Apple's 'Rock and Roll' Show: What's to Come? - Page 2

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To iPad or not to iPad?

There also has been speculation that the long-rumored Apple tablet PC might show up at this event, but both Bajarin and Baker dismissed it.

For one thing, they pointed out that Apple does not like to mix products in its events: iPod events are just for iPod, iPhone events just the iPhone, and iMac events are just iMac. If and when an Apple tablet -- which rumormongers have dubbed the iPad or iTablet -- makes its appearance, it's likely to get its own grand coming-out party.

Software upgrades

Apple-watchers have also been buzzing about rumors that that the company will offer up iTunes 9 with support for social media and, in a long shot, Blu-ray disc. The latter seems unlikely: Apple is in the business of digital downloads, making it unlikely to support a media format that's struggling in the marketplace, has very little available in terms of recordable drives for computers, and is a format that Apple CEO Steve Jobs once called "a bag of hurt?"

Still, there's some slim chance for a bit of Blu-ray news, Baker said.

"We don't have much in the market by way of Blu-ray burners, although they may do something in conjunction with a major disc makers, like announce a solution for burning content to a disc," Baker said. "Then maybe that would justify it, but that's the only scenario where I can see it makes sense for them to do Blu-ray support."

And then there's Cocktail. Cocktail is a new album format reportedly being developed by Apple and the major music labels. The idea is to enable music fans to download more than just the MP3s when they buy an album online: They can get videos, images, liner notes, lyrics and other interactive elements. It would be a total reinvention of the album concept.

"One of the most validated rumors is the Cocktail integration, where they worked with the industry to include core features to get people to buy more albums than singles and differentiate the album instead of single," Bajarin said. "I know the industry has been really trying to differentiate the album from the single. They are looking to see Apple announce things they've done to make the album a more holistic experience than 10 songs and a digital booklet."

A visit from Steve?

Finally, there's the speculation that Jobs himself would show up. Again, the speculation is wild on the fan sites, but analyst opinion remains mixed.

"I'm 50/50 on that," Bajarin said. "Obviously, it wouldn't shock me. This is always where he's shown up and done it, but they are working at getting other folks exposure to downplay the Jobs piece. It's a 'could happen, wouldn't surprise me if it doesn't' kind of thing."

Likewise, Baker added, "It's likely that other people will take the spotlight but I still think he'll show up. I think it would cause more issues if he didn't show up than if he did."