rogerkni
What will Apple's "Product Transition" be?
A new manufacturing process. New MacBooks with unibody aluminum, multitouch glass trackpads, led backlights. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTkzODkxOQ
Background:
"During his quarterly financial results call [in late July], Apple's chief financial officer Peter Oppenheimer revealed that the company will make a key 'product transition' that cuts back on its profit margins to help shut out rivals.
"A frequent point of discussion during the hour-long call, the mystery transition will drop Apple's gross margins from 34.8 percent in the spring quarter to just 31.5 percent in the July-to-September window in which the update takes place, ultimately settling at about 30 percent during Apple's fiscal 2009.
"The new, unnamed product will continue to have 'technologies and features that others can't match,' according to the CFO."
Settlement details:As reported by a major mainstream news source.
| A video encode/decode chip in any Mac &/or iPod |
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| Some other specialized chip in any Mac &/or iPod |
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| LEDs to provide backlighting in any Mac &/or iPod |
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| Bundled third-party software in any Apple product |
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| Something other than the above in any Mac (only) |
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| Something other than the above in any iPod (only) |
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| Something other than the above in both Mac & iPod |
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| Something other than the above for the iPhone |
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| Something else (for Apple TV, a new product, etc.) |
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- Activity: H$32,081 |
- Predictions: 130 |
Comments: 15
Suspend date: Wed 31st Dec 2008 11:59pm PST
Settlement date: Wed 15th Oct 2008 12:30am PST
Prediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Tue 14th Oct 2008 11am PST have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled
Initial likelihoods: A video encode/decode chip in any Mac &/or iPod: 15%, Some other specialized chip in any Mac &/or iPod: 10%, LEDs to provide backlighting in any Mac &/or iPod: 8%, Bundled third-party software in any Apple product: 5%, Something other than the above in any Mac (only): 10%, Something other than the above in any iPod (only): 10%, Something other than the above in both Mac & iPod: 10%, Something other than the above for the iPhone: 2%, Something else (for Apple TV, a new product, etc.): 30%
Action history:
rogerkni 
jimmyboxcar
: Event has concluded. 
tomg![[Admin]](http://www.hubdub.com/images/icon_admin.gif "This user is an admin"){kind=icon}
: Reopening question - no clear product transition of the kind mentioned. From Question creator: "it seems like a stretch that a mere accelerometer would qualify as a new technology 'that competitors can't match,' as Oppenheimer boasted." tomg: There were no advancements in the "Let's Rock" event that are clearly worthy of the "product transition" being referred to.
From the question creator: "...it seems like a stretch that a mere accelerometer would qualify as a new technology 'that competitors can't match,' as Oppenheimer boasted."
dragonfangxl: Apple released a new ipod. http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0929983020080910 Wondering if this counts. dragonfangxl: Apple released a new ipod. http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0929983020080910 Wondering if this counts. 
thepeoplegeekllc: New MacBooks with unibody aluminum, multitouch glass trackpads, led backlights. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTkzODkxOQ tomg: A new manufacturing process. New MacBooks with unibody aluminum, multitouch glass trackpads, led backlights. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/macbook?mco=MTkzODkxOQ 
Suspend date: Wed 31st Dec 2008 11:59pm PST
Settlement date: Wed 15th Oct 2008 12:30am PST
Prediction cut-off: Predictions on this question after Tue 14th Oct 2008 11am PST have been voided because they were made after the question could be settled details 
Get widget!Predictions (130)
thepeoplegeekllc predicted Something else (for Apple TV, a new product, etc.) (H$499 at 76%)
nitescanthepeoplegeekllc predicted Something else (for Apple TV, a new product, etc.) (H$900 at 76%)
lewisdotcom
predicted Something else (for Apple TV, a new product, etc.) (H$1,000 at 76%)Comments (15)
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"Touch technology in any Mac &/or iPod."
@#6: The iPod changes will count if there is nothing that is a better fit (for Apple's July statement) announced at the October 14 product announcement.
Dell To Put LEDs in All Its Laptops
September 24, 2008 By Michael Kanellos
They’re going bonkers for LEDs and energy efficiency at Dell.
The Round Rock, Texas-based PC maker plans to aggressively promote laptops with screens lit with light emitting diodes [LEDs]. Right now, most laptops come with screens lit by cold cathode florescent bulbs: Most manufacturers actually offer LEDs in only a few select models.
A year from now, LEDs will be available across all laptops from Dell in every region in the world, said Michael Murphy, who runs worldwide environmental affairs for Dell. By the end of 2009, 80 percent of the laptops Dell ships will have LED screens. By the end of 2010, Dell will only sell LED-based laptops.
Getting consumers to pick up LED laptops shouldn’t be too tough. Although more costly now, the price delta on these machines is dropping. Five months from now, the price tag on LED and standard laptops will be about the same, Murphy said. Dell’s costs for putting in LEDs will be a little higher, but the delta will begin to become negligible.
At the same time, LED laptops will sport a number of benefits. ...
[For the rest, go to http://seekingalpha.com/article/97202-dell-to-put-leds-in-all-its-laptops
"A Guess: There will be a docking station for macbooks. It will be a brick. It will connect wirelessly, not with some ugly dock-connection port. The laptop itself will have, at most, two plugs: power and display, possibly via usb. The brick will have more stuff: superdrive, firewire, usb, 2400 baud modem, ethernet, optical-audio out, cassette-tape backup, scsi, nubus, whatever. It can be out of sight, or sit next to (with a physical connection, if desired) your airport, printer, stereo, etc. The macbook itself will be like the air (similar size/shape/weight); people can buy a 2nd brick for their office/home if they want
http://www.9to5mac.com/macbook-brick
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