Theocacao: A Keynote of Surprises

Ben — Jan 09, 07 3121

Does this mean that iLife and iWork will probably come out the same time as leopard and be leopard only?

Andrew Knott — Jan 09, 07 3122

I reckon there will be a smaller event later on in the month (or soon otherwise) - this announcement was just too big to allow anything else in.

Manton Reece — Jan 09, 07 3123

I wouldn't be surprised if we see iLife and iWork shown on the floor and shipping soon. Agree with Andrew -- everything except iTV and iPhone would have distracted from the importance of this keynote.

WWDC 2007 can't come soon enough. It looks like Dashboard widgets may be the preferred way to build and distribute apps for this device, I just hope they keep it open for developers.

Ben — Jan 09, 07 3124

I'm a little bit underwhelmed actually. The theme for today was "going after the extremely high end." It's a good long term play, because today's high end is tomorrow's mass market, but it will be a while before many people can afford the phone, and the iTV still seems like a waste of money for now (all that and i *still* have to pay $2 a TV show?).

The phone does some neat stuff, but it's sort of nerdy looking in that form factor. I would expect a "nano" mass market SKU at some point by holiday this year.

(Re: phone OS X? It's certainly not running the normal window management UI stuff. I suspect that by "OS X" they mean an xnu/BSD kernel with some custom mini-Quartz and appkit layer. I doubt this looks internally just like a Mac but with a different window manager.)

Mike — Jan 09, 07 3125

I have a suspicion another event will occur during MacWorld. I find it hard to believe that MacWorld will end without at least iLife and iWork. Of course if the packages are utilizing top-secret Leopard features, they have to be announced at the same time.

Definitely psyched for the iPhone.. but kind of let down that there was no Leopard preview/announcement.

Steve-o — Jan 09, 07 3126

Not everything was discussed today, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen -- the new Airport Extreme, which you can buy on the Apple Store right now, didn't get the "big announcement" treatment. Same could be said, I imagine, for other things - Mac speed bumps, iLife updates, etc.

Or there could be more mini-events throughout the MW conference.

MatzeLoCal — Jan 09, 07 3127

Also new Airport Extreme... but not mentioned in the keynote.

I was a bit disappointed there was nothing about OS X (except that iPhone has it) or the Mac... but makes "sense" as Apple has changed from Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple, Inc.

Please don't let them make the same mistake that Be, Inc. does when announcing, that they will enter InternetAppliance-Market and BeOS will become "only" the development plattform...

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3129

@Ben: I don't know if there's room for a lower-end device right now, at least not for Apple. I guess we'll see. I don't see it nerdy at all, quite the oppsite. I think it's far and away the most elegant, human phone design I've seen. It's not running the Finder and all that, but I think it's probably much more than just xnu. Things like Core Image were called out, which is huge.

Hjalti — Jan 09, 07 3130

Amazing stuff, but i was hoping to see a leopard preview.

jburka — Jan 09, 07 3131

What I found most interesting was what's likely to be announced for the iTunes Store but wasn't: HD downloads and/or 2nd gen hd optical disc support.

The appleTV's 720p support is pretty pointless without HD content, so that's got to come from somewhere...

Steve-o — Jan 09, 07 3132

The appleTV's 720p support is pretty pointless without HD content, so that's got to come from somewhere...

How about the trailers from Apple.com?

Not the answer you might want to hear, but that will provide HD content right to Apple TV out of the box.

richard — Jan 09, 07 3133

Notice how they consistently write "OS X" on the iphone page, not "Mac OS X". So I'd guess that the phone definitely does not run the actual OS X. Which, in my opinion, is a damn good thing.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3135

on the iphone page, not "Mac OS X". So I'd guess that the phone definitely does not run the actual OS X
Well, Steve says it is Mac OS X. There are a number of reasons they may not put the Mac in the front, but on might be so that Windows users don't get the impression it's not for them. Certainly it's not an identical version of Mac OS X because that would be a waste of resources.

Andrew Knott — Jan 09, 07 3136

I wonder if developers will get APIs to create stuff for it? If so... I guess we'll have a new mobile HIG? Exciting times eh?

