Number 9 Rumors

Apple news this week has been dominated by rumors of a September 9, 2009 (9/9/9) event. While there has been no official announcement of such an event by Apple, this hasn’t stopped bloggers from speculating on what APple may announce. Here is a run-down of possibilities.
It could be the Apple Tablet that we have been waiting for. Most rumors of this mythical tablet have pointed to later in the year, or early next year for release. But Apple announced the iPhone 6 months in advance, so they could be announcing this tablet early too. If the tablet relies on iPhone apps for content, then an early announcement would give app developers time to adapt their apps to a larger tablet screen.
Apple seems to have September announcements concerning the iPod in most recent years. So this could be an iPod update. There have been rumors of a new iPod Touch that adds a camera and other iPhone features. Add a larger screen and maybe the new iPod Touch and a tablet are one in the same.
One of the rumors that makes the most sense is the release of iTunes 9. Rumored features for this new version are social media links and the ability to sync with non-iPod devices. Apple may want that last feature to keep iTunes as the center of the Mac users’ media world, instead of resorting to a third-party application to sync with their non-iPod device.
The very date of 9/9/9 hints at the Beatles. The words “Number 9, Number 9, Number 9” are from the oddest Beatles song, Revolution Number 9 from the White Album, and are heavily associated with the Beatles in popular culture. The Beatles appearing on iTunes has been rumored for years. 9/9/9 is the release date of the Beatles Rock Band game for game consoles, and the issue of a remastering of the Beatles catalog. This remastering is often linked with the Beatles coming to iTunes. This could also include a limited edition Beatles iPod, similar to the U2 iPod from years ago.
Another possibility could be that September 9 is simply the release of Snow Leopard. This would be a non-event, as Apple has already said that Snow Leopard will be out in September. The only surprise would be if Snow Leopard boxes were unveiled at Apple Stores and it was available immediately.
Of course, the event could be any combination of the above. Throw in a surprise like Steve Jobs making the announcement personally, perhaps with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr at his side, and it could be quite exciting.