Citing "very reliable sources," Jim Dalrymple of The Loop said that an Apple TV upgrade will not be unveiled at Apple's event scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9. That contradicts a prediction made Tuesday by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who noted that limited availability of the 40GB Apple TV model could signal a new hardware model, or perhaps a lower price point.
Munster also predicted that Steve Jobs will deliver the keynote at next week's event. However, competing analyst Shaw Wu with Kaufman Bros. said he does not expect the Apple co-founder to appear.
Sources of both The Loop and AppleInsider have stated that Apple's long-rumored tablet device will also not make an appearance Sept. 9. That product is expected to debut in early 2010.
Echoing a famous Rolling Stones lyric, the invitation for Apple's keynote reads "It's only rock and roll, but we like it." Combined with what his reportedly reliable sources told him, Dalrymple expects next week's keynote to focus on iPods. It is widely expected that the iPod nano and iPod touch will be equipped with cameras, and possibly the iPod classic as well.
Apple could also possibly release iTunes 9, a software update that is rumored to have social media integration, and possible Blu-ray support.
43 Comments
Shame, but maybe they're waiting for the PA Semi über-ARM system-on-chip before they release it (as I think an ARM SoC is the most cost-efficient way forward for the AppleTV, if it has sufficient video decode capability - hopefully 45mbps H.264 for an add-on BluRay drive).
iTunes 9 is a certainty. Hopefully it will also be 64-bit on Snow Leopard.
Three analysts, four viewpoints. So, what else is new?
I guess you folks get to keep your hotplates for now.
BTW, anyone with an aTV run XBMC or Boxee on it? How well does that work?
Three analysts, four viewpoints. So, what else is new?
I guess Apple is only going to talk about iPods/iTunes, Crunch!
Bummer. I was hopeful
BTW, anyone with an aTV run XBMC or Boxee on it? How well does that work?
I use Boxee all the time. I'd use it even more if the TV had beefy enough to play HD content (other than h.264-encoded). For now I use it for playing back DivX (480p) content as well as various online content (Hulu, CBS, and last.fm primarily). Without Boxee, the AppleTV is the best investment and most used device in my entertainment system. Adding Boxee makes it even better.
But keep in mind, I rarely watch broadcast television. If I were a channel surfer, I might find it less useful.