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3137

I wonder if developers will get APIs to create stuff for it?
Seems pretty likely.

David — Jan 09, 07 3139

720p content? How about over the air? Millions of people around the world receive (and record, through their DVR or EyeTV or what-have-you) HDTV for free through DVB-T.

No mention, implicitly or otherwise, of divx/xvid support. Heavy-handed iTunes Store references only.

As for the phone. Well, bad luck to the majority of Apple customers who don't happen to (a) live in the US, and (b) don't wish to or can't connect to Cingular. Looks like a high tech, overpriced yuppie toy, but then so did the original iPod and look what happened there.

I guess we just have to wait 6 weeks or so for the "special event" that will actually show the stuff we want to see: new Mac hardware (Mac Mini??), Leopard, iLife, displays, etc.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3141

Well, bad luck to the majority of Apple customers who don't happen to (a) live in the US, and (b) don't wish to or can't connect to Cingular
How is it bad luck? Apple has to start choose a starting point, right?

David — Jan 09, 07 3143

Apple typically chooses starting points that are more... international. They didn't release the iPod by saying that it could only be used in a specific region, after all.

Good on them for the technology -- running "OS X" on this thing is pretty amazing, but come on, the impact of this thing is going to be restricted to one market for some time to come, which is hardly a typical Apple tactic.

Isil — Jan 09, 07 3144

Well, if you add this Mac OS X phone to the fact that the Second Life client is now open sourced, seems like we will have a stripped down portable SL client, in the near future...

Jan — Jan 09, 07 3147

Apple typically chooses starting points that are more... international. They didn't release the iPod by saying that it could only be used in a specific region, after all.

The iPod didn't require as much backend-technology as a mobile phone + service when it was released. So I guess it's fair when they start in the US. Right, they could sell the iPhone unlocked, but who would pay $1000--$2000 for it?

@Scott, we need html entities here. I want proper m-dashes and figure-dashes :-)

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3148

They didn't release the iPod by saying that it could only be used in a specific region, after all
You make it sound like Apple doesn't want to launch it internationally, but that doesn't make sense to me. My impression is that it's incredibly complicated to do what you're describing. The fact that they had to partner with Cingular to just do it in the states seems to be supporting evidence. The iPod is a different case because it isn't a communications device. It's free-standing. Launching a phone isn't like shipping a computer or music player.

Andras Puiz — Jan 09, 07 3149

The iPhone runs OS X. Not Mac OS X.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3151

The iPhone runs OS X. Not Mac OS X
Which means what?

David — Jan 09, 07 3152

You make it sound like Apple doesn't want to launch it internationally, but that doesn't make sense to me.

No, I'm saying that Apple, being a pretty good performer when it comes to internationalization (at least in comparision to other American IT companies) would love to launch internationally, but has chosen a product that doesn't at all lend itself to such a thing.

Hence... "bad luck" for non-American non-Cingular customers.

Other regions will have to wait over a year, if not more, to purchase one of these things. (A year being an eternity in the world of mobile phones.) As for developing applications for this thing, API or no API, again, international development??

David — Jan 09, 07 3153

Windows Vista iTunes dialog:

"Would you like to sync this computer to use Windows OS X?"

Mooohahahahah.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3154

would love to launch internationally, but has chosen a product that doesn't at all lend itself to such a thing
It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to scrap a phone project just because it's tricky to launch internationally. In any case, I don't think Apple really had much of a choice. Market pressures having clearly been driving them towards a phone product.

David — Jan 09, 07 3155

It doesn't make a lot of sense to me to scrap a phone project just because it's tricky to launch internationally

I think that was my point. If it's tricky to launch internationally, and you're an international company which gains most of your revenue outside of the US, then ... why do it?

Instead, why not do something like, oh, let's say... Macintosh computers and software?

In any case, I don't think Apple really had much of a choice. Market pressures having clearly been driving them towards a phone product.

Yeah, because the world is starved of mobile phones. Heh heh.

