MacRumors

Beginning at 12:30 PDT (3 a.m. EDT) MacRumors forums will be closed due to the current Apple Expo Paris keynote program featuring Phil Schiller. MacRumors is planning to offer live coverage of the event. Forums will reopen for posting directly following the Keynote speech.

Live coverage and discussion will take place on our Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Channel. Those unfamiliar with IRC may download our Mac OS X MRChat1.0.1 client (800k) which will automatically connect you to the proper channel, or use our Java web-based client by joining here.

More advanced IRC channel users may use server: irc.tecknohost.com, channel: #macrumors

Special thanks to MacBidouille.com for fed access to the Keynote.

A patent filed by Apple Computer on August 24, 2004, for an "ornamental design for a display device with a moveable assembly" might shed some light on the design of the new iMac G5. Attached to the patent filing are artist renderings of a dual connection arm similar to the original iMac G4, but doubling the swingarms. Additionally, the base of the machine is a pyramidal shape, in contrast to the dome base of the most recent iMac G4. (Images in forum thread)

FIG. 1 shows a front perspective view of a display device with a moveable assembly attached to a flat panel display and to a pyramidal base, the moveable assembly shown in a first position; and,

FIG. 2 shows a back perspective view of a display device with a moveable assembly attached to a flat panel display and to a pyramidal base, the moveable assembly shown in a second position.

The timing of the filing of the patent in relation to the upcoming Apple Expo Paris might not be a coincidence, since patent approval would not have been made known until today. Also included in the filing are links to the iMac G4 swingarm patent.

With Apple Expo Paris this week, MacRumors provides this Rumor Roundup as a summary of the major rumors circulating around the Mac Web. As always, stay tuned, as last minute leaks and revelations are common. This roundup will cover what's expected to be released, as well as a few 'open' rumors that are still only speculation.

The Event

Apple Expo Paris kicks off August 31, 2004 with Phil Schiller giving the tradition keynote in place of Steve Jobs while he recovers from pancreatic cancer surgery. The speech starts at 10:00 a.m. CET (4 a.m. EDT, 1 a.m. PDT) in Paris at the Palais des Congrs. As far as MacRumors knows, there will be no live webcast of the event, and as of yet no word on a satellite broadcast either. Anyone planning to go to the show and willing to offer live updates from the keynote please contact us.

iMac G5

With Apple pre-announcing the redesign of the iMac to sport a G5, this is the most likely candidate to be released. Think Secret provided specs for 4 different configurations, with a range from an education model 17" screen 1.6 GHz G5 to a 20" screen 1.8 GHz G5. Sources would not confirm specific pricing, but did acknowledge that MSRP will probably fall in the same range as current iMac models -- between US$1,300 and $2,200 - but could venture slightly higher.

With the introduction of the education level iMac, the eMac is possibly going to be retired, representing the last CRT-based Mac. This may still prove to be incorrect, since that would significantly raise the price of the least-expensive desktop Mac option from $799 to around $1300.

Form factor has been a source of recent speculation and there are a few possible spy shots circulating the web. The design is expected to have the motherboard and relevant pieces and parts mounted behind the monitor in a vertical position, moving the guts of the machine off the desktop. Additionally, MacObserver points to the filing of a 'chameleon' patent by Apple suggesting that the body of the machine may be able to change colors to suit the mood of the user.

Teaser advertisements on the Internet for the Apple Expo Paris point to another use of the G5 processor, stating 'A SuperComputer On Your Desk. Next?' These presumably point to the new iMac, but could also lend credence to the rumors of a possible Apple Tablet/Wireless display that was previously patented.

iPod

With the introduction of the 4th generation iPod and the recent unveiling of the 'Apple iPod from HP', it seems unlikely that the iPod will receive any updates in Paris. The unknown factor is Time Magazine's rumors of as-yet undisclosed functionality in the 4G iPod that could offer options such as WiFi, wireless headphones, or Bluetooth compatibility. As of yet, there is no concrete information. Recently Apple Insider noted a job listing at Apple looking for an iPod engineer posessing the protocol skills for these functions, but didn't offer any more proof than that. Additionally, there are reports that certain resellers are awaiting colored versions of the iPod in purple, yellow & orange.

PowerBook G4

Recently a buzz came from news source The Register about Freescale, the processor division spinoff of Motorola, maker of Apple's G4 processor used in the current PowerBooks, iBooks, eMacs, and discontinued flat-panel G4 iMacs. Expected is not only a move to a faster processor, but also a move to a dual core setup, effectively producing the horsepower of a dual-processor system from a single chip. Since G5 processors are already in such short supply due to manufacturing issues at IBM (maker of the PowerPC 970 aka Apple G5), and heat issues play a significant role in the move to a portable, it seems a logical step for Apple to use these new chips until the move to a G5 PowerBook is practical.

