Rampant Speculation Thread WWDC'13

[GWestphal]

I'm really hoping for a 13" Air with Haswell AND Retina. That would make me drop a grand in June/July to replace my 5 year old 32 bit atom netbook.

I assume they will preview 10.9 as well. Power user features and more efficient code rewrites sound good.

Maybe get some rumors on the low budget iPhone and 5S/6 and iPad.

Maybe some buzz on the A7, which hopefully with be ARMv8.

 

[TheStu]

Why would they put a retina display on the Air? That's what the smaller* 13" rPro is for. Also, how would they put in a retina display AND drop the price? The 13" Air already starts for more than $1K.

*The 13" Air & Pro have the same footprint, the 13" rPro has a smaller footprint and is almost as thin as the Air.

As for my own speculation:

Tim Cook said that Mac Pro users were getting something new this year, as this is the Developer conference, I expect that we will see it unveiled there. Along with the announcement that it (and maybe the Mini) are going to be made in the States.

I don't expect to see much more in terms of hardware, but I've been wrong before.

10.9 and iOS 7 will be shown off.

 

[GWestphal]

well either now or in the next year or two every display will be HiDef. Just the way of the world. I'd love more real estate to have multiple documents open side by side.

 

[Eug]

well either now or in the next year or two every display will be HiDef. Just the way of the world. I'd love more real estate to have multiple documents open side by side.

The 13" Air already has an HD screen.

BTW, the purpose of retina isn't really to give you more screen real estate for multiple documents in actual usage. It's really to give you better quality at the same screen real estate.

Think iPhone 3G vs iPhone 4. The screen real estate is actually exactly the same. Text, icons, and other OS elements are all the same size between the two phones, but the iPhone 4 has retina with 4X the resolution.

 

[TheStu]

The 13" Air already has an HD screen.

BTW, the purpose of retina isn't really to give you more screen real estate for multiple documents in actual usage. It's really to give you better quality at the same screen real estate.

Think iPhone 3G vs iPhone 4. The screen real estate is actually exactly the same. Text, icons, and other OS elements are all the same size between the two phones, but the iPhone 4 has retina with 4X the resolution.

Except that on the rMBPs, you have your choice of effective resolutions, that meet or exceed the effective resolutions of their non-retina counterparts. The 15" allows for effective resolutions of 1440*900, 1680*1050 & 1920*1200 and the 13" allows for 1280*800, 1440*900 & 1680*1050.

 

[Joe1986]

Haswell across the line with minor spec bumps

OSX 10.9 and iOS 7, more API access for developers, tighter iCloud integration with 3rd party apps, maybe some Apple sourced apps for the iPad for content creation, (especially after watching Cook's D11 interview, I think MS's tablet ad really got under his skin)



And where in the hell is Apple's phablet? The excuse they have a hard time with one current gen phone is inexcusable with >$100 billion cash, they need a portfolio, a cheap, current gen phone, the 5s, and the iPhablet, damnit. (massive iSigh)

 

[TheStu]

Haswell across the line with minor spec bumps

OSX 10.9 and iOS 7, more API access for developers, tighter iCloud integration with 3rd party apps, maybe some Apple sourced apps for the iPad for content creation, (especially after watching Cook's D11 interview, I think MS's tablet ad really got under his skin)



And where in the hell is Apple's phablet? The excuse they have a hard time with one current gen phone is inexcusable with >$100 billion cash, they need a portfolio, a cheap, current gen phone, the 5s, and the iPhablet, damnit. (massive iSigh)

Why do they need a phablet? Why? What is the benefit of such a device considering how iOS actually works?

 

[purbeast0]

Except that on the rMBPs, you have your choice of effective resolutions, that meet or exceed the effective resolutions of their non-retina counterparts. The 15" allows for effective resolutions of 1440*900, 1680*1050 & 1920*1200 and the 13" allows for 1280*800, 1440*900 & 1680*1050.

yeah i am in the market for a new OSX laptop, and i went to try out some macbooks. i currently use a dell 15" laptop that has a resolution of 1336x786 or something like that. i have to upgrade though because i want to develop mobile apps that require 10.8.3 and my laptop won't work with it.

so i was in the apple store testing out the macbook pros retina 15", same size as my laptop. holy crap the real estate on those is AWESOME compared to what i'm used to. and real estate is HUGE when devving.

right now though i'm leaning towards an HP laptop that is like $500 that runs OSX just fine. it has the same resolution of the laptop that i currently own. but it is like $1100 cheaper than buying a nicer macbook pro retina.

i have pretty much already talked myself out of splurging, but not 100% out of it yet lol.

 

[Eug]

Except that on the rMBPs, you have your choice of effective resolutions, that meet or exceed the effective resolutions of their non-retina counterparts. The 15" allows for effective resolutions of 1440*900, 1680*1050 & 1920*1200 and the 13" allows for 1280*800, 1440*900 & 1680*1050.

True, but the OS is best built for 1440x900 on the 15" MBP non-retina, and 2880x1800 on the retina with OS elements the same size as with 1440x900 on the non-retina. Yes, you can run alternate resolutions, and they do look fairly good, but none of them are native and things like text size become problematic.

I agree though that for some usage, running a non-native resolution on a MBPr is beneficial, but for most I think you're better off running native. OS X isn't built to be resolution independent (despite their multiple attempts to make it resolution independent). And even if you do decide to run non-native on a 13" MBPr, the best compromise IMO for a non-native rez is 1440x900... which is what the Air is anyway.

