Jobs to address new iMacs in Tokyo speech
Published: 21 Feb 2001 14:11 GMT
Mac fans may need to make a quick "satellite dish" run if they want to catch Steve Jobs' keynote address from Macworld Tokyo on Thursday.
Jobs' talk is expected to bring word of new iMacs with rewritable CD drives as well as possibly other surprises. However, the speech by the Apple chief executive is being broadcast live over satellite at 5pm PT, Wednesday, but will not be available as a QuickTime download until some later date.
In January, Apple announced it was adding rewritable CD drives to its Power Mac line and analysts have speculated that Apple would quickly add it to the iMac consumer line to take advantage of consumer demand for CD burners as well as Apple's new iTunes software.
Supplies of Apple's two high-end iMac models have dwindled from retail stocks and disappeared from the Apple store in recent weeks, following a $200 instant rebate on those machines -- moves that fuel speculation that Apple is ready to revamp the iMac line.
Although the new iMacs seem a virtual lock, there have also been rumors of revamped iBooks or perhaps an upgrade to the slow-selling Cube, though evidence there is thin. Jobs may also highlight the latest prerelease version of Mac OS X, due to go on sale 24 March.
Mac fans with Ku-band or C-band satellite access can watch the keynote speech live. Otherwise, it will be available from Apple's Web site at some point.
The trade show comes as Apple has just started shipping the top-of-the-line Power Mac it introduced at the Macworld Expo in San Francisco. Apple is looking to new products to help revive sagging sales.
According to PC Data, Apple's sales continued to plunge in January, with sales at retail stores off 60 percent year-over-year and overall retail sales, including mail order, off 40 percent versus a year ago.
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