What To Expect From Apple’s “Let’s Rock” Event.

Apple’s special “Let’s Rock” event is hours away. What can you expect from our favorite Cupertino, CA Mac maker?

One thing is for sure. Well, maybe two things. Ok, there are three things for sure that will happen at this event. First, new iPods.

For the last three or four years Apple has updated the entire iPod line starting in September, so the first thing, and most important, is a complete refresh. That means new iPods.

That’s for sure. You can bank on it. 100-percent Mac360 predictability. What about the other two things? Alright, I’m struggling here. #2 is surprise. And #3 is disappointment. In that order.

Apple is good at surprises, what with being the official home of One More Thing™ and all. I’m 100-percent certain we’ll be surprised with something beyond just a new line of iPods and more aggressive pricing.

It should not come as a surprise that #3 is our old Apple special event nemesis, disappointment. It matters not what Apple does at these events, our expectations are seldom met. There’s always something we want that Apple doesn’t provide.

That’s it. Three things. New iPods. Something else; a surprise. And, the ever present disappointment.

Various and sundry media and techno prognosticators always provide Apple followers and Mac users with a list of what to expect at such Special Events, whether they be the annual iPod refresh in late summer, or Macworlds without Mac news in the cold of January.

The list of what we expect at such events is always longer than the list of what we receive at such events. The “Let’s Rock” event will be no different.

Let me add my two cents to the mumble jumble of media noise regarding what Apple will, might, may, should deliver to awaiting and adoring fans.

In other words, wait, there’s more. Not bothering with the differences between wants and expectations, I offer the following, in order of expectations, and not wholly limited to the following:

New iPods
Sure, I’m not far on a limb with this one, but what kind of iPods? I expect (or want) new iPod shuffles, new iPod nano, new iPod classic, the latter two with larger screens.

I also expect to see a slightly remodeled iPod touch, with a more beveled shape to match the iPhone 3G, and more aggressive pricing through the whole line of iPods, especially the touch model.

iTunes 8
What? Yet another version of iTunes? Sure. Why not? There seems to be a new version every month or two, so we’re due.

iTunes 8 will debut with a few new features including a Genius sidebar, a grid view, and the ability to toast bread and cover same with the appropriate amount of butter and jelly.

That’s the top tier of my expected expectations and wants. Of course there are more wants than expectations.

Aluminum MacBooks
Why Apple would announce a new line of MacBooks at the same time as new iPods is beyond me, but it makes the final cut of my list anyway, due mostly to the desire I have to buy a new Mac notebook, not wanting to get the first generation MacBook Air.

See, the surprise here would be an expectation met. Without new MacBooks, the expectation of disappointment is met. I can’t lose either way.

The Beatles
Sure, why not? In fact, why doesn’t Apple just buy all the music from The Beatles and stuff it into the iTunes Store.

The Beatles, what’s left of them, don’t need the money, and Apple has plenty of it anyway. I bought a bunch of Beatles albums through the years, then CDs, then the big CD “1” with all their #1 hits.

Would I buy The Beatles in digital form? Meh. Why not?

iPhone 2.1
Apple’s software development caves must be a dizzying place to work, what with all the software they’ve thrown like crumbs from the table to adoring Mac fans, Windows users, and iPhone cultists.

iPhone 2.0 was alpha status and weaker than Sarah Palin’s foreign policy experience. iPhone 2.0.1 was the beta version, and iPhone 2.0.2 was the pre-release version, so, what’s left?

iPhone 2.1 will squash yet another multitude of bugs, add a few new features, maybe even network tethering for the Mac notebook I no longer have, and finally fix those iPhone icons which move some where else than where I put them whenever a software update occurs.

But I’m not bitter. I’m expectant. I have wants and needs. And Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event had better satisfy a few of them.

There, I parked my kisser way out on a limb not sufficiently strong enough to support a rumor or two, let alone the reality descending rapidly upon us. What do you think?

What will Apple provide to the millions of hungry birds in the nest? You have only hours to post your prognostication in the Comments section below.