Apple is launching its range of Big New Thing(s) in a few short hours, so here’s a place to discuss it.
Watch the event live here. Also here’s a pretty interesting article about the art of the Apple Keynote. We’ll be putting up some coverage of the event shortly after it happens, so I’ll link to that at the time, but until then: Speculate, celebrate, and deride away!
Have fun!
I guess someone will mirror this for us Windows folk. 
I am really hoping for a new Mac Mini. I have been wanting to buy one for over a year, but it hasn’t been updated since 2012. If this new one goes Haswell, the i5 will finally be able to beat my first gen i7 (2008) that I’m currently using.
I’m in need of an upgrade, I run out of memory constantly because of my SSD and I’ve never owned a Mac, but I love the tools on it.
If they do, I hope they don’t change the design radically. If it’s completely locked down from upgrading HD and ram, that’s going to be a no-go for me too.
Welp, that was lame. A new iPhone (surprise), an overpriced Samsung Watch Clone, and a proprietary Google Wallet clone.
Their new slogan should be: “Why even bother? You’re going to buy our **** regardless.”
Taken from this Reddit thread:
###iphone
2 new iPhone models: iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iPhone 6 is 4.7", iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5".
Power button on right side.
A8 chip - 13% smaller chip, 25% faster CPU, 50% faster GPU, 50% more energy efficient than A7.
Battery a little better on the iPhone 6; iPhone 6 Plus has amazing battery life.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) - make calls over LTE internet instead of using minutes.
Camera is still 8MP… but there are lots of improvements to stabilization and other things. More details will come about this later… trying to keep up with things being that the stream is sketchy today.
NFC beam built into both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
New leather and silicone cases.
iPhone 6 - 16GB - $199, 64GB - $299, 128GB - $399
Preorders start Friday the 12th, ships on the 19th
Available September 17th.
iPhone 6 Plus - 16GB - $299, 64GB - $399, 128GB - $499
iPhone 5c 8GB - now free, 5s now starting at $99
###ios
iOS 8 will be available September 17th.
####Apple Pay
Pay via NFC.
Take a picture of your card and import it to Passbook.
Cashiers won’t see any of your info… credit card number, name, etc.
Suspend payments using Find My iPhone.
Apple working with retailers to build Apple Pay into shopping apps.
####Apple Watch
Stainless steel, sapphire coated display with Retina.
Lots of different bands to choose from.
Tap watches together to share information.
Apple S1 chip.
Personalize appearances and capabilities of device.
Siri
Will work with iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6 & 6 Plus.
Apple Pay compatibile.
Starts at $349 and will be available early 2015.
There’s a lot to like about the Apple Watch, I’m just not overly convinced on the design though. It looks quite chunky. It may look much better in use though. I do like the digital crown, that’s a nice feature. Unless you’re left handed …
Then you are using (holding) it wrong! (sorry, I couldn’t resist).
There is. It’s very nice.
But for $350 you can buy a watch that you will be able to leave your grandchildren… if you’re I’m your 20s and don’t have kids yet.
Weird … I lost interest in watches when I got my first mobile phone. What’s next? The Apple iHorseCart?
LOL…
The Apple iHorseCart
I still have high hopes that Tim Cook will sink this boat. So far that watch is looking pretty good towards my goal.
Don’t go that far. 
I’m too addicted to my other Mac products … although it would probably be doing me a favor if they just disappeared, now that I think of it.
As a guy with small wrists, I’ve never been a big fan of watches.
On a side note, I found this reaction thread from the 2001 iPod announcment:
Kind of funny.
It’s now at the online Apple Store!
$400 for an Mp3 Player!
I’d call it the Cube 2.0 as it wont sell, and be killed off in a short time…and it’s not really functional.
To be fair though, the iPod at 4 or 5 gigs or whatever it was, was several steps above everything else on the market at the time (which was what? 64mb? 128mb max?). Same thing with the iPhone compared to the Blackberry. I’m not so sure the Apple Watch is all that much better than the current market alternatives that aren’t selling at much lower prices.
Plus, I’m sure it needs to be paired with an iPhone. Kind of a bad time to release something like that when Android is kinda killing it in market share.
I really hope not. My MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops I’ve owned to date.
To be fair though, the iPod at 4 or 5 gigs or whatever it was, was several steps above everything else on the market at the time (which was what? 64mb? 128mb max?). Same thing with the iPhone compared to the Blackberry. I’m not so sure the Apple Watch is all that much better than the current market alternatives that aren’t selling at much lower prices.
