RUMOR: Apple to hold special media event in late March, early April

28 Comments

“Apple Computer plans to draw analysts and members of the media to the west coast this Spring for yet another special media event,” Kasper Jade and Katie Marsal report for AppleInsider. “True to industry-wide speculation, the event is expected to fall around the iPod maker’s 30th anniversary, which takes place on April 1, 2006. However, Apple is considering holding the event immediately before or after the 1st — not on that date — because it falls on a Saturday, people familiar with some of the company’s plans have said. As has been the case in the past, Apple is expected to use the event to spotlight some of its latest innovations and products in both the personal computer and digital media market segments, those same people said.”

“While the company’s precise plans are shrouded in secrecy as usual, sources are almost certain the event will play host to a new line of 13-inch widescreen consumer iBook notebooks based on Intel microprocessors… It’s critical that Apple introduce its new line of consumer iBook notebooks by the end of next month if it hopes to capitalize on the educational buying season, analysts have said… Additional announcements such as a high-end 17-inch MacBook Pro and a high-profile iPod-related product may also be in the cards,” Jade and Marsal report. “In contrast to the most recent Apple media event, which dished out ‘medium sized’ products and was deemed lackluster by a number of analysts and members of the press, the Spring event is expected to give way to ‘larger’ product introductions that should have a more material impact on the company’s results. According to a recent series of checks, Apple is believed to be considering March 28th and April 4th as two possible dates for the event.”

More in the full article here.

[UPDATE: 11:45pm EST: Revised headline to read “RUMOR” instead of “Report.”]

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28 Comments

  8. “New intel pro Desktop Mac!…”

    No. Those will be announced at WWDC or Apple expo Paris. Intel’s latest chips (Conroe & Woodcrest) aren’t available yet.

    “And let’s not forget the UB versions of apples’ pro apps!”

    This isn’t important enough to warrant a special event. UB versions of the apps will quietly appear, just like Logic did.

    Reply

  9. Everyone seems surprised by all these media announcements but I seem to recall Steve Jobs saying that we should look out for something EVERY month in his last keynote speech. He seems to be falling into plan with this so far.

    On another note did the lack of iBook announcement mean that he has missed the new school term buying option?

    Reply

  10. Boy, these reporters for Appleinsider are really astute.

    How do they get such confidential info?

    Maybe they just listened to Steve. The last words he said at the recent Mac Mimi rollout were:

    “Thanks for coming, and we’ll see you real soon.”

    Wow, that was hard to divine.

    Reply

  12. Isn’t someone actually ashamed of this non report, sorry rumor? Since January there has been an at least 80% chance of an event around April 1. The recent event only furthered that likelyhooh by its luckluster nature. The only way one won’t occur is if Steve Jobs is purposely taking the ‘P’ out of the technical press, come rumor mongers. There is no information in this report (sorry done it again, rumor) that anything more is known about such an event and trying to use it as some sort of statement of inside knowledge is really embarrasing now. Judging by the apologetic nature of the piece I think even the writer knows that. If and when there is actually new substantiated reports (or even rumor) then let us know.

    Reply

  21. Good for Apple. Don’t publish the exact date until its close to that time. This way, microsoft has less time to stage their own media event.

    (I also think the year end CES has been moved purposly to overlap with Apple’s MWSF.)

    Reply

  22. Oh Christ, not again. Am I the only one to find this continual around of “media events” and their associated rumours somewhat tiresome? Apple are in danger of overdoing this as a marketing ploy. Once or twice a year, OK, but every month?

    Reply

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