14 DAY TRIAL // So far, rumors of the unveiling of the new Intel based Macintosh computers, from within the Mac community, have not been commented in any way by Apple. But now, prominent analysts have begun to chime in and sing the chorus.
A total of seven analysts, among which Citigroup's Richard Gardner, expect Jobs to unveil the new machines six months earlier than expected, at the MacWorld Expo in January next year.
They have cited sources that remain undisclosed from the industry, and declined to even mention if their sources come from the Apple or Intel camp.
"It's signature Jobs to pull an effort like that forward by half a year," said Roger Kay, president of researcher Endpoint Technologies Associates in Wayland, Mass., and one of the people expecting a January release.
After using Motorola and IBM processor for the past decade, Apple is switching to Intel because, as CEO Steve Jobs said in June, "Intel's chips are faster and consume less power."
Without a doubt, having the Mactels hit the shelves early would help keep demand for Mac on the rise, a trend that the company has been enjoying over the past year. Mac sales are at an all time high, demand being bigger than it's ever been in the past years, partly because of the 'aura' of the iPod which is improving Mac awareness.
For the record, it is important to note that at the Worldwide Developer Conference, on June 6 2005, Apple announced that it planed to deliver the new 'Intel Inside' Macs "by this time next year." If Apple were to roll out the new machines in January, it would not be early, nor late, but just on time.