Forbes on Macworld keynote

A fair number of new devices and other offerings may be announced at next month's Macworld Expo, says Forbes. The magazine notes that while Apple followers can sometimes have fantastic expectations for the keynotes delivered by Apple CEO Steve Jobs, some of the products they previously speculated about may finally materialize. Among these is a sub-notebook, which is rumored to have a 12- to 13-inch screen with LED backlighting, optional flash memory, and no optical drive.

The forecast price of the system is said to be approximately $1,500, which if true, would be more expensive than most conventional notebooks. Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin notes that ultra-mobile machines account for only 10 percent of the notebook market; Blackfriars analyst Carl Howe suggests this may not be an issue, however, if Apple's product has a unique interface, such as iPhone-like multi-touch.

Apple is further rumored to be working on a tablet, which may the same product as the sub-notebook, or completely separate. The tablet may also be intended as a media-sharing device, for which the iPod touch could be the template.

At least one new iPhone is guaranteed to release in 2008, though it may not be announced at Macworld. Jobs could however touch on the subject, and there is speculation that cheaper phones such as an "iPhone nano" are in development.

Some form of new content is expected on the iTunes Store as well, whether it is the first HD video releases, or the availability of The Beatles' back catalogue, which has never been sold before via digital download. The Store recently managed to acquire all four band members' solo projects.

by MacNN Staff