Sunday, January 13, 2008

Software Notebook: Jobs to take Macworld stage

From SeattlePI.com:

Apple has received lots of attention in the past year for the launch of the iPhone, but not to be left out, the company's Macintosh computers have been making their own mark.

Apple's share of the worldwide personal-computer market topped 3 percent as of the third quarter, up from about 2 percent two years ago, according to the IDC research firm. It's still a modest slice, but the increase came as Microsoft released a new version of Windows, an event that has boosted interest in Windows PCs in the past.

The increase in Mac sales will be part of the backdrop as Apple CEO Steve Jobs takes the stage Tuesday morning for his annual keynote address at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. The event is a Woodstock of sorts for the Apple community, and it is closely watched by the rest of the technology industry.

But the Mac's rise is far from the only storyline. These are some of the products, issues and technologies that could play a role in Jobs' keynote and the rest of the conference.

Redialing the iPhone: Jobs used last year's Macworld to unveil the iPhone, Apple's combination iPod, mobile phone and Internet device. Given the timing, six months after its U.S. launch and two months after its European debut, some industry analysts say it would be too soon for Jobs to unveil a second generation of iPhone hardware.

'Ultraportable' Mac? Perhaps the hottest rumor leading up to Macworld is that Jobs may unveil a miniature laptop computer, smaller than existing Macs, perhaps with solid-state flash storage rather than a traditional hard drive.

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