Appleinsider: Apple Warns of iMac Shortages

According to Appleinsider, there are signs of a refreshed iMac coming soon. This of course has been a pattern for a long time since I've watched Apple news. First you hear rumors of shortages of previous editions, then you hear rumors of new iMacs and then all the sudden they're here.

Apple this week is advising members of its reseller channels that supply of iMacs will be constrained in the immediate future, a move that may signal new models are nearing production.

In particular, people familiar with the matter say the Cupertino-based Mac maker has warned that new reseller orders for the high-end 24-inch 3.06GHz iMac are unlikely to be fulfilled, suggesting manufacturing of that model is ramping down or has already ceased.

Additionally, Apple is said to have braced its partners for limited availability of the remainder of the iMac line in the coming weeks, a sign which this late in the product's life-cycle "only means one thing" -- namely that the company is drawing down inventory levels ahead of new models.

So far I've seen very little speculation about what the new iMac will be like. Personally, I'd like to see a new form factor as I believe the current version is getting old and tired. I would like to see something new and completely unlike anything seen before, kind of like the original iMac when it came out. It was fun and really refreshed computing and made people "think different" about the computer. That computer alone was credited for breathing life back into Apple and probably helped move the industry in the right direction. As much as I'd like to see Apple "think different again, I think that Apple has got into a pattern with their black and silver designs and will probably continue that. I wouldn't necessarily mind if they continued that pattern but would very much like to see some new fresh and creative ideas coming from them.

What Would a Dell Phone Look Like, Be Called?

So we've got the iPhone, the G1, the Storm, and the Palm Pre. What would a Dell Phone look like and what would you call it?

According to National Business Review in New Zealand, the Dell Phone could be showing up pretty soon.

A Dell phone could be released as soon as next month, running Windows Mobile or Google Android.

While most online pundits are questioning the wisdom of Michael Dell’s latest move, pointing to the immediate problems of the slump, NBR’s take is that the move makes good sense in the medium and long term.

The success of the iPhone and AppStore – and, to a lesser degree, the G1 and Google Android – have busted the mobile phone market wide open. The balance of power is shifting from telcos to phone makers, software writers and customers. And more and more people are spending less and less time connecting to the net via their PC, and more surfing or emailing via their smartphone.

Obviously smartphones are all the rage right now, but I'm beginning to wonder what's next. The smartphone market place is starting to look so crowded that there may soon be standing room only. This glut could give opportunity for someone to move on to something else that's really impressive and cool. Something we haven't even imagined yet.

For Dell's part, they've pretty much established their own reputation for building business machines that are pretty reliable but pretty basic and pretty boring. Maybe they could break the mold of tradition and move towards somethinga little different and a little cool. Maybe they could also set a new standard by not launching a phone that is tied to a certain phone service providor. If they did that, they could for once set themselves apart on a field that is becoming very crowded with competition.

A New iPhone in the Works: Rumor of iPhone 2, 1

According to AppleInsider, there's a new iPhone in the works. Here's what they have to say:

A poke around the latest iPhone firmware by Mac Rumors has found a product string for iPhone 2,1, a version of the handset that has never been publicly available or else visible in previous firmware.

The 2007 launch iPhone identifies itself as iPhone 1,1, while the current iPhone 3G lists as iPhone 1,2, indicating that it's a minor revision of a similar design. As with similar practices for Macs, Apple's choice of 2,1 implies a major update for the handset; the second-generation iPod touch is listed as iPod 2,1 and includes slightly faster internal hardware as well as a significant external redesign.

And while such company-produced leaks rarely hint at the state of the future hardware, a developer tracking ad views from PinchMedia claims to have seen requests coming from iPhone 2,1 devices; the discovery suggests that test iPhones are functioning at a level which lets them connect to the web.

Of course there's a new iPhone (or multiple ideas for iPhones) in the works. That's just a given when you consider that Apple is a company has introduced this new product and you could argue an entirely new platform of mobile computing. They have to keep innovating and producing new products to survive.

From using the iPhone, I'd say that it's pretty cool. Of course my biggest beef with it is that you can only use it with AT&T and not with any other cell phone service provider. But of course there are other enhancements that could be added to it too.