apple - gerüchte werden immer heisser - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[kagehfau]

hallo, folgende berichte gibt es unter http://www.appleinsider.com.

es wird auf jedenfall noch sehr spannend bis zur Macworld...

kagehfau
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Apple Beefs Up Warehouse Security Around New Macs

By Prince ([e-mail])

July 13, 2000

Apple Computer is a company recognized for its many innovations throughout the computer industry, but also for its secrecy. Thecompany locks its test hardware to tables in the development labs, filters-out e-mail from employees to Apple news sites, buildswalls around their exhibits at trade shows prior to opening, and regularly lectures their employees about leaking information to the press -- sometimes misleading them on purpose.

"Since he`s returned, the man has literally built walls throughout campus, secluding certain areas from anyone who is not specifically granted access there," comments one Apple employee on Apple cofounder and CEO, Steve Jobs. "When Steve has something up his sleeve, he likes to keep it there until he is ready to take it out and show everyone, like he did with the iMac 2 years ago."

It appears that the computer maker is approaching the peak of one of those high phases of secrecy at Apple, as Macworld Expo nears. Rumor has it that, once again, Mr. Jobs has been pampering a completely new product that the company may have plans of revealing at the New York City based trade show.


Apple Computer Stock Photo.

Rumor has it that Apple has, within the last couple of weeks, completed the third and final test production run of a completely new Apple computer. This test run is referred to as `Production Verification.` The company usually performs three separate test runs before they begin churning out thousands of machines, each testing a different area of the production process. Following this final test run, there is a small window period that exists before the product is prepped for mass production.

Earlier this week, external sources revealed that Apple has recently beefed up the security in its warehouse and production facilities. The company has apparently contracted out a number of hired hands specifically to guard concealed pallets of newly designed Apple computers awaiting shipment.

These pallets of newly manufactured Apple Computers are apparently wrapped in thick cloths or tarps, sources said. "There is no way to see inside the wrapping and there is nothing on the outside that hints of the products within." These security personal were also "lectured about how important these [new computers] were and that no one is to go near them." AppleInsider now has reason to believe that these new machines, which are said to be manufactured on pallets that hold three of these new machines (stacked vertically), are Apple`s next consumer desktop offerings that will ship alongside both New iMacs and Apple`s PowerMac G4 professional line. Unlike the iMac, however, these new units are said to be cluster like, cubed terminals, that do not feature a built in monitor.

Due to the sensitivity of these rumors, additional, detailed information obtained by AppleInsider on these new Apple desktop computers will follow in an article to be published sometime after the close of the stock-market today. So stay tuned.
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Sources Reveal Rumored Apple Macintosh Cube

By Prince ([e-mail])

July 13, 2000

Two and half years ago, when Apple was readying its revolutionary iMac personal computer, the majority of the computer industry was convinced that the company was developing a television set-top box. The truth is -- aside from a handful of key employees at Apple and those sworn to secrecy at the company`s advertising agency -- no one saw a complete iMac model until the day Apple CEO, Steve Jobs, personally unveiled it to the world.

The case was similar with Mr. Jobs` second pet project, the iBook, but Apple had tipped off consumers as to its development over a year in advance. The latest stream of rumors to come rushing through the communication pipelines, like heroin through an addicts veins, bear many similarities to the original iMac rumors. Specifically that, like the iMac, close to no one has actually seen a finished product or the CPU`s casing design, making the rumor that much harder to confirm, and hence believe and report on.

Nevertheless, an extremely small number of sources have presented AppleInsider with information that confirms Apple`s development of a new cube-shaped desktop unit, that is rumored to have passed all of its production and quality assurance tests throughout the company.

The unit, which is said to sport a logic-board containing a single 4X AGP graphics expansion slot and a processor slot capable of accepting an Apple G3 or G4 CPU card, is housed inside a cube-like Apple enclosure that measures a little over a foot`s length on each side. According to sources who`ve seen prototypes, the unit features 4 large handles. Two handles run horizontally along the base of the unit from the front to rear, acting as legs. The other two run horizontally along to top of the unit from side to side.

Sources, who will for obvious reasons remain anonymous, were kind enough to throw together a couple of two dimensional sketches portraying the cube`s current casing design. The front of the unit sports a slot-loading CD/DVD-ROM media drive, a power button and a reset button. The rear features FireWire and USB ports, plus a large port door that is expected to house a display port, among other things. An internal FireWire port is also rumored to be standard.

According to one source who has played with a G4 equipped Apple cube, the unit appears to lack standard sound jacks. Meanwhile other sources have spread rumors that Apple may be working with Harmon Kardon on a set of Apple USB-driven speakers which will accompany the unit. As discussed in a previous article, the computer company is also rumored to be refreshing its display offerings, which should appear before or alongside the cube.

Though it is unclear which core market Apple will be targeting with these new machines -- and hence which generation of PowerPC processors the unit will ship with -- respected analyst sources expect the unit to fill a semitransparent gap in Apple`s product line. It`s rumored that the line will cater to consumers who aren`t bullish over the iMac`s all in one enclosure with limited 15" display, and do not need the expandability and power of a high-end PowerMac G4 system.

"Assuming the cube becomes a shipping product, there will be little to no downside to consumers choosing the cube over an iMac. Apple most likely will price the new desktop at a point where the gross margin on the new units will equal or surpass that which the company takes in from iMac sales," one analyst source told AppleInsider. "In addition, it will attract new Apple customers who were previously weary of the iMac`s softer image."

Speaking of image, these newly designed Apple Cubes are apparently stackable, as portrayed in the artist`s sketch above. This feature will apparently save additional desktop space at large university clusters, allowing adjacent terminals to have their machines stacked vertically instead of individually next to each other.

On a side note, this rumored Apple cube is not expected to be the new enclosure for Apple`s multiprocessor machines. Apple Computer`s Legal Department recently served AppleInsider.com with cease and desist orders demanding the site remove its sketches and information detailing Apple`s forthcoming multiprocessor PowerMac G4s, code-named Mystic, prior to word of the new cube-based machine.

As expected, there are a number of questions regarding Apple`s cubed Macintosh that remain unanswered, including its point of introduction. AppleInsider will be working through the weekend before heading just south to the big city for next week`s Macworld Conference. Readers should expect possible, yet random weekend and or nightly updates revealing additional info on all of Apple`s rumored announcements, including the cube.

[fsch]

Heute Abend gibt`s die Zahlen.

Dann werden wir sehen.