Next month’s Macworld Expo in New York City is guaranteed to be an interesting one with the promise of Apple’s consumer portable and the possibility of a new iMac. Here’s a few interesting tidbits from a recent News.com article (“Apple portable device may be up next“):
Apple is expected to use the three-day event in New York to unveil its product plans for the coming year, said sources. The company has said in the past that it will refresh its product line annually, and the conference in many ways has become the point around which the Apple calendar turns.
Along with the P1, the company could also tip its hat on a new iMac-like desktop, allegedly code-named the C2 or the Kihei, sources said, which will feature a larger screen and other features.
Such a desktop would likely constitute more than a speed bump in processor speed, predicted Lou Mazzuchelli, an analyst with Gerard Klauer Mattison. It would likely have a “larger screen, better sound,” or even design features that would signal to customers that it is different from current iMacs.
Neither Mazzuchelli nor other sources, however, could confirm that such a desktop exists, or even if the code names are real. In the past year Apple has become one of the more secretive companies in Silicon Valley, and sources largely admit that information about the company’s plans comes second hand. Part of Mazzuchelli’s prediction is based on the assumption that Apple will stick to its plans of invigorating the product line annually. Calls to Apple were not returned.
Despite recent reports of iMac shortages, Mazzuchelli and others state that the supplies are generally healthy. A statement on Apple’s Online Store site states in red letters: “Due to popular demand, new orders for iMacs will not ship until late July.”
Dealers, however, have adequate supply. The shortage at Apple may also indicate that Apple is clearing out its own inventory in anticipation of a new desktop.
The new code-name, “Kihei,” checks out with a recent AppleInsider/Mac OS Rumors report (“Apple’s Consumer Portable Plans Remain Intact, iMacs May Slip“). Their report, however, notes that the next revision of iMacs may slip towards an announcement in the Fall. With less than four weeks to go, there’s still plenty of time left for surprises and a little whip-cracking by Steve Jobs. As always, our mailboxes are open twenty-four/seven.
