It IS a developer conference after all, as was pointed out in the article. Everybody expects dramatic new hardware and/or software announcements at the keynote speech, but that's no what the conference is about. Apple rolled out updated MacBooks and MacBook Pros weeks or days before the conference, presumably to not dilute the software focus of the conference.

Let the record-setting crowd of developers get down and dirty with Apple's new stuff and surprise us with great new and improved apps down the line. Without them all this cool Apple technology is nothing. I want more than "runs well on Leopard" come October!
Cool new hardware can be announced elsewhere at another time.

Yeah, Apple really slapped their Mac developers in the face this year, particularly with the FAUX announcement of software development on the iPhone. Just plain awful.

Philip,

I am fuming here. I am so upset at the depth of this article that is beyond anything reasonable.

you said : OK, Im being ridiculously unfair.

This is perhaps the understatement of the week. Developer conference is for developers only. Since when did it become a platform for announcing new hardware. In the past, Steve has used the opportunity to roll out new hardware, but unless you've been sleeping, most of the entire line of Apple hardware is now 64bit right out the door. Apple introduced Apple TV, almost all of their hardware has been upgraded, all applications have been touched in some ways and Apple is in the midst of releasing what is the single biggest product launch since iPod with far more implications than any other product launch in its history (except the Mac). Unlike the iPod's introduction, there is this overwhelming amount of expectation that is built in to the iPhone.

Much to your chagrin, Apple cant go out and build a new OS every year, this was a major release for them in the works for over 2 years. I am sorry your short attention disorder was not able to be stimulated by the keynote but I assure you, for the rest of the folks who went there to "LEARN" about the Apple's new OS, the experience was vastly different and rewarding. Perhaps as a developer (the targeted audience) you would have seen it differently.

I think your entire article was unnecessary and a burden.

I am sorry I read it.

Everyone is losing it about the lack of new things in Leopard. Well here's a huge one... What about iLife '07?!?!??!