TUAW Predicts! The October 14th notebook event

With the October 14th Apple Notebook Event just around the corner, the TUAW blogger squad decided it was time to look into our iCrystalBalls and make a SWAG predictions about what laptop goodness will be announced by the Cupertino Kids on Tuesday. To make this extra crunchy, we're not only posting our best guesses as to what will actually be announced, but what Steve J. will announce as "one more thing". Steve Sande Best Guess -- The entire MacBook line will be made of aluminum, and the 15" and 17" models will get slightly faster processors and more installed RAM. If that's the only announcement, expect Apple's stock to dive even further than it has during the recent stock market freefall. One More Thing -- The iTablet. Netbooks are selling like hotcakes, so Apple will get in on the action by coming out with a 9" tablet with a virtual keyboard and multi-touch support. Since it is all display and no keyboard, it will weigh less than two pounds. Think of an über-iPhone. Victor Agreda, Jr. Best Guess -- Ditto what Steve said, except I think a drop in price will happen in light of tough economic times. Despite what some analysts may babble about, Apple is interested in the long game, and that means building more market share. To stay in the game they have to get more price competitive on the low end. One More Thing -- Again, I agree with Steve, although I wouldn't call this a tablet. More like a mini-Air with a decent keyboard (Apple has long been in favor of keeping decent-sized keyboards on smaller laptops) and touchscreen up top. I think the form factor will be something clever and surprising. If it appears at all, of course. Robert Palmer I think we'll see higher-end MacBook enclosures made of aluminum, and a sub-$1,000 model still made from white plastic. There's a part of me that says they won't ditch plastic altogether, because of the style factor: I bet there will be some people who still want a black MacBook. Hey, maybe there will be a black aluminum MacBook. Classy. One More Thing -- I'm still bearish on the iTablet. I think Apple has too much invested in the iPhone as a mobile platform to try and dilute it with another form factor with a different screen size. If it's a Mac, I'm not a fan of jury-rigging traditionally mouse-driven operating systems for styluses. Personally, I just don't think there will be "one more thing." He hasn't done that in a while, especially at "themed" events (like the music event last month). Michael Rose I'm also fairly well convinced that the $800 MacBook (dare we call it the MacBook Jr.?) is inbound on Tuesday, although I'm not sure that the manufacturing rumors are completely on target. The mutterings about a mystery port on the new MacBook -- and a dockability patent from years past -- are starting to sound credible too. One More Thing: I would love to see a BTO touchscreen option... and maybe a technology preview of an iTablet for delivery later in 2009. Mike Schramm New MacBooks are a given -- the Nvidia rumor sounds credible to me, not to mention that it's just what would push me to finally replace my old G4 Powerbook (though I'll miss my little 12" screen). "One more thing" seems like it's trending towards an AppleTV upgrade -- we've got HD content on the iTunes store, so it's time to have a set-top box that's fitting to play that content on. I'm hearing lots of Mac mini rumors as well, but I wonder if Apple will ever upgrade the mini -- it's small, it sells as-is, why break what's not broken? Of course, as Victor mentioned in an email, "Whatever happens, AAPL will drop 10% because iUnicorn wasn't announced..." Think we're out of our minds? Let's hear your prediction in the comment section!Permalink | Email this | Comments

Citigroup and Lehman up Apple predictions

Section: Apple, iPhone + Communications, iPhoneAfter the announcement of the 3G iPhone and subsequent price drop to $199, predictions for AAPL are looking up. Rich Gardner for Citigroup increased his predicted price point for AAPL to $287, up from $248.  “We remain aggressive buyers of Apple shares at current levels. Apple’s decision to move from a revenue share model to a traditional subsidy model for the 3G iPhone is a significant positive because Apple receives iPhone-related cash flow sooner.” Gardner also increased his 2009 profits by $1.5 billion, bringing his original estimate of $7.4 billion up to a sizable $8.9 billion. He upped his 2010 profits as well, albeit by less, bringing his estimates up to $10.2 billion from $9.3 billion. In more AAPL predictions news, the Lehman Group’s Ben Reitzes brought his prediction up $32, bringing it in at $243 from $202. Also included in the Lehman prediction was the thought that Apple will sell 27.3 million iPhones by the end of the 2009 fiscal year. These predictions are only two of a slew of increased predictions, with Needham saying that the demand for iPhones will be quadrupled by the end of 2008, and analysts from CSLA Emerging Markets predicting a huge 18 million phones sold by the end of 2008. Will Apple be able to meet these heightened demands? Will the analysts be right? For Steve’s sake, lets hope so. Via [AppleInsider] Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

