[japhmo]

Rob, a few thoughts for the plane flight back home -- the iPhone IS the preview of the 1st tablet Mac -- designed for the things a tablet computer can really do (handwriting recognition not being a very important one for 99% of would-be users -- and that too could be in the final version of the soon-to-be NewtonPhone for the 21st century). So it wasn't a macless event, and you did see your small form-factor mac -- just in too-small a form factor! (i too am hoping they come out with an 11-12inch macbook pro, I side-graded from a 12inch powerbook to a macbook, and still wish i could have a smaller formfactor but still full-featured laptop to which I could add a bigger screen when in the office.). (For me, i wish it would be CPU overpowered -- e.g. a Quad-core processor would be just fine for while using it at the desk /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif )
And regarding the mysterious USB2 slot on the iTV -- wouldn't that be a nice place to plug in an Elgato eyeTV USB tuner-stick -- with different versions for the French, German, English, and N.Am. markets (or however many TV encoding formats still exist?) Now i just wonder how top-of-the-line that Intel processor is in the iTV box -- can it really do hardware encoding of MP4s and iTunes-format video and will it be able to run eyeTV software -- or is Apple in the process of licensing this software?
thanks, as always for your columns and macosxhints site!

[justme2]

Quote:

---

I've been waiting for this phone for my wife and I for a long time and so I was excited about the keynote. The only thing I do wish is that the hard drives were bigger.
Now that they are no longer Apple Computer, it might be a good idea to change the name of the show to Appleworld Expo. This would better describe the direction Apple is taking.

---

Great...then they can shift all the Mac related stuff to a far corner of North Hall to make room for all the iPod cases and other non-computer stuff...
Look, I love my iPod -- but I come to MacWorld to find out what's going on with the Mac, not all the other periphery. I was excited at first about the iPhone, but I'm not sure I want to hop on a Version 1.0 of anything -- I might wait a year or two and let the rest of you work out the bugs. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'm far more interested in AppleTV, once we get a new TV. But I would rather have more emphasis on the Mac at MacWorld, and save the announcements about the iPhone and AppleTV for a special event (or Steve could've done a presentation at CES on Monday, then come back on Tuesday to talk about the Mac, Leopard, and other cool stuff).
I'm hoping that perhaps they're holding off on new hardware (I really really really want a 12" MacBook Pro since I'm doing a lot of traveling this year) until the Leopard release, so the new computers can ship with Leopard preinstalled to appeal to new Mac users. Ditto with the new versions of iWork and iLife -- if they're being designed to work best with Leopard, it wouldn't make sense to bring them out now.
But overall, I agree with the article...as a Mac user, I was underwhelmed with the Keynote. Not with the Expo, mind you...there was a lot of great stuff on the Expo floor, especially from some of the smaller organizations. And the MacWorld booth put on some awesome panel discussions -- hats off to the crew for a yeoman's job as always... /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[justme2]

Quote:

---

Thanks for all the feedback, but it seems many of you missed my point. I'm not disappointed by the iPhone, nor by Apple TV. I really do think that they are paradigm-shifting devices, the iPhone in particular. I think it will drive the company in new directions,
My disappointment stems from the fact that this is Macworld Expo, and it has historically been about Macs, OS X, and related hardware and software. By choosing to not even mention those areas this morning, Steve sent a very clear message that the event is no longer about those things.
If this is a trend for the future, then, it gives me little reason to attend the show: why bother coming to see Apple's booth? I just walked through it, and they're showing Final Cut Express, iLife '06, iWork '06, Aperture, and a bunch of other stuff I already know about. There's one wall where they do have some Apple TVs lined up, but the iPhone is nowhere to be found. So why did Apple bother taking a 20,000 square foot booth to show everyone last year's technology?
So to summarize, the disappointment is with the avoidance of all things Mac at an event that's historically been dedicated to the Mac. If Macworld Expo isn't the right spot to talk about new Mac hardware and software, I'm not sure what is. Yes, they'll hold a special event for Leopard, iWork, etc. But it won't be something I'll be able to attend, nor will it be open to the general public as is the Expo. As a result, I won't be able to ask the engineers questions about the hardware, nor talk to members of the iWork team about new features, etc. -- these are all things I can do (and have done) at past Macworld Expos, and they have helped me gain a better understanding of Apple's products. It seems that era has closed...
-rob.

