Apple rumor roundup: iPhone discounts, early Leopard release, NAND-based laptops
No, we haven't been spending our spare time playing with the Apple Rumor Generator -- this latest batch of Apple rumors comes to us fresh off the Internets, from some sources of varying reliableness. First up comes a tantalizing bit of information from blogger Derek Punsalan, who recently traded in his Sprint BlackBerry 8703e for a Cingular BlackBerry Pearl only to later notice that "iPhone for DEREK PUNSALAN" was printed on his receipt, followed by the line "2 YR Agreement SAVINGS $150.00." Evidence of a discount for those opting for long-term service agreements? Possibly, but more likely than not a simple glitch. Our next rumor comes to us from Prudential Equity Group analyst Jesse Tortora, who speculates that Mac OS X Leopard could be launching sooner than expected, with the OS rolling out at the end of this month. What's more, he says Adobe's also set to jump the gun, releasing its Creative Suite 3 to coincide with the OS's release. Exactly what inspired this bit of prognostication is unclear, but he assures us that this "powerful one-two punch makes a great deal of sense." Lastly, we have yet another report of a forthcoming flash-based Apple sub-notebook (NAND flash memory, specifically), which is supposedly on track to be released in the second half of this year. The report from American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu further speculates that we'll also "inevitably" see NAND-based iPods and, of course, a widescreen video iPod, although it apparently "won't likely" ship until after the iPhone's launch in June.
Read: 5THIRTYONE, iPhone with Cingular receipt (Rumor likelihood: 20%)
Read: Business Week, Leopard ahead of schedule (Rumor likelihood: 10%)
Read: AppleInsider: NAND-based sub-notebook, iPods (Rumor likelihood: 40%)
