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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%)
Rumor: Apple prepping ultra-thin MacBook Pro
MacScoop, aka MacOSXRumors, claims to have reliable sources confirming that Apple is in the final development stages for an ultra-thin 12-inch MacBook Pro sub-notebook. Details are sketchy, as they tend to be with these kinds of rumors, but here's what you can get your hopes up about:The new portable would be, as the term "ultra-thin" implies, lighter and thinner than the current MacBook Pros, but will still have all the frills you've come to expect from a rumor. like a dual-core CPU, widescreen aspect ratio and a built-in SuperDrive. The price tag is undefined, but allegedly well-informed people say the Apple sub-notebook would be priced around $1700-$1800 and you can expect to see it in stores sometime between now and, oh let's say... the year 2099.While I might be the first in line to buy such an animal, should it ever come to fruition, there is simply nothing in this "report" that makes it a viable rumor, in my opinion, other than the fact that it's a given that Apple is constantly striving to do new things and is always developing new products, some of which actually make it to market. It's perfectly logical to think that Apple might want to trim some fat from their notebook lineup. The technology circle of life is almost always "make it faster, smaller, lighter, cheaper - and sooner, rather than later." Why confuse matters by turning that inevitability into a top-secret rumor? This just smacks of publicity-seeking wishful thinking to me. And there aren't even any fancy Photoshop mockups to go with it! Shame on me for even mentioning it...
