Macworld 2008 rumor report card: some hits, mostly misses
By Ryan Block 
posted January 20th 2008 1:35AM
posted January 20th 2008 1:35AM
Please note, all rumors listed originate from sources at or close to Apple, feeding info to publications. This doesn't include sites or posts digging up evidential information, like the MacBook Air domain name stuff.
AppleInsider - MacBook ultraportable to have external optical drive: correct! Still, this was pretty clear, almost no ultraportables have optical drives. Being that there was no mention made of Remote Disc, we're gonna give this a half point.
AppleInsider (twice - our take both times) - MacBook ultraportable to have 13-inch LED-backlit display, internal NAND flash, SSD option: right, wrong, and right again (half point!).
Bloomberg (our take) - iPhone comes to Canada: nope.
Bloomberg (our take) - Warner Bros, Fox, Disney, Paramount and Lionsgate to rent on iTunes: nailed it!
Boy Genius Report (our take) - Jay Z and Apple found record label: not yet. (But who knows, it might be announced later!)
Boy Genius Report - Ultraportable absolutely definitely launching: correct!
BusinessWeek - Major Apple TV update planned (including a possible tuner), but Jobs can't get Universal and Sony to sign on for rentals: eh, vaguely right about the ATV update, but otherwise basically wrong.
Financial Times (our take) - Fox signed to movie rentals, and will also distribute pre-ripped iTunes movies on discs: totally correct!
Gizmodo - Macworld "will be bigger than usual" with "overloaded" keynote and tons of new product revisions: nope.
Macrumors (our take) - Lots of laptop upgrades, one with multi-touch trackpad: correct (kind of). There obviously weren't multiple notebook revisions, but the trackpad was dead on.
Macrumors forums (our take) - "Leaked" keynote #1: total fabrication.
Macrumors forums (our take) - MacBook ultraportable endowed with super-wide trackpad: so very wrong.
New York Times (our take) - Apple got more than just Fox to sign on for rentals: true. Half point, though, for lack of any specifics despite "multiple sources."
Variety (our take) - 24 hour rentals: correct!
Void Inside (our take) - "Leaked" keynote #2: also a total fabrication.
Wired - Details and description of the ultraportable: (mostly) wrong. Described as: thin, tapered profile with "aluminum and glass". Close! But we all knew it'd be thin and aluminum -- the multi-touch capable iMac-esque glass display gives this one away.
Total score: 7 / 16
MVP: AppleInsider
(We forgetting any?)
Leopard 10.5.2 also wasn't released. Hopefully Apple isn't going the way of Windows with bugs, because there's some definite problems that 10.5.2 needs to repair (ie: Adobe CS3 suite)
10.5.2 is on the way...a new build was recently seeded.
Secondarily, why is Apple responsible for making third-party software work with their system?
i use the CS3 S all the time and have no problems at all
Apple controls both hardware and OSx, of course they should do better at 3rd party support. Leopard is an unmitigated Vista... though my copy of Vista simply works, unlike Leopard which has a hard time even networking. The reason this is not a huge scandal is that no one really uses their Macs anymore.
I'll have to agree with Devin, but at the same time Windows/Microsoft is and was typically held responsible for programs that did not work with Vista (when its not nessecarily their fault)
why is it that even with Macworld over, there's still more useless postings about apple products?
peternj you troll,
Don't you ever get tired of being wrong?
Leopard has the fastest ever take-up rate for a new Apple OS. By the way, Apple's actually selling new OSes to people with existing computers. The only way Vista ends up in anyone's hands is if they mistakenly buy a new PC with it preloaded. The Windows admin on my team completely gave up Vista and switched back to XP. Care to explain how on earth Leopard has a hard time networking? My experience has been that it's Windows that positively sucks at networks. It can't find wireless networks half the time, the update rate is ridiculously slow for no reason, and why on earth does a netsh IP change command take 60 seconds?
I have, however, heard that Leopard is buggier than most new releases have been. I've got Tiger at home and Leopard at work; Leopard works just fine but I don't see a very compelling reason to upgrade at the moment. I have better things to do with my time than spend a few hours backing up my files, doing a clean install, then getting everything the way I like it again. If it ain't broke...
hey reid. I use OSX at least 8 hours a day at work.
