MacRumors

At Macworld San Francisco 2006, Steve Jobs showed a new television advertisement for the new Intel Macs.

http://www.apple.com/intel/ads/

"The Intel chip: for years, its been trapped inside PCs, inside dull little boxes, dutifully performing dull little tasks, when it could have been doing so much more. Starting today, the Intel chip wlll be set free and get to live life inside a Mac. Imagine the possibilities."

Be sure to read todays MacRumors stories for all the updates that came at Macworld.

Apple has posted their Quicktime stream of today's Macworld San Francisco 2006 Keynote address.

Apple introduced a number of new products: MacBook Pro, Intel iMac, iWork '06, iLife '06 and iWeb, and an iPod FM Tuner.

MacRumors.com successfully covered the live event with our live update system. The event was webcast from MacRumors with live text updates as well as IRC updates. A full run-down of the stats will be posted as they are analyzed. A transcript of the event can be read here.

Apple has released the fastest notebook ever, dubbed the MacBook Pro, featuring an Intel Core Duo processor. Features of the new portable include a built-in iSight camera, IR Sensor, Apple Remote, ATI Radeon x1600 video processor, and a new, innovative magnetic power plug. The new MacBook Pro is available in two configurations:

1.67 Core Duo - $1999
Ships: February
15.4-inch TFT display with 1440x900 resolution
1.67GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2MB shared L2 Cache
667MHz frontside bus
512MB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
80GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 128MB GDDR3 memory
iLife 06

1.83 Core Duo - $2499
Ships: February
15.4-inch TFT display with 1440x900 resolution
1.83GHz Intel Core Duo processor with 2MB shared L2 Cache
667MHz frontside bus
1GB (single SO-DIMM) 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM (PC2-5300)
100GB 5400rpm Serial ATA hard drive
Slot-load SuperDrive (DVDRW/CD-RW)
ATI Mobility Radeon X1600 with 256MB GDDR3 memory
iLife 06

MacBook Pro also features a full-size backlit keyboard, AirPort Extreme wireless networking (802.11b/g), Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, ExpressCard/34 slot, dual-link DVI video out, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 2.0, FireWire 400, and optical digital and analog audio in/out.

The MacBook Pro is available for preorder at Apple Store (U.K here).

Raw transcript of the Macworld San Francisco Keynote is available here

Apple announced their first Intel Macs today. The new Apple iMac which was recently updated has now been revised to use the Intel Processor.

The new Intel Apple iMac shares the same specs as the unit it replaces, but now houses an Intel Core Duo processor. According to Apple, the new iMac is 2x faster than the iMac it replaces.

- Up to 2.0GHz intel Core Duo
- Mighty Mouse
- 17" and 20"
- ATI Radeon X1600
- iSight Built in
- Front Row and Apple Remote

The Intel iMac is available today at Apple Store (U.K. here).

Raw transcript of the Macworld San Francisco Keynote is available here

Steve Jobs released the newest version of the iWork suite, which includes updated versions of both Pages & Keynote. iWork 06 is available immediately for $79, with a family pack price for up to 5 users of only $99.

New in Both Pages 2 and Keynote 3
- Perform basic spreadsheet-like calculations and formatting in tables.
- Display your data in beautiful three-dimensional charts with life-like textures.
- Add stars, polygons or draw freeform custom shapes with Bzier curves in any document or presentation.
- Mask photos and images with any shape.
- Adjust photos just like youd adjust them in iPhoto.
- Add comment stickies to any document or presentation to capture to-dos or reminders.

Pages 2
- Start with any one of 66 templates, including 27 new designs.
- Import documents created with AppleWorks or Microsoft Word from both PC and Mac.
- Export as a cross-platform PDF, Word, HTML, RTF or text-only file.
- Build form letters with drag-and-drop simplicity using your Address Book.

Keynote 3
- Choose from 32 themes, including new HD themes up to 1920x1080 pixels.
- Add gorgeous cinematic transitions, animations, slide builds and more.
- Import presentations created with AppleWorks or Microsoft PowerPoint on from both PC and Mac.
- Export your presentation to PowerPoint, or to iDVD or iPhoto.
- See all your slides at a glance in Light table view and easily reorganize them.

