Apple event predictions: New Nano, Touch, price drops?

A revamped Nano appears to be a lock, along with tweaks for the Touch and a new version of iTunes. We might have to wait on those rumored new MacBooks, however.

That's the word ahead of Tuesday morning's media event, which Apple finally confirmed earlier this week via a "Let's Rock" invite decorated with that ubiquitous dancing iPod dude.

Of course, the rumors have been flying fast and furious in the past few days, and I've done my best to marshal them into some kind of order—starting with …

Revamped iPod Nano
Everyone seems to agree that the Nano is set for a major overhaul—specifically, say buh-bye to the squarish, "fat Nano" that debuted last year (I won't miss it, frankly), and get ready for a return to a taller, narrower design similar to the first- and second-generation Nanos. The bloggers at iLounge have what they claim are schematics of the new Nano (as well as for the Touch—more on that in a moment), which describe a 91mm by 39mm by 6.1mm device—making it the thinnest Nano yet. The new Nano's shell also appears to be slightly oval-shaped, with a bigger, rectangular display, perfect for wide-screen videos when viewed sideways. Capacity and price? Still anyone's guess, although I'm hoping for a 16GB version for $199 (the current 8GB model currently goes for $199). Odds: Consider it done.

Touch redux
After all the hoopla over the iPhone 3G, it seems only fair that the nearly year-old Touch should get a revamp. As I just mentioned, iLounge has a diagram that (purportedly) reveals the new Touch, including a rounded back (simlar to the new iPhone), slight increases in height and girth (albeit disguised by the new, tapered design), and—at long last—physical volume controls along the left spine. I haven't seen any reliable leaks about capacity; I'd be psyched to see a 64GB model (the current Touch tops out at 32GB), but given the limited (and thus pricey) supply of flash memory, that seems pretty unlikely. That said, word is that the Touch's price tag—currently $299 for the 16GB model—will see a substantial price drop, perhaps somewhere in the range of the $199 iPhone 3G. Odds: Even.

Other new iPods
Digg founder Kevin Rose raised eyebrows when he mentioned a "2nd generation" Classic on his blog, while Wired News theorizes that a new Classic might add a wide, "sideways" display (similar to the rumored new Nano) plus hard drive capacities north of 200GB. Still, any buzz about a new Classic is pretty weak compared to the steady drumbeat over a revamped Nano. And as far as the Shuffle's concerned—well, not much to report. Odds: 5-1 (redesigned Classic), 10-1 (new Shuffle).

iTunes 8
Digger Kevin Rose made a big splash when he correctly predicted the date for Tuesday's Apple event, and he followed that up with details on the rumored update to iTunes—i.e., iTunes 8. Among Rose's predictions: HD versions of TV shows (long overdue), "stunning" new music visualizations, a new "Grid" view (not much detail on that one), and "Genius," a recommendation engine that scans your library and creates playlists of songs that "go great together." Interesting, although the prospect of Apple scanning music libraries is sure to raise hackles among the security set. Odds: Even.

iTunes music subscription service
Rumors of a subscription service through iTunes have been making the rounds for years now, and they began picking up steam in the past several weeks. But CNET recently poured cold water on the buzz, noting that sources in the industry "don't expect Apple to announce anything to do with music content, and they are sure Apple won't be rolling out an iTunes music subscription service" (although "they don't know for sure"). Personally, I'd happily sign up for subscription iTunes music, but I'm not holding my breath. Odds: Pretty grim.

Beatles on iTunes
Seriously, who cares? Every Beatles fan I know has ripped their entire collection three times over, yet this tired rumor never fails to materialize whenever an Apple event approaches. Odds: Whatevs.

New MacBooks
Most observers agree that the time has come for Apple to revamp its entire notebook line—including (possibly) new chassis, chipsets, and even glass (?) multitouch touchpads. But will we see new MacBooks and MacBook Pros next week? Most believe we'll have to wait until October or November, but others think a MacBook surprise—maybe a touchscreen MacBook?—might be in the offing, especially given hints from Apple PR that Tuesday's event will be a "very big deal." Odds: 3-1 (new MacBooks), 10-1 (touchscreen MacBook).

Got any predictions? Hot tips? Post 'em below, and tune in at 10 a.m. PST Tuesday for full coverage of the big event.