Officially Lucky

I saw this headline pop up in my reader and it reminded me that me and Jacqui have been trading our own MacWorld predictions back and forth between each other for the past few weeks. Since we’ll both be in attendance live blogging the keynote and covering the floor during the week of MacWorld, I thought I’d make my own predictions prior to reading Ryan’s post.

1. Movie rentals from iTunes. This has been talked to death in the press, Jacqui got the news a while before it hit the mainstream press and Ars covered this here. It’s pretty much a given at this point. News about rentals is leaking like a sieve at this point.
2. A new macbook/pro. No one knows if this new portable device will be an evolution of an existing model or an entirely new model. This will be huge news, if even half of the predictions come true (onboard NAND flash, no optical drive, et cetera).
3. More word about that iPhone SDK due out in February. I think we’ll also get more information on the extension of the intermediary “web SDK” for MobileSafari. It’s my opinion that this will heavily leverage the recently announced support of HTML 5 client-side database storage
4. Bumped storage points for iPod Touch / iPhone. This could go two ways. Either the iPhone goes to 8GB/16GB to match the iPod Touch, or the iPhone goes to 8/16 and the touch goes to 16/32.
5. New iPhone/iPod touch firmware that has been making the rounds lately.
6. Bumps to some other part of the product line. MacRumor’s buyers guide would seem to indicate that the Mac Pro, Xserve, Cinema Displays, MacBook Pro, and iPhone are all well beyond their normal refresh cycle. The MBP and iPhone could be updated as a part of #2 and #5. Cinema displays are in bad need of updating, especially in regards to an integrated iSight (Apple stopped selling the standalone models months ago).
7. Either a major update to the Apple TV or it’s death knell

8. Ryan will wear the “Ryan Block” hat

   

9. Ryan Block and Brian Lam (and associated minions) will jockey for the best place at the front of the press line and will then proceed to have a full-on 100 meter dash to get to the press area. Start practicing guys! :)

So that’s all I’ve got, hit up the comments if you’ve got your own personal predictions.

Photos of Mr. Block above by Tantek Çelik, Barb Dybwad, and Scott Beale, in that order.