eeh...not to excited...im talking hardware though.
What new hardware would warrant an announcement at a developers conference? The G5 was announced there but that's like one hardware announcement out of many WWDCs over the year.
WWDC is not for new hardware unless it somehow dovetails into new development methods. Thus if we want new hardware at WWDC we're going to have to point towards some new device like a STB box that runs iTunes music and other media types.
So that'll be my prediction. Hardware iLife. Listen to music, view photos and view videos.
Since Jobs is keynoting the conference, I guess the question comes to mind, when was the last time Jobs keynoted something without announcing hardware?
Not too many.
Also, since it is a month away, hardware announcements can easily be iMac G5 rev, iBook rev, eMac rev, Mac mini rev, iPod rev, or something different. Asteroid or Jam Box could finally be announced?
I don't think Apple will anounce anything at WWDC that is of direct interest to the developer.
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
I don't think Apple will anounce anything at WWDC that is of direct interest to the developer.
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
I dont know where you have been but since Jobs has been keynoting WWDC there have always been new hardware annoucnments.
Some device that allows _all_ current Macs to automagically decode HD video, fitting as it is "The Year of HD". Or a setup box dealie like hmurchison meantioned, also good.
Otherwise no bumps please. Totally new hardware (doesn't mean PowerBook G5 either) or none, just talk about software and whatnot. Developers tend to really enjoy that software stuff.
One item sure to be announced: sales figures for Tiger.
Nothing gets commercial developers' juices flowing faster than hearing how big their target market is... which is one *large* reason why Tiger was released a few weeks before WWDC - they want the sales figures to pimp to the crowd. Releasing it *at* WWDC wouldn't have allowed that. Also, this let everyone get more of a chance to play with it and get ready for WWDC, as well as get customer feedback to come prepped with questions.
I don't think Apple will anounce anything at WWDC that is of direct interest to the developer.
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
I don't think it has anything to do with it being relevant to a developer or not for hardware to be announced at WWDC anymore IMO.
Again IMO I think they (or SJ) likes to announce hardware there just to add to the value of the show, being that it is the one show it actually costs a good deal of money to go to, that has a lot of people that in some ways are very important to Apple attending.
Apple's registrations are down from recent years...
Proof?
#1. They extended "early bird" registration by another month.
#2. They called me asking me to register for WWDC. I would have gone this year again, but the dates happened to land on Finals Week.
This leads me to believe most of the devs out there do not see any need to go to this event. I blame this on a few things (lack of rumors and roadmaps especially), lack of hardware, lack of new developer software etc.
What would excite a developer to go this year after being at last years event? They pretty much went over EVERYTHING new to tiger last year. Core Data, Core Image/Video, spotlight, automator, ObjectiveC++ (not new but new methods and additions to the library), XCode 2.0, Widgets, etc etc etc. In addition to all these sessions, all the devs were sent a DVD library with every session on DVD.
What's new to go for? IMO... NOTHING. Why go? No person is going to pay 1,500 to go see Jobs' keynote on what might be new announcements.
Personally I think what would be really cool is to open up the iPod and make an SDK for it. Devs would jump all over that one. (probably can't because it would expose how to hack it).
Anyways, point being is I think WWDC will be a huge disappointment for anybody that things "great new things" will come from this years event.
That true, but ever since Apple dropped out of Macworld, they have been using WWDC to launch hardware.
That hasn't stopped them from updating hardware and software... MW and WWDC consist of 2 days a year, they have 363 other days to fill with announcements. Apple has been announcing on non-keynote days for years. Always will and have to.
If it wasn't for new displays last year, hardware announcements would have been a noshow (besides the 6800ultra). If I was a developer and paid to go to WWDC, watched SJ do his shindig... and at the last part announced new iPods or update iBooks... I would be insulted. I would feel like I just paid him with my hard earned money for him to announce new things that have NOTHING to do with me as a developer. I would be there to learn new things... not be dragged through a 90mhz update on an ibook.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically.
Right. Let me see. How about a CELL based HD Powerbook ? We are aware of the "leaked" specifications in the 17" model user manual, are not we? And explaining to developers how they should write their code to exploit the one or two SPEs for video/audio co-processing?
I would say it is very much up in the air what hardware Apple has planned, if any, for the WWDC. I can't imagine there won't be any hardware announcements there. I will plant the seed and say that if the iBooks are NOT updated by the end of May, perhaps we are going to be presented with a revolutionary new notebook lineup ? both iBooks and PowerBooks. It occurs to me that portable sales are the most important of any Apple product right now because this is where the growth is in the industry and if Apple's iPod "Halo Effect" is to truly work, they need to have a strong portables line up to capture them.
re: hardware being relevant to developers, it depends on what's in the oven. if just a speed-bump to existing architectures, then i agree the developer utility is low.
but if it were some major shift in architecture, say 970MP, then it would be ideal to announce at WWDC, with special seminars on programming techniques and new compiler tools (eg: gcc4) that leverage the MP optimally.
Comments
Originally posted by MacsRbetterthanPC
eeh...not to excited...im talking hardware though.
What new hardware would warrant an announcement at a developers conference? The G5 was announced there but that's like one hardware announcement out of many WWDCs over the year.
