Apple planning a March 24 event?

We're not exactly making plans yet, but word on the street is that Apple's planning a March 24 desktop hardware event. Both World of Apple (which has a decent track record) and a site called My Apple Guide (which we've never heard of but apparently has a "rough" prediction history) say the event's on the books, and considering the age of the iMac and Mac mini and the uptick in rumors lately, it's certainly plausible. We'll wait until we get an official invite before we start making bold predictions, but we're definitely hoping for a mini with at least 25 USB ports housed inside an old Disk ][.

[Thanks, iB3nji]

Read - World of Apple
Read - My Apple Guide

[jagger27 Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:25PM]

I can't imagine Apple releasing a single CPU Mac Pro (along with the Xserve). The current i7s only support one CPU so Apple will have wait for Intel to release the server variant of Nemahelm aka Gainestown.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xeon#5500-series_.22Gainestown.22

[gsmith Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:03PM]

There is a "confirmed" event on March 6? Since when does Apple do events on a Friday...

[3rdman Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:03PM]

And about the mac pro: $9,000 for 32 gb ram??!??!?! $500 for 2 gb ram??!?!?! WTF...A fully loaded mac pro is $27,000, the price of a car!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:25PM]

Those machines are mostly for really really rich film schools (cough cough USC cough cough) and educational institutions.

[Sly C Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:25PM]

32GB RAM?!

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 8:26AM]

Never, ever, EVER buy a RAM upgrade through Apple. They always charge 2x-3x the going price for memory modules, so it's always best to do the upgrade yourself after the computer arrives.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:12PM]

This will most likely be the Mac Mini

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:07PM]

Tablet Mac anyone?

[jagger27 Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:25PM]

Please. No.

[avirji Posted Mar 1st 2009 11:24PM]

Please. Yes.

[Viakenny Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:20PM]

iPhone 3, anyone?

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:21PM]

Hopefully they get smart and merge the Mini and the apple TV.

A new remote, with MUCH more functionality is long overdue. More buttons, or a color touchscreen remote should be introduced. Or they should introduce a new remote app for iPhone/iPod touch.

HDMI out is an absolute no-brainer. Or at the very least, include the mini-displayport to HDMI adapter, for free, IN THE BOX.

The Mini needs to start at $299, and be well-equipped (4gb ddr3, 2.2+ C2D, 9400M, 500gb hdd) at $499.

Odds that they do ANY of the above? Slim to none.

[VanillaSpice Posted Mar 1st 2009 11:13PM]

Agree that the AppleTV needs pure HDMI-out (i.e. not via Mini Display Port adapter) just so it can be taken seriously. Not sure if merging the Mini and the TV together is such a good idea, though, I reckon they could do better having a cheap-as-possible Apple TV, and keep the Mini relatively high-specced (and more expensive).

[hey buddy Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:38AM]

I agree the two should be combined, and I think the most obvious benefit would be that the AppleTV would then have a DVD PLAYER via an optical drive, something it should have had on day one.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:22PM]

the date boxee moved their update to...

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:31PM]

I suspect it's a Mac with the hopefully soon to market Nehalem Xeons. They should be coming out very soon... actually, I'm somewhat surprised and annoyed Intel hasn't released these yet. I wanted a new PC, but I'm waiting on these.

[crescentdavid Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:42PM]

Please make it be updated iMacs. This line is so dated. $2200 for a machine with 2 GB and a mediocre 8800 GS card? Please. It's a beautiful, dated, underpowered machine.

[Mack Wong Posted Mar 1st 2009 10:56PM]

24th March? Mac OS X 10.0 was introduced on that day... back into 2001.

Please, update the iMacs and Mac minis... I want a Mac mini to replace my old G4 server...

[npa189 Posted Mar 1st 2009 11:16PM]

and so it begins...

[Raul7 Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:52AM]

" build your computer with what you like inside at the price you want."
Ok so I want the latest tech in a nice blue case with lights for 50$.

[KeegdnaB Posted Mar 1st 2009 11:32PM]

They'll announce they're merging with Microsoft......just to see the reaction from fanboys on either side.

[jagger27 Posted Mar 1st 2009 11:51PM]

I had a day dream about that once, it ended in really unoriginal products constantly getting worse.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:09AM]

Whats more unoriginal? OS X didnt change since 8 years!

