Allow me to present ... iKea!

[Derry Quinn @ Jan 13th 2008 5:16AM]

Woo! That rocked!

[Oliver @ Jan 13th 2008 9:12AM]

yeah, also, I was disappointed that they had to partner with vw in the car industry. Why not kia, so the could call it iKia?

jk, kia sucks balls. A nice mass market car is something along the lines of toyota or Honda.

[Ben Grimsbo @ Jan 13th 2008 12:12PM]

Kia drivers are the worst on the planet.

It's like they don't know how to accelerate. Or their cars are so sucktacular they just can't drive the speed limit.

[SteveMB @ Jan 13th 2008 2:13PM]

Introducing the iRack.

[alphachapmtl @ Jan 13th 2008 3:36AM]

This is no news.
What a waste of webpage.
You have nothing better to talk about???

[Reader @ Jan 13th 2008 3:42AM]

Seriously. I'm never one to click on a story and comment on it if it's not to my taste, but come on.

Will you guys write a story about the spy shots of the iPhone 2.0 if all I send is a pic of a small cardboard box?

[LegendZ28 @ Jan 13th 2008 3:52AM]

Is this your first Macworld or what?

[Ryan Block @ Jan 13th 2008 4:22AM]

It was written in such a way that takes the piss out of the obsessives who ponder endlessly what's behind the shroud. Mellow out!

[absurdio @ Jan 13th 2008 2:28PM]

@ alphachapmtl

Have you nothing better to post about?

[iPriest @ Jan 13th 2008 3:36AM]

The iPhone announcement is worth an entire CES

And don't forget Leopard

[asphixiated @ Jan 13th 2008 3:48AM]

this isnt news, this is stupid.

[crescentdavid @ Jan 13th 2008 3:48AM]

I NEED to know!!! What color garbage cans are they using this year?????

[LegendZ28 @ Jan 13th 2008 11:07AM]

There's a black shroud over the garbage cans too, sorry.

[mcatrage @ Jan 13th 2008 3:59AM]

I think I see an iChair and an iLadder.

[Russ @ Jan 13th 2008 4:04AM]

iPriest... you're joking right? the iPhone is a cool toy and all (I would know, I have one) but seriously... you're joking. I don't get what all the fuss is about... it's a phone with touch screen. I've carried my palm handheld (which is of course touch screen) and a cellphone around for years... I just don't see the big deal when someone went and combined them. Especially since the LG Prada was announced first. Which in my opinion is a better phone. Haven't owned one, but a guy I had a meeting with had one. It was very nice.

[still sdh @ Jan 13th 2008 4:08AM]

Stop whining. These pictures are a custom for Macworld expo's. Keep the tradition alive Engadg!

[iPriest @ Jan 13th 2008 4:51AM]

Isn't the whining also a tradition?

Can't wait to read the comments on the actual product announcement that say "only a few stupid fanboys will buy this"

[ug @ Jan 13th 2008 4:28AM]

Is Veronica Belmont there?

[Stuart @ Jan 13th 2008 4:30AM]

I honestly cannot wait. I really want to see what kind of news they will have on, if any, about the iphone launch in Japan.

Also, it is very strange how the source website for this now OFFLINE. hmm....

[deceasedcomrade @ Jan 13th 2008 4:35AM]

I for one, cannot wait until Apple releases the iBigBlackCube.

[LiquidSilver @ Jan 13th 2008 4:40AM]

To above haters, don't like the post? then don't read it, simple enough!

[JustinM @ Jan 14th 2008 12:14PM]

How can I tell that I don't like the post until I've read it?

[iPriest @ Jan 13th 2008 4:40AM]

I really doubt you have an iPhone if you point at the LG prada as being better. My brother has one and it just sucks big time! I had a lot of touch screen stuff before but nothing tops the iPhone. And the LG prada wasn't announced before the iPhone. It was indeed released before the iPhone. Get your facts right

Give me an example of something showed this year at CES that tops the one year old iPhone

[Bryan @ Jan 13th 2008 4:53AM]

seriously i dont know why people would waste time complaining about something that is optional to read.

[quiksilv3r @ Jan 13th 2008 5:07AM]

If you need to know...behind the black shroud is a slightly advanced version of the iphone, probably sporting 3g, and a slightly advanced version of the mac book/mac book pro, probably sporting a new processor, smaller screen, and more wireless options

oh, and of course the iCamera. Combining a Camera, Cellphone, Computer, Kitchen, Office, and Baseball Field in one.

[Artaxiad @ Jan 13th 2008 5:13AM]

*yawn*

[Derry Quinn @ Jan 13th 2008 5:18AM]

Stop! Their contagious *Yawn*

[Mobius_1 @ Jan 13th 2008 5:18AM]

could that be an iBlender? that doesn't blend but blends?

