For all the hype and hullabaloo, just imagine if Steve Jobs rolls up in San Francisco next week and doesn’t unveil the fabled iTablet. Then what? Well, if the gossip in our ultimate rumour guide turns out to be off colour, just what other goodies could Apple have lined up to woo us with? Here’s our pick of the 10 alternatives to the iSlate.
iPhone OS 4.0
Well-placed rumours say iPhone OS 4.0 could get an airing on 27 January, alongside an Apple Tablet. The new look UI is said to bring multitouch across the entire platform, as well as rejigged innards that one gossip hound says will make current and next-gen iPhones the most powerful smarties on the planet. If an iTablet exists and uses the iPhone’s OS, now is the time to see the new software in action.
EP rating: 7/10
iPhone 4G
So if the software’s good-to-go, then how about showing off the new blower too. Rumours are gathering pace surrounding Apple’s plans to show off the iPhone 4G as early as next week, creating hype, original iPhone stylee, before a release later this year. It would certainly poop on everyone’s parade ahead of Mobile World Congress and leave its rivals livid.
EP rating: 6/10
Apple tablet: the ultimate rumour guide
iTunes streaming serviceChatter about an iTunes.com streaming service, backed by Jobs’ acquisition of Lala, has been rife for months. But unleashing it now would make sense, especially with Spotify stalling on its release over in the US. An all-you-can eat service from the planet’s foremost download flogger will fly whenever it launches. Will it be outed next week? Fingers crossed eh?
EP rating: 5/10
iLife 2010
We’re closing in on a year since the last incarnation of iLife rolled up on Macs everywhere. So how about a refresh? If an Apple Tablet does surface, it’s the ideal opportunity to make iMovie multitouch friendly, prime Garageband for better on-the-move music making and give iPhoto a tickle too. If the iSlate doesn’t drop, then it’s still a chance for Apple’s software bods to hit the stage and look pleased with themselves.
EP rating: 8/10
Apple Home Control System
Apple’s patents for a Home Control System stick a touchscreen gadget slap bang at its heart. Could this be the iTablet? Maybe. But then there’s already the iPhone and the iPod touch to do that job too. This would mark a bold move into savvy, energy saving tech, one that’s perhaps a bit too vanilla for the attention seeking Apple. The patent may well be for something we won’t see for good few years yet.
EP rating: 3/10
The Apple Tablet: what’s it for?
New MacBook Pros with Intel Core i7Intel’s suits got a smidge serious when asked about Core i7 making its way to the MacBook Pro, telling hacks at CES there was no chance they’d comment on Apple’s plans. But with a slew of new machines packing the new killer chipset sliding onto shelves, surely Apple won’t be far behind. Why not next week, when it could show off just how speedy the MacBook Pro is with Intel’s new Core i7. And possibly even sling one into an Apple Tablet?
EP rating: 6/10
Apple TV with Boxee beating software
Apple TV has tanked. Compared to the rampant success of the iPhone and iPod, at least. And with the Boxee Box incoming, doubtless Apple will want to beef up its set top offering. Hook ups with TV stations and movie studios would be needed, but surely now is the time to turn this from “a hobby product” into something that dominates the living room. Boxee’s already doing it, so Apple had better get a shimmy on.
EP rating: 5/10
iTunes 9 fix
Apple has told us that it’s “investigating” the current issues with iTunes 9, which is turning iPod classics into rather posh paperweights. There have been a raft of complaints across the web and if an iSlate is being prepped, a new version of iTunes is doubtless required. The hope is that it’ll stop your iPod’s syncing nightmares, not to mention add the aforementioned streaming skills we all so desperately want.
EP rating: 9/10
iPod classic killed off
Sure there might be a new creation on show over in San Francisco. But with the arrival of one classic next-gen gadget, could we see the end of another? The iPod classic has been a warhorse in various guises for almost a decade, revolutionising music forever. But sales are slumping as everyone moves their music to their mobile. Is 27 January set to be the iPod classic’s curtain call?
EP rating: 3/10
Steve Jobs announces his retirement
Let’s face it, Steve’s not been well. And while he looked fit at last year’s iPod unveiling, surely the stress and pressure of working on this “latest creation” has left him a wee bit tired. Having seen Apple cope in his absence last year, perhaps he’ll take this as his cue to exit stage left and let Phil Schiller take over the reigns.
EP rating: 5/10
Got any iTablet gossip? Then make sure you tell us now.
