Can it be? You’ll be able to “fast switch” to Windows XP (or Vista) with the latest OS X update, 10.5, when it releases sometime next year? Well MacRumors.com is reporting this very unbelievable thing to be in the works! It looks like a code named software “Chameleon” is being developed along side Intel and Microsoft to allow Mac users to simply switch into Windows mode when needing to execute a Windows-based program. When they’re done with the application, they switch back into OS X. No rebooting into the other OS. This means dual-boot is a thing of the past if all this true…as well as making the “switch” thing a bit confusing, too.

Bill Gates said Microsoft is working on bringing a better DAP to take on the iPod to a bunch of high school kids last week. Now just down the road there in the same state of gloomy weather Washington, Amazon’s Chief Executive Jeff Bezos says he’s talking to four global music companies and is not only going to do its own music store but also its own music player.

Some in the industry are saying on the hush-hush that they welcome Amazon to the download party and see it as a true competitor to Apple’s iTunes. If all goes well, Amazon customers could be adding songs to their baskets by this summer.

It’s not clear how the public will take to an online retailer making its own hardware player (though rumors have it Samsung will be subsidizing most of the hardware.) After number one PC maker, Dell Computers, dumped its high storage DAP last month, it will be interesting to see if Amazon can get the public to buy into a player from a book store.

The music store most likely will run to the tune of Napster and Real’s Rhapsody and be subscription based. While both of the latter almost make a million in subscribers, Amazon can boast of having a 55 million customer base to sale to. If only two percent bite, Amazon automatically becomes the second largest online music retailer. Watch out, Apple.

[Via WSJ]

There’s been lots of talk and lots of pictures of the full-screen iPod video that is supposedly coming this April 1st.  Many speculate that Apple will amaze the world for its 30th anniversary with this amazing near 16×9 all screen iPod that will, like the 1G and then the iPod mini, re-invent the digital audio player market with a touch-sensitive screen that will bring the famous ClickWheel into view, but only when needed.

Now there seems to be some action going on over at the patent office with some diagrams that strangely look a lot like an iPod with the very disappearing ClickWheel we keep hearing about.  Documented on February 2nd, this could very much mean this invention is done and is ready for prime time and now just needs to be protected.  That said, it’s possible then that we indeed may see a full-screen iPod video.  I just hope the 80GB stat is right, ’cause man, I need that storage!

BusinessWeek is reporting that it has received some information that Microsoft is taking Steve Jobs advice and building an iPod fighter. Bill Gates believes customers want just more then the ‘limited line’ of audio players that Apple offers, so look for the Microsoft player to do music, video, and Xbox-type games. “It can’t just be our version of the iPod,” says Peter Moore, the main dude behind the Xbox. “I think the brand is an opportunity,” Moore told BusinessWeek.

So how will this effect other partners such Creative that have been happily making Portable Media Players (PMP) with the Windows Media logo on them? Will these partners just jump ship and do something else? Will Microsoft both alienate its partners and loss against the iPod?

The Microsoft version of the iPod will suck out of the gates. Look at everything Microsoft has done when copying its competitors. Windows 1.0 was a joke and didn’t even come close to the Macintosh. Windows CE (now Windows Mobile) was okay, but again, didn’t come close to the Palm Pilot. Its music player will be no different.

Adding Xbox-like games into the device may grab a few gamers, but most audio listeners don’t care about games. Heck, I rarely play my iPod games and it’s not why I even bought the iPod. Music and simplicity. That’s why.

Bill Gates comments once again prove he doesn’t have a tap into the market and what it really wants.

LoopRumors! has been pinged by some sources close to Apple that something big is coming in a form of an announcement event. Kinda like the “One More Thing” gig done last year in San Jose when the iPod video splashed onto the scene. With rumors of a boombox to have been premiered at MacWorld, many are speculating that this will be it since Steve Jobs made a last minute change for his keynote. Others speculate it could be the media center release while others think it may be a better iPod.

SvenOnTech believes the event will not for the boombox. The item seems to insignificant to spend all that money on. Maybe if it accompanied a new iPod with, say, wireless capabilities, then sure. But that’s probably not going to happen, either. SvenOnTech figures it will be another Intel based announcement and it will most likely be the media center Mac. Maybe a Mac mini but most likely a completely new box. It will be small like the mini, but in a long slender box to better match AV rack equipment usually found in a media centric setup. Or will it? Remember, this is Apple and it loves to think different.

Like we said in December, we’ll soon know for sure soon enough which of the rumors are true and which aren’t.

After getting a name change for its top of the line notebook line, it should be no surprise to see Apple’s top of the line desktop to receive the same treatment. I would suspect we will find the PowerPC replaced by the MacPC Pro in time for Macworld Boston. It will surely have Intel’s top-of-the-line CPU and may be the first with the top speed chip to flaunt in front of Dell, HP, and Sony. Like the PowerPC G5, I think we’ll see a new era and probably a new design as well for the top of the line Apple desktop. What will it have? Lots of amazing things I’m sure and I know one of them will be FrontRow….2.0.

Will I be right? Well, I did call the PowerBook with Intel at Macworld way before anyone else did.

iLife has been confirmed and it’ll contain another sibling: iWeb. What’s iWeb? Not sure but as it is integrated with all the other digital software of iLife, I would suspect it will be taking your photos and video and creating your own web site with that content. How this will fit in with .mac, I’m not sure, but it must tie in with the rest of the digital hub, here.

Softpedia doesn’t even go on to speculate what it is but it does have some screen shots of the “proof”. Since an earlier version of iTunes is discussed, however, the proof may be more fake then anything. Though the Google cache is revealing.

Well, I guess we’ll know next week, huh?

Is the iPod shuffle safe? Apple has reported that it just sent a shipment of shuffles to retailers which may kill all the rumors of it being killed. But Apple has warned that supplies are limited. Mmm, what could that mean? Does it still mean there is hope for the LCD shuffle? Or does it simply mean that the 512MB version, as I have predicted, is getting axed and we’ll see 1GB and 2GB versions. Maybe even a 4GB version is coming. I mean, Apple’s got all that flash memory from Samsung, might as well use it, right?

A reader is saying that he has seen proof that the Palm Treo 700w will be going on sale tomorrow, January 5th. Early rumors had it that Verizon would be showing the Treo 700w at CES and then presenting it for sale soon after, but our source swears he’s seen photos from Verizon employees with 1/5 clearly showing as the sale date.

The source also tells us that, “Looks like list will be $500, plus a $100 discount with an unlimited-data service plan.” That $500 is most likely for a two year contract but the $100 off for the unlimited-data is a nice discount. Heck, maybe good enough for me to pick one up and just get the Motorola Q when it comes out later this spring.

One more detail. Like all things Verizon, you will NOT be able to tether this to your PC and use it as a high-speed modem. It’s disabled, but I’m sure someone on Howard Forums will have that hack for us real soon.

Update: It’s official. Get yours now.

I’m pretty fresh out of predictions of what we’ll all see at Macworld next week as I’ve pretty much covered the whole spectrum. Well, I thought I had. This blogger has put into the ring the possibility that the Mac mini will be positioned as a gaming console. While the mini has a good processor and a good graphic board, remember, this is a budget computer. The Sony and Microsoft gaming units are not budget by any means. To compete with them, a lot of beef will be needed and that would defeat the purpose of the mini. Further, the irony of this thought is that Microsoft went to the PowerPC chip for more juice and Apple is leaving it. Makes it more unlikely that we’ll be seeing people in line punching each other with their fists so little Jimmy can have his Mac mini Gaming Console.

[Via tuaw]