14 DAY TRIAL // Think Secret has released today to the public what they have apparently known all along: "Intel-based Macs will be ready some six months sooner than originally expected", say their sources.
In the article we can also find some other very juicy tidbits of information. Apparently the new Mac Mini (code-named Kaleidoscope) will be a "digital hub centerpiece". It will be unveiled a the Macworld Expo in San Francisco early next year and will feature an Intel processor and include both Front Row 2.0 and TiVo-like DVR functionality
The exact technical details of the new Mini are unknown but it is said to sport a built-in iPod dock, and it is possible that it will be outfitted with a standard 3.5-inch hard drive, which will serve to increase storage capacity which heavy media users demand and cut down costs. Although this would naturally increase the size of the Mini, it is not to be ruled out entirely since a built-in iPod dock would also take up some space.
The 'Kaleidoscope' will undoubtedly feature Front Row 2.0 and Apple's DVR application but details are sketchy, the latter having been dubbed a TiVo-killer." This seems to fit since TiVo announced recently that it will soon offer customers the ability to copy stored content to a video iPod.
With Front Row being bundled with the new iMacs and this being thrown on the table, Apple sure looks like it's trying to plant both feet into the living room. With the hardware, software, and iPod sales behind it, and the aura that is currently surrounding the company, this year could bring a lot of changes.