Monday, 04 Jan 2009 08:12 EST

Top 10 Things to Look for from MacWorld 2009

With Apple's final MacWorld opening today, there's a lot of anticipation over what Apple might announce this time. It's safe to say that Apple won't break the mold this year by announcing a new product like the iMac, iPod or iPhone, yet this go around is still packed with drama and hype. Here are the top 10 announcements I'd like to see come out of MacWorld 2009.

10. New iPod shuffle: Apple may be set to release a new, smaller iPod shuffle. Apparently they don't want you to find you music.

9. iWork and iLife 2009: The latest versions of Apple's popular software suites are set to be released. The big rumor around these is that they're set to be moved to the web and integrated into MobileMe. Good or bad, it will be interesting to see in action.

8. Snow Leopard: We know it's coming, Apple has already announced the new features coming with this update, we just don't know when. I wouldn't be surprised to get another teaser about OS X 10.6 with all of the recent hype over Microsoft's Windows 7, even though all signs point to Apple staying quiet until later this year.

7. New 17-inch MacBook Pro: There's a strong possibility that we'll finally see the long rumored 17" version of the new aluminum, uni-body construction Mac Book Pro. As massive as this portable desktop will be, you can't deny the appeal of a larger screen.

6. New Mac Mini: I just can't see Apple doing away with their most affordable Mac, and that means the reason they stopped shipping Mac Mini's last October was to prep for the new version. Expect to see a 2.0 or 2.3GHz Core 2 Duo, a couple GB of RAM and a form factor similar to the Time Capsule

5. New Cinema Displays: Without any sort of upgrade to the Mac Pro expected, we may not see this, but the Apple Cinema displays are none-the-less overdue for an upgrade (new design and LED back lighting?)

4. 32 GB iPhone and 64 GB iPod touch: With memory getting smaller and cheaper by the day, and this rumor dating back to last August, this should be a pretty safe bet. A 64GB iPod Touch would leave little for reason for the 5G holdouts not to upgrade, and a 32GB iPhone would help the device stay ahead of the competition.

3. New iMac: Rumors are abound about a ginormous 28" iMac with a quad core, hyperthreading Intel i7, dedicated Nvidia card and new cooling system being on the way. Apple might hold this back, though, in order to give the new iMac it's own announcement post-Mac World.

2. New Apple TV: With so much unfulfilled potential, the Apple TV is due to an upgrade. Support for more formats and access to media from anywhere on the internet could put the Apple TV back in the competition.

1. Steve Jobs: With everyone expecting it, a "surprise" appearance wouldn't be much of surprise. None the less, I still want to see a healthy Steve Jobs make his way to the MacWorld stage during the keynote.