Apple has, I think rightly, stayed mostly out of the Blu-ray/HD DVD fiasco. They have an online distribution system that works, and they don’t think people want to watch hi-def movies on their MacBooks. Fair enough. But what about all those cinematographers and video editing pros who need Blu-ray authoring ability on the Mac Pro they do their Final Cut stuff on? Well, rumor has it there is a certain product (artist’s impression above, thank you) on the way.

Supposedly, they are planning a network storage solution with three hard drive bays and a Blu-ray burner. Why not? Seems practical, though the cost will be enormous. Just think about it: A Drobo costs a little under $500, its network attachment a bit more, plus a Blu-ray burner, lets say at $300. Call it a thousand dollars, add a little Apple-style markup, and you’re looking at $1300 easy. I’d like one, but that doesn’t mean the rumor’s real.