Expected Seybold Announcements

Mac OS 9.0

Mac OS 9.0 beta 6 was seeded well over a week ago, and since then, sources claim the build has quietly shifted into the final candidate stage. New rumor has it that the next-generation system upgrade will hit GM (Golden Master) status by week's end, allowing Steve Jobs to make a surprise announcement that the release will be on store shelves by mid-September.

During his Macworld Keynote Address, Jobs touted the release for a mid- to late-October debut. Apparently, with the release closer to completion than previously expected, Apple has decided to go forth and officially announce and promote the product in September rather than wait until the media event scheduled in November.

This move has nothing to do with a need for additional revenue for the 4th quarter, respected analysts said. An OS upgrade of this caliber can be expected to bring in about $50 to $60 million dollars as pure, additional revenue. It's also expected that Apple will announce that customers who purchase Mac OS 8.5 between now and the Mac OS 9.0 ship date will receive a free upgrade to the new system.

Jobs is also expected to detail Sonata during his presentation.

ColorSync 3.0 & FontSync 1.0

Jobs is expected to highlight ColorSync 3.0, which features support for centralized preferences for all color applications and new scripting features that make the technology all the more versatile.

Like ColorSync, FontSync will enable users to create font profiles that can be saved, exchanged, and transported for precise accuracy when viewing or printing documents. FontSync provides a common method of identifying fonts based upon the content of the font rather than just the name, as a user's document moves across different machines. This technology is marked as high priority for conference highlights.

Mac OS X - AppleScript and PDF

Jobs is also expected to talk about AppleScript, Mac OS X, and the role of PDF as the display technology in their future OS Strategy.

Updated and New Studio Display Flat Panel

Also due up soon is a a revised version of Apple's 15" flat-screen studio display. According to sources, ADB (Apple Desktop Bus) is not present on the Sawtooth logic board and is capped off on the Yosemite revision that would ship as part of the "Yikes!" project, if rumors are true. Either way, rumor has it that Apple has been working on a revised studio display that will use USB in place of ADB for ColorSync support.

Still hovering in the distance is Apple's highly anticipated Apple Cinema Display. Rumored to go by the code name Tonga, the display is said to be fully digital and 18-19". According to sources, most of the rumors around the net about this display are untrue. The display will apparently NOT be an OEM from SGI or a repackaged Artica Display, but rather pure Apple technology. As we mentioned in the past, a rise in LCD prices has been one of the factors holding this display back from the market. The timing of its introduction depends totally on when Apple feels it can meet demand and make a profit on such a display.

New Pro Models

Seybold will mark the introduction of a new set of Professional Power Macintosh units, sources say. Of course this could mean one of three things: G3 Speed Bumps, full-fledged Sawtooth G4 machines, or a Yosemite-based G4 Power Macintosh. Our sources have been hinting at the last possibility for some time now. Much more about these units can be read in our report about the "Yikes" project.

iBook Stats

Steve Jobs' keynote presentation is also said to mark the first iBook pre-sale statistics. The numbers are expected to be much higher than analysts' (and Apple's) predictions from back in July.

Unlikely Announcements

Kihei

Sources report that there will be no mention of Apple's next-generation iMac, code-named Kihei. These units are due for an introduction sometime in the first week of November at an Apple Media Event, sources say.

The Apple Media Player/TV Toaster

Just not gonna happen, folks :)