Three best Apple WWDC rumors: New laptops, new Macs, Apple TV?

Hey, Apple: We want a new laptop. Our old one is starting to show its age. Between the gradual slowness, evolving needs and (admittedly) three and a half years of aggressive usage in coffee shops, on Amtrak rides, on MegaBus trips, and (really) anywhere with an open wi-fi connection, we’re ready. Three batteries, one RAM upgrade, one big dent to its unibody exterior and two power supplies later, we could see ourselves upgrading in a week or two. We imagine we’re not alone here — a lot of people are probably waiting for some crazy announcement at Monday’s WWDC. With that in mind, it seems that now’s a good time to recap what rumors are cropping up at the moment:

• laptops Is the 17-inch Macbook Pro going the way of the dodo? It’s possible: Early reports suggest Apple will upgrade its Macbook Pro line and add a second retina-display-based line between it and the Macbook Air line, but leave the 17-incher, which accounts for only 1 percent of Apple’s laptop sales, in line for discontinuation in 2013.
• desktops Also on the list for likely upgrades? Apple’s Mac Pro line, which hasn’t been touched since 2010. The current line of rumors suggests new models will be “rackable” and “stackable,” so they can be used easily in a server farm like the old Xserve line once could. The iMacs or Mac Minis could also possibly see an upgrade, too.
• tv Of course, the biggest possible surprise? A new television set. Days ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted that the company saw television in its future — and not just in Apple TV form. At the very least, expect the company to announce an app SDK, something that its closest competitor, Roku, already has had for a while. Hmm.

» What could developers see? With WWDC being a developer’s conference first, the software details offered to developers are also expected to be robust, with some suggestions that iCloud might open up for developers who wish to run apps on the platform, more details on Mountain Lion and a more details on iOS 6, which is rumored to include an upgraded map app. But you know what, considering that everything here is just a rumor, it’s entirely possible that Tim Cook could go out there and say, “You know what? We just rested on our laurels this year. We’re switching to Android.” Which, honestly, would be the biggest news of the day.

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