Engadget's WWDC 2008 predictions
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted June 9th 2008 8:58AM
posted June 9th 2008 8:58AM
Yes, it's almost that time -- WWDC 2008. By now you're well acquainted with the rumors circling Apple's next big event. Will the 3G iPhone make an appearance? Will Jobsy bust out a multitouch Newton tablet? Will Snow Leopard come in from the cold? It's anyone's guess, but the editors here at Engadget have a few hunches that you can pretty much bank on. Of course, you can see the real thing happen during our live coverage of the keynote set to start at 10:00AM PT / 1:00 PM ET.
Josh T: "Hillary Clinton named president... of AppleCare division. Finally, Universal AppleCare."
Ryan: "Apple announces acquisition of Sharper Image's remaining assets; rebadges flagship product line iOnic Breeze."
Thomas: "iPods, iMacs renamed EeePods and EeeMacs; iPhone launched which is somehow both bigger and smaller than the current model."
Chris: "iPhone Capsule is introduced to thunderous applause, allowing consumers to effortlessly go 'back in time' to retrieve their obsoleted iPhone models."
Josh F: "In a surprise move, Steve Jobs says 'But wait: There's more!' instead of his signature 'Just one more thing,' then proceeds to throw in a Shamwow and two Infinity Razors if you order in the next 30 minutes."
Paul: "Jobs in a white wife-beater tucked into Levi's 501 cutoffs."
[Okay, that last one is more a wish from Paul than a prediction.]
Josh T: "Hillary Clinton named president... of AppleCare division. Finally, Universal AppleCare."
Ryan: "Apple announces acquisition of Sharper Image's remaining assets; rebadges flagship product line iOnic Breeze."
Thomas: "iPods, iMacs renamed EeePods and EeeMacs; iPhone launched which is somehow both bigger and smaller than the current model."
Chris: "iPhone Capsule is introduced to thunderous applause, allowing consumers to effortlessly go 'back in time' to retrieve their obsoleted iPhone models."
Josh F: "In a surprise move, Steve Jobs says 'But wait: There's more!' instead of his signature 'Just one more thing,' then proceeds to throw in a Shamwow and two Infinity Razors if you order in the next 30 minutes."
Paul: "Jobs in a white wife-beater tucked into Levi's 501 cutoffs."
[Okay, that last one is more a wish from Paul than a prediction.]
Best photo EVER!
Totally agreed.
I want to know what's wrong with his hand!
I think they tried putting a brown zune there! lol
Paul, you got a damn good sense of humor.
I also wish for Paul's wish.
Engadget are amazing, for once they're not that serious, but they still know the limit, in opposite to Gizmodo who still should play in the kindergarden.
Jobs with a Zune tattoo. That made me laugh. :-)
With all the supervising and administration Steve Jobs does for Apple, I figured he'd have more of a physique like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
@Jakob
I hate Gizmodo's Apply fanboyism and NSFW posts (well I like them, but not while at work :P).
engadget is amazing...
Steffen Jobbs: your a homo.
Oh nice insult. I'm going to look up to you when I need a good comeback. Really.
This is the most worthless post ever to drive traffic prior to the live blog.
@Darkroom
It went too far quite a while ago..
Those are great Predictions!! I love the last one. I just want an affordable Iphone 3G With 16gb and 32gb models available. But most importantly available today!!!
I don't know if its just me or not, but it bothers me when people write out "Iphone" instead of "iPhone". Maybe I have a slight case of OCD.
dont worry it bothers me as well
it just looks so wrong
@Eric M.
don't you mean "The OC Disorder"?
i-Anything looks funny with a capital "I"
unless we all have OCD
i also have OCD then. just something about "IPhone" and "IPod" that isnt right.
iPhone
iPod
Is that pic really necessary? Q.
then engadget would be boring, and our sense of humor will wither away without engadget for inspiration.
There already was an eMac. Nobody bought it.
I agree, such a highly underrated computer, it was priced pretty damn well too at the "sweet spot" for a mid range system- around 800 bucks for everything, not just the computer itself like the Mac Mini. My old high school used to have them and my mom was going to get one.
Sadly, she decided to get a Dell- *Sighs*
There was a reason. I owned one. They had a lot of quality control issues (i.e. the infamous IVAD cable), and they weren't exactly performance monsters.
