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iUnderstand where you're coming from, but iThink we need to readjust our expectations about Apple. I haven't seen the whole keynote yet, but to my untrained, uneducated eyes and ears, Steve Jobs is brimming with confidence right now. It's almost like he feels like he's in his 20s again, waving the good 'ol pirate flag like before...except it's a way bigger flag hanging over about 20,000 more employees working for a soon-to-be-$20+ billion company with astoundingly ambitious focus. I'm a bit unnerved by the lack of Mac mention, and probably have no reason for concern, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Apple's core business be turned into a "Mac Division" before long. The digital universe ain't just about PCs anymore, not to a company that thinks as differently and as big as Apple does.
Editors' Notes Weblog: Expo reaction: iDisappointed
MultiQuote
#100
IVIIVIi4ck3y27 
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 03:18 AM
In one way, I was disappointed too as I think there's a ton of gaps to be filled in Apple's hardware lineup as well as some software updates to be concocted across the board too. I kind of went in expecting Apple to try to produce 2 "wow" features and unveil a ton of product today and ended up feeling like there was only 1 real wow and a couple 'way under the radar' releases of things too. That to me was iPhone, at least until I saw the pricetag for it.
Granted, it's probably about right considering the slickness and featureset of the phone, but the pricetag... you're paying an unlocked GSM pricetag for a locked in contract phone via 1 provider. Kinda' takes a little bit of the air out of the sails of what appeared to be a time-shifting product. Don't get me wrong... this phone sends all of the other phones onto their ear and is truly a cut above anything and everything in the phone industry I've ever seen... but I kind of wonder, in my gut, if the reason that is, is simply because other vendors try to wrangle their phones into the market at truly affordable and practical pricepoints so give/take... they build phones that are a bit lesser than Apple gunned for, by design, rather than being incapable of aiming that high. I don't expect this phone to run away with marketshare like the iPod did... but I do have to admit I'm geek enough to want one bad, just not sure if I'm geek enough to drop $500+ on a locked phone (even if I am already on Cingular). I might just grin and bare it and buy the Sony-Ericcson w810 instead. It's nowhere near the iPhone, but it's got enough going for it to appeal to me over my current phone, and you can get it for dirt cheap through Amazon.
Far as appletv... meh. I like the idea but I can't help but feel like it's missing something to truly make it "whole" or "cohesive". Given a program guide that's slick and intuitive and Apple-like that can work with over the air as well as digital cable broadcasts (via Cablecard), and a slick Apple DVR that works with aforementioned Apple guide that could also interact back and forth with your iTunes program on your computer and even allow saving and burning of broadcast content to DVD on a Superdrive-enabled Mac... I would consider it a breakthrough. In fact... I've not been entirely thrilled with the alternatives out there as everything is sort of clunky or requires you buying a myriad of hardware (i.e. Mac mini, El Gato Eye TV 250, etc.). I'd like to see an Apple-like DVR to render Comcast's OnDemand feature silly (I'm a Comcast subscriber) and something that can help replace their clunky program guide via a Cablecard along with Comcast's icky DVR functionality. We plan on upgrading to a large widescreen TV soon and having something that could achieve these little bits would've likely been a no brainer. Right now... appletv just feels kinda' weak to me in the overall scheme of things. I can't think of any huge desire to run out and get one as it just doesn't do enough or anything at this point enough to make me think of it as 'the answer' quite yet. At this point I'd almost rather buy a TiVo, although I abhor the monthly fee on top of hardware ownership especially when you're not getting a cable service or satellite service through TiVo in the end.
Yet overall... I kind of had this weird gut feeling that Apple wouldn't show Leopard. I realize Vista is set with a ship date and it's not far away and I'm sure it's already sent to the printers for shipment... but I don't think Apple wants to give Microsoft any lee-way whatsoever to "start the copiers" rolling and push out any last minute content to sit and wait (via Windows update), especially anything revolutionary within the OS. Not that it'll matter as Microsoft can always copy and push product out the door via Windows Update at any date later on, but I think Apple wants to not only be the first shown, but the first shipping with said features, without much potential of Microsoft to graft them on last minute, even if Vista couldn't come with them "in-box". I think Jobs and Co. will hold off on Leopard's full unveiling 'til after Vista's launch, and build the excitement around the OS at a point when they can control the ship date better in correlation to the feature's shown to the public.