---

Rob -- that's another great point.
The greatest part of MacWorld is a chance to play with the new toys before you buy them -- I remember when the first Shuffle when out, they had a whole lineup of them hanging from a clothesline sort of thing; I put on the headphones and fell in love (I've still got two of them around here somewhere; they're still a great size for workout music). And when the various iterations of the Mac OS came out, you could play with the system (if you could mash your way through the adoring crowds) and come up with your sales pitch for your Significant Other explaining just why you needed to upgrade your existing OS (or even buy a brand new computer).
But now, there'll be no chance to play until the OS or computers show up at the local Apple Store, if you're lucky to have one near you (I'm fortunate to have three within a short drive, and a couple of others I can hit including the San Francisco place). But good luck getting questions answered, or getting the chance to talk to someone who actually worked on the product.
Before last year's Expo, there were fears that MacWorld was turning into iPodWorld...at least that's the vibe I got from the folks in line with me. The Intel announcements quelled that fear. Now it's back, and redoubled. Apple may be expanding its focus...but I just hope they don't forget their roots...

[radnuf]

Steve Jobs said that more than half of all Macs sold this past year at all outlets were to new users. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif If I were SJ, I would be focused on how to develop that new base. Bringing out new upgraded models of computers recently purchased would not make them happy (read griffman's article about buyer's remorse). /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Changing the operating system would not help either. I'd move slower (among Macs) and offer more peripherals, more add on developments, more ways of doing things.
If the current crop of computers are a hit among new users, I'd keep expanding the base.
If there are so many new users out there, MacWorld needs to find them and draw them in too. MacWorld readers would need to play nice with them. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
I don't know what the Apple big picture is but, since I'm not a new user, I'm on the small side of the scene. As a PPC user, I'm part of the fading image. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif Instead of being disappointed I need to get me a computer that will stream music and video through an Apple TV device via iTunes and on to a new HDTV. I need to sign up for an iPhone and budget more money for the Apple side of my life. HTH /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[justme2]

[indent]Quote:

---

Steve Jobs said that more than half of all Macs sold this past year at all outlets were to new users. If I were SJ, I would be focused on how to develop that new base. Bringing out new upgraded models of computers recently purchased would not make them happy (read griffman's article about buyer's remorse). Changing the operating system would not help either. I'd move slower (among Macs) and offer more peripherals, more add on developments, more ways of doing things.
If the current crop of computers are a hit among new users, I'd keep expanding the base.
If there are so many new users out there, MacWorld needs to find them and draw them in too. MacWorld readers would need to play nice with them.
I don't know what the Apple big picture is but, since I'm not a new user, I'm on the small side of the scene. As a PPC user, I'm part of the fading image. Instead of being disappointed I need to get me a computer that will stream music and video through an Apple TV device via iTunes and on to a new HDTV. I need to sign up for an iPhone and budget more money for the Apple side of my life. HTH

---

[/indent]
Computer upgrades are the Achilles' heel of all users. I bought the 20" iMac Core Duo in March of last year; a few months later the Core 2 Duos came out. Back in 2001, I bought a blue/white clamshell iBook; one month after that the all white iBooks were released. I figure if I bite the bullet and go ahead and buy the MacBook Pro, the next month will be when Steve announces the 12" model I really want...

[radnuf]

[indent]Quote:

---

I figure if I bite the bullet and go ahead and buy the MacBook Pro, the next month will be when Steve announces the 12" model I really want...

---

[/indent]
Hurry up and make your purchase so I can get the 12in MBP a month later.