WWDC is not for new hardware unless it somehow dovetails into new development methods. Thus if we want new hardware at WWDC we're going to have to point towards some new device like a STB box that runs iTunes music and other media types.
So that'll be my prediction. Hardware iLife. Listen to music, view photos and view videos.
Not too many.
Also, since it is a month away, hardware announcements can easily be iMac G5 rev, iBook rev, eMac rev, Mac mini rev, iPod rev, or something different. Asteroid or Jam Box could finally be announced?
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
New display 40" +
maybe some sort of DVR.
Wishful thinking? maybe. but what else will Steve introduce?
He's not going there just to talk about Tiger. Tiger is old news now and historically he always introduce something at WWDC in the past few years.
Originally posted by hmurchison
So that'll be my prediction. Hardware iLife. Listen to music, view photos and view videos.
I like it:
in Hidef
perhaps also a large monitor with such a device built in.
Total hardware convergence.
or ITmovie Store
Originally posted by hmurchison
I don't think Apple will anounce anything at WWDC that is of direct interest to the developer.
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
I dont know where you have been but since Jobs has been keynoting WWDC there have always been new hardware annoucnments.
Originally posted by jsnuff1
I dont know where you have been but since Jobs has been keynoting WWDC there have always been new hardware annoucnments.
Not always but they did announce the 30" at WWDC according to Apple.com/pr.
It certainly isn't habit but I'd be willing to change my views if WWDC 2005 comes with new hardware
Otherwise no bumps please. Totally new hardware (doesn't mean PowerBook G5 either) or none, just talk about software and whatnot. Developers tend to really enjoy that software stuff.
Nothing gets commercial developers' juices flowing faster than hearing how big their target market is... which is one *large* reason why Tiger was released a few weeks before WWDC - they want the sales figures to pimp to the crowd. Releasing it *at* WWDC wouldn't have allowed that. Also, this let everyone get more of a chance to play with it and get ready for WWDC, as well as get customer feedback to come prepped with questions.
Originally posted by hmurchison
I don't think Apple will anounce anything at WWDC that is of direct interest to the developer.
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically. Apple can announce new hardware on any tuesday they feel like after the product is ready.
I don't understand the fixation with WWDC and new hardware. If history is the best predictor of future events then we are less likely to see new Macintosh hardware.
I don't think it has anything to do with it being relevant to a developer or not for hardware to be announced at WWDC anymore IMO.
Again IMO I think they (or SJ) likes to announce hardware there just to add to the value of the show, being that it is the one show it actually costs a good deal of money to go to, that has a lot of people that in some ways are very important to Apple attending.
Again that is just My 2¢ on it.
Originally posted by hmurchison
If I paid $1395 I don't want to hear BS about how cool and audio device is or about how those new iBooks have 1.42Ghz G4 processors.
That true, but ever since Apple dropped out of Macworld, they have been using WWDC to launch hardware.
Apple's registrations are down from recent years...
Proof?
#1. They extended "early bird" registration by another month.
#2. They called me asking me to register for WWDC. I would have gone this year again, but the dates happened to land on Finals Week.
This leads me to believe most of the devs out there do not see any need to go to this event. I blame this on a few things (lack of rumors and roadmaps especially), lack of hardware, lack of new developer software etc.
What would excite a developer to go this year after being at last years event? They pretty much went over EVERYTHING new to tiger last year. Core Data, Core Image/Video, spotlight, automator, ObjectiveC++ (not new but new methods and additions to the library), XCode 2.0, Widgets, etc etc etc. In addition to all these sessions, all the devs were sent a DVD library with every session on DVD.
What's new to go for? IMO... NOTHING. Why go? No person is going to pay 1,500 to go see Jobs' keynote on what might be new announcements.
Personally I think what would be really cool is to open up the iPod and make an SDK for it. Devs would jump all over that one. (probably can't because it would expose how to hack it).
Anyways, point being is I think WWDC will be a huge disappointment for anybody that things "great new things" will come from this years event.
Hmurch is right once again, Tiger reiteration.
Originally posted by the cool gut
That true, but ever since Apple dropped out of Macworld, they have been using WWDC to launch hardware.
That hasn't stopped them from updating hardware and software... MW and WWDC consist of 2 days a year, they have 363 other days to fill with announcements. Apple has been announcing on non-keynote days for years. Always will and have to.
If it wasn't for new displays last year, hardware announcements would have been a noshow (besides the 6800ultra). If I was a developer and paid to go to WWDC, watched SJ do his shindig... and at the last part announced new iPods or update iBooks... I would be insulted. I would feel like I just paid him with my hard earned money for him to announce new things that have NOTHING to do with me as a developer. I would be there to learn new things... not be dragged through a 90mhz update on an ibook.
Originally posted by hmurchison
I need to see something that I can begin to plan around. Support or develop for basically.
Right. Let me see. How about a CELL based HD Powerbook
but if it were some major shift in architecture, say 970MP, then it would be ideal to announce at WWDC, with special seminars on programming techniques and new compiler tools (eg: gcc4) that leverage the MP optimally.
time will tell, as it always does.
Originally posted by gugy
Powerbook G5
New display 40" +
maybe some sort of DVR.
Wishful thinking? maybe. but what else will Steve introduce?
He's not going there just to talk about Tiger. Tiger is old news now and historically he always introduce something at WWDC in the past few years.