I don't see any such overwhelmingmarket pressure at all. Yes, there is convergence but there is convergence in many other areas too, including home automation, cars, or even your refrigerator. But I don't see Apple producing an AppleFridge.

Anyway, I am sure that this new toy will be snaffled up by the usual cashed-up early adopters. Well, American Cingular-subscribing ones anyway...

Meanwhile, we develop for the Macintosh, which wasn't on show today.

Steve-o — Jan 09, 07 3157

But I don't see Apple producing an AppleFridge.

How does any fridge - even the smart fridges out there on the horizon, etc - impact Apple's current market in the same way that the cell phone market is and will continue to impact the portable media device market?

Sounds more like sour grapes than logic to me.

David — Jan 09, 07 3158

Sounds more like sour grapes than logic to me.

Uh, OK. Thanks for the contribution, you've sold me.

Final word: Macworld this year didn't have a... Mac.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 09, 07 3159

Instead, why not do something like, oh, let's say... Macintosh computers and software?
I don't see why they can't do both. Macworld is not the only time they announce products.

Yeah, because the world is starved of mobile phones.
Well the US certainly doesn't have nearly the selection that Europe and Asia does. In any case, if Apple doesn't want mobile phones to overtake the iPod market domestically, this is what they have to do.

I don't see any such overwhelmingmarket pressure at all
I think you're in the minority in that opinion. You might be right, but the burden of evidence is definitely on you. It's all analysts have been talking about for the past year.

Yes, there is convergence but there is convergence in many other areas too, including home automation, cars, or even your refrigerator
None of those things go in your pocket, though. A large-ish iPod and a large-ish phone is too much, so it makes sense to combine them. The trick is making sure that neither is compromised to the point of being impractical, and that's the idea behind the iPhone.

Meanwhile, we develop for the Macintosh, which wasn't on show today
You must have watched a different keynote. :) The one I saw introduced a new OS X-based computer which uses Cocoa and Core Animation. Look at it this way: even if you don't use the phone component at all, it's a fancy touch-screen, ultra-portable, wireless Mac with Cocoa and Core Animation.

Chris Ryland — Jan 09, 07 3162

And now we know why there's been such a push for developers to make Widgets and even to think of Widgets as another application delivery vehicle (as someone said to me at a 2005 WWDC session, off-stage). It was pretty clear something was brewing beyond just the "nice desktop gadgets" idea.

Chris Ryland — Jan 09, 07 3163

In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Widgets were the only application development method available for the iPhone. However, I believe they'd allow real code in the widget bundles just like they do now, so you could do almost anything within the bounds of your little "window".

Steve-o — Jan 09, 07 3166

Uh, OK. Thanks for the contribution, you've sold me.

Who said I was trying to sell you on it or anything else? Bitter much?

Andras Puiz — Jan 09, 07 3167

The iPhone runs OS X. Not Mac OS X
Which means what?

As far as I know, Apple has never referred to OS X without calling it Mac OS X. The iPhone page, however, states that iPhone runs OS X, without the "Mac" part. To me, it definitely suggests that this is a modified, scaled-down version of the operating system, as does common sense.

In other words, I don't believe that the iPhone GUI is simpler than the Mac GUI only because of usability concerns. Rather, I think the iPhone OS X is a heavily optimized, scaled-down, version of the software, with a lot of the system frameworks removed or simplified.

Do you think the iPhone has NSSpeechSynthesizer, for example?

David — Jan 09, 07 3168

Maybe you should just relax and accept that people may have differing views from you.

PGM — Jan 09, 07 3169

I just checked, and the system folder on my iMac is 2.27 GB. If they want to leave some room for music and other user data, I guess they have no other choice than to offer a scaled down version of OSX.

Rich — Jan 09, 07 3173

The other surprises: no iLife or iWork announcement

I'm starting to think we won't see iLife as a separate product any more, and they'll just roll it into Leopard as part of "The Complete Package."

PGM — Jan 09, 07 3174

iLife is too important for the marketing to stock away inside the OS release. They cannot fill those shelves in the Apple stores with only third-party consumer software. My guess is that they will indeed hold a seperate event in a couple of weeks (they will probably allow some time for the Vista buzz to die off) to present some new stuff including iLife & iWork. They know darn well that no journalist is going to write about iLife or iWork if an iPhone is presented at a keynote.

