The new Mac mini debuted yesterday — and, quite impressively, I might add. The MacBook and MacBook Pro lines have been updated. The iPhone 4 has been unveiled. Safari has been revved to version 5 and iOS (the operating system formerly known as iPhone OS) has seen some big changes. So what else can we expect from Apple in the near future?
I think we’ll see new Mac Pros and a 27-inch Cinema Display before summer’s end. Probably a new MacBook Air, as well, though I still wouldn’t bet on its long-term future with the iPad around. The iPod line-up will probably also be tweaked before the start of the next school term.
I do think iTunes.com, the web-based version of iTunes, is coming. And I’m among those who think the Apple TV is going to get a new, very exciting overhaul, this year. But I don’t expect either of these until this fall. Though I hope I’m wrong on the Apple TV update; sooner would be better.
I think we’ll see new versions of iLife and iWork this year, though it could be early 2011 before they’re updated. As for that Verizon iPhone, sadly, it seems it, too, won’t arrive in 2010.
Speaking of iWork, I wonder if Keynote will be getting any HTML 5 export options? There’s currently a limited HTML export option. However, one that can translate a good portion of the presentation’s transitions and other features to an HTML 5 release would be a great help in making nice web animations — furthering Apple’s apparent goal of killing Flash.
As for the iMac, it’s been about eight months since it saw any major changes. I think Apple’s best-selling desktop will be see some major changes soon, as well. But that’s a story for another day.
— Dennis Sellers