They started to roll out leopard, but it caused crashes. tons of them. they rolled back to tiger. which is a problem in itself, because on intel macs, running rosetta chews up rediculous amounts of RAM.
So now my computer's got 4 gigs of RAM and still crashes.
Considering how unpredictable this very competitive and capricious tech market is---78% is pretty darn good
Where are you getting 78% from 7/16? That's less than 50%. 43.75% to be exact.
I think this whole post should be cleared up a little, since it seems that some are taking this as a report card on Apple, not on the rumor mills. This post says that the RUMORS are mostly misses, but I disagree that Apple was underwhelming.
Many of the rumors were missed because Apple went above and beyond the prediction. For instance, Apple should get a 1.5 on the optical drive prediction. They also went beyond the Businessweek prediction on the ATV, given that Apple got Universal and Sony to sign on. Another 1.5. And 1 point for the NYT prediction, because Apple met it (but couldn't really exceed due to lack of specifics in the first place).
That makes it 9.5 by my count... almost 60%. That doesn't include things like the iPhone 1.1.3 update, which was rumored, and the added apps on the Touch which was not rumored (as far as I remember). Time capsule was a great thing that I can't remember coming up in any rumors, and they reduced the price of the ATV, so that counts too.
All in all, it wasn't so terrible... I'd say it was pretty darn good. Considering how much hype Apple gets, it's amazing they even meet 30% of their rumors. Compared with many of the companies at CES (yes, I'm talking large companies who should be hyped more than Apple but are not, for some reason), Apple does a great job trying to meet expectation with their products and services as well as deliver quality goods. I really wish some other companies were as responsible to their customers and stockholders.
We now know one subject you fail at :p
Apple would loosen their strangle hold on the iphone so that third party apps might get into the game. (me) - alas, NO
SDK in Feb...haven't you heard?
February according to Steve is when the SDK would be released
These realistic things would've helped Macworld out substantially:
- 10.5.2 should've been released.
- Blu-Ray equipped machines (or atleast released an an add-on) released.
- Mac-Mini Revamp.
- Free iPod Touch to iPhone equivalent apps.
- DRM-Free Music (Though, the labels know what they're doing and I'm glad they're doing it with Amazon for a while).
- iPod Touch Shuffle/Mini.
iPod touch shuffle? Are you joking? If it's shuffle you don't need a screen, so it doesn't need to be touch, and if it's touch, why restrict it to shuffle?
10.5.2: They should take their time with 10.5.2. Having a buggy revision come out? No thanks. I'd rather let them take their time. They are giving out seeds to developers, so we know they're not sitting on their arses.
Blu-Ray: Maybe the addon, or an option for it but having them in machines as a base option would jack up the price too much.
Mac Mini: The Mac Mini is fine.
iPod touch/iPhone apps: Yep, it should have been free for touch users.
DRM free music: Yep, should have had that as well
iPod touch shuffle/mini: The idea of a shuffle is so that you shuffle your music and therefore don't need a screen, and a mini would cannibalize the Nano, Classic and maybe even the touch's sales.
The 8GB Touch is a Touch mini!
How about the predicted/leaked firmware by Gear Live?
http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/29/iphone-firmware-1-1-3-leaked/
That was pretty straight forward and convincing leak, not exactly a rumor!
Fine, an iPod Touch Nano...
What about a reply button? They should have released one of those.
Where is my 3G iPhone?!?!
You complain about this, but if Apple DID release a 3G iPhone then can you imagine how all the people who actually BOUGHT iPhones will feel? They'll complain a lot more than people like you do...
By that logic, Apple should never change anything for fear of upsetting their existing user base. Hopefully you aren't an Apple exec...
Honestly, Apple doesn't want to sacrifice battery life, even with an on/off feature. Or they don't want to go overboard with features in a new phone, not to have something fail. This like the MBA, or even the iPod, it's not much now but look what the iPod has now compared to when it was just a music player.
You won't see a 3G iPhone announced until next MacWorld. Apple is trying to meet a goal of 10M iPhones sold by the end of 2008, and if they so much as announce a new version, people will just hold off until it's available, thus hindering their ability to meet their goal.
The only other place you'll see it announced is at WWDC, and they would only do that if they were counting the second generation iPhones in their sales goal.
