The 2008 Apple Worldwide Developer’s Conference keynote is just over an hour away. The Apple Store is down. What do you think Steve Jobs is going to unveil? Will it be the much rumored 3G iPhone? Or the newest rumor, the Mac Fusion? Perhaps Jobs will unveil the codename of OS X 10.6? Feel free to discuss in the comments or chat about the it live at OSAlert Talk.
What’s Steve Jobs Going to Unveil?
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Adam Scheinberg
Technology Executive o Web Developer o Father o Foodie o Music Snob o OS enthusiast
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Even the stories leading up to it are full of hype. Are those that are Mac fans really so excited, or is the enthusiasm fake? (I’m not meaning this as a flame, but am just curious)
You must be new to the world of Apple.
C’mon. You should know mac people by now. You can’t fake this type of enthusiasm, not at this scale. People are actually excited and Apple has made a business out of hyping their conferences to the point of delirium. People expect Apple to deliver in every conference and they usually do. Right now I’m just counting down the minutes until WWDC starts and I can get my up to the second coverage from sites like Ars.
I think there are degrees of excitement here… There are those that get amped up about it to the point they froth at the mouth and then there are other mac users who don’t. I’ve got a feed in browser that I check from time to time, but this is really the only time of the year that Apple’s roadmap is laid bare. So for those of us who use and support Apple’s products, it’s something to pay attention to.
The new service from Apple – the iControl. Starting today, your Mac will be remotely monitored. If it appears you are over-worked, or are spending too much time at time-wasting sites like OSAlert and Slashdot, your computer will gracely shutdown. This new service frees you from the hassle of deciding when enough is enough. Steve cares for you!
You can smell Steveie’s cologne of they day with it.
OSX 10.6 is switching to Linux Kernel.
Aqua becoming open source….
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Hahaha … the Linux folk just WISH they could get their hands on something like Quartz+Aqua.
hahahaha, you must be smoking something weird.
Im quite alot happier without apple shit all over my harddrive.
Do you have posters of Stallman in your mom’s basement too?
Fail.
I’d been a moderator on the largest Mac-oriented forums in the world.
The fanatics live and die by Apple. It’s particularly scary. I don’t care for fanatics of any kind so it’s not just those who have Apple equipment, though they seem better organised over so many years.
Each time Apple was about to revise something, they would speculate as to the revisions and everything was good. However, when they didn’t personally receive what they wanted, they became belligerent.
The day the iPhone price went down, the new Apple fanatics were even worse, starting individual threads every minute or so with rather rude remarks for the same company upon which they’d heaped undying praise 3 months early.
Apple does things in such a way that they walk that thin line between genius and madness and tip over each side quite frequently.
According to the feeds, the iPhone 2.0 software is quite what the enterprise customers wanted and it should be a hit to Blackberry and all but death to Palm. It’s a bit sad because the world needs competition.
I like Apple a lot, despite their faults, but I don’t want to see anyone in a monopoly position. Bring back the spirit of the early 1980s, please.
So you’re saying that Apple should suck more to give the other companies a chance?
If Palm couldn’t keep up, tough shit. They had plenty of time and money at one point to do something great.
I agree, with you there. Palm had plenty of chances and resources to be a leader. Its not Apple’s fault that Blackberry and Palm got caught with their pants down. the upside is that Blackberry seems to be revving up for a fight and have the the resources to do so. Even if Apple were the sole market leader in this category, they never hesitate to update their hardware since they know most mac zealots will buy whatever gets released. However, competition is always nice and Blackberry needed some competition, their services are pretty good, but the software and hardware leave a lot to be desired, imo.
Edited 2008-06-09 18:38 UTC
Apple sucks the same as everybody else.
Fanboys just need to realize the fact that Apple is far from perfect and be true to themselves and to others.
Think and research before making broad claims on how Apple is superior/innovative/first.
Think before using vague and dubious descriptions, such as “revolutionized” or “popularized.”
Think about how Apple is merely a company that is using image and psychology to get you to buy their products.
Don’t struggle to “think different” (in an attempt to be what you are not). Just think.
Sorry, but without Apple, USB would probably still be an unsupported add-on. They popularised USB, even while pushing Firewire. There were many computers that had USB ports and yet, until iMac, they were almost completely unused.
Say what you like, but ignoring what’s happened won’t make it go away.
So, the highly precarious claim that Apple “popularized USB” proves that Apple doesn’t suck as much as every one else?
Of course, the urgings for fanboys to do research and to avoid vague/dubious terms has fallen on deaf ears.
