New Intel Apple to arrive in January

THE LATEST prediction, from those who claim to know, is that the entertainment gear maker Apple will make a surprise announcement in January that it is releasing the new Apple Mac with Intel on board earlier in the New Year than expected.

Apparently Apple is preparing a surprise announcement at MacWorld this January and all the Wall Street analysts and Macperts say the safe money is on an early launch of the Mac.

Apple has so far suggested that the IntelMac will hit the shops in June, but MacWorld has been chatting to the supply chain and the world on the street is that the new Apples will be flogged long before June.

There are a number of good reasons for this. The schools, which are a prime market for Apple, will start placing orders in April, so the IntelMac has to be out before that.

MacWorld is a favourite venue for making big announcements, so the prediction is that Jobs will appear on stage with an IntelMac and to the cheers and acclaim of the faithful US IT press will announce that the beast will ship in a few weeks.

Then the US hacks will all rush back to their typewriters and write lots of stories about Apple's surprise announcement, even though they have been predicting it for months.

More 'ere.