There was a WWDC, maybe 10+ years ago where Apple automatically entered every attendee into a drawing to win a brand new top-tier Mac every hour (I think it was like a Powerbook model). The number attendees was really small, so I calculated that 20% of the developers got free computers. Steve himself drew the first two or three names during the keynote that year. I've seen the video on YouTube, but I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIND THE VIDEO. Google's search bubble thinks I want news about WWDC2014 (or spam about free Powerbooks) and won't serve up what I'm looking for. Anyhow, if someone can link the video, that would be appreciated, or I'll add it later if I can find it.
There was a WWDC, maybe 10+ years ago where Apple automatically entered every attendee into a drawing to win a brand new top-tier Mac every hour (I think it was like a Powerbook model). The number attendees was really small, so I calculated that 20% of the developers got free computers. Steve himself drew the first two or three names during the keynote that year. I've seen the video on YouTube, but I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIND THE VIDEO. Google's search bubble thinks I want news about WWDC2014 (or spam about free Powerbooks) and won't serve up what I'm looking for. Anyhow, if someone can link the video, that would be appreciated, or I'll add it later if I can find it.
20% seems really high. Did they do this 24 hours a day for the week or just during the regular day when there were sessions?
Note that 2,563 developers attended for 1999, if mstone's link is accurate. 20% would be over 500 free Macs. That would take 22 days if it was done 24/7 so I'm guessing it was an earlier year, but I couldn't find any reference to 1997 or 1998, which are the only other viable years that would be in the intersection of Steve Jobs and PowerBook. I also couldn't find attendance numbers for those two years.
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
I'm sure you left off the /s intentionally. There are excellent programmers on both Windows and Linux as well as Apple. XCode and Quartz are sort of like Flash in that it is very easy to slap together a simple app, but that doesn't mean the app is at all useful. I'm sure iOS has way more fart apps than all other platforms combined so not everyone on Xcode is a genius.
Let's see. I can go to a conference where they give me a bunch of toys to try and convince me to code for them, or I can go to a conference that has a large number of practical and relevant seminars that will actually be useful to me. I know where I'd go.
The amount of time & money a developer would invest in writing an App would completely dwarf the cost of a couple devices. So they have little value to anyone serious about coding. Likewise, a few hundred (or thousand) dollars worth of gadgets isn't nearly enough to entice me to switch platforms (or start development on another platform).
It makes MS and Google look good to those who know nothing about development, but from a real-world perspective they aren't much more valuable than a free jacket.
Why would you go if you don't code for them to begin with?
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
Why would you go if you don't code for them to begin with?
If I was serious about making my App available on another platform, then spending money to attend a developer conference would be a worthwhile investment.
That is, if the conference covered useful topics and was designed to help me write better Apps through seminars and workshops. I don't need hardware - I can buy that myself.
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
$99 a year? Wow, the HORROR. Also, if you're spending $1500 to attend WWDC simply for the Keynote, I don't know what to say.
"The big difference is that Apple's developers have a viable platform to code for, and a vibrant audience to sell their apps to. Notably, nearly all of the gear Google and Microsoft have given away in previous years is now virtually obsolete."
Comments
There was a WWDC, maybe 10+ years ago where Apple automatically entered every attendee into a drawing to win a brand new top-tier Mac every hour (I think it was like a Powerbook model). The number attendees was really small, so I calculated that 20% of the developers got free computers. Steve himself drew the first two or three names during the keynote that year. I've seen the video on YouTube, but I CANNOT FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIND THE VIDEO. Google's search bubble thinks I want news about WWDC2014 (or spam about free Powerbooks) and won't serve up what I'm looking for. Anyhow, if someone can link the video, that would be appreciated, or I'll add it later if I can find it.
19:00 mark
20% seems really high. Did they do this 24 hours a day for the week or just during the regular day when there were sessions?
Note that 2,563 developers attended for 1999, if mstone's link is accurate. 20% would be over 500 free Macs. That would take 22 days if it was done 24/7 so I'm guessing it was an earlier year, but I couldn't find any reference to 1997 or 1998, which are the only other viable years that would be in the intersection of Steve Jobs and PowerBook. I also couldn't find attendance numbers for those two years.
I checked 1m:27s and 1h:27m but didn't see any reference to free PowerBooks every hour.
Hahaha
I checked 1m:27s and 1h:27m but didn't see any reference to free PowerBooks every hour.
My mistake 19:00
1) You're killing me¡ 18m17s:
2) Just before that timestamp they announced the new PowerBooks that will be shipping in 10 days so that's another WWDC where HW was announced.
3) According to the video there was a total of 50 given away which is just under 2% of attendees. Not bad.
1) You're killing me¡ 18m17s:
Sorry my bad. Trying to do too many things at the same time. Glad you were able to find it.
No need to apologize; you're the one who found it.
I think they should give them free copies of OS X, oh wait.....
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
Jackets aren't cheap.
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
I'm sure you left off the /s intentionally. There are excellent programmers on both Windows and Linux as well as Apple. XCode and Quartz are sort of like Flash in that it is very easy to slap together a simple app, but that doesn't mean the app is at all useful. I'm sure iOS has way more fart apps than all other platforms combined so not everyone on Xcode is a genius.
Why would you go if you don't code for them to begin with?
As [@]DewMe[/@] stated in post 16 they go for the swag.
Have you checked the price of MSDN lately?
http://www.visualstudio.com/products/how-to-buy-vs
Oh, by the way MS Build was $2095.
The "free" swag is only free if you're spending someone else's money.
The Apple Developer programs and availability of top quality free training content on iTunes University is quite astounding.
Thanks for the math. I stand corrected.
That's the one! WWDC 99.
If I was serious about making my App available on another platform, then spending money to attend a developer conference would be a worthwhile investment.
That is, if the conference covered useful topics and was designed to help me write better Apps through seminars and workshops. I don't need hardware - I can buy that myself.
Apple. What a ripoff company. Charging fifteen hundred just to watch them announce some lame upgrades and having the nerve to charge developers $99 a year for the privilege of writing software for Apple devices.
On top of that they make you buy a Mac. Where's my Windows version of Xcode? Even worse X2, they don't make a Linux version. Everyone knows all the talented coders use Linux.
$99 a year? Wow, the HORROR. Also, if you're spending $1500 to attend WWDC simply for the Keynote, I don't know what to say.
Is this really necessary? #blatantbias