They were also pretty loud (they had one ENORMOUS fan in the back to cool the whole system) and hamstrung by a 32MB GeForce 2 MX.
In hindsight, buying a used G4 tower at the time would have been a better deal.
As for their intended market (education) it was too little, too late. Most schools had already begun to implement a plan for Windows rollout, as educational applications began to support Windows.
Windows was (and still is) easier to manage in a school/corporate environment thanks to Active Directory and years of development behind products like LANDesk.
NetInfo works, if you can figure it out (it's used so little that there's only a tiny fraction of information available compared to LDAP/ActiveDirectory), and Apple Remote Desktop works, but it's not nearly as fully-featured as LANDesk and its competitors.
Had Apple released a cheap Mac before educational software providers were pressured into providing a Windows version of their software, they might have remained the leading force in K-12 education, but they missed the boat.
WTF? I didn't know that Steve had a Zune Tattoo, he's the Zune Guy?
"I present to you the iVest."
Twice the price and an innovative lack of elastic!
@fanman: but if you're a student the iVest will come with a free iPod! But I wouldn't promise anything regarding possible yellow staines in the future.
You can't replace it your self, you have to send it to an apple service centre where they'll change your clothes for you. XD
Question for the thread... Apple stores have reportedly received "mysterious" boxes already, as well as new signage. If this is the case, would Apple allow the public to buy these phones before Jobs makes his announcement? Like, would they open their stores with new iPhones available? I ask because I'm on Eastern time and I'm wondering if they'd actually wait until a certain hour (1:00 pm) to trot the new models out to the showroom.
I think Steve is usually the one who gives the thumbs up for the product releases - he wants to max up the "Boom!" effect.
I don't think our store has received shipments of anything and honestly, I don't think it's going to be released today, but I could be wrong, but I really highly doubt it. Most Apple retail stores would get killed, but I am sure they will announce a date and allow people to pre-order online.
People would need to know ahead of time so they can line up in front of Apple and AT&T stores and disrupt all the business establishments that happen to share space with them. It's the Apple way...Q
I have to agree. I remember when the first iteration of the iPhone was released last year that they closed the AT&T stores for a while to prep for the massive onslaught of buyers. I want to run out after 1 to get one today but I just don't think it'll happen. I'm thinking it'll happen next week or sometime in the next few weeks. :(
I spoke to our Telco supplier on Friday and the iPhone is on our doorsteps apparently available in 2 weeks (this is Australia though) and i doubt it would be anything but the new iPhone, which would also have to be a 3G version as only 1 of the 3 major carriers here have the EDGE network required for the 1st gen iPhone. We have already put in our orders for the IT department!
WOOT i cant wait for the new iPhone i am wanting to get a job at AT&T just so i get it cheap, if not free!
I predict Apple is going to introduce iFuel. It's very simular to the fuel system Doc Brown introduced in Back to the Future II. You can even throw your original iPhone into it to create power for your ride...Q
Actually Mr. Fusion was presented at the end of the original movie.
"I need fuel."
You are correct...but the proof that Mr. Fusion worked as a complete alternative energy source was truely demonstrated in the second movie....and of course I am completely full of s**t!!! Q. :)
Steve Jobs: Look at my iCeps!
It could be announced today, but surely, it can't be available today? Where is the FCC filing?
Anyone know how long it will be before all the Mac lines are all running the new Intel Core 2 Quads? The Intel flash demo features iTunes (although briefly) and with the lower power requirements and supremely faster speeds (and maybe snow leopard being a truly multi-threaded 64bit OS if it only supports the 'new' intel chipsets) it is definitely a possibility.
It's going to be quite a while. I foresee the iMac's getting quad-core processors by year end with Montevina, the MacBook Pro's should get them next year with Nehalem, but the MacBook and Mac Mini probably won't be until 2010 or so.
I see the MacBook using the Auburn mobile version of Nehalem, which is dual-core but has an integrated GPU.
Why should everything be running quads, outside of video editing they really don't have a great performance advantage of duals. If they did Intel would have transitioned all their chips to quads.
New Macbooks anyone? *Sigh*
Yes please! the old ones look like the eeePC (or they look like it or whatever)
New macbooks would be excellent.
Good point. I've been hearing a Mac Tablet for a while now, would love to see the real thing.