Jobs reveals new Macs, iPods, gives away iPhones

It's not often Apple CEO Steve Jobs gives an internal company keynote but that's exactly what he did Thursday, at 11 a.m. Marking the occasion of the iPhone's imminent release, Jobs told Apple employees the iPhone would change the wireless game much as the Mac changed the PC--and that someday, all phones would imitate the iPhone. He then gave employees a few hints as to what the company has in the pipeline, including the "best Macs" the company has ever made, which he characterized as being "off the charts."

With regards to the Apple TV, Jobs said the company will focus on building out that platform during the coming year, with the hope it will someday become the fourth pillar of Apple's business and not just a "hobby." Could this mean Apple is set to add more features to the Apple TV, bringing the device closer to becoming a full-fledged set-top-box? I sure hope so.

What's more, it looks like iPod fans may finally get their "true video iPod"--Stevie hinted at a version of OS X currently in development for future versions of the iPod. Ending his keynote on a high note, Jobs said all full-time Apple employees (who have been with the company for a year or more) will receive a free iPhone at the end of July. I can only imagine the applause following that announcement. This is good news for all iPhone fans if you think about it--after all, if Apple can afford to give away nearly 20,000 units just one month after launch, there must be a whole lot of them in the pipeline.

For more on the internal Jobsnote:
- see this Ars Technica article

For more on the debut of the iPhone:
- see this press release

Related article:
Slim margins for Apple TV