Power Mac G5

No updates are expected to the Power Mac line in Paris, but it should be noted that there seem to be availability issues with the 1.8 GHz G5 processors, probably due to their use in the new iMac. Additionally impacting the Power Mac range, the 30" Apple Cinema Display should be shipping in mid-September, although availability of the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra DDL graphics card (required for the large display) has been pushed back to at least October 15th. Additionally, shipments of the 2.5 GHz Power Mac G5 have been slowly emerging, with many orders reportedly being pushed back to mid-September.

iSight Version 2[Updated]

Apple Insider claims Apple is working on a refined version of the iSight video camera capable of supporting higher resolution and frame rates than the current model. MacRumors has received numerous reports from resellers about the 'iSight Ver2' with its own stock number (M8817LL/B). So far, this is the only speculation, with other indications pointing to it simply being the same camera and internals but containing new mounting hardware for the new Apple aluminum displays shown at MWSF 04.

[Update] Think Secret reports that some customers have already received thier new iSight ver 2 and it is the same model as before with the new mounting hardware.

Thanks to an anonymous source, MacRumors has obtained the date of September 5th for availability of the HP branded iPod. Sources state that the HP iPod should differ little from the Apple branded 4th generation iPod. Originally shown by HP's CEO Carly Fiorina, the original plan for the HP iPod was in the 3G model, but after having been informed of the redesign, HP decided to forgo an earlier release and wait for the availability of the 4th generation iPods. Body color is expected to be in 'HP Blue'.

Distribution channels are not clear yet, but the digital jukebox will be available on hpshopping.com on the 5th, with support training for 24/7 support starting on August 30 before launch.

More details should be made available shortly before Apple Expo Paris, starting with Phil Schiller's Keynote speech on August 31st in Steve Job's absence. The new G5 iMac is expected to be released at the Paris expo.

[Update] According to C|net, Carly Fiorina plans to unveil the new HP branded Apple iPod tomorrow (August 27th).

[Update #2] A Webcast of the unveiling is scheduled for tomorrow.
9:40am EDT
HP Digital Experience Launch

10:00am-11:00am EDT
Please join CEO Carly Fiorina, Vyomesh Joshi, EVP of IPG, and Duane Zitzner, EVP of PSG for a webcast of HP's Digital Experience launch in Miami, Florida.

The team will announce new products designed to bring simple and rewarding digital entertainment and photography experiences to consumers.

1:30pm-2:00pm EDT
HP Digital Experience Launch

Friday August 27, 2004

[Update #3] The Apple iPod + HP appears to be nothing more than a standard Apple iPod with a new HP box for reselling. It features the same white casing, Apple logo laser-etched on the back and comes in the same 20 + 40 GB configurations. HP is also offering iPod Tattoos - printable, precut, self-adhesive wraparound stickers to conform to the shape of the iPod.

Apple Insider has made note of an Apple job listing for an iPod engineer. Readers speculate that the inclusion of several key elements may point at a new direction for the iPod.

The iPod group is looking for a Hardware Engineer. This person will be an individual contributor on a top notch team with responsibilities for the design, implementation, and integration of digital and analog electronics.

Experience in the following areas is important: system integration, digital logic, SDRAM, Flash, ASICs, processor selection, ATAPI, various communication protocols (ie: GSM, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, Firewire, and USB), display types and video and analog integration.

While it's not unusual to see job listings for engineers requiring certain skills, this listing marks the first seeking these specific communication protocols in regards to the iPod.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has publicly stated that he feels that video is not in the future of the iPod. However, Time magazine has hinted that the current version of the iPod is a complete rebuild from the ground up, and may contain more bells and whistles than what is currently known.

MacRumors Forums, the discussion board section of MacRumors, has reached a milestone: one million posts. The one millionth post was made by member edesignuk, a long-term member of the forums, at 5:01 EST (6:01 EDT) on Monday, August 23, 2004, in the Community Discussion forum. Congratulations, edesignuk, and congratulations, MacRumors!

MacRumors Forums began when the first members registered in June 2000. There are now over 39,000 registered users, over 85,000 forum threads, and over a million individual posts. The forums cover Apple news and rumors, hardware and software, and other topics of interest to the Macintosh community.

MacRumors would like to take this opportunity to thank the members who participate in the forums and make MacRumors the success it is.

[UPDATE] The corresponding forum avatar contests are now available for voting.
Vote for:
best static avatar

best animated avatar

best 1,000,000 post avatar

Voting is open to everyone. Polls close Friday, August 27, 2004 at Midnight EDT.

According to Think Secret, Apple is set to pull the wraps off of a software update for the iPod Mini which would provide the same functionality as the current big brother click-wheel iPod. The update should include the single-click shuffle function, variable-rate audiobook playback, multiple editable on-the-go playlists, and interface sounds through the headphones. A release date apparently hasn't been set yet, but may appear as early as today.

Apple has chosen to voluntarily recall 28,000 laptop batteries used in the most recent Aluminum-bodied 15" PowerBooks.

In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and other international safety authorities, Apple is voluntarily recalling certain lithium ion rechargeable batteries that were sold worldwide from January 2004 through August 2004 for use with 15-inch PowerBook G4 (Aluminum) notebook computers. These batteries were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea.

Apple has initiated an exchange program and will provide eligible customers with a new replacement battery, free of charge. The recalled batteries have the Model Number: A1045 and serial numbers that begin with: HQ404, HQ405, HQ406, HQ407, or HQ408. Batteries with the affected serial numbers contain cells that were manufactured by LG Chem, Ltd. of South Korea during the last week of December 2003 only.

