Just so I can go on the record, here are my thoughts before the Macworld 2008 keynote.

iPhone

There will be no 3g iPhone this time. The only possible hardware revision the iPhone will see would be a 16 GB model at the original $599 price point. Sales are still too strong and don’t warrant pushing a new model into the market yet.

The iPhone will see a significant software update. I think it will be a later build and have more features than the 1.1.3 firmware leaked to GearLive.

Things I’d love to see in the next iPhone software update:

• iPhone to do list application that syncs with Leopard’s system-wide To Do manager
• iPhone Notes syncing, I want to edit in two places
• Ability to display a unified email inbox
• Live weather icon on the home screen

There will be a release date for the iPhone SDK, and a brief mention of what it will include. No details with the possible exception of a software distribution system where all applications would need to go through Apple.

MacBook Pro

The MacBook Pro line will see significant revisions.

Some of what I expect to see:

• Case redesign, probably with more MacBook like keys, sharper corners, shinier and with a uniform width bezel around the screen (the thicker top band on the current generation must rankle the hell out of Jonathan Ive).
• The camera will get better.
• Screen resolution will be at least 1960×1080.
• Penryn.
• Multi-touch trackpads would be neat, though I can’t think of much practical use for them.

MacBook Air

It’s happening, and I’m excited to see what it will be. A solid-state Flash only device is totally plausible, at very least it will switch from standard laptop HDs to the smaller form factor used in the iPod Classic. There will be no optical drive, which will instigate much griping from the inertial tech press. It will be ridiculously thin and light, and several people I know will have bought one before February.

The entire MacBook line may be blessed with ubiquitous networking. Who knows if that will mean using an existing technology or going with something completely new.

Other stuff

Apple’s December 2007 sales figures will be the best in the company’s history.

The most boring interpretation I can think of for “in the air” would be new displays which are similar to these floating glass Dells. Displays will get cameras.

10.5.2 – And it better be huge with lots and lots of bug fixes.

Time Machine on remote volumes. Again, over the air.

Nothing new for the iPod, just a mention of how great they are.

John Gruber is onto a few things, especially this:

But so why not sell a device as a dedicated product — a big 500 GB or larger hard drive (or array of them) with built-in AirPort networking. No need to attach it to a separate AirPort base station, no temptation to use the device for anything other than one purpose: backing up via Time Machine.

Nice, but think even bigger. Expand the definition of Airport to be a hub for your digital stuff. Apple’s already got XSAN and all the other pieces, so how about this:

• Integrated Airport connectivity
• Time Machine backups over the air
• Shared iTunes Libraries (via .Mac Accounts or something)
• Include an Apple TV, if the media’s already there, might as well.
• ZFS storage pools (lol)

The shared iTunes thing would be awesome, but I can make as strong a case against it as I can for it. Offices being the immediate hurdle. Plugging in a device where everyone on a network can share music is like Napster in a box, the original Napster. By limiting it to .Mac Accounts Apple would enforce some sort of “family” definition, which might make it doable with a great collection of the best audio interfaces.

There’s probably more, but we’re out of time. See you on the other side.