Midget iPod, budget iMac? The guessing game is on / At Macworld, Apple must sketch out shape of things to come

Midget iPod, budget iMac? The guessing game is on / At Macworld, Apple must sketch out shape of things to come: "Will it be a flash memory iPod for under $200? Or a new Motorola cell phone that can play music from Apple's iTunes Music Store? What about a new, monitor-less iMac for $500? Or its own line of office software?
With Apple Computer's top dog Steve Jobs set to take center stage Tuesday to kick off the Macworld Expo at Moscone Center, the rumor mill has been at a fever pitch among the Apple faithful on what new products he will introduce this time.

The show, which is expected to attract more than 32,000 visitors, has been the stage of choice for Jobs to make splashy announcements about new products.

For example, a year ago, he unveiled the iPod Mini, the colorful smaller sibling of the sleek portable music player that has become a hot seller. Analysts say Apple is selling more of the $249, 4-GB portable music players than the white iPods, which are more expensive but come with bigger storage capacity. "

Matthew Yi, Chronicle Staff Writer