I'm still surprised on hardware though, and ultimately iLife. I would've expected to see something in the vain of new hardware, whether it was "One more thing..." or just stuffed in amongst the Airport Extreme N and the other unmentioned launches... would've been hard to say with as epic as both of these other products could've been perceived. I do have to admit to feeling a bit flat though... while both products are cool, especially the awesome featureset and capabilities of iPhone... it's still not like Apple reinvented the wheel (for the common man) here after all of the hype and not in a way that everyone's going to have the ability to leverage (i.e. too expensive for iPhone, too lacking in features for appletv).
Granted, it's probably about right considering the slickness and featureset of the phone, but the pricetag... you're paying an unlocked GSM pricetag for a locked in contract phone via 1 provider. Kinda' takes a little bit of the air out of the sails of what appeared to be a time-shifting product. Don't get me wrong... this phone sends all of the other phones onto their ear and is truly a cut above anything and everything in the phone industry I've ever seen... but I kind of wonder, in my gut, if the reason that is, is simply because other vendors try to wrangle their phones into the market at truly affordable and practical pricepoints so give/take... they build phones that are a bit lesser than Apple gunned for, by design, rather than being incapable of aiming that high. I don't expect this phone to run away with marketshare like the iPod did... but I do have to admit I'm geek enough to want one bad, just not sure if I'm geek enough to drop $500+ on a locked phone (even if I am already on Cingular). I might just grin and bare it and buy the Sony-Ericcson w810 instead. It's nowhere near the iPhone, but it's got enough going for it to appeal to me over my current phone, and you can get it for dirt cheap through Amazon.
Far as appletv... meh. I like the idea but I can't help but feel like it's missing something to truly make it "whole" or "cohesive". Given a program guide that's slick and intuitive and Apple-like that can work with over the air as well as digital cable broadcasts (via Cablecard), and a slick Apple DVR that works with aforementioned Apple guide that could also interact back and forth with your iTunes program on your computer and even allow saving and burning of broadcast content to DVD on a Superdrive-enabled Mac... I would consider it a breakthrough. In fact... I've not been entirely thrilled with the alternatives out there as everything is sort of clunky or requires you buying a myriad of hardware (i.e. Mac mini, El Gato Eye TV 250, etc.). I'd like to see an Apple-like DVR to render Comcast's OnDemand feature silly (I'm a Comcast subscriber) and something that can help replace their clunky program guide via a Cablecard along with Comcast's icky DVR functionality. We plan on upgrading to a large widescreen TV soon and having something that could achieve these little bits would've likely been a no brainer. Right now... appletv just feels kinda' weak to me in the overall scheme of things. I can't think of any huge desire to run out and get one as it just doesn't do enough or anything at this point enough to make me think of it as 'the answer' quite yet. At this point I'd almost rather buy a TiVo, although I abhor the monthly fee on top of hardware ownership especially when you're not getting a cable service or satellite service through TiVo in the end.
Yet overall... I kind of had this weird gut feeling that Apple wouldn't show Leopard. I realize Vista is set with a ship date and it's not far away and I'm sure it's already sent to the printers for shipment... but I don't think Apple wants to give Microsoft any lee-way whatsoever to "start the copiers" rolling and push out any last minute content to sit and wait (via Windows update), especially anything revolutionary within the OS. Not that it'll matter as Microsoft can always copy and push product out the door via Windows Update at any date later on, but I think Apple wants to not only be the first shown, but the first shipping with said features, without much potential of Microsoft to graft them on last minute, even if Vista couldn't come with them "in-box". I think Jobs and Co. will hold off on Leopard's full unveiling 'til after Vista's launch, and build the excitement around the OS at a point when they can control the ship date better in correlation to the feature's shown to the public.
