Whether or not Apple gives it the version number 10 mentioned in roadmap documents, and whether or not it has all of the features we’ve seen in early betas of iTunes 10, a new release of the company’s content-delivery-and-management software is as much a certainty is anything can be for a rumormonger in the lead-up to such an event with its docket under the ultimate control of such a small handful of people.
Although many of iTunes 10’s features have been clearly targeted at the company’s forthcoming Tablet computer/device, and a stripped-down feature set could be carried over into an interim release of iTunes 9 without compromising much of the functionality relevant to existing Macs/iPhones/iPods, the prevailing consensus on the grapevine seems to be that many ostensibly Tablet-specific features — like “e-reader” content delivery — will be available right away on existing Apple products and Windows PCs. Read more
January 27th Apple Event Preview part 3: New “Tablet OS” and iPhone OS
After the “Tablet” itself, one of the most anticipated announcements at today’s Apple Event is that of a new operating system — often called iPhone OS 4.0 by rumormongers, but we’ve heard other names for it — that would power the Tablet and be accompanied by a simpler variant for hand-held iDevices offering parallel new features. Here’s a summary of what we hope to see from Apple’s new system software.
These predictions are based on a combination of public information and reporting from our sources privy to iPhone OS development; they are based on projects we know are in the works for release by this summer at the Worldwide Developer Conference, and can only offer our best guesses until after today’s Event is over as to exactly when they will see public release. Read more