AT least on the pc side you can choose your case, build your computer with what you like inside at the price you want.

[Davimation Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:50AM]

Boards of Canada,

OS X has evolved quite a bit over the last 8 years.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:44AM]

Update iMac with led display and new generation graphic card.
Unibody macmini with new graphic card.
Snow leopard focus, release date and pricing.
That it's all!

[Wesscoast Posted Mar 2nd 2009 3:50AM]

er... but... your comment was totally sensible and plausible. what the fuck are you doing on Engadget?

but don't they usually have one 'new' thing at these, a one more thing moment?

some kind of iPhone gaming stuff??

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 3rd 2009 1:19AM]

iphone update and upgrade on june, with pro application update, now really 64bit and only intel compatible.

seems that we can see the new macs in few hours...in this case only osx show on 24th march.

the one more thing is a Steve Jobs slogan...maybe no other big news on this event...i think a revolution on Apple TV (with app store, third applications, games and a new remote with 3D accelerometr).

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:13AM]

They are going to announce the iCan't survive cancer, Steve has been beta testing it for quite some time now.

[Scout12 Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:40AM]

Maybe a Mac Pro with an iMac form factor. That'd be something, though it'd probably heat up like crazy with all that horsepower inside. We'll just have to see.

[rbuss Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:44AM]

A March event for desktops would make sense. Apple didn't like Mac World for announcement because it is too close to the Christmas season - people are reluctant to buy in December when they know, next month the new products will be released. March is far enough away and they haven't come up with a new venue or time slot in the year for such announcements.

[trickards Posted Mar 2nd 2009 2:57AM]

I hope we get an update to all lines, I'm waiting for the Mac Pro and Mac Mini. An update on Snow Leopard release would be great - seems feasible with hyper threading in the nehalem Xeons and possible quad-cores in the new iMac - Multi-core'd event.

Fingers crosses for an official announcement soon.

[appleboy Posted Mar 3rd 2009 10:11AM]

give me 16 core mac pro and ill jizz in my pants

[PF Posted Mar 2nd 2009 7:54AM]

I'm pumped to see what the new iMacs are like... been holding off a PC purchase to compare.

But someone has to explain to me why i should care if my computer is "unibody." I love Apple's ability to make people lust after things they didn't even know they wanted.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:17PM]

The LAPTOPS are unibody. Not the desktops. The unibody enclosure is done for rigidity. Go to an Apple store and play with one of the new unibody Macbooks, pick one up by one corner and notice how it doesn't flex. That's why.

[BOGRASH Posted Mar 2nd 2009 8:40AM]

Isn't Easter in April this year? Bit early for a Jobs resurrection.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 8:45AM]

I hope so! My birthday is the 24th and this would be a sweet present. Thx apl !!!!

[ankur Posted Mar 2nd 2009 9:54AM]

Premium Games Section on the AppStore would be revealed!

[mos6507 Posted Mar 2nd 2009 11:30AM]

There is no such thing as an apple "event" without Jobs making a presentation.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 11:42AM]

Wow, I bet that will be a fun event!

RT
www.privacy-center.pro.tc

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 4:24PM]

All I want to see is a mac mini with a mother f@#king HDMI video out.

[MickBurke Posted Mar 2nd 2009 12:56PM]

Does anyone else think it's pathetic that the big news is that apple might say something on the 24th? Granted, I'm a little jaded, and resent marketing that turns human beings into cattle, but really, this is pretty weak.

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 2nd 2009 1:54PM]

You are aware that Engadget also reports on upcoming events for other companies too, right? Is that also "pretty weak"?

As far as marketing that turns people into cattle, that's the point of marketing. ALL marketing. Want proof? Microsoft's "I'm a PC" campaign. Maybe you weren't aware of the purpose of marketing your product, but it's to get people to use it. So really what you're saying is that you resent all marketing. Right?

[synapticlight Posted Mar 3rd 2009 6:57AM]

For the Mac Pro, all I can say is Finally.
Good grief Apple, refresh it already. It is such an awesome product.
Looking forward to the date.
:-)

[(Unverified) Posted Mar 4th 2009 4:58PM]

it would be cool if the mac mini got a price drop