I'm still surprised on hardware though, and ultimately iLife. I would've expected to see something in the vain of new hardware, whether it was "One more thing..." or just stuffed in amongst the Airport Extreme N and the other unmentioned launches... would've been hard to say with as epic as both of these other products could've been perceived. I do have to admit to feeling a bit flat though... while both products are cool, especially the awesome featureset and capabilities of iPhone... it's still not like Apple reinvented the wheel (for the common man) here after all of the hype and not in a way that everyone's going to have the ability to leverage (i.e. too expensive for iPhone, too lacking in features for appletv).
#101
Nobody
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 04:50 AM
Quote:
"Some people do not get it. The real revolution is that the iPhone has Mac OS X inside. You have no idea what it means..."
Oh, trust me, I get it. I really do. But my disappointment had nothing to do with the phone, which OS it runs, how amazingly cool it seems to be, or even what it may do for Apple's future. I am very bullish on the phone. I think it's going to be a huge hit, and may fundamentally change Apple's business (in a good way) forever.
But none of that changes how I feel about what was presented at the keynote.
-rob.
"Some people do not get it. The real revolution is that the iPhone has Mac OS X inside. You have no idea what it means..."
Oh, trust me, I get it. I really do. But my disappointment had nothing to do with the phone, which OS it runs, how amazingly cool it seems to be, or even what it may do for Apple's future. I am very bullish on the phone. I think it's going to be a huge hit, and may fundamentally change Apple's business (in a good way) forever.
But none of that changes how I feel about what was presented at the keynote.
-rob.
Just TWO examples on how the iPhone can revolutionize the whole computing experience. This is now possible thanks to the iPhone built-in Mac OS X:
EXAMPLE 1
1. Make your Keynote or PowerPoint presentation on Mac or PC-Windows.
2. Save the full blown native Keynote or Power Presentation file (not a slide export of it!) to the iPhone.
3. Carry only the iPhone with you and give your presentation from the iPhone connected wirelessly to a videoprojector on th ceiling. No cables. No computers. Extra bonus: you do not need to "save" your precioos presentaton to the "shared" computer on the presentation room. You keep it for yourself and only share it if you want to.
That is absolutely revolutionary on education for instance, on scientific meetings, on corporate meetings, even at home. Huge halo effect.
EXAMPLE 2
Synchronize your Mac with your iPhone. Carry all your stuff (home, applications, etc; in fact your full Mac if you want) in your pocket. Boot the iPhone itself as Mac OS X or boot any Mac out there from your iPhone as you do from an external hard drive. That works even as a full backup of your full Mac. You see... Tremendous possibilities... IT WILL CHANGE THE WAY WE WORK!
A NEW COMPUTING ERA HAS JUST STARTED.
With regards to the other hardware and software updates that you were expected and then "iDisappointed", you will have then soon. Very soon indeed, but now it is the time of the iPhone and not to distract people from it...
#103
EMoeller
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 05:46 AM
I believe you have all missed something. Steve ended his speech saying he would see us all "soon". I don't think that the keynote was the end of it - there will be more announcements, pehaps even later this week at MacWorld.
As for the keynote I thought it was great. He has set the company in a new direction and focused almost exclusively on that. There will be more announcements regarding updates to iLife, iWork, a quad-core Mac etc. These will be each be focused and timed to provide the maximum marketing punch for each announcement.
My only dissapointment is that the announced products (AppleTV and iPhone) are not available immediately. Apple has been really great in the past about having products avialable NOW at the time of announcment. But I expect that Apple will beat their expected ship dates for these products.
eric
As for the keynote I thought it was great. He has set the company in a new direction and focused almost exclusively on that. There will be more announcements regarding updates to iLife, iWork, a quad-core Mac etc. These will be each be focused and timed to provide the maximum marketing punch for each announcement.
My only dissapointment is that the announced products (AppleTV and iPhone) are not available immediately. Apple has been really great in the past about having products avialable NOW at the time of announcment. But I expect that Apple will beat their expected ship dates for these products.
eric
#104
invalidname
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 06:19 AM
In 2000, did you complain about all the time spent introducing Mac OS X, to the exclusion of Sherlock, Hypercard, and much-needed improvements to the Chooser?
Give me a break. They're launching a critical new product and wanted to give it the biggest possible splash at Apple's premier event. The usual suspects (revs of iLife, iWork, displays, etc.) can get launched by way of special events later if they merit that kind of push.
