Alright, the Intel transition is done, so let’s see the new Mac hardware designs

Now that the Mac’s Intel transition is complete, it’s interesting to note that of all of its computer models, only the iBook received a radical redesign to go along with the processor changeover. The PowerBook picked up a number of new hardware features and such, but still looks like the same machine from six feet away. And all of the Intel-based desktop models look identical to their PowerPC counterparts, despite their radically redesigned interiors.

While the initial temptation might be to conclude that Apple has simply gotten lazy or lackadaisical when it comes to the Mac, I think a conscious decision was made early on by the company to keep most of the Mac models looking the same in their first Intel incarnation as they did in their final PowerPC incarnation in order to provide visible metaphorical continuity during the course of the processor transition. In other words, if an Intel-based Mac still looks like a Mac model that we’re all familiar with, then we’re more likely to accept that an Intel-based Mac is sill indeed a Mac.

So how does that explain the activity on the laptop side? I think the iBook was just so long in the tooth from a design standpoint that they felt the time had more than come to do something about it, continuity concerns or not. And the laptop name changes likely came from an equal desire to rid themselves of the name “Power” and to (better late than never) sneak the word “Mac” into the names of the Mac laptop models. Back in the late 90’s when the word “Mac” was synonymous with “plague” for most of the population, not referring to Mac laptops as being Macs was a calculated decision. But with the Mac’s resurgence in mainstream acceptability (if not necessarily acceptance), it was becoming almost criminal to have two of the most popular Mac computers not be only identified as being Macs.

So now that the transition to Intel is complete, the question is whether Apple is going to recall Jonathan Ive from the year-long vacation he’s apparently been on, and turn him loose on the next generation of Mac hardware design. Just make everything as cool as the MacBook and it’ll be fine.

In other news, now that my entire September is more or less spoken for, watch Apple go and remamp the entire iPod lineup during the month of September just to keep me on my toes. Conventional wisdom says they’d better hurry up and get new iPod models to market in time for the holidays in order to counteract Microsoft’s upcoming competitor, but I can’t imagine Microsoft gets its product to market in 2006. This is, after all, a company who has never once gotten a product out the door in the same year it was originally scheduled to do so. Lest ye forget that Windows 95 was originally supposed to be called Windows 94.

That having been said, if Apple is indeed going to significantly update the iPod lineup prior to the holidays, now would be a good time. Everyone (including Apple) suffers if the accessory market doesn’t get its corresponding new products to market in time for the holidays, and I think Apple learned that last year. September 7th was a day that made a lot of iPod accessory makers smile. Those smiles all went away on October 12th. Not because they didn’t like what they saw, but because it was way too late for them to be seeing it.

Come to think of it, the iPod nano celebrates its one year anniversary this Thursday. Considering all the swirling rumors, you have to wonder if the nano will still be a current-model iPod by then.