Your memories are inaccurate. History time:
Apple releases iPod (2001)
No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame. - cmdrTaco
The iPhone’s Funny Price (2007)
There’s no chance that the iPhone is going to get any significant market share. No chance. It’s a $500 subsidized item - Steve Ballmer
RIM co-CEO doesn’t see threat from Apple’s iPhone (2007)
‘It’s kind of one more entrant into an already very busy space with lots of choice for consumers,’ Jim Balsillie said of Apple. ‘But in terms of a sort of a sea-change for BlackBerry, I would think that’s overstating it.’
Lots of people thought there were “better” options on the market when the iPhone and iPod were released, and they were probably right from a pure specs perspective. But Apple doesn’t play the “most specs for lowest price” game and that strategy has served them well.
Plus, I’m sure it needs to be paired with an iPhone. Kind of a bad time to release something like that when Android is kinda killing it in market share.
Apple pulls in something like 60% of all mobile phone (not smartphone) profits worldwide. I doubt the watch will have a hard time selling, even with the iPhone pairing requirement. Like apple, I’d rather be making the most money than selling the most devices but maybe that’s just me.
disclosure: I like iOS and Android both.
I don’t see how any of your links or quotes prove anything, other than I was wrong about the Nomad existing. But it was discontinued in 2004 and I only vaguely remember it. However, this review has one thing in it that iPod does attribute to it’s success. It fit in your pocket, comfortably. The first time I saw an iPod a guy had it strapped to his arm during his workout and I thought it was pretty freaking awesome. Looking at the pictures of the Nomads, I don’t think that was possible. They were big bulky CD player looking devices. The smaller ones that could do this (at the time), were in the 64-128mb range.
You quoted Steve Ballmer, who if I’m not mistaken most recently cost Microsoft $900million with the Surface and lead the world’s largest tech company through a complete failure to adapt to the mobile market. With rumors saying that he was forced out of the company by the board.
I’m sure lots of people thought it would fail, but I don’t see the relevance? It’s pretty obvious both RIM and MS made fatal errors in the mobile market, however successful they are and however powerful they were at the time… in this case they aren’t exactly the most reliable sources of opinion or information. BlackBerry currently has the vultures swarming around it waiting to pick it’s bones and MS Mobile is a joke.
(I actually had to use a Windows Phone as a loaner for a couple months waiting for the Nexus 5 to release. It wasn’t overly bad, but there were so many little nuances that were infuriating that made me wonder if they people who made it had ever actually used a mobile phone before. 2 of the biggest ones were it had no tilt lock, so using it in bed on your side was impossible. And it would automatically turn my music down half way after 20 minutes “to prevent hearing loss”. Picture this while driving… There were actually dozens of other little things like these, but these are the 2 that bothered me the most)
Some people are wrong, some people are right. Both the iPod and iPhone was head and shoulders above the market at the time in one way or another and had great marketing. The first iPhone may not have matched specs, but it was the first major player besides the Blackberry in the smartphone market. Then the iPhone 2/3/3GS were better quality, better priced, and more available than all the competition at the time. Specs may not have been comparable, I can’t remember that tbh, but they sure as crap did a whole of alot more than the competitors.
Apple pulls in something like 60% of all mobile phone (not smartphone) profits worldwide.
Also, I don’t get the connection to profits from a single device through a single company against multiple devices with varying specs and prices across multiple companies. I was talking about Market Saturation. Android has been the leader in mobile OS for the past couple years.
I doubt the watch will have a hard time selling, even with the iPhone pairing requirement.
I don’t either… I mean has a single mobile Apple product had a problem since the iPod? I don’t think I said that. I only said that I didn’t think it was the best time, but it could pull the iPhone out to be on top again. From what I see I personally don’t think it’s that much better in any way than the current alternatives on the market. I could be wrong, I’m not an expert. lol
I also have no interest in smart watches and the potential that all these companies seem to see in them completely escapes me.
Like apple, I’d rather be making the most money than selling the most devices but maybe that’s just me.
You’d think, but that’s not always the case. I’m not even going to pretend like I know things here because I don’t, but sometimes profits aren’t always the most important thing. Google and Apple are VERY different businesses who happen to be big players in a similar space (and Amazon for that matter if you clicked the link).