Give me a break. They're launching a critical new product and wanted to give it the biggest possible splash at Apple's premier event. The usual suspects (revs of iLife, iWork, displays, etc.) can get launched by way of special events later if they merit that kind of push.
#105
whitedog
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 06:42 AM
Apple changed its name because it's not just a computer company anymore. Macworld magazine has been struggling for some time now to fit all the new Apple technologies into its pages; clearly it too is having an identity crisis. This is easier to deal with in the online edition because there is more space for specialized content categories.
There were 16 years between the first Mac and the iPod. Only six years elapsed between the iPod and the iPhone (and Apple TV). The pace of change at Apple has accelerated substantially.
It should be no surprise, then, that Macworld Expo would be having the same growing pains as the magazine. The Expo's not just about computers any more, either. But re-branding the show, like the magazine, is not so easy to do. For Apple it was simple - just drop Computer from its name (as it dropped the word Music from the iTMS a while back). But Macworld Expo and Macworld magazine are named after the computer. They're not Apple owned entities, so they can't just follow Apple's lead.
Nevertheless, because they are focused primarily on Apple related products, they will have to find a way to adjust to the times. They may not change their names (I hope they don't), but they will have to adjust their self-images to fit the new reality. I'm sure Rob isn't the only one having a hard time getting his mind around the paradigm shift, but a year from now when the impact of the iPhone has become more clearly evident, I expect he'll get with the program.
The simple fact is that, despite my original reservations on the subject, after watching Steve's Macworld keynote I'm forced to admit the iPhone is everything and more than anyone outside Apple could have expected. For once a product is not nor can it be over-hyped. To reverse the euphemism, the iPhone is not merely evolutionary, it truly is revolutionary.
Since Steve Jobs sold Pixar to Disney it's been clear he is playing in the major leagues, now. The partnerships he assembled to back the iPhone add even more to his stature: Google, Yahoo, Singular/AT&T. And he even managed to work out an agreement with Cisco to use the name iPhone, which they copyrighted years ago.
Apple is no longer a Microsoft also-ran. The person losing sleep tonight should be Bill Gates. With the iPhone on the horizon people will soon be saying "Zune who?" And Gates' pretensions as an innovator will be seen by all the world for what they are - mere pretensions.
With the iPhone the power Apple derives from its business model, controlling both hardware and software development and production, is once again manifest. Given its cost it's doubtful the iPhone will ever dominate cell phone market share. At the same time, with over 200 patents, it will not be easily imitated. It can only be envied by the competition because it will unquestionably be the best in show for years to come. Oh, and it will make tons of money for Apple. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
There were 16 years between the first Mac and the iPod. Only six years elapsed between the iPod and the iPhone (and Apple TV). The pace of change at Apple has accelerated substantially.
It should be no surprise, then, that Macworld Expo would be having the same growing pains as the magazine. The Expo's not just about computers any more, either. But re-branding the show, like the magazine, is not so easy to do. For Apple it was simple - just drop Computer from its name (as it dropped the word Music from the iTMS a while back). But Macworld Expo and Macworld magazine are named after the computer. They're not Apple owned entities, so they can't just follow Apple's lead.
Nevertheless, because they are focused primarily on Apple related products, they will have to find a way to adjust to the times. They may not change their names (I hope they don't), but they will have to adjust their self-images to fit the new reality. I'm sure Rob isn't the only one having a hard time getting his mind around the paradigm shift, but a year from now when the impact of the iPhone has become more clearly evident, I expect he'll get with the program.
The simple fact is that, despite my original reservations on the subject, after watching Steve's Macworld keynote I'm forced to admit the iPhone is everything and more than anyone outside Apple could have expected. For once a product is not nor can it be over-hyped. To reverse the euphemism, the iPhone is not merely evolutionary, it truly is revolutionary.
Since Steve Jobs sold Pixar to Disney it's been clear he is playing in the major leagues, now. The partnerships he assembled to back the iPhone add even more to his stature: Google, Yahoo, Singular/AT&T. And he even managed to work out an agreement with Cisco to use the name iPhone, which they copyrighted years ago.
