[danviento]

MobileMe.

let me just say, "Eeeew. Gross."

Could you sound any more narcissistic or MS prone? (fitting combination of descriptors, wot?)

It's a good concept, and the textual graphic was nice, but even dotMac was a better name. Perhaps they're hoping this will be a patented idea and web standard that will see universal usage, so they're divorcing the "Mac" from the name. Anyone have an official Apple rational for the name change?

[DJRizzo]

New page just came up!

http://www.apple.com/iphone/

[DJRizzo]

Store back up with the new iPhone on it:

http://store.apple.com/us

[MacKayaker]

It's inspiring to see how the Mac and it's operating system are so UNIMPORTANT at the developers conference. :0



What's the point of spending nearly two hours on a product that is aimed at so small a part of the Mac market and user base? It is nice that they have dropped the cost of the iPhone, but that doesn't touch the spendy monthly fees required to use all those bells and whistles. Most users would settle for a more funcitonal and stable computer and operating system rather than more portable features for a device they will never own.



Yet another example of technology for technologies sake. Pretty lame, in my opinion.

[Pennywigeon]

Mac ties them to the computer line which they seem to be distancing themselves from more and more everyday and moving more towards a household electronics company.

Apple TV
iPhone
iPod
iTunes Store
Nike+iPod

Soon we should see things like

iCoffe
iToilet
iRemote
iClock
iRadio
iTelevision
iGame
iGreen
iGive Up

[DJRizzo]

New home page now with iPhone on it, too:

http://www.apple.com/

[dominiquejames]

Congratulations Dan Moren and Jason Snell, and the rest of the Macworld team! Your coverage is awesome. The I enjoyed followign the "live" feeds. Excited to learn more from all of you! You guys are awesome!

[DJRizzo]

danviento said:

Anyone have an official Apple rational for the name change?

Not but it's a common business-marketing rationale that when you make major changes to a product (especially improvements) you change the name (particularly when the original name had some negative attitudes associated with it). Plus mobile me is a somewhat more descriptive name for the service's primary selling point - exchange type synching on the go.

[MorrisTheCat]

Wow, a super update to the iPhone. I really didn't believe they would add all the things floating around in the rumor sites, but there it is, 3G, GPS, better battery life, and sleeker to boot. Add onto that the promise of an extraordinary number of cool apps coming out for it, and well, you have the makings of a unstoppable product. Man, almost makes me want to get an iPhone. Still, I think I will wait, mostly because I just don't have the guts to switch to AT&T right now.

But that brings me to a question- what of the iPod touch? I assume all the software made for the new iPhone, minus stuff that requires constant connection or GPS, will run on them as well. Steve and co. made no real mention of this, except to say iPod touch owners can pay for the software patch. And wait a minute now! the 8 GB iPod touch is still selling for $299, but the iPhone 8 GB is $199? Is that because Apple/telecom providers are subsidizing it? Bummer! I hope iPT prices come down a bit I really want one.

[Pennywigeon]

Looks as if Apple is gonna alienate their iPod Touch Customers. Touch customers get to pay for the software where iPhone customers get it free

And what really doesn't make sense is the screwy pricing.

$199 for an 8GB iPhone 3G
$299 for an 8GB iPod Touch

Is this the demise of the Touch?

[MorrisTheCat]

KPO said:

Funny now that 3G is available, all those "EDGE is fast enough" rationalizations that Apple gave last year are history. As an N95 user, I could have told you that much. I see they also chose a website where the webmaster directs the N95 and Treo 750 to the WAP site. I HATE that, and it isn't the phone's fault, it's the webmaster's fault for designing the page, seeing "Nokia" and sending us to WAP. Hopefully fewer web site designers will do that now. Heck, the N95 has a Webkit browser, too. Anyway, it's good to see that Apple is making good use of 3G now.

Yes, i agree with you. Its funny how quickly Apple can turn on yesterday's tech that they were just using and touting the virtues of, well, yesterday. We've seen this before, so no surprise really. When Apple moved to Intel chipsets, suddenly PowerPC was in the dog house. Now that Apple moved to 3G on the iPhone, they poop all over Edge. I understand it's all marketing spin, but it just seems a little sleazy to me.

[jg167]

I'd guess those prices are only with applicable service contract from a cellular provider (e.g. ATT)

[icemanocp]

Hoping that someone could help me out with this question I have. I want to buy a new Mac under the Back to School program where I can get a free 8gb iPod Touch, but if I do it now (which I want to) I'll have to shell out the $10 for the software update in July. My question is this, does anyone know under the terms of Apple's Back to School program if I have to buy the iPod at the same time as the computer to qualify for the rebate, or can I buy the computer now, then wait until mid-July to get the iPod and still file for the $299 rebate on the Touch (and in doing so get the Touch w/ the pre-installed 2.0 software). If any of you know the details on this I'd appreciate it.

[jg167]

jg167 said:

The apple store page (now open) shows "assisted-GPS" what is that?

Ah, according the wikipedia - Assisted GPS, this involves assistance from servers in the cell network to help the phone get instant startup and help in poor reception areas (e.g. send down the orbital calculations so the phone doesn't have to do so, provides cell tower location as starting point so the phone knows what sats to look for, could provide differential info too but it wasn't clear if it does). Anyway this is basically GPS with cell enhancements originally motivated by needing reliable position data for 911 use as mandated by the FCC.

Quote

and any word if the serial profile is supported by BT? (internal GPS removes one need for this, but it would still be very handy, e..g maybe the GPS receiver stashed in my car has better sensitivity etc, or to serve an internet connection to a notebook).

This one I still don't know about.