For all its success with the iOS products, Apple has certainly been a bit lacking in the Mac and software department of late. We still have a Macbook Air that just isn’t perfect, Final Cut Pro may never be finished and it’s been a long time since iLife was updated. We know about the iPhone on Verizon thing, iOS 4.3 and the obvious upgrade of the iPad to retina displays (I hope!). So what will we see at Back To The Mac next week? Here are a few predictions.
1. iLife ’11
No way Apple bothers with the 2010 moniker this late in the game. I bet that iLife is discussed, but not released until January ’11. I agree with 9to5Mac’s call that iDVD may be dropped, and I think Lala will somehow be integrated with Ping. Or maybe I’m just hoping. Would be really cool for iMovie to allow a preview and editing window, but I doubt it.
2. New Macbook Air
Yes, I know an 11.6″ Macbook Air is a duh move, but I’m really looking forward to rumors that it will be offered with SSD memory only. Please, please god don’t let them shrink the keyboard.
3. Mac OS 10.7
Lion! They’re going to call it Lion! 64-bit everything with this puppy. Hopefully we’ll also see compatibility for thew newest SSD drives (trim) so Macs can once again be at the top of the heap when it comes to overall hardware and build quality.
4. CD drives on Macbooks and 13″ Macbook Pros are numbered
If (well, once) the Macbook Air becomes sufficiently powerful, the 13″ series is a goner. This isn’t something I’m looking forward to, but it would make sense according to Apple’s need to push the technology envelope. Seeing as they killed the floppy drive in 1999, it would make sense to kill all optical media over ten years later, ESPECIALLY if they integrate Lala into iTunes, making local audio/video storage less of an issue.
5. Steve Jobs names his successor
And it’s going to be me. Ha! Kidding. But seriously, it’s time. He’s conquered the smartphone, table and is the innovation leader (that may be a stretch) in the hardware market and the guy isn’t getting any younger. I bet that he will at least hint as to whom will take over the reins as one of the most loved and despised people in the world.
What do you hope or expect to see at Back To The Mac next week?
