Who can forget MacWorld 2007!  Jobs took the stage in San Francisco, and a few months later, lines formed so that people could be the first to grab the iPhone!  So what can we expect Jobs to hype on us at MacWorld 2008? Make no mistake, this one won't be as exciting as last years!  The rumors on the web is that Apple will introduce a sub-notebook that sits somewhere between iPhone and MacBook useability.  These rumors are largely based upon a report that Apple secured several 13.3 inch LCD displays from from a company out of Taiwan. A web site called Mac Rumors is reporting that this very light laptop will include a DVD/CD player and flash memory, but also include an external optical hard-drive.  This configuration would make such a laptop very lightweight for travel, and very versatile for business and personal use.

One would also expect iPhone update announcements.  Lets hope that high speed internet is one of those announcements!  The price of the iPhone is a premimum one for sure, and one should expect more than EDGE for a data stream when paying such a price for a cell phone!   And I am hoping  for maybe a hint of what iPhone 2 might look like.  Personally, I would love to see a version of the iPhone that includes a physical thumb-board and better support for business apps like Microsoft Office. 

Finally, expect partnership announcements with several players out of Hollywood.  Since iPods now include such a great ability to do video, it only makes sense that Apple take their iTunes model and expand it to include Movies.  This should boost Apple's "Apple TV".  A unit that allows you to send your media from your PC to your TV.  If there has been a weak spot in Apple sales in the last year, its probably with this device.  Reports are that Apple has sold just over one million of these units.  Not bad, unless compared with sales of other recent Apple products. 

I don't expect any real iPod news, as last year most got updates.  But I do expect a few MacBook announcements as well as some time spent to Apple's new OS "Leapord".  

So I am waiting for Tuesday to get here!  In the meantime, I guess I will have to play "Stevenote Expo, the game ". 

If you are reading this right now from your computer, then thank Bill Gates!  And I don't care if you love or hate Windows, it doesn't matter, because we all owe him a debt of Gratitude!  Bill Gates brought the computer into your home!  Sure it took hardware, and marketing, and all the things that go with making a computer, a computer, but until Mr. Gates, no one even had the vision or the wherewithall to make it a reality!  I read his book about 10 years ago, called the road ahead!  Bill spent a little bit of time talking about his upbringing and how he was exposed to computers at an early age.  I have always believed that it was his vision, and not necesarily his programming ability that made him what he is today! 

So two years ago, he announced that he would step down as the CEO of Microsoft.  That will happen officially this June!  He is at CES with Microsoft this week, and this might be his last public hurrah before pursuing other interests.  I don't know about you, but I will miss him!  I don't believe that Microsoft will fail because of his absence.  I don't believe that he is the evil emperor of that evil empire as some have referred.  No, I believe he was simply a guy who had a vision and while a freshman in college saw an opportunity to change the world and took it!  And change it, he did!  And make no mistake, he has made a lot of people in the computer industry rich along the way!  Intel, quickly comes to mind . . . .  Michael Dell was a visionary also!  But there would have never been a demand for a "Dell" computer, had it not been the closest thing to a computer standard we have ever had in an OS called Windows.  There were other operating systems, that were written when computers started to migrate from Hardward based systems, to software based systems. But it took Bill Gates to push and prod and sell and market and build a DOS system into a graphical system that was fairly user friendly and now is used by almost everyone who uses a computer.  Sure, there is Mac, and lets not forget the ipod and the iphone, but just like Michael Dell, the ipod would have never been an ipod if it weren't for the fact, that most of the world were already using computers for things like music and entertainment.  

 Bill Gates never had all the answers!  He said that he never saw the internet coming!  But once he did, he adjusted and used it to his advantage!  He should be respected as he has brought positive change to the world!  In the way we work and communicate!  Yes, I will miss him!  I respect him!  I wish him well!  There is no doubt in my mind, that Mr. Gates will continue to change the world for the better!  His foundation to bring technology to 3rd world nations should succeed with his hard work and name recognition!  

 So right after I posted this about the Everex, I googled it, and found this!  As someone who was considering a Eee, I will certainly have to look hard at this one!  Just considering battery life alone, plus the fact that this baby can hold 30 gigs vs the 4 of the Eee, gives one things to ponder!  If someone is looking for a light weight, light duty laptop, easily stowed and versatle, (and lets face it, many are!) this is a segment of the market I think will soar this year!  And the fact that these will appear in Walmart, vs online or at a BestBuy, probably means that Everex will sale a boatload of these ultra mobile laptops!  

9 Inches, 2 pounds, 5 hours of battery life.  Surf, email, blog, IM, Skype, compute. Cloud computing makes it simple and easy for everyone. Based on the latest gOS Rocket operating system, the ultra-mobile Everex PC comes with popular applications from Google, Mozilla, Skype, OpenOffice.org and more. Find your $399 CloudBook at Walmart.com beginning 1/25/08. Additional Preinstalled and Linked Software Mozilla Firefox, gMail, Meebo, Skype, Wikipedia, GIMP, Blogger, YouTube, Xing Movie Player, RythemBox, Faqly, Facebook and OpenOffice.org 2.3 (includes WRITER, IMPRESS, DRAW, CALC, BASE) Hardware Specifications 1.2GHz, VIA C7®-M Processor ULV, 512MB DDR2 533MHz, SDRAM, 30GB Hard Disk Drive, 7" WVGA TFT Display (800 x 480), VIA UniChrome Pro IGP Graphics, VIA High-Definition Audio, 802.11b/g, (1) 10/100 Ethernet Port, (1) DVI-I Port, (2) USB 2.0 Ports, (1) 4-in1 Media Card Reader, (1) 1.3MP Webcam, (1) Headphone/Line-Out Port, (1) Microphone/Line-In Port, (1) Set of Stereo Speaker, (1) Touchpad, (1) 4-Cell Lithium-Ion Battery

This is a prototype smartphone from INTEL!  According to the folks at Engadget, we might not be seeing this one this year, but we should see it in 09!.  About 1/3 longer than an iPhone, and about the same thickness, this one might be one to watch!  I am guessing that Intel entering the market should be a fun event for sure!  No word on any specs, but I am betting we will be hearing and seeing more of this one in the months to come!

iriver is bringing some GSM love to the states!  Very iPhone looking, but I see much potential in this smartphone.  Here is a short video clip of the phone being played with!  Yea, it looks like an iPhone, and probably works similar to it!  But iriver has done a good job of turning out decent products, and I am betting this one might be one to watch!

One of my predictions for 08 was that the "Cheap Laptop" segment would heat up, and the Asus Eee PC would see lots of competition.  Well, Engadget has gotten their hands on an Everex PC coming to your local Walmart by the end of this month.  Priced at $400 and running Linux as well, and I must say, is an attractive unit in the picture.  Unlike the Eee which uses a Flash based hard drive, this one has a 30 gig hard drive!  Look for more as I get it, because I see this as a growing segment and if this thing is spec'ed right, I see this as a huge hit.

Those guys at Palm continue to woe us!  The guys at Treo Central spotted a White GSM Centro at CES!  Lets see, that is a Centro in Black, Red, Pink and now White!  Amazing what those Palm engineers can do ain't it?  I wonder if they might ever introduce a new Operating System?  Naw, thats too much work.  Oh well, heres hoping for one in fusha . . .  Or maybe Zune Brown . . . Naw, that would be too Microsoft. . . . .