Apple didn’t invent USB, nor was it the first company to use it: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EKF/is_30_47/ai_76780475
Note the line in this article, “Windows ’98 provided the first OS support for USE (sic) with built-in drivers for a range of devices, including mice, keyboards and speakers.”
True, Apple forced the use of USB, with the first Imac, as the article explains, “In 1998, the iMac was introduced, featuring only two I/O interfaces — USE (sic) and Ethernet.” However, popular use of USB was inevitable, since it “has been included on PC motherboards since late 1997.” The USB standard didn’t need Apple to foist it onto users.
The history of USB is also nicely laid out in Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USB#History
Please notice that USB was originally “promoted by Intel (UHCI and open software stack), Microsoft (Windows software stack), Philips (Hub, USB-Audio), and US Robotics…” — not Apple.
Apple doesn’t invent much. The company almost always uses pre-existing technology. On rare occasions, Apple is the first to market/sell a pre-existing technology, which might be a sales/manufacturing accomplishment, but which is hardly noteworthy in regards to innovation.
Apple sucks just as much as everyone else.
Again, please think before gushing the broad, vague Apple praise, and please provide sources to confirm claimed Apple accomplishments.
Edited 2008-06-09 20:59 UTC
Apparently, blind eyes also because you didn’t read (or possibly comprehend) what I wrote.
I didn’t claim that Apple invented USB or that they were the first to incorporate it into a machine. Several companies used Intel’s reference motherboard designs as a start to include USB.
USB was basically dormant technology until Apple did something to put it into action.
Your anathema against Apple doesn’t change reality.
Let’s avoid personal attacks, shall we. The post was read, the point was considered, and a response followed. I never specifically mentioned any individual.
My first statement directly addressed the significance of the claim that Apple “popularized” USB. I simply pointed out “so what?” The Apple USB claim (true or not) is just a single instance — so it does not disprove the assertion that Apple sucks just as much as everyone else.
I never said that anyone claimed that Apple invented USB (although many have) nor that anyone claimed Apple was first to use USB.
The purpose of proving that Apple didn’t invent USB was to quell any notions to the contrary. The term “popularized” often gets blurred with “innovated” in the minds of fanboys, and both concepts seem to hold the same weight in the fanboy mentality.
This assertion is an opinion, not fact. However, the implication that USB would not have become popular without Apple is certainly false.
As mentioned in my previous post, the popular use of USB was inevitable. From both references that I linked, it is obvious that there was rapid development of the USB standard by many major manufacturers — before, during and after it was used on the first Imac. Even with the early USB adoption problem (which was solved by USB 1.1) it is doubtful that these manufacturers would let all the USB resources got to waste. They needed USB to solve serious interconnection problems.
Again, let us try to avoid personal attacks. One’s motives for posting have nothing to do with the validity of one’s points.
However, I would like to state that I have no anathema against Apple — I merely value the truth.
The truth and reality is that Apple sucks just as much as everyone else.
Mate you obviously was not around back then.
Yes win 95 supported USB. It was only supported in OEM Service Release 2.1 , which was not a downloadable update you had to buy a new copy of windows to get it (or pirate it). ref – http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253756
It only supported a bare minimum of standards (not even enough for a USB mouse ref – http://www.usbman.com/Win95%20USB%20Guide.htm) was buggy to high heaven and it was also next to impossible to find any USB peripherals anyway. I’d had my PC a couple of years or so (until mid 1999) before I found out VIA’s USB chipset on my mother board was totally broken because there was nothing to use it with.
What the iMac did is to vastly increase the number of USB peripherals available, keeping USB alive until Windows 98 finally came out with better support, baring the infamous blue screen during the bill’s comdex demo. If it was not for the iMac USB would have been dead by then.
Edited 2008-06-09 22:06 UTC
Can we please have a reasonable discussion without the personal attacks?
By the way, I was using computers long before Windows 95.
As this link shows, Windows 95 USB support went only up to November 18, 1997. USB worked on Windows 98, although there certainly must have been some problems somewhere (with all of the USB hardware that was eventually available).
The Apple Imac came out in 1998, and my mom bought one. I remember that she had problems getting the USB floppy drive to work.
Apple sucks just as much as everyone else.
Sorry to hear about the trouble. The USB port on my 1998 Toshiba laptop still works like a charm. Don’t recall the chipset.
This notion is flawed. As I mentioned in an earlier post, USB was inevitable, with or without Apple. There was a serious need to solve interconnection problems, and USB was the solution into which most of the manufacturers had pooled their resources. What other options did they have?
Certainly, Apple helped speed-up the adoption of USB, but the eventual adoption of the USB standard didn’t depend on Apple.