Apple is no longer a Microsoft also-ran. The person losing sleep tonight should be Bill Gates. With the iPhone on the horizon people will soon be saying "Zune who?" And Gates' pretensions as an innovator will be seen by all the world for what they are - mere pretensions.
With the iPhone the power Apple derives from its business model, controlling both hardware and software development and production, is once again manifest. Given its cost it's doubtful the iPhone will ever dominate cell phone market share. At the same time, with over 200 patents, it will not be easily imitated. It can only be envied by the competition because it will unquestionably be the best in show for years to come. Oh, and it will make tons of money for Apple. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
#106
mrobertson
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 07:09 AM
I agree with the author -
Macword is about MAC products.
Both of these items (iPhone, AppleTV) could have been announced at CES - really upstage Bill and his connected future - We will not get the iPhone in Europe for months and Feb for AppleTV, so there was no real content here. What about 10.5, delivery dates etc - Intel Quad Cores???
Who knows - the next Developers conference might be about basket weaving.
iDisapppointed sums it all up quite nicely.
Macword is about MAC products.
Both of these items (iPhone, AppleTV) could have been announced at CES - really upstage Bill and his connected future - We will not get the iPhone in Europe for months and Feb for AppleTV, so there was no real content here. What about 10.5, delivery dates etc - Intel Quad Cores???
Who knows - the next Developers conference might be about basket weaving.
iDisapppointed sums it all up quite nicely.
#107
JDW
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 07:30 AM
Once again, I must agree with the author and with mrobertson. But most of you fellows posting in this thread just don't get it. It's not about "readjusting our expectations" or "just shut up and be happy." If you want to post about how great things are or how "thankful" we all should be, do it in another thread. This thread is about missing "Mac" in MacWorld insofar as no new "Macs" were announced at the show. Any dialog that tries to get around this critical point is off-topic and irrelevant.
And once again, as the author himself has said, just because some of us were disappointed at no new Macs at the show doesn't mean we hate Apple or hate the new products shown -- again, that's excellent dialog for another thread. This thread just means that some of us are disappointed with the lack of new Mac hardware at the show and we wonder if "Mac"World won't be renamed "AppleWorld" in the future.
Now go out and buy lots of new Apple stuff so my stock value will continue to rise. I think that, more than anything else, will aid me in getting through this period of iDisappointment. :-) But I still hope and pray my next issue of MacWorld magazine will still keep its focus on MACs and little else.
And once again, as the author himself has said, just because some of us were disappointed at no new Macs at the show doesn't mean we hate Apple or hate the new products shown -- again, that's excellent dialog for another thread. This thread just means that some of us are disappointed with the lack of new Mac hardware at the show and we wonder if "Mac"World won't be renamed "AppleWorld" in the future.
Now go out and buy lots of new Apple stuff so my stock value will continue to rise. I think that, more than anything else, will aid me in getting through this period of iDisappointment. :-) But I still hope and pray my next issue of MacWorld magazine will still keep its focus on MACs and little else.
#108
wlane
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 07:33 AM
Quote:
Quote:
The common man is not interested in a $500 phone (although I would love one). If it was 30GB or better, then it would be a different story.
LOL... that's what people said 5 years ago when the iPod (with a 5GB hard drive) was announced for $399.
or the lowly iMac, 'a computer WITHOUT a floppy drive, at THAT price!?! It'll be a flop for sure'.
#109
haim_vital
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 07:42 AM
concerning apple tv.
Jobs showed on a chart that games was on the bottom of the list as to what generated revenue.
Hence why, I suppose, there is not titles released for apple tv like the xbox and playstation.
But wait...XBox and playstation 3 are not just gaming devices...they are the same as apple tv, but with one difference. They play cool games. (well, I do get blue ray with playstation, so better HD quality, at least now, then the 720p of apple tv.)
So, when it comes to finding that system for my living room...apple tv seems great, but its missing the games. That chart he had, isnt good anymore, as game devices are not your computer, internet, music device, basically multimedia merged...which iTV is, but lacks games. Said that enough. ;-)
I think they havent jumped on games, as they need more revenue like Sony and Microsoft to make games feasible for apple tv.
