Macworld San Francisco 2002

New iMac, iPhoto, OSX Apps Unveiled
at Macworld Expo Keynote

Apple Computer has unveiled a new line of flat-panel based iMacs which CEO Steve Jobs calls, "The best thing I think we've ever done." The new computers sport a radical design which brings to mind a flex arm desk lamp, and bring G4 processors and DVD burners to Apple's popular iMac line.

Apple also announced a new, 14" screen iBook, added combo CD burner/DVD reader drives to the consumer line, and lowered the price for the entry level model to $1199.

In the software area, Apple announced iPhoto, a digital photo editing, printing, and cataloging application, which will ship with every Macintosh and which will be available as a free download for current Mac owners. iPhoto will run only under OSX, and Jobs announced that effective immediately, every new Macintosh shipped will use OSX as its default operating system.

The comments were made at Job's Keynote speech that kicked off the 2002 Macworld Expo San Francisco, which will open its exhibit floor Tuesday. Jobs had requested Macworld move the speech up a day in December, possibly knowing that Time Magazine intended to put the new iMac on the cover. Time Magazine publishes Mondays, and the issue of the magazine was actually released hours before the normally secretive Jobs made his announcement to a crowd of almost 5000 media, expo attendees, and channel partners.

The new iMac is intended to breathe life into the aging iMac line, which is credited with turning Apple's fortunes around when it was introduced in 1998. It is not the first Apple computer to feature an integrated flat panel display; but the first computer to do so was the limited edition 20th Anniversary Mac, which sold for $7500. The new iMac line starts at $1299, with the top of the line configuration topping out at $1799.

Jobs drew gasps as he revealed the computer, which contains the CPU, power supply, and drives in a while half-orb just 10" wide. The 15" LCD display is attached to the orb with a chromed, articulated arm, which allows the display to tilt, raise, lower, and swivel 180 degrees. The computer comes in three configurations. The entry level version comes with a 700 mhz, G4 processor, the 15" LCD screen, a 40 GB hard disk, 128 MB RAM, and a CDRW drive. A mid range version adds a another 128 MB RAM and a DVD/CDRW combo drive for $1499. The top end configuration sports an 800mHz processor, a 60 GB drive, and a DVD burning Superdrive for $1799. That configuration, minus the LCD screen, has only been available in an Apple G4 tower for $500 more.

Apple says the machines are not immediately available; the first will be the Superdrive equipped model, which will ship at the end of January, the mid range model will ship in February, and the entry level model will be available in March. Apple reportedly has ordered 100 thousand LCD panels a month in order to meet the demand.

The computer sports USB, Firewire, and 100baseT ethernet ports, as well as ports for external audio. All ports are located at the rear edge of the base unit, which incorporates the power supply within. The small size and compact design allows for little internal expansion. Users can increase RAM to 1 GB and add an Airport wireless networking card, which are both accessed by opening a chrome access underneath the unit.

Apple also refreshed its iBook line, which has proven wildly popular, even to the point of cutting into sales of its Titanium powerbook pro models. The biggest announcement was the release of a 14" 600 mhz iBook, with 256 MB RAM, a 20 GB hard disk, and a combo DVD reader CDRW drive, for $1799. Apple cut the price of its 500 Mhz entry level iBook, which keeps a 12" screen, to $1199, and will offer a 600 Mhz version with a CDRW drive for $1499. The computers are said to be immediately available.

Apple made no announcements about its pro G4 line, which had been rumored to be due for a speed increase to over 1 gHz, or about the Titanium powerbooks, which recently were given speed increases and, just before Christmas, were suddenly equipped with combo drives as standard equipment.

Jobs began the keynote with annnouncements from Apple developers bring products for OSX to market. After making a tribute to Microsoft for Office X, he brought Adobe to the stage, where they announced the availability of After Effects 5.5, the release of GoLive 6.0, and the word that InDesign 2.0 has been released for mastering. All products will run native under OSX.

Adobe also showed Photoshop for OSX, and said it is "almost ready."

Apple demonstrated Final Cut Pro 3.0, which is already shipping. Apple demonstrated realtime effects and titling, and showed a stunning demo of realtime color correction for moving video.

Aspire demonstrated fun-ware, showing amazingly realistic game play in the upcoming Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone game.

Saying these applications prove OSX has arrived, Jobs then announced that every new Mac shipped after today will boot into OSX as the default operating system. OS 9.2 will still ship on the machines, but now users will have to select it as the boot-up OS. Jobs said "It's time."

Jobs touched upon Apple's digital hub strategy, and then announced the latest part -- iPhoto, an easy application for importing, editing, and categorizing digital photos. iPhoto will allow users to import photos and store them by the hundreds in a huge, scrolling panel, to and categorize them by name, 'roll', or other items. iPhoto allows users to create one step slide shows with music, and publish photos to the web, automatically transferring them to iTools homepages.

Easy editing of photos allows for cropping, color correction, and one panel photo printing for inkjet printers. Printing allows for the creation of special items like greeting cards and contact sheets, without the user having to have technical knowledge of photo settings.

From iPhoto, you can order Kodak digital prints online, including a huge enlargement Jobs showed for $20. Users can purchase with one click shopping, and have prints shipped to any address they place on file.

Jobs also announced that Apple will allow you to create, from within iPhoto, a format for a hard copy photo book, using an automatic page layout program included in iPhoto. For $30, Apple will let you create one of six book designs, which will be used to create a hard cover, bound keepsake book. iPhoto connects to Apple server through the 'share' feature, and allows online ordering for delivery in about a week. Price for a 10-page book, with choice of covers, is about $30.

iPhoto is an OSX only, and it is a free download from Apple.com, available immediately.

January 2002