Raw transcript of the Macworld San Francisco Keynote is available here

Steve Jobs released the newest version of the iLife suite, which now includes 6 applications. iLife 06 is available today from the online apple store for $79. Additionally, a family pack is available for up to 5 users for $99.

iLife 06 will be included with the purchase of all new Macs.

iPhoto
One click effects - sepia, b&w,
New cards, calendars & books
hard and softcover books
better quality
Photocasting - podcasting for photos
integrates with .Mac
password protected, subscribable with RSS feeds

iMovie HD
Animated themes for movies
real time effects
new audio tools
more than one project open at once
export to iPod
create Video Podcasts

iDVD
Widescreen menus
Magic iDVD
choose theme, drop in movies & photos & select theme
3rd party burner support

Garageband
New Podcast studio
Podcast artwork track
Over 200 free jingles & effects
Speech enhancer
Use iChat for remote interviews
New Jampack - World Music

iTunes
no mentioned changes from current version (6.0.1)

iWeb (New)
Apple web templates
iLife media browser
Online AJAX photo slideshows
One-click publish to .Mac
Podcast publishing

Raw transcript of the Macworld San Francisco Keynote is available here

Apple announced an iPod FM Receiver and Remote today at Macworld San Francisco 2006.

The new Remote is priced at $49 and allows users to tune FM radio stations through a new on-screen interface on the iPod.

The new remote works with the iPod nano and 5G iPod.

Raw transcript of the Macworld San Francisco Keynote is available here

The 2006 Macworld Expo Keynote will begin at 9am Pacific / 12noon Eastern. Steve Jobs will be giving the Keynote address.

We will provide live web and IRC coverage

Web: MacRumors.com - our front page will redirect to updates when the time comes.

IRC Server: irc.macrumorslive.com
channel #macrumors - moderated channel for updates only
channel #macrumorschat - open to discussion
Update: Photos from MWSF - waiting in line photo1, photo2

Kevin Rose posted on his blog last minute claims of what will be coming at Macworld San Francisco.

This includes a "15" Intel Macbook" which ships in February, an iPod FM receiver, iWork/iLife '06, New Remote, Photocasting via iPhoto and OS X 10.4.4 with new Widgets.

He claims to have had accurate information in the past, and also that these will be the new products released from Apple at Macworld.

Kevin Rose was co-host of The Screen Savers on Tech TV and later started Digg.com.

TUAW.com posts that the iTunes Music Store has been refreshed to offer a number of new items including Saturday Night Live episodes.

A few sketch collections by year are available as well as a number of Best of's including Christopher Walken, Adam Sandler, and Glida Radner to name a few.

The Best of's will set you back $1.99 each while the sketch collections go for $9.99.

More information about new releases from Apple as it comes.

[ Update ] The Pussycat Dolls have what's being billed as a Vingle for sale from the iTMS as well, with pricing set at $2.49 US. Apple trademarked the term "vingle" in October 2005 and it was previously rumored to relate to a video single.

[ correction ]
Sketches go for $1.99 (as usual)
The parody 'album' sells for $9.99
The other two sketch collections sell for $14.99
and the best of videos sell for $11.99

The rumors and speculation continue to build pre-Macworld with a flurry of articles about what Apple could introduce tomorrow.

Our own rumor roundup summarizes the major rumors to date. Since its publication, of course, the Mac Plasma rumor has since emerged, sparking a heated discussion. Jason O'Grady is standing by this rumor as well as adding additional claims.

MacRumors will provide live coverage of the MacWorld keynote at https://www.macrumors.com which also displays a minute-by-minute countdown until the event.

Stay tuned for any last minute revelations.

Some Exterior Photos from MWSF.
Update: Apple-X posts photos (mirror) from vendors setting up at MWSF. The obligatory black curtains are represented as well.
Update 2: Readers note that they are unable to purchase songs at this time from iTunes. "Temporarily unavailable".
reupdate - song purchases seem to be fixed now
Update 3: Front Row Trailers are reportedly also unavailable at this time for some users.

Adobe has announced a new product called Lightroom. Adobe Lightroom offers a tool for professional photographers to import, select, develop and showcase large volumes of digital images.

The software is presently released as a public beta and will expire at the end of June 2006 and is available for download now.

Interestingly, the beta is only available for the Mac at this time.

Adobe Lightroom Beta requires Mac OS X version 10.4.3 (Tiger) or higher, a 1GHz or faster PowerPC G4 or G5 processor (including iBook G4 or PowerBook G4), and 768 MB of RAM (although more is recommended), and 1 GB or more of free hard drive space. Windows requirements will be announced when that version is ready.

MacCentral has some early notes on Lightroom and offers some comparisons with Aperture -- Apple's professional photography tool which was announced in October.

