WWDC 2012: Apple online store is down, updates likely

WWDC 2012: Apple online store is down, updates likely

Apple hits and misses: Apple is known for having many successful product launches. But it had some unsuccessful ones too.

The Apple online store is down for updates, which always indicates that new products are on the way. Well, almost always.

It certainly would make sense, as Apple is expected to make at least a couple of big announcements Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference.

The most recent rumors about the MacBook Pro and the timing of the update make a laptop refresh the top candidate. New MacBooks are supposed to have a retina display, better graphics, faster processors and a thinner chassis. New Macs are also supposed to be in the cards, as well as an announcement about Apple TV.

The iPanel rumored by analyst Peter Misek is one possibility, another is an iterative step for Apple’s set-top box: a software developer’s kit for the Apple TV.

Boy Genius Report has detailed reports from unnamed sources that say Apple will be working with third-party developers to improve the device, which the company has repeatedly called a “hobby.”

The device, according to Apple chief executive Tim Cook is not quite the “fifth leg of the stool” when it comes to the firm’s product lineup, but has seen sales double in the past year. The company sold 2.8 million Apple TV boxes last year, Cook said at the All Things Digital Conference. In the first six months of this year, the company has already sold 2.7 million.

One thing to note about the store announcement Monday: it’s not the yellow sticky note that Apple has used for years. Instead, it’s a OS X Lion-esque placard — gray, with dark gray type. We saw that placard briefly last month, when Apple pulled the store down and then didn’t add a single thing to it.