Joe Goh — Jan 10, 07 3175

According to this page at TUAW, user installable applications will NOT be allowed on the phone.

I was really excited when I saw Cocoa mentioned on the keynote slide showing OS X, but it looks like we might be restricted to just Widgets and not real desktop apps.

So OS X is definitely not the same as Mac OS X, especially from a developer's standpoint.

Rich — Jan 10, 07 3176

They cannot fill those shelves in the Apple stores with only third-party consumer software.

1. Removing iLife would not leave the Apple Store shelves bereft of Apple software, far from it.

2. Even if it did, why on earth couldn't they fill the shelves with third party consumer software? It's not like OS X is a struggling platform.

Scott Stevenson — Jan 10, 07 3178

I believe iLife will stay around as a seperate product at least because it's updated more frequently than the OS. If they rolled it into Leopard itself, it would be a mess to spin off again.

Joe Goh — Jan 10, 07 3179

From this article, it says "Noted analyst and Engadget pal Michael Gartenberg stated that the iPhone is first party software ONLY -- i.e. not a smartphone by conventional terms, being that a smartphone is a platform device that allows software to be installed".

Joe Goh — Jan 10, 07 3180

David — Jan 10, 07 3181

I think iLife would hang around as a separate product if for no other reason than profits. I don't have the numbers to back this up, but I'd think that a separate iLife SKU does more for the bottom line than bundling iLife with Leopard and then jacking up Leopard's price.

If anything, I think iLife would splinter before it was bundled. e.g. the Keynote/Pages bundle where Pages should really be in the iLife suite, IMO. (Or at the very least, a separate SKU.)

Neil — Jan 10, 07 3182

even if you don't use the phone component at all

agree, the phone component I can do without. basing it on OS X means we have a new handheld/touch-input platform that kicks ass, just like OS X kicks Windows' ass.

Mike — Jan 10, 07 3183

"I'm starting to think we won't see iLife as a separate product any more, and they'll just roll it into Leopard as part of "The Complete Package.""

I don't want all that crap coming with my copy of Leopard. I've found the iLife & iWork apps to be too dummed down for me.

Rob — Jan 10, 07 3191

It doesn't ship in June ...

... it ships in Zune !!!

Rob — Jan 10, 07 3194

That's good new name for the iPhone ...

iKickAssVisto

iKickyoWinoAss

Marco Masser — Jan 11, 07 3206

I'm from Austria / Europe and I have to say that I really like the iPhone and what it looks like, but the connection abilities of the device are just strange (at best) if you look to European or Asian mobile markets. No HSDPA? No UMTS? That means, if you're not somewhere near a WLAN you have the key for, you can't really use the internet features (not fast enough, that is). I'm with Hutchison G3 Mobile (or just "3"), which is a mobile provider using UMTS in Austria's bigger cities and which uses roaming to a GSM (1800 MHz) network when somewhere else. They provide mobile internet, mobile music downloads, mobile TV and much more. The Apple iPhone would be perfect for them, if it just didn't use old technology in this critical area.
Of course (afaik, at least), in the USA, there's no real UMTS provider around that would give this technology in the iPhone some sense.

Btw: could it be that Apple will be the only one providing "real" applications for the iPhone but allow developers to make those Widgets?

delta — Jan 11, 07 3211

Let's face it - it is embedded OS X built with itunes as finder. Of course Steve couldn't tell - he didn't even to the Apple developer community.
iwork after this show of course it comes in 2 - 3 months - but believe me - the spreadsheet Mesa from Plsys we'll be better.
My opinion we have saw a complete new "hardware platform" for embedded OS X. Can you imagine a Nikon camera with the iphone interface. A railway ticket to mobile phone with the "image" of a city or a place. I can't wait for Leopard and the new Interface.
Apple would like to limit some Java developers and a few third party ones - but in the end third party apps come to the iphone but only certified ones.

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A Keynote of Surprises