[Nando @ Jan 13th 2008 5:27AM]

iFail

[Daniel D @ Jan 13th 2008 5:36AM]

The iphone screen so much more than the same touch screen you see on ever other device, if you have used one then you will know. The sensitivity of it to ignore anything that isnt a tap, it knows how fast and hard you flick through a list etc. A revolution in touch screen interfaces!

[Mac Dub @ Jan 13th 2008 5:41AM]

"Having CES just days before MACWorld was an unfortunate coincidence."

Was it an unfortunate coincidence last year too? Everybody and their mother knows it goes Billgate and THEN Stevegate. Steve's learned not to let anyone see his toys before he gets credit where credit is due.

[MatthewJ @ Jan 13th 2008 5:44AM]

Thats not really a revolution at all, it was just the next logical step in the touchscreen mobile devices that have been around since the mid 90s. People talk about the LG Prada, but they seem to forget things like the Sony Ericsson P800, 900 etc, Apples very own Newton, and many other devices which used touch a long long time before the iPhone. Its "revolution" is to kick into high gear the advancement of simple graphical UIs in the smartphone market, which is a niche achievement, but worthwhile as they immeasurably sucked beforehand. The best thing is, the mobile industry has already started to catch up, and I don't need to buy any Apple products to enjoy the revolution kickstarted by the iPhone.

[Sam Winter @ Jan 13th 2008 5:58AM]

@Russ
You are an idiot and a liar. You do not have an iPhone, and I doubt you've even touched one. You are just some dumbass anti-apple nerd.

If you have even *USED* an iPhone you would never actually compare it to ANYTHING made by Palm and you would especially not call it a "touchscreen with a phone". seriously WTF? you are full of shit.
I don't even own any apple computers, and I've only had one Ipod over the years. But I am totally blown away by the iphone.
I've had four palm devices, including a Treo 650 and 700 both PalmOS and WinMo. I've used a Tmobile Dash, a Moto Q, Cingular 8525, HTC touch, chocolate, prada, LG voyager, i760, XV6800 and just about every other god damn phone in existence. I've owned at least 10 in the last 7-8 years, and NOTHING i have ever used or seen has come even close to the iPhone/touch.
I honestly recommend giving up the fanboy crap and actually going to an AT&T store to play with one for 15 mins. You will honestly have a different attitude.

[Mr. S. @ Jan 13th 2008 5:59AM]

YA, i can't agree more. The iPhone's touch screen has runied any enjoyment of any of my other touch screen devices. Nothing is as nice to use, and i find myself getting frustrated when they don't take my commands without really pressing into them now. This goes for your mom too.

[Daniel D @ Jan 13th 2008 6:06AM]

@MatthewJ

It's hard to explain but these were just to examples of things that are not possible with other touch screen devices (including the Sony P series) the software is a joy to use and the screen itself is more in depth than "touch this spot on the screen to run this command" etc. Over all the design is very innovative and this is a kick up the ass the industry needs to get people like sony and nokia to be doing the same thing.

[Daniel D @ Jan 13th 2008 6:09AM]

whoops I could swear I hit reply but oh well

[Bob @ Jan 13th 2008 6:29AM]

And I, for one, welcome our mysterious shrouded Macworld overlords.

[Ally @ Jan 13th 2008 8:00AM]

Cliché ?

[ClaMs @ Jan 13th 2008 6:37AM]

@ MatthewJ

I had the P900 and the P910i, and I loved the touch screens they had. They even had handwriting recognition, something the iPhone doesn't have. But as soon as I tried the iPhone I went crazy. The screen is scratch-proof, unlike the SE ones, the feel of it is amazing, and the way the two fingers are recognised so well is amazing. It's a pity if you haven't tried it out yet.

[daniel @ Jan 13th 2008 6:54AM]

iPriest said "And the LG prada wasn't announced before the iPhone."

ERRR yes it was.

Another classic example of an arrogant fanboy.

[MatthewJ @ Jan 13th 2008 7:03AM]

@ClaMs

I have tried it, and yes its a step up, but so it should be, coming around 5 years after the P900 was released (and I bought it)! Its not £800 special though!

[MatthewJ @ Jan 13th 2008 7:05AM]

Also I must disagree that the P900 had a scratch-able screen. Like I said, mines about as old as it could be (got it very close to release date) and it is still totally unscratched! The rest of the phone is covered in them, and the surrounds of the screen are a bit worse for wear, but the screen itself is as good as the day I bought it!

[wickedpheonix @ Jan 13th 2008 7:34AM]

Is there no one brave enough to defeat the evil guards and get a flash photo under the shroud?!

THERE MUST BE A GOOD KNIGHT IN THIS KINGDOM OF EVIL!!!!

[Jaggu @ Jan 13th 2008 7:55AM]

There is nothing in the booth because everything is in Air this time.