Readers report that Apple's .Mac service will be undergoing scheduled maintenance during the Macworld Keynote speech, spawning speculation that .Mac updates are in the works:

Mac will be undergoing scheduled maintenance from 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM PST on 1/10/06. All .Mac services will be affected. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Previous rumors had suggested that Apple was revamping its content delivery system to offer feature-length content. Rumors pointed towards the use of .Mac storage for delivery of these products.

PowerPage.org posts an unusual report claiming that Apple would be releasing 42inch and 50inch Plasma Displays at Macworld San Francisco.

That possibility alone would be quite unusual for Apple, but the report describes that the new plasma displays will be powered by Intel's recently announced Viiv multimedia platform running Mac OS X 10.4.4 for x86 (Intel).

Prices for the displays/computers are reportedly $2599 and $3299.

The report is unusual in that it is written as a story, presumably to hide the source of the information. Of note, ThinkSecret has recently suggested that Apple will be releasing a larger than 30" Cinema Display.

Current Apple Cinema Displays rely on LCD technology -- not Plasma. However, throughout the industry, 42" is typically where the Plasma sets start, while LCD's become significantly more expensive at these larger sizes.

Meanwhile, there have been ongoing reports of a Viiv-Apple connection.

With Macworld San Francisco (MWSF) quickly approaching, the Mac rumor scene has been buzzing with rumors and reports. As usual, MacRumors provides this Rumor Roundup as a summary of major rumors circulating around the Mac Web before the big event. In last year's roundup we discussed Flash Based iPods (-> iPod Shuffle), New Apple Apps (-> iWork), and a $499 Headless iMac (-> Mac mini) during the pre-show roundup.

Intel Macs

The big news this year was, of course, Apple's announcement that the Macintosh will be moving to Intel processors. Understandably all eyes are on this possibility at this year's Macworld, despite official promises that the first Intel Macs would be shipping by mid 2006.

Interestingly, the first rumors and speculation about the Intel Macs came from Intel's processor roadmap. Immediately following the announcement, MacCentral sources pointed to Intel's upcoming low-power dual core Yonah processor as the likely candidate for the first of the Intel Macs.

First actual hints at a timeframe came in November with an early report from Appleinsider that the first Intel Macs would be appearing "much sooner" than mid 2006.

There has since been a flurry of disjointed rumors about various Intel Mac models appearing in January -- Mac mini (Forbes), iMac (Appleinsider), iBook (ThinkSecret).

Amongst them, however, ThinkSecret appeared most confident with a report from "reliable sources" that Apple is planning on introducing both Intel iBooks and Mac minis at MWSF 2006.

The new iBook is expected to be a widescreen model with a 13.3" screen 1280x720 screen. This correlates with an earlier report from Appleinsider noting a similar 13" widescreen look to the upcoming iBooks. And indeed our Buyers Guide shows that the iBooks have had the longest lead time since their last update.

Meanwhile, the Mac mini is expected to evolve into a digital media hub with support for DVR, an iPod Dock as well as an updated Front Row media application. We've also received hints that Apple is planning on adopting Intel's Viiv platform which promises to help provide much this functionality.

iPod

With back to back releases of the iPod nano and the 5G iPod before the 2005 shopping season, there are few expectations for updated iPods in January.

Only the iPod shuffles are expected to be updated, but with few details on the changes.

iLife '06

Apple typically updates their iLife suite of applications each year at Macworld San Francisco. This year appears to be no different after a small mistake on Apple's website Thursday morning. Apple's site revealed links to iLife '06 as well as a new application called iWeb.

There's been very little information about upcoming iApps from Apple this rumor season, but Appleinsider claims that the new application will be a Web design application with "easy drag-and-drop capability for a variety of Web-optimized content and media types."

Other?
There has been surprisingly little buzz about brand new products from Apple. One potentially interesting rumor of an Airport Express for Video appeared in early October and was coupled to an accurate report of the 5G iPod. Though no further rumors about this product have since surfaced, it would fit in conveniently with a media center Mac mini.

Finally, Appleinsider also reported that Apple is planning new iPod "companion" products -- one of which will be an iPod Boombox unlike "anything Apple has released in the past".

Coverage

Apple will not be providing a live Quicktime stream of the event. Instead a replay will be posted following the keynote address. MacRumors.com will be providing live coverage if at all possible.

In the meantime, you can read an insiders perspective on Steve Jobs' lead up to the keynote and all the preparation required:

Steve starts his preparation for a keynote weeks in advance, reviewing all the products and technologies he might include.