So if they do it right with the cell phone bit, maybe they will have the finances for making games for apple tv. Or to buy Sony...that would be nice. (Buy canon while they are at it, and boost up that 2mega pixel camera on the iphone) ;-)
Peace
Jobs showed on a chart that games was on the bottom of the list as to what generated revenue.
Hence why, I suppose, there is not titles released for apple tv like the xbox and playstation.
But wait...XBox and playstation 3 are not just gaming devices...they are the same as apple tv, but with one difference. They play cool games. (well, I do get blue ray with playstation, so better HD quality, at least now, then the 720p of apple tv.)
So, when it comes to finding that system for my living room...apple tv seems great, but its missing the games. That chart he had, isnt good anymore, as game devices are not your computer, internet, music device, basically multimedia merged...which iTV is, but lacks games. Said that enough. ;-)
I think they havent jumped on games, as they need more revenue like Sony and Microsoft to make games feasible for apple tv.
So if they do it right with the cell phone bit, maybe they will have the finances for making games for apple tv. Or to buy Sony...that would be nice. (Buy canon while they are at it, and boost up that 2mega pixel camera on the iphone) ;-)
Peace
#110
chewygoat
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 08:10 AM
I agree, although I'd go farther - the Apple TV is also a disappointment. There are some good things about it, definitely, but it's only 720p. Not even 1080i, let alone 1080p. Moreover, aren't videos downloaded from iTunes even lower resolution? I'm not that interested in buying movies (rather, I'm not at all interested in buying movies), but I'd want 1080p for future 1080p HD home videos and for, perhaps even more importantly, photos. That's the primary thing that would interest me - using it to show slideshows and home videos. Oh, and for browsing my iTunes library/playing music. Movies I'll watch from rented DVDs - it's a rare, rare movie that I watch more than twice and most are only watched once, even if they are very good, so there is no value for me in buying movies and even less value in keeping movies stored on my hard drive, wasting space.
Like you, I really wanted to see and to hear that iLife '07 was available today, and more about Leopard.
The iPhone looks fantastic, but I am a $8.33 pay-as-you-go cellphone customer and that isn't going to change. I don't pay for cable TV at all, and the idea of paying more than $8.33 for cell phone service is beyond ludicrous to me. Even if I could use the iPhone on my service, I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the iPhone's phone/internet features. The only thing I'd use it for is what I use a cell phone for now: emergencies and the rare in-car pizza order call ahead. What I wanted to see was an 80 GB iPod, just like the iPhone, but without the phone, WiFi nor bluetooth and with a much lower price. But even that is an aside - mainly I wanted to hear about Mac stuff, and this keynote blew in that regard, big time.
Like you, I really wanted to see and to hear that iLife '07 was available today, and more about Leopard.
The iPhone looks fantastic, but I am a $8.33 pay-as-you-go cellphone customer and that isn't going to change. I don't pay for cable TV at all, and the idea of paying more than $8.33 for cell phone service is beyond ludicrous to me. Even if I could use the iPhone on my service, I wouldn't be able to take advantage of the iPhone's phone/internet features. The only thing I'd use it for is what I use a cell phone for now: emergencies and the rare in-car pizza order call ahead. What I wanted to see was an 80 GB iPod, just like the iPhone, but without the phone, WiFi nor bluetooth and with a much lower price. But even that is an aside - mainly I wanted to hear about Mac stuff, and this keynote blew in that regard, big time.
#111
CaseyFlynn
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 08:30 AM
I think that Steve did present new Mac hardware - the iPhone. This has to have huge implications for future laptops, and desktops. The implementation of gestures could significantly alter the form of the entire lineup. The iPhone will be the first of the new form for Mac. It likely presages what we will see coming up in Leopard. When last spoken of, Steve said there's lots more to be seen in Leopard. Today he gave some of that away in the functionality of the iPhone. It is running Leopard. By shipping we are likely to see Keynote and Pages on the iPhone.
This was also the first of their new display lineup and the new form factor for the iSight. It is hard to believe that one won't be able to use the iPhone as an iSight via the Bluetooth connection.
Apple has announced today the complete realignment of their product portfolio and talking of the iPhone has told us where they are going and what the future of computing will look like. Over the next two years I can see wanting to replace all my hardware for what will likely be a very different Mac.
