This according to MacRumors.<br><br>Intel Macs<br><br>The big news this year was, of course, Apple's announcement that the Macintosh will be<br>moving to Intel processors. Understandably all eyes are on this possibility at this year's<br>Macworld, despite official promises that the first Intel Macs would be shipping by mid<br>2006.<br><br>Interestingly, the first rumors and speculation about the Intel Macs came from Intel's<br>processor roadmap. Immediately following the announcement, MacCentral sources pointed to<br>Intel's upcoming low-power dual core Yonah processor as the likely candidate for the first<br>of the Intel Macs.<br><br>First actual hints at a timeframe came in November with an early report from Appleinsider<br>that the first Intel Macs would be appearing "much sooner" than mid 2006.<br><br>There has since been a flurry of disjointed rumors about various Intel Mac models<br>appearing in January -- Mac mini (Forbes), iMac (Appleinsider), iBook (ThinkSecret).<br><br>Amongst them, however, ThinkSecret appeared most confident with a report from "reliable<br>sources" that Apple is planning on introducing both Intel iBooks and Mac minis at MWSF<br>2006.<br><br>The new iBook is expected to be a widescreen model with a 13.3" screen 1280x720 screen.<br>This correlates with an earlier report from Appleinsider noting a similar 13" widescreen<br>look to the upcoming iBooks. And indeed our Buyers Guide shows that the iBooks have had<br>the longest lead time since their last update.<br><br>Meanwhile, the Mac mini is expected to evolve into a digital media hub with support for<br>DVR, an iPod Dock as well as an updated Front Row media application. We've also received<br>hints that Apple is planning on adopting Intel's Viiv platform which promises to help<br>provide much this functionality.<br><br>iPod<br><br>With back to back releases of the iPod nano and the 5G iPod before the 2005 shopping<br>season, there are few expectations for updated iPods in January.<br><br>Only the iPod shuffles are expected to be updated, but with few details on the changes.<br><br><br>iLife '06<br><br>Apple typically updates their iLife suite of applications each year at Macworld San<br>Francisco. This year appears to be no different after a small mistake on Apple's website<br>Thursday morning. Apple's site revealed links to iLife '06 as well as a new application<br>called iWeb.<br><br>There's been very little information about upcoming iApps from Apple this rumor season,<br>but Appleinsider claims that the new application will be a Web design application with<br>"easy drag-and-drop capability for a variety of Web-optimized content and media types."<br><br>Other?<br><br>There has been surprisingly little buzz about brand new products from Apple. One<br>potentially interesting rumor of an Airport Express for Video appeared in early October<br>and was coupled to an accurate report of the 5G iPod. Though no further rumors about this<br>product have since surfaced, it would fit in conveniently with a media center Mac mini.<br><br>Finally, Appleinsider also reported that Apple is planning new iPod "companion" products<br>-- one of which will be an iPod Boombox unlike "anything Apple has released in the past". <br><br>

Two things that perk my ears:<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Meanwhile, the Mac mini is expected to evolve into a digital media hub with support for<br>DVR, <p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Could it be that the worthless firewire connection I have on my Comcast DVR box could do something marvelous? Capturing to the mini would be sweet. You could then attach another monster drive and stop bumping up against the 99% full. (I know I can do this now but it is all patch and kludge. Not worth it.)<br><br><blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>One<br>potentially interesting rumor of an Airport Express for Video appeared in early October<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>I don't want to sit next to my TV to set up downloads. An express tucked in there to receive stuff from across the room from the lap top perched on my couch potato would be nice.<br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br>(__*__)

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p><br>Could it be that the worthless firewire connection I have on my Comcast DVR box could do something marvelous?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>If you have an HDTV, you should be using that to connect to the cable box with. But yeah, you can record HDTV on any recent mac with a firewire connection. There's a VCR like program available out there for OS X.<br><br>

I do have HDTV. And I have the coax feeding into it. Are you telling me I could be using firewire as my connection from the cable modem to the DVR?<br><br>This is giving me a brain cramp. I bet you're now going to tell me that will completely erase any digital pixelation I sometimes get.<br><br>Woah is me. I have my cable modem in the basement with RJ45 Cat5 in the walls going up to my router and Airport on the top floor (better wireless broadcast.<br><br>Over at the TV I have the coax and an RJ45 in the wall which comes up from the basement. I only use the coax the RJ45 cat5 was me thinking ahead.<br><br>Lemme think. I could put the cable modem next to the TV attached to the coax to the basement. Then Firewire direct from that to the TV and also sending RJ45 cat5 back to the basement and then back up to the router/Airport. (I have one computer hardwired to the router there everything else is wireless.)<br><br>So my question: is it worth it switching to firewire off the cable modem instead of straight coax off the street?<br><br><br><br><br>(__*__)

I liked more thinksecret rumor about FCP 6 (I know, it is not for MWSF but for NAB) .... if it's true, it will be very cool to have a xserve raid with infinityband.....<br><br>http://thinksecret.com/news/finalcut6.html<br><br>----<br>:) "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck." - Obi-Wan Kenobi

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>worthless firewire connection<p><hr></blockquote><p>Why do you say that?<br>Rumor has it that the Intel PowerMacs may not have Firewire. Why?<br>I've found with my external hard drives that firewire is more stable than USB.<br><br>

I called it worthless because the Motorala DVR Cable box has a firewire port in front and back but the ROM won't tell it to do anything. I would like to hook up a larger FW drive to it but still no updates.<br><br>But I really called it worthless so someone would chime in with a use for it which Sarge did. But I'm not convinced yet it would be worth rewiring everything.<br><br><br>[edit] Absolutely, Firewire has been bullet proof for me. I hope it sticks around for a long long time.<br><br><br><br><br><br>(__*__)<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by polymerase on 01/06/06 02:28 PM (server time).</EM></FONT></P>

<blockquote><font size=1>In reply to:</font><hr><p>Are you telling me I could be using firewire as my connection from the cable modem to the DVR?<p><hr></blockquote><p><br>Yep, you can connect to the HDTV through firewire from the cable box and the picture will probably be better.<br><br>Check this out, in relation to recording HDTV over firewire on OS X:<br><br>Liky<br><br>

Okay - I busted a nut reading that link LOL<br><br>Since if refers to HDTV - what about just basic TV ?<br><br>