Directions on how to participate in the recall if you have an affected machine are available on Apple's website.

The Register posted a story today that outlines a previously rumored new G4 chip from Freescale, a wholly-owned division of Motorola. Alongside AMD, both processor companies are expected to debut their new dual-core chips at the Microprocessor Forum this October in San Jose, California. From The Register:

Freescale's dual-core PowerPC is expected to sport an on-board memory controller, this one capable of supporting DDR 2 SDRAM, along with a Gigabit Ethernet controller. It is also expected to use the Rapid IO bus, according to past Motorola pronouncements, though MPX bus support is also anticipated to maintain backward compatibility.

The dual-core PowerPC may also mark the next major leap in Mac notebook G4 processors before Apple gets G5 chips from IBM that are capable of integration into a top-spec portable computer.

According to the MPF schedule, Freescale's dual-core chip will scale beyond 2GHz. The chipmaker's roadmap indicates that the part will be a member of the e600 series. It is also working on a G5-style e700 processor that combines 32-bit and 64-bit operation.

Freescale also has a faster successor to its top-end G4, the MPC 7447A - used in Apple's PowerBook G4 notebooks - in the works.

IBM's dual-core 'Antares' CPU, possibly set to ship as the PowerPC 970MP, will be available around the same time, as will Intel's Smithfield dual-core Pentium 4, it is believed. Neither IBM nor Intel are set to discuss their dual-core plans at MPF, but Intel is likely to reveal more at Intel Developer Forum in early September.

MacObserver details a recent patent filed by Apple on February 6, 2004.

A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a housing having an illuminable portion. The computing device also includes a light device disposed inside the housing. The light device is configured to illuminate the illuminable portion.

It goes on to describe a process in which the computer's housing can change lighting/appearance based on user preferences or on screen content ("In one embodiment, the illumination processing 600 mimics the colors appearing at the regions of the screen display to zones of the housing").

According to Macworld.co.uk, Phil Schiller will be providing the keynote speech at the upcoming Apple Expo Paris on August 31, 2004.

Jobs is taking time off due to his previously mentioned medical condition and is expected to return to work in September.

The new G5 iMac is expected to be released at the Paris expo.

RealNetworks is set to kick off a high-profile digital music marketing campaign, highlighting the new iPod-compatible technology that has swung the company into conflict with Apple Computer. For a limited time, RealNetworks will offer song downloads from its music store for 49 cents, along with half-price albums. The campaign is the second wave of publicity around the company's Harmony technology, which effectively recreated a version of Apple's proprietary copy-protection technology without Apple's permission. That has allowed RealNetworks to be the first non-Apple store that can distribute songs directly compatible with the iPod music player, despite strong protests from Apple itself.

[Update] Following an overwhelming amount of negative comments about RealNetworks, the company has removed the link to the petition from its "Freedom of Music Choice" Web site.

[Update #2] RealNetworks has now posted a new, reworded petition that doesn't allow for comments.

The UK newspaper 'The Register' published a look at a recent Apple patent filing regarding a previously rumored 'wireless display' tablet mac.

The filing, made in May this year but only published this week, covers a "handheld computer" and contains sketches of what look like an iBook screen minus the body of the computer. (sketches in comments thread)

The filing lists Apple CEO Steve Jobs and the company's industrial design chief, Jonathan Ive. It also refers to Daniele De Iuliis, Richard Howarth, Eugene Whang, Matthew Rohrbach, Bart Andre, Calvin Seid and Christopher Stringer all of key members of Apple's industrial design team, with the Power Mac G5, iPod, 17in and 12in PowerBook G4, and others under their belt.

The device is certainly a logical extension of what it's been doing with iTunes and AirPort Express. While its mini wireless access point is good for streaming audio from a host Mac to a hi-fi, it lacks a local control unit. It's tempting to view this latest design filing as the basis for just such a device.

Steve Jobs has publicly gone on record saying that he didn't see the PDA as being a viable option for Apple to persue, and has been blatent about saying the iPod won't be used for viewing video. The introduction of a 'miniMac' may suit both wants, and offer an Airport Express controller in the process.

MacRumors Forums is approaching its one millionth post. To celebrate, we are having an avatar-creating contest. Avatars are the images you see under the names of some MacRumors members who have reached 500 or more posts. They can be created with almost any graphics or image editing program. Even if you don't have 500 posts to display an avatar, you can enter. Winners with less than 500 posts will get avatars.

Winners will be chosen in three categories:
* Best Animated Avatar
* Best Static (non-animated) Avatar
* Best "Million" Avatar (containing a reference to the number 1,000,000)

The moderators will select the finalists. Winners will be chosen using polls, with all members eligible to vote.

Click here for a full list of rules and how to enter. Thanks to all our members and visitors for making MacRumors one of the most participated-in Macintosh based sites on the internet.

[Update] The contest entry period ended at the time of the 1,000,000th MacRumors Forums post, 5:01 EST on Monday, August 23, 2004.