This was also the first of their new display lineup and the new form factor for the iSight. It is hard to believe that one won't be able to use the iPhone as an iSight via the Bluetooth connection.
Apple has announced today the complete realignment of their product portfolio and talking of the iPhone has told us where they are going and what the future of computing will look like. Over the next two years I can see wanting to replace all my hardware for what will likely be a very different Mac.
#112
griffman
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Posted 10 January 2007 - 08:57 AM
Regarding your examples...
#1 (presentation on the phone):
Sorry, not possible. There is no interface on the iPhone to accept random files from the Mac. There is no ability to run applications other than what's on the phone today. There is no ability to add your own programs to the phone. There is no developer kit for third parties to write applications for the phone.
Yes, I know this is version 1.0. Yes, I know things can (and probably will) change in years to come, as flash gets cheaper and the phone becomes a more mature product. As I've repeated many times, I get it.
#2 (synchronize):
Not gonna happen with v 1.0, or probably 2.0, 3.0, or perhaps even 4.0. The phone is, at best, an 8GB device. For all your music, photos, video, contacts, calendar entries, email, etc., we'll need to get up to 80GB or 160GB of flash RAM before such a scenario is possible. And yes, I know it's coming. I get it. But that in particular is going to take years. I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that we're at least three to five years away from having an iPhone that's got enough capacity to handle a user's entire collection of stuff. In my case, it would have to have over 500GB of capacity to carry absolutely everything.
Even on just the media front, 8GB is incredibly limiting. This is the best-ever video iPod, and yet you can only store a few movies on it (assuming you want some room for music, photos, and all the rest).
I don't disagree that many incredible things may be possible down the road. But today the iPhone is nothing more than a very, very, very, very nice smart phone/iPod combo. It's something I definitely want, but it will have no impact on the rest of my workflow -- because Apple has chosen to restrict the openness of the system they've installed, and because of its severely limited RAM.
As for new hardware coming, I get that, too. I know they haven't stopped developing stuff. People still seem to be missing my point: It's MACworld Expo, and as recently as last year, Steve stood on the stage and told us just that, setting expectations that this is the event to attend to see, touch, and play with the latest and greatest Mac- and Mac-related stuff Apple has to offer.
As others have asked, why wasn't the iPhone launched at CES?
#1 (presentation on the phone):
Sorry, not possible. There is no interface on the iPhone to accept random files from the Mac. There is no ability to run applications other than what's on the phone today. There is no ability to add your own programs to the phone. There is no developer kit for third parties to write applications for the phone.
Yes, I know this is version 1.0. Yes, I know things can (and probably will) change in years to come, as flash gets cheaper and the phone becomes a more mature product. As I've repeated many times, I get it.
#2 (synchronize):
Not gonna happen with v 1.0, or probably 2.0, 3.0, or perhaps even 4.0. The phone is, at best, an 8GB device. For all your music, photos, video, contacts, calendar entries, email, etc., we'll need to get up to 80GB or 160GB of flash RAM before such a scenario is possible. And yes, I know it's coming. I get it. But that in particular is going to take years. I'll go out on a limb here and suggest that we're at least three to five years away from having an iPhone that's got enough capacity to handle a user's entire collection of stuff. In my case, it would have to have over 500GB of capacity to carry absolutely everything.
Even on just the media front, 8GB is incredibly limiting. This is the best-ever video iPod, and yet you can only store a few movies on it (assuming you want some room for music, photos, and all the rest).
I don't disagree that many incredible things may be possible down the road. But today the iPhone is nothing more than a very, very, very, very nice smart phone/iPod combo. It's something I definitely want, but it will have no impact on the rest of my workflow -- because Apple has chosen to restrict the openness of the system they've installed, and because of its severely limited RAM.
As for new hardware coming, I get that, too. I know they haven't stopped developing stuff. People still seem to be missing my point: It's MACworld Expo, and as recently as last year, Steve stood on the stage and told us just that, setting expectations that this is the event to attend to see, touch, and play with the latest and greatest Mac- and Mac-related stuff Apple has to offer.
As others have asked, why wasn't the iPhone launched at CES?
