14 DAY TRIAL // There is definitely an increased amount of interest in possible upcoming products from Apple, Leopard nears its release date. However, while products such as a new Apple TV and the 'MacBook nano' are very plausible, other rumors that have begun to surface about a 'Mac nano' are not as likely.
A new Apple TV is a sure bet and rumors of the new models having optical drives sound very promising, as this would mean the device could also replace DVD players and be more attractive to potential customers. Considering that Apple now operates the iTunes WiFi store, a new Apple TV that can play optical media and acquire content off the Internet without the need for a computer could go a long way. Similarly, the MacBook nano would be a very popular dice, considering that users are still bitter about Apple's withdraw from the sub-notebook market. The large number of reports from separate sources and the numerous patents that clearly make reference to such a device are all very good indicators that something like this is in the works. Considering that MacBooks sell so well, it wouldn't make sense for the company not to capitalize on this segment of the market.
Over the past few days, reports of a new Mac nano have begun to surface and quickly spread out. The new model is supposed to be a replacement for the Mac mini, which was rumored some time ago to be on the Apple chopping block. While the Mac Mini is still very much alive, the chances of it being killed by a new and better model are not too great. The new Mac nano is reported to be much smaller than the current model, as wide as an optical drive would allow and just a little over 2/3 the height. The strikingly different designed enclosure is supposed to be only two thirds the volume of the current model. While all this might sound reasonable reducing the size of the Mac mini even further would mean using smaller components, which tend to be more expensive than the standard ones currently used. Considering that Apple likes generous margins and the mini has so far been a cheap but relatively outdated machine, which faces stiff competition from PCs in the same price range, it is unlikely that we will be seeing this soon.