What to expect at Apple's WWDC - CNN

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Steve Jobs, then Apple's interim CEO, gave the keynote address in May 1999 at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, or WWDC, typically a launching pad for products. That year Jobs announced a new Powerbook computer.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs demonstrated a preview of Apple's forthcoming Mac OS X operating system during his WWDC keynote address in May 2000.

At this WWDC, Jobs announced that Apple's Mac OS X would be pre-installed along with Mac OS 9 in all new Mac computers.

At the 2002 WWDC, Jobs presided over a theatrical mock funeral for Apple's OS 9 operating system, complete with casket, fog and organ music. "It's been a good friend," he said.

At WWDC 2003, Jobs unveiled the new Power Mac G5 desktop computer as well as iPhoto, iMovie and other software tools. That year Apple also pre-screened the Pixar movie, "Finding Nemo."

Jobs posed here with a new flat-panel display, the first 30-inch model designed for the personal computer. He also announced the 2005 release of OSX Tiger.

Jobs opened his 2005 WWDC keynote by using a computer with an Intel processor, representing Apple's switch from IBM to Intel for its processing chips.

Attendees eyed a new Apple Mac Pro desktop computer at the WWDC in 2006 in San Francisco. Jobs kicked off the conference with announcements of a new Mac Pro desktop computer and a forthcoming Mac OS X Leopard operating system.

This WWDC marked the launch of the original iPhone, which had been unveiled at an event in January of that year. The phone went on sale in the United States three weeks later, on June 29.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs launched the iPhone 3G, and compared it to other phones, at the 2008 WWDC. He also introduced the App Store, which would open to the public the next month and has served more than 50 billion downloads to date.

Apple Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall wore a lab coat and safety goggles while demoing a science app for the iPhone at the WWDC in June 2009. Jobs, suffering from cancer, was on medical leave at the time. That year Apple kicked off the conference by unveiling the iPhone 3GS.

Jobs, looking alarmingly thin, introduced the iPhone 4 during his keynote address at the 2010 WWDC.

Jobs returned from another medical leave to deliver the WWDC keynote address on June 6, 2011, when he introduced Apple's iCloud storage system. The Apple co-founder died four months later.

Apple CEO Tim Cook gave his first WWDC keynote at the 2012 conference, where he announced new models of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops.

What will Cook and Apple announce at this year's conference? Reports suggest a new mobile operating system, upgraded MacBooks and possibly a streaming-music service.

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• Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday
• Observers expect a new mobile operating system and refreshed MacBooks
• A rumored smart watch and a possible Apple TV set remain longshots for now
• Apple's keynote begins Monday at 1 p.m. ET in San Francisco

(CNN) -- All the tech world's eyes will be on Apple Monday, when the computing giant's 24th annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off in San Francisco.
As its name suggests, the weeklong gathering lets Apple host presentations and workshops for the people who make a living writing the apps and other software that run on its products.
But its opening keynote almost always makes news. The conference has been the launching pad for two phones (the iPhone 3GS in 2009 and the iPhone 4 in 2010) and several new, or updated, Macs.
This year, the former seems highly unlikely. The latter? Maybe not so much.
Fans are clamoring for some excitement, because Apple hasn't introduced a major new product since the iPad Mini last October. And with growing competition from such rivals as Amazon and Samsung, there's always the chance that the secretive folks from Cupertino are cooking up something big.

Predictions for Apple's smart TV
So here's a look at what to expect from WWDC 2013. Apple's keynote begins Monday at 1 p.m. ET.
A new iOS
The safest bet for WWDC is that Apple will introduce iOS 7 to the world.
For the first time, Apple vice president Jonny Ive is responsible for the update, and reports have suggested the mobile operating system will be "black, white and flat all over."
Unnamed Apple sources have popped up on the Web, saying that much of the color, gloss and shine will be removed from the look of iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch screens in favor of a simpler black-and-white theme.
Style aside, there will almost certainly be a host of new features to announce as well.
Reports have centered on improved in-car support for Maps and Siri, along with new integration for third-party (and non-Google-owned) apps like video site Vimeo and photo site Flickr.
The update also could bring Airdrop, which allows easy Wi-Fi sharing between Apple devices, to mobile.
New MacBooks
The MacBook and MacBook Air laptops are both due to be updated, according to Apple's once-a-year pattern. And the timing is right: Intel just announced a more powerful processing chip.
It will be a challenge for Apple to shrink the already ultra-slim MacBook Air much further. But if the rumors are true, the beefier MacBook Pro may give way to a new, sleeker version of itself.
Apple also could introduce a refreshed Mac Pro desktop tower for those deep-pocketed office managers who prefer to order the freshest machines.
A streaming-music service?
It seems like only a matter of time before Apple leaps into the increasingly crowded streaming-music market led by Pandora, Spotify and others.
Apple's been making deals with record labels such as Universal Music and Warner Music Group, which would allow them to stream songs to users as part of a free or paid-subscription service.
Observers expect such a platform, possibly called iRadio, would exist apart from iTunes, Apple's digital-media service, and focus on mobile devices.
Longshots
Sure, there are realistic expectations. Then there are the really fun ones.
Hope springs eternal in the fanboy's breast, so we won't be the ones to shoot down hopes for a big, "one more thing" surprise.
And, hey -- CEO Tim Cook has already teased "exciting new product categories" this year.
According to observers, an Apple TV set has been on the verge of being released for years now. (Experts are just sure the company is going to roll out a TV set. Eventually.)
A little over a year ago, there was a bizarrely specific Best Buy survey asking loyal customers about the "concept" of an Apple TV. It seems like too much of a real thing to never happen. But will it happen next week? Not likely.
Joining the mythical "iTV" is an Apple watch -- another product everybody is sure is coming, despite Apple having said no such thing.
Wearable tech is becoming a huge field and Apple would surely like to cool off some of the heat generated lately by Google Glass.
A watch feels slightly more likely than a TV, but not by much. This fall, just in time for holiday shopping, seems a more likely release date for one or both. And, quite possibly, for a new iPhone.
There have been some rumblings about a possible new iPad. It has been a little more than seven months since the iPad Mini was unveiled, though, and only four months since Apple offered a 128GB version of its bigger counterpart. So a new model would be a surprise.
What do you want to see from Apple? Let us know in the comments.