Apple shows off its networking savvy at WWDC

Posted:
in macOS edited January 2014
After building a temporary network of WiFi hotspots to provide coverage for the 5,200 attendees at its annual Worldwide Developer Conference, Apple has set up a graphic visualization of the network itself.



Depicted within the Moscone West conference hall, Apple's WiFi statistics display presents available bandwidth statistics, a heat map of active hotspots, an animated depiction of network performance over time, and ongoing stats of all the visible WiFi networks (click to enlarge images below).



The presentation of displays highlights the efforts of Apple's network engineers, who have also installed over a thousand wired Ethernet jacks in the building to enable developers in attendance to set up a very fast connection suitable for downloading the 4GB new build of Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, as well as new developer builds of iOS 5 and Xcode, Apple's integrated development environment for its desktop and mobile platforms.



Unlike previous years' WWDC events, Apple is exclusively distributing all of its new software builds to developers as digital downloads rather than via optical disk. The move foreshadows the company's announced plans to deliver Mac OS X Lion and Lion Server to its customers as a digital download this fall, exclusively through the Mac App Store.













Apple first announced the Mac App Store just last fall and rushed it into active production at the beginning of this year. Apple noted this week that it has already become the number one source for Mac software, largely making optical media obsolete as a way to distribute new programs.



Faster, cheaper, better, stronger



In addition to simplifying and streamlining the delivery of new software, Apple's Mac App Store also gives the company more leverage to push its third party developers to adopt new system features, ranging from security (Mac App Store apps must increasingly meet various security-oriented requirements) to the use of modern frameworks (the Mac App Store only accepts Cocoa apps).



Additionally, the Mac App Store, like the iOS App Store Apple launched in 2008, gives the company a cut of software revenues, which Apple uses to maintain and embellish the store itself. Both App Stores have also brought down the the price of software by following a low cost, high volume business model supported by the use of DRM intended to greatly reduce casual piracy.



Apple itself has dramatically reduced the retail price of its own apps, ranging from slashing the cost of Aperture by $120 to just $80, and lowering the price of its iWork apps for iPad to just $10 each. In the WWDC Keynote, the company revealed that Mac OS X Lion would be offered for just $30 rather than the customary $130 price of previous major Mac OS X reference releases.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 122
    I want a disc. No lion for me.
  • Reply 2 of 122
    That is pretty damn cool!
  • Reply 3 of 122
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    I feel Apple IS writing a new fantastic chapter. Once again things i never knew i could live without I find I can't live with out . Get well Steve we all want you to take this ride with us .





    PEACE





    9
  • Reply 4 of 122
    Quote:

    A Wi-Fi network and Ethernet connections will be available to WWDC attendees. If you are using a MacBook Air, please bring an Ethernet adapter. All attendees should have a release version of Mac OS X v10.6.7 running on their systems. To connect to the Wi-Fi network at WWDC, enter the WPA2 password "wwdc2011" when prompted.



    Right from the WWDC 2011 FAQ (http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/faq/)





    Any reason why they're still hiding it?
  • Reply 5 of 122
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Where are the new Airport and Time Capsule?
  • Reply 6 of 122
    rukasurukasu Posts: 1member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post


    Apple itself has dramatically reduced the retail price of its own apps, ranging from slashing the cost of Aperture by $120 to just $80, and lowering the price of its iWork apps for iPad to just $5 each. In the WWDC Keynote, the company revealed that Mac OS X Lion would be offered for just $30 rather than the customary $130 price of previous major Mac OS X reference releases.



    Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are still showing for me as $9.99 in iTunes Store and App Store (iPad). Was this iWork price drop announced?
  • Reply 7 of 122
    hobeauxhobeaux Posts: 4member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries View Post


    I want a disc. No lion for me.



    what?so you can put it next to your 8-track cassette?
  • Reply 8 of 122
    No, the App Store is the number one store for computer software, even though it only runs on Macs. More people buy from the Store than from Best Buy or Amazon, period. Much more impressive.



    (At least, that's what Jobs said.)
  • Reply 9 of 122
    chudqchudq Posts: 43member
    I like the new way to get apps. It saves me a lot and not worrying about one user or family pack.
  • Reply 10 of 122
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,015member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries View Post


    I want a disc. No lion for me.



    Why? It makes no sense. Might as well just download it. It will take less time than a disc, anyway.
  • Reply 11 of 122
    jpellinojpellino Posts: 697member
    Constructing a WiFi network to support 5,200 very tech-sensitive attendees and have it all humming along is no mean feat. Kudos.



    Maybe this is a dry run for the free public WiFi network for Cupertino that was asked for at the zoning meeting for Apple's proposed ringworld campus? ;-)
  • Reply 12 of 122
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries View Post


    I want a disc. No lion for me.



    Luddites miss out on lots, nothing new.
  • Reply 13 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brucep View Post


    I feel Apple IS writing a new fantastic chapter. Once again things i never knew i could live without I find I can't live with out . Get well Steve we all want you to take this ride with us .





    PEACE





    9



    Nicely said!
  • Reply 14 of 122
    pmzpmz Posts: 3,433member
    So awesome that they're going Disc free. One step closer to MacBookPros with no optical drive!!!



    It's official. The Mac App Store is the end of DVD software. And I'm excited about it.
  • Reply 15 of 122
    kolchakkolchak Posts: 1,398member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by jpellino View Post


    Constructing a WiFi network to support 5,200 very tech-sensitive attendees and have it all humming along is no mean feat. Kudos.



    Maybe. But if they really want to impress me, how about fixing Internet Sharing, which has been broken in every version of Snow Leopard?
  • Reply 16 of 122
    welshdogwelshdog Posts: 1,897member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Cpsro View Post


    Where are the new Airport and Time Capsule?



    Apparently that was a bogus rumor
  • Reply 17 of 122
    prof. peabodyprof. peabody Posts: 2,860member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Vandelay Industries View Post


    I want a disc. No lion for me.



    That makes sense given that your handle reveals you to be someone who is still stuck in the early 90's.
  • Reply 18 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by pmz View Post


    So awesome that they're going Disc free. One step closer to MacBookPros with no optical drive!!!



    It's official. The Mac App Store is the end of DVD software. And I'm excited about it.



    Yep! I agree on both points. I remember negative comments about the newly arrived MBA having no Target firewire capability. The MBA's have been selling well and yet I don't hear any complaints.



    Apple is leading the way relegating the PC to "just another device" and making the cloud the "truth" (read: digital hub).



    On a side note, I'm not hearing the "overlap" criticism concerning the iPad, iP4 and laptops anymore, either.



    Did anyone notice the computers used for the Keynote demos were, for the first time MBP's not iMacs. Hmmm.
  • Reply 19 of 122
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post




    On a side note, I'm not hearing the "overlap" criticism concerning the iPad, iP4 and laptops anymore, either.






    What is this "overlap" criticism you speak of?
  • Reply 20 of 122
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by christopher126 View Post


    Nicely said!



    thanks dude





    9
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