So Hot Right Now: Top 10 Appletell posts for the week of October 05, 2008

Section: Haven’t caught all of the Appletell news this week?  Here’s your chance to catch up on this week’s top 10 articles! New MacBooks to have Nvidia Nside“If TUAW’s sources are to be believed, then the MacBooks coming from Apple may just have Nvidia graphic chips in them.  Their source claims that not only will Apple put an Nvidia chip in the new MacBooks, but…” MORE »And the “Brick” is…a manufacturing process?!“ 9to5Mac has been teasing for about a year in internet time about the rumored ”Brick” codename, and today they came out and told us what it is...a manufacturing process. Now, if you are like me, you’re pretty crazy disappointed,…” MORE »Google’s Street View to be included in iPhone firmware 2.2“MacRumors has gotten word that the newest version of the beta for iPhone firmware 2.2 contains more than just bug fixes. The update was marked as “compatibility testing,” and we’re finally…” MORE »Appletell review: Guitarist for iPhone/iPod touch“ Genre: Guitar sim Developer: Moo Cow Music File Size: 56.5MB Version Reviewed: 1.1 Requirements: iPhone 2.1 software Compatibility: iPhone and iPod touch Price: $2.99 Guitarist…” MORE »Leaked MacBook, MacBook Pro images real; $800 laptop?“ AppleInsider is saying that a source confirms the leaked MacBook Pro casing images as real, as well as the newly leaked MacBook casing images. Meanwhile, The Inquisitr claims to have seen a price sheet for the new MacBook/Pro line…” MORE »Appletell preview: Boxee for Mac Alpha“Boxee is a new application for the Mac that is much like Front Row, only better—in theory. It is an open source effort, meaning that plug-ins can be added and it can be modified by others besides the developers. It is currently in…” MORE »SEC investigating Steve Jobs heart attack story as stock manipulation“Late last week, a false report that Steve Jobs had been rushed to the hospital following a heart attack sent lemming investors to sell AAPL, driving the stock price down to $97.07, its lowest since before the original iPhone release. …” MORE »Leaked image of MacBook Pro?“ Today on the MacRumors forums, a user posted this image that could be the case for the new MacBook Pro.  As you can see, this goes along with the current aluminum…” MORE »Macintosh/iPhone software update round-up - October 7, 2008“Macintosh and iPhone software updates and announcements for October 7, 2008:  Rainmaker Research, Inc. has announced Spell Catcher X version 10.3, a major new release of the industry’s most advanced collection of…” MORE »Guy Kawasaki on the iPhone: “Let it be open.”“Guy Kawasaki, the original Apple Evangelist, columnist for Macworld and current tech entrepreneur has some simple advice for Apple on the iPhone: open up the development process.  His point is that Apple doesn’t need to exert a huge amount of…” MORE » Full Story » | Written by NEWS for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple sales staff steer clients to MacBooks

JMP Securities analyst Samuel Wilson is reporting that Apple sale representatives are steering customers from MacBook Pros to MacBooks. Barron's Tech Trader Daily is reporting that Wilson's survey of 30 stores (20 Apple stores and 10 Best Buys) found most of the sales force steering customers to the MacBook, away from the more expensive MacBook Pro, calling the Pro a designer's laptop. Wilson said...

Apple to Post Q2 Earnings on Wednesday

Section: Apple, Apple News, Conferences, Originals After a rather dismal first part of the calendar year, with AAPL shedding over $80 at its worst, things are looking very up for Apple, with many analysts reversing their downgrading of stock estimates for the company. RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky raised his target price to $190 a share, Goldman Sachs analyst David Bailey raised his call on AAPL from $175 to $185. Citigroup set a $212 price target. Thomas Weisel Partners raised their call to $195, all in the past week. The consensus seems to be that while iPod/iPhone sales are slower, Mac sales haven’t been better and will boost the company to yet another successful quarter. On Wednesday, Apple will broadcast it’s 2nd Quarter 2008 Result Conference Call on the web. Last time they had a conference call, they had a record breaking quarter but all anyone could focus on was the fact that iPod sales weren’t fantastic, but rather steady year over year. This sent the stock into a downturn. MacRumors compiled a little list of all that has happened this quarter: On the Mac front, the early portion of this quarter saw the release of upgraded Mac Pros and Xserves just prior to Macworld San Francisco, with the new MacBook Air following suit at the expo. New Penryn-based MacBook Pros and MacBooks followed at the end of February. This quarter also saw the release of Time Capsule, revitalized AppleTV and AirPort Express offerings, and higher-capacity models of the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPod shuffle. Also of note, Apple released a limited beta version of the iPhone 2.0 software, including a Software Development Kit (SDK) to allow developers to create third-party applications for the iPhone. Listen into the call this Wednesday [Apple.com] Full Story » | Written by Adam Fisher-Cox for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Palm unveils new Treo in shadow of iPhone debut (Reuters)

Reuters - Palm Inc on Monday introduced a new high-end Treo mobile phone, hoping to challenge the BlackBerry's dominance with business users, but its debut fell in the shadow of the launch of Apple Inc's debut of its less pricey new iPhone which sold more than 1 million units over the weekend.