Cool tech demo for something new called “NeXTStep 3.” Could be big. Just kidding, of course. Always interesting to see Steve before his more recent, peak form. A little less suave than you might be used to. Still, NeXTStep 3 was awesome for its era - just barely shy of the first few releases of OS X.
Except that GUI. YEESH. Who on earth thought that all those floating palettes was a good idea?
At the official SDK release/'roadmap' yesterday, we got much more than we had expected. As well as a large press release entailing the inner workings and functions of the SDK (a little over-complex to post), we got live demo's and the tantalising prospect of gaming on the iPhone. However, the story causing the most uproar at the moment is the announced release of Spore on the iPhone (September release date). The game was demoed, and alongside the other games on show (including Super Monkey Ball), Spore made good use of the technology available, using the accelerometer to manipulate the environment.
Further announcements included Enterprise apps and Apple's new Exchange server accomodation- head over to Apple Insider for the complete story. There was also the announcement that Apple would be restricting VOIP (Voice Over IP) programs that use cellular networks, but would allow those that use Wi-Fi; an interesting prospect. Native iPhone applications are to be downloaded direct from the iTunes store, and developers will receive a princely 70% of the revenue in monthly installments.
The SDK is available for developers to download now on the Apple website (which is slow due to demand), including a nice iPhone software emulator to aid with the process. However, a $99 membership fee must be paid in order to post applications direct to the iTunes store. The full version (this is only a beta) will be released in June to all iPhone owners, although iPod Touch users must pay a premium.
After a long wait, AT&T has officially stated that it will be expanding its 3G capabilities across the 100 largest US cities, effective in 2008. Whilst it isn't included in the announcement, the main reason for this must be a 3G iPhone, already in the pipeline.
The increase in transfer speeds will hopefully silence some of the iPhone's detractors, who thought (and rightly so) that the EDGE network was sluggish and couldn't keep up with the next gen requirements of the iPhone. With all the new features, its a shame that the network could let Apple down in such a way, loading pages in safari in minutes, not the seconds which you see in the adverts. And with a multi-year deal between Apple and AT&T, they can't switch to another/multiple providers. So all we can do is pray AT&T get their act together and get the service up and running. The basic transfer speed of 3G is at least three or four times faster than the '2.5 G' EDGE and similar networks, and AT&T are already working on 4G, which will no doubt put 3G to shame.
3G was initially held from the iPhone's feature list due to battery issues and the relative youth of the technology. You have to hand it to Apple- they took a risk, and it paid off big time- 4 million sales and counting. Now, with 3G talk-time extended to 5 hours minimum, it has become a business possibility. And in talks late last year, both AT&T bosses and Steve Jobs let slip that it would be out long before the close of 2008. To keep us happy, Apple, please release the iPhone Nano, a theoretical product which looks ace- see artist impression below.
During Macworld, Steve Jobs told the New York Times that Apple will not make an e-book reader like Amazon’s Kindle because Americans don’t read any longer.He cited a specific number: 40 percent of Americans read a book or less a year, he said.Jobs may have been referring to a November report from the National Endowment of the Arts, To Read or Not To Read, which found that nearly 50 percent of 18-24 year-olds do not read at all for pleasure. Described as the most complete survey of reading trends, the report says Americans aged 15-24 spend two hours a day watching TV, but only 7-10 minutes reading. This includes reading for school or college.”The story the data tell is simple, consistent, and alarming,” wrote Dana Gioia, Chairman of the NEA.The decline of reading has considerable social, economic and civil consequences, says the NEA, and coincides with the rise of TV and the internet.
I was really let down by the Macworld 2008 keynote yesterday. Steve Job's keynotes are a thing of lore, and yesterday, his legendary speeches lost a bit of their allure. There was a lack of 'BOOM's, no 'one more thing', and actually, an obvious empty spot, bereft of new, exciting products.
For the last year, Apple could do no wrong. They have released a stream of complete, advanced products, which has directly translated into a build up of momentum, and their shares ballooning to $200. Given these circumstances, the keynote was never going to live up to the collective Apple communities' expectations.
The online community tends to glorify these speeches, but I have already noticed websites such as Gizmodo and Engadget turning a accusing eye to Apple's court. The only way to sum this up is to take an objective look at what Apple 'really' released yesterday. Firstly, we have the success of Leopard, a solid release that really helped Apple to increase their market share following Vista, or 'OS Version Hell', as I like to call it. So far, so good. But from here on, things turned a bit sour.
Next came the release of Time Capsule, essentially a promised feature of the original beta version of Leopard which was removed from the Gold Master at the last minute. After a long wait, we are offered a 'new product', essentially an Airport base station and a hard drive in one. What was wrong with my original Airport Extreme and Hard drive that I had set up for Leopard? Instead, now I have to fork out for a stand alone product, when third party peripherals are cheaper, probably more reliable, and generally preferable. There was much controversy surrounding the failed first incarnation of Apple TV, the most recent occasion where risky innovation hasn't worked for Apple. Apple TV 2, however, looks set ot work, and the Movie Rentals idea is a solid one. The price is right, with the $4.99 fee sitting somewhere lower than your average Blockbuster. Next exhibit- the iPod/iPhone debacle. The reality of an SDK is getting ever closer, but Apple thought it would keep us sated to release some new applications for the iPod, ported over from the iPhone. How cool! We get stocks, weather, notes, mail and maps, all for 'free'. That is, if you don't already have an iPod. Early adopters get stung by Apple, just as usual, by having to fork over $20 for five free applications. And finally, the Macbook Air. I was initially wowed by this thing, and its hard to deny Apple's marketing plan- it fits inside an envelope? 'The thinnest laptop ever' is an excellent piece of computing design and minituarisation, but could have been oh so much more. There are a few areas where the target market (road warriors), will find issues, such as the non-replaceable battery. I respect and adore Apple, but yesterday they came dangerously close to losing my interest altogether. Its isn't a coincidence that the shares have fallen to $160, and the 'Keynote Index' theory is broken. All in all, Macworld 2008 wasn't successful, and Apple will have to reel out some special products over the next few months in order to regain their impetus. Where were the new Apple Cinema Displays? Where was my iPhone 3G announcement? Where was my Macbook Pro refresh? These, and many more glorious products, were noticeably absent...
During Macworld, Steve Jobs told the New York Times that Apple will not make an e-book reader like Amazon’s Kindle because 
