Macworld 2008 is shaping up to be the hottest ticket this month. Quite possibly rivaling CES for press coverage. Why? Besides the announcement of a sub-notebook and/or multi-touch notebook, iTunes movie rentals, and HD video editing software we may see a shift in the format wars. Apple has remained quiet on the subject in terms of hardware by not picking one side of the other to support, though we know it would be Blu-ray for any number of reasons, but this Macworld may change that and possibly shift the war in favor of Blu-ray.
If Shaw Wu, an analyst from American Technology Research, is to be believed along with his sources then Apple will announce that Macs will begin shipping with Blu-ray support. He attempts to step back from this claim and say they might throw in a combo drive, but I don’t see that happening. Apple supporting a Microsoft backed product? Nah. Who really knows, though? We’ll find out on the 15th.
Apple set to ship Macs with Blu-ray support - report [Apple Insider]
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Finally someone understands what will shape the “format war”. It’s not a almost full HD $100 player or which title sells better. It’s the computer. Dell, HP, Apple and Sony will all use Blu-ray. Some will offer combo drives, but few will offer only HD DVD. Oh, and what are four of the top selling computers? Dell, HP, Apple and Sony.
And I don’t think Apple was being silent on the issue. They are on the Blu-ray BOD.
http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2005/mar/10blu-ray.html
HP’s also HD DVD, though.
Plus, Acer and Toshiba are on HD DVD. Along with the company who’s products power most of these computers, Intel.
Yet, Acer’s also on Blu-ray… I never realized that there were companies that were on both sides of the format war…
I thought Apple was going to get rid of DVD drives from laptops. I hate it when Mac rumors contradict, I never know which to ignore more.
Apple is agnostic on the subject of the format war. Proof is in their software. FinalCut Pro - the standard for Hollywood video editing now - supports both Blu-ray and HD-DVD authoring.
Apple is on the Blu-ray board, and they have given more support to Blu-ray in terms of expressed preferences, but they also know which side of their bread is buttered on. And thus, if anything it will be at least Blu-ray, or a hybrid. But only when there is a drive that can burn both formats.
@magellan
I know Apple is on the board and Jobs is a director with Disney. These are well known facts, but the point is that if this report is true then it may just change the landscape of the format war.
“Apple has remained quiet on the subject in terms of hardware…”
I don’t know how much clearer I can be by that statement.
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