A year after Steve Jobs announced the iPhone to the world, thousands of Apple enthusiasts have gathered at the Macworld Conference & Expo 2008 to find out what he has in store this year.

Tomorrow Mr Jobs will take to the stage for the 24th Macworld, with the technology world braced for a series of new announcements. But few of the 50,000 expected to flock to San Francisco imagine that this year’s Macworld will spark the same kind of frenzy as last year.

“All I can say for certain is that Macworld 2008 is not going to top 2007. That was the Macworld of Macworlds,” said Charlie Wolf, analyst at Needham & Co.

The touch-screen iPhone quickly became the must-have gadget of 2007, sparking a doubling of Apple’s share price and spawning a halo effect that sent its share of the personal computer market soaring.

Apple refuses to reveal in advance what it will announce this year, but the firm is expected to unveil a number of new products. Bloggers who have already arrived in San Francisco are particularly excited by posters and banners springing up around the city proclaiming that there is "something in the air".

This, many speculate, could be a reference to a new, ultra-portable notebook that Apple is thought to have been developing. Websites have been buzzing with the suggestion that the ultra-light laptop will be called the Macbook Air. Industry insiders urge caution, however; Apple is well known for spreading false rumours, in a bid to ratchet up the hype.

What is thought to be more certain is that Mr Jobs will announce that movies will be added to the online iTunes Store, priced at $3.99 (£2) for 24 hours’ rental.

iTunes already has a small selection of Disney movies, but Apple is reported to have secured a deal with 20th Century Fox and is thought to be in advanced talks with Warner Brothers and Paramount to carry the studios’ films.

Also on the cards is the unveiling of a 3G iPhone. Apple surprised many by not releasing a 3G-enabled handset last year, instead opting for 2.5G EDGE technology.

Randall Stephenson, chief executive of AT&T, Apple’s partner in marketing the iPhone in the US, said in November that the firm planned to launch a 3G iPhone sometime this year, and it is thought that Mr Jobs may demonstrate the new technology.

Another rumour is that Apple may follow Warner Bros in lending its support to Blu-ray, as opposed to HD-DVD, in the battle over high-definition DVD formats.

Such a move would be unsurprising – Mr Jobs is a major shareholder in Walt Disney, which has already announced that it will exclusively support Blu-ray.

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