Not even Steve Jobs have sex everything that will occur in the universe of Macs in 2007 . But that need n’t stop over anyone from making prediction of their own . In that spirit , we bring together a panel of Mac watchman — fourth-year editor Christopher Breen , contributing editor in chief Adam C. Engst , John Gruber of theDaring Fireball web log , MacUser contributorandChicago Sun - Timestechnology and data processor columnist Andy Ihnatko , and John Moltz of theCrazy Apple Rumors Site — to secernate us what they think 2007 will play .

What will be the most significant new hardware to appear in 2007?

Breen : Other — as in hardware other than computers . This could let in an iPhone , a widescreen iPod , or the iTV .

Engst : I ’d wish to say iTV , but it ’s as yet ill-defined how prominent of an shock it will have , give that many people are clearly happy with watch picture on their Macs or iPods already , and making a better connection between a Mac and a TV may simply not be sufficiently compelling . AirPort Express is cool , but it did n’t change the public . Were I to hazard further out on the limb , I ’d betoken young computer hardware pattern for at least the iMac and the MacBook Pro , with the Mac miniskirt and the Mac Pro potentially in rail line as well .

Gruber : An Apple - brand wandering phone . I ’m rupture between whether such a machine will be its own new brand , or whether it ’ll be branded as an iPod with sound capableness . But I think 2007 is the year this will encounter , and I imagine it ’s going to be with child tidings .

Ihnatko : Apple ’s wireless iPods . The iPod is the tail that wags the dog ; any alteration that Apple lay down to the iPod wind up in the pockets , belts , and purses of the entire creation , and unlikeZuneand its “ why even nark ? ” WiFi characteristic , Apple will make the iPod ’s radio feature compelling , relevant , and like a shot transformative .

Moltz : The Apple iPhone , as it will have only one push .

What will be the most significant new software to appear in 2007?

Breen : The software that manages Other — a fresh version of iTunes .

Engst : Leopard , without dubiousness . Just the features that have been previewed so far would be sufficient to give it the nod , and Steve Jobs implied there were more feature come as well . That said , Leopard faces the same challenge that Tiger faced and , for many people , failed to meet . If , like me , you find Spotlight useless , ca n’t figure out anything useful to run in Dashboard , do n’t use Mail , and have lilliputian role for Automator , Tiger does n’t offer much more than Panther did . Boot Camp , Time Machine , Spaces , and Dashboard ’s Web Clip certainly go utile , but whether they will prove to be so in substantial - domain use remain to be seen .

Gruber : Can I just say Leopard ? If so , that ’s my answer . If I call for to be more specific , I ’d say Safari 3.0 .

Ihnatko : The most significant software package has to be the Universal editions of Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite . They ’re the last pieces of the Intel transition , and I ’m sick an timeworn of living in a world where the fast Photoshop machine are Windows boxes .

Moltz : iTunes 8 , which will be able to obtain a song for you if you just say “ You have intercourse that song , the one that goes ‘ Baaaah , dah - dah - dah - dah ! Bah - dah - duh - dun ! ’ What song is that ? ”

What will be the biggest Mac news in 2007?

Breen : Apple and the Other . See — I’m sticking to a melodic theme . 2007 is the yr Apple makes a freehanded dip into the media occupation and , through iTunes integration with the iPhone , begins to have an impact in the telecommunications business as well .

Engst : My money is on it being an overall fib of Apple ’s resurgence in the calculator market , drive by the combination of capital native ironware and software program , full Windows compatibility , and the iPod ’s cover halo effect . We ’ve see platter profit from Apple this year , but once Windows compatibility is n’t something that needs to be added on , I cogitate even more mass will be buying Macs . The real question is , what will Apple do with all that money ?

Gruber : The release of OS X 10.5 . What ’s going to make Leopard such a big deal is that there are so many dissimilar fresh matter in it . It ’s box and present as a single Modern production , but it ’s really a collection of piles of raw and updated ingredient . Everything from Safari to iChat to iCal is have a substantial overhaul . It ’s a horrible cliché , but there really is something for everyone .

Ihnatko : Apple cautiously and cannily licenses some of its technology to consumer - electronics makers . Not to transplant iTunes and Mac experience onto third - party electronics , but to stretch Apple ’s influence into a broader range of devices .

Moltz : The liberal news will be Steve Jobs leaving Apple . After several hours of garment - rending and wailing from the Mac community , the event will end anticlimactically as Jobs will return , having apparently just blend in out for a soybean caffe latte .

When will it happen?

There are many items we all know ( or , at least , wethinkwe know ) are coming down the thruway . The big interrogative sentence is , whenare they come ? So we asked our expert to estimate the timing for four forthcoming hardware and software mathematical product .

Leopard

iTV

An eight-core Mac

Widescreen iPod

Last year’s scorecard

Anyone can prognosticate what will fall out in the year ahead . But it takes a truly courageous mortal to drag up last year ’s forecasting to see whether those came to pass — or , more likely , fell spectacularly short . In the February 2006 yield ofMacworld , we asked Christopher Breen , Adam Engst , and senior editor Dan Frakes to give us their best guessing on what 2006 held in store . Here ’s how their predictive powers panned out .

Christopher Breen

Final enumeration : 3 out of 3

Adam C. Engst

last tally : 0 out of 3

Dan Frakes

Final tally : 2 out of 3