... and as much as I'd like to see some improvements in the second-gen, really they are minor... this phone is AWESOME and now that they added "faux-GPS" it effectively takes the lack of GPS off of my list of needs... so really, all I'd like to see is the speed boost to 3G and a much bigger hard drive. I can wait for those though.
Definitely June or July. They'll have to have one for the Japanese and Korean market. Hopefully, by then, low-power 3G chips and longer-life batteries will be available. I doubt Apple wants to modify the size of the iPhone so they'll try to fit everything in the same size package and keep battery life the same.
Apple has to milk the world dry with the EDGEtastic iPhone first. They they will release the 3G version. But not when the world is ready. When Apple is ready. Either that or that can't figure out how to make....
Seriously, who needs 3G anyway? I've had 3G on my cell phone for quite some time now and I still don't know wtf it's for. I really don't want to seem like I'm trolling here, but I really don't see the need for some fancy wireless technology.
Then again, that's what I said about Bluetooth, and now I have a Mighty Mouse and Bluetooth headphones.
@ m4dm4n:
No. I never said updating products that have been out for more than several months internationally. Most of you 3G wanters fail to remember that most parts of the world (Including your Northern siblings) don't even HAVE the iPhone yet. If Apple released a new version, not only would it make things more difficult to establish with carriers but it will piss off existing customers who bought their iPhone's when it was released 3 months ago in their country.
Rumors? A post about rumor that did/didn't come true at MacWorld?
Just when you thought it would all end. :)
Just joking.
superwide trackpad, I thought that was dead on...
Apple is really getting too much credit nowadays given how unreliable everything they release is, besides ipods. Leopard destroyed my HD basically, my video card is faulty and I can't rent movies on my laptop despite everyone else's apparent success. If they really wanted to impress me they should've announced free applecare for everyone instead of trying to make a really basic service and an overpriced laptop seem like the biggest thing since sliced bread.
It's not Apple's fault for letting a wild Leopard attack your hard drive. Computers + Zoo = Failure.
if it's not apple's fault than whose is it? I'm pretty sure there aren't many wild attacks at the zoo because smart people take smart precautions. I'm always willing to cut a new OS some slack but only to a certain extent and especially not when I'm getting basically nothing out of it. The improved functionality (that I've only been hearing about) isn't worth the two weeks I spent trouble shooting and the eventual trip to the mac store lugging my huge tower.
Are you forgetting any? Umm yeah, how'd you guys do????
Yeah yeah, I know you're all too smart to make predictions and stake your name to some shaky intel, but c'mon, own up. Which rumors did you fall for, which ones didn't you believe that came true, and most importantly, what did you THINK but were too chickenshit to say?
The readership demands answers! (Actually just an easy number like 7/16ths, checking up on you myself just seemed like too much work.)
I don't know if Engadget formally announced any predictions, but going by these comments, they called "an ultraportable MacBook (Pro) of some kind, iTunes movie rentals, and, of course, the iPhone SDK."
http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/14/final-macworld-predictions/"
... But if you want to go by Ryan Block's personal blog... well, thats a different story altogether.
http://www.ryanblock.com/2008/01/ten-macworld-2008-predictions/
Predictions are one thing, rumors from supposed inside sources are another thing entirely (and what this post is about).
Either way, predictions sucked. I predicted MacWorld 08 would suck, and I was spot on.
Pretty pompous to rate everyone else and not yourselves in the same post, don't you think?
Um, we didn't start any Macworld rumors! But if we did, we certainly wouldn't recuse ourselves.
you forgot one source...idk if you do real magazines but maclife....they said that a camera called the ieye was being released, an icar by audi and apple.....a like itazer or something like that.....and a new iphone-ish....it was said to be like a pocket watch or necklace, and haha wristwatch?
You guys acknowledge Gizmodo exists in this article! :P
What a disgusting group though. I usually find practical jokes pretty funny, but the CES thing was simply tasteless and stupid.
Not as much disgusting as the Halo 3 kit thing. Brian Lam is a jerk.
What did they do?
I guess I'm the only one one the planet who thought it was funny. *Especially* the Moto schlub. I've grown up in a lot of ways, but I guess I'm not yet old enough to feel bad for the suits....
GAWKER SUCKS!!!! they always ban my account when i say anything bad about them in a post.