 

[Joe1986]

Why do they need a phablet? Why? What is the benefit of such a device considering how iOS actually works?

Not sure what you're asking.

Apple makes different sizes/screen resolutions of current gen MacBooks/iPads, and doesn't use the argument of complexity/quality to only offer one size, why are they making that argument for phones?

I understand the complexity of supporting different resolutions from a manufacturer's (software) and from the developers side, or at least have an appreciation for it, but they need to step up their game a bit, and sooner rather than later. Apple's reluctance to make an iPhablet is reaching BlackBerry level hubris, IMHO. Mossberg was pretty blunt with his questioning about the issue, and Cook didn't seem receptive enough to the idea.

 

[TheStu]

Not sure what you're asking.

Apple makes different sizes/screen resolutions of current gen MacBooks/iPads, and doesn't use the argument of complexity/quality to only offer one size, why are they making that argument for phones?

I understand the complexity of supporting different resolutions from a manufacturer's (software) and from the developers side, or at least have an appreciation for it, but they need to step up their game a bit, and sooner rather than later. Apple's reluctance to make an iPhablet is reaching BlackBerry level hubris, IMHO. Mossberg was pretty blunt with his questioning about the issue, and Cook didn't seem receptive enough to the idea.

On the larger Android devices (read: Galaxy Note) there is an additional software layer to allow for multiple apps to be in use at once, which is an added benefit to the larger screen compared to a smaller one, beyond just 'it's bigger'.

That's my point. Why should Apple make a SIGNIFICANTLY larger device when they sell the iPad Mini? Why should they make something that sits in-between the iPhone and the iPad Mini in size and usage?

I get that some people would rather just carry one device, but I would rather see Apple address REAL issues with their devices and ecosystems before they start pumping out a different phone for every conceivable size segment.

 

[Joe1986]

That's my point. Why should Apple make a SIGNIFICANTLY larger device when they sell the iPad Mini? Why should they make something that sits in-between the iPhone and the iPad Mini in size and usage?

Because the Minis isn't pocketable outside of cargo pants, and it's not a phone. The web/apps/etc (outside of music) are mostly a visual experience, I do find the iP5 to be very pocketable, BUT, 5+ inch phones are pocketable as well.

Apple will make an iPhablet, but it'll take another year, and that's another year of Samsung literally owning that portion of the market.

I have an iP5 and a Mini, (and a Note 1, and a Note 2) I'd love to replace them all with an iPhablet.

 

[GWestphal]

I think the S4 is about as big as a "phone" should ever get. Otherwise it's just a small tablet.

 

[gus6464]

Apple has become pretty stagnant on products now that Jobs is gone. I walked into the Apple store the other day and I did not see one single product that made me stop and look twice. At least the Windows Store across from them had some cool products to check out like all their multitude of tablets.

 

[dawks]

I would love to see a Retina Cinema Display.. even at 24". And I'm definitely looking forward to Retina Haswell Macbooks.

 

[TheStu]

I would love to see a Retina Cinema Display.. even at 24". And I'm definitely looking forward to Retina Haswell Macbooks.

Asus just announced a 31" 4k display, so I imagine that they are coming, but the iGPUs aren't quite there yet.

 

[Oyeve]

I would consider an apple device if it had HD retina and touchscreen and came in at 1k. I can dream.

 

[TheStu]

I would consider an apple device if it had HD retina and touchscreen and came in at 1k. I can dream.

Combining HD and retina... that's an interesting confluence of marketing-speak.

 

[joshhedge]

I just hope 10.9 has some neat new feature/refining the UI and improving the graphics drivers. Still get sluggish exposé and launch pad on my rPro.

Looking at the new 700m series by Nvidia I am beginning to regret being an early adopter, those 760M and 765M chips are looking very appealing…

 

[Mixolydian]

As long as there will be a new Mac Pro, I'll be happy. I would buy 2.

 

[JavaMomma]

I want a refresh of the 27" Thunderbolt Monitor.

I'll buy one for at home and get my work to buy me one (two?) for the office. USB3, headphone jack is what I want added.

 

[Essence_of_War]

I think there's a good chance for a
1) A new Mac Pro in a similar chassis with Haswell Xeon and thunderbolt.

I have this sneaking feeling that we're going to see a major push on the display front. It's been almost 2 years since the TBD/CD have been refreshed.

2) A retina TBD/CD at...5120x2880.

 

[TheStu]

I think there's a good chance for a
1) A new Mac Pro in a similar chassis with Haswell Xeon and thunderbolt.

I have this sneaking feeling that we're going to see a major push on the display front. It's been almost 2 years since the TBD/CD have been refreshed.

2) A retina TBD/CD at...5120x2880.

Unless their lowest common denominator laptop GPU (read: whatever is in the MBA 11) can drive it... I don't think it is going to happen. There is also a possible issue with even having DisplayPort drive that... that's an absurdly high res.

 

[Ice_Dragon]

If they update the retina MacBook Pro, I hope the Iris Pro graphics are utilized in one of the models.

 

[boomhower]

On the software side they really need to make some major upgrades to icloud. Other than app syncing and contacts it's usefulness is pretty limited. Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. are killing it.

I am looking forward to the rumored update to iOS, I've only used it for two years and it's already stale to me.