Apple unveiled some products, software, and a new commercial at the 2013 World-Wide Developer's conference. The commercial reinforced Apple's commitment to making great products which Tim Cook highlighted that during his keynote...which I watched on my Apple TV.
I was curious to see what Apple would unveil. With the unveilings, there were some features and products that I liked and others I'm still unsure about.
Products announced
Macbook Air
Details: New Macbook Airs will now stay charged for nine to twelve hours, or a whopping thirty days on standby, depending on the screen size. Other hardware improvements mean up to 40 percent better graphics handling, and the Air can wake up from standby in about a second.
Thoughts: I like the Macbook Air but I have never really played with one so I'm not sure what the actual performance would be like. If you're not a power user and you just surf the web, do word processing, and access your social media, the Macbook Air is probably powerful enough for your needs. Just make sure it has everything you need to be productive. Due to the thin size, some hardware components are not standard.
Mac Pro
Details: Since Steve Jobs untimely death in 2011, all Apple announcements have been met with an increased scrutiny and many have claimed their days of innovation were behind them. But at the WWDC 2013, the company showed it can still surprise us by unveiling a completely redesigned Mac Pro. Built for power users, it's now a very stylish cylinder shape, allowing for better cooling and increased ergonomics. It's twice as fast as its predecessor, and supports the latest in video resolution technology known as 4K.
Thoughts: Interesting design. Almost makes me wish I did more power computing to have a need for it. Way more power than I need and I'm sure the price will be expensive when it is officially released. Seems like it will be a great tool for anyone that needs it and I'm sure the Mac Pro users have been waiting for a refresh. I think they will be happy.
AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule
Thoughts: Just imagine have 6 Apple TVs (or Airport Express) stacked on top of each other. That would give you about the size of the new AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule. The idea is interesting. You want to have a small footprint so build it upward. At the same time that allows you to add more antennas. I can appreciate adding 802.11 ac for faster speeds but the products aren't needed unless your products currently support 802.11 ac. Whenever I get enough Apple products with 802.11 ac, then maybe I will consider the AirPort Extreme. I like the theory of the Time Capsule...automatic backups but I created my own so I don't see the need to purchase one. If you're a techie, build your own. If you're not, then the Time Capsule may be a good option.
Software announced
IOS 7
Details: While the most stunning change is visual—iOS 7 features a complete aesthetic redesign from the bottom up—other improvements include a smarter Siri, better multitasking support, and integration with supported vehicles, allowing you to use your iPhone to control its on-board technology.
Thoughts: I still like the old iOS but I know lots of people were ready for a change so Apple could keep up with the competition. Just looking at images of the iPhone with iOS 7, it does look like a new phone. I like that you can now have more apps grouped together. I'm curious to see how much smarter Siri is. I would use Siri more but when I ask questions or give commands that Siri can't answer or complete, I get frustrated.
OSX Mavericks
Details: There was Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar, Panther, Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Lion, Mountain Lion, and… Sea Lion? At WWDC 2013, Apple broke their trend of naming the operating system after cats and went with a California inspired surfer theme instead, going with the name Mavericks. The latest version of OSX has an emphasis on extending battery life, a fuller integration with iCloud, file tagging for easier searching, and a tabbed version of Finder, just to name a few of the more popular improvements.
Thoughts: No comment. I will get it when it's available and then decide what I think of it.
iTunes Radio
Details: The long anticipated iTunes Radio has finally arrived. With it, users can log in and experience something like Spotify or Pandora, essentially listening to whatever song they want for free. It also has the ability to learn from your behavior and program custom channels so you can sit and listen to music it thinks you'll enjoy.
Thoughts: I will try it when it's released and decide what I think then. There are already apps that do this job so I will have to test it to see if anything sets it apart from the others.
iWork for iCloud
Details: Now there is iWork for iCloud. With this announcement, Apple brings their iWork office suite, which includes the word processor Pages, spreadsheet program Numbers, and presentation software Keynote, to the web. Work on your documents in your browser.
Thoughts: I like iWork...it has features I like and so does Office. I'm happy that you will be able to work on projects in your web browser. I'm not sure how much it will cost to use.
Overall, I think Apple did well with their announcements at WWDC 2013. How do you think Apple did at WWDC 2013?
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