In regards to the blue screens at Gates’ Comdex Demo, don’t forget the devastating Mac crashes during Steve Jobs’ presentation at Macworld Tokyo in 1999.
Edited 2008-06-10 00:32 UTC
You seem to be missing the point.
decision
Manufacturers where not rallying behind USB, they where all but totally ignoring it and had been for nearly two years because there was no market for it.
Serial and Parallel port where more than adequate for the jobs they did.
It took Apple’s decision to release the USB only iMac to kick start that market so that there was actually USB hardware for Win98’s release a couple of months later.
USB was by no means inevitable, something would have replaced the serial port evetually but it didn’t have to be USB and for the iMac it would almost certainly have not been.
Please. For the second time, personal attacks are unnecessary.
USB was being actively developed by its major sponsors before, during and after the first Imac. Certainly, there was a “Catch 22” delay in adoption with the other manufacturers. The Imac undoubtedly reduced the delay time.
Agreed. However, the need for asymmetric, high-speed serial bus was impending. Something would have to change. Can you imagine all the current computer users with multiple USB hubs trying to make the same connections with legacy serial/parallel ports?
The Imac definitely kick-started USB adoption.
USB was inevitable. USB was by far the best asymmetric high speed serial bus standard at the time. What else would have happened?
The critical turning point would have occurred without the Imac.
What else would happened, we’ll never know because it did, maybe firewire would have stepped up to the plate without USB competition, after it was a better tech for hard drives, and would have more more than suitable for printers, mice etc. It could have easily maybe a 3rd technology that some one would have come up with because the gap was still there.
You can’t say that USB was the inevitable tech just because it actually around at the time. Two years is more than a ‘ “Catch 22” delay’ it’s the resurrection of a dead technology, especially in the computer industry.
BTW I’ve noticed that you’ve gone from ‘So, the highly precarious claim that Apple “popularized USB” ‘ to ‘The Imac definitely kick-started USB adoption. ‘, so I take it we are now in agreement of at least that.
Edited 2008-06-10 19:46 UTC
It seems as if some words are missing from this sentence.
What is the universal cut-off time for “Catch 22 delays?”
The USB standard was under active development by many major manufacturers before, during and after the Imac. It would have caught on with other manufacturers — just like it caught on with Apple.
I have twice asked nicely (and indirectly) that we refrain from personal attacks, yet one of us persists in referring to the other in his/her posts. I will hold back personally offensive action one last time, under the assumption that one of us does not understand the meaning of a personal attack. Let us stick to the issues and refrain from referring specifically to one another in our arguments. (However, it is generally alright to attack a group, such as Windows fanboys, Linux fanboys, Mac fanboys, etc.)
Now, there is no contradiction between the statements that “it is precarious to claim that Apple ‘popularized’ USB” and that “the Imac definitely kick-started USB adoption.” The Imac sped-up USB adoption among manufacturers, but USB became popular only when it was offered to and accepted by PC users.
so you say win98 was first to support usb? are you absolutely sure it wasnt in fact…… netbsd which did?
No. A USB article from July 23, 2001 states that Windows 98 was the first OS to support USB “…with built-in drivers for a range of devices, including mice, keyboards and speakers.”: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EKF/is_30_47/ai_76780475
It appears that Windows 95 had limited support for USB as early as August 24, 1996 (see chart): http://www.usbman.com/Win95%20USB%20Guide.htm
I have no dates on when USB support first appeared in NetBSD. Please link this info, if you can.
Thanks.
So show me a phone that is comparable to the iPhone 3G — on all fronts, and that includes the core OS, touch-screen, quality of the applications, UI, etc. — And can be had for $199.
Don’t just say “Blackberry, because it does MMS” or something retarded.
I don’t know of any other phone that includes the same OS as the Iphone.
There have certainly been plenty of touchscreen phones long before and after the Iphone was introduced.
Quality of applications and UI? That is largely a subjective opinion. However, I would bet that other similar phones have more available apps. than the Iphone.
Also, a UI with tactile buttons has a lot of usability advantages over a touchscreen-only interface.
Now, if the price for the new 8Gb Iphone were simply $199, I would probably get one and unlock/hack it (and try to find a way to connect a portable qwerty keyboard). Unfortunately, it appears one has to sign a two-year service contract to get the $199 deal.
“Quality of applications and UI? That is largely a subjective opinion. However, I would bet that other similar phones have more available apps. than the Iphone.”
“subjective opinon” + “I would bet” =
Look, Apple may deliver the “same shit” as everyone else but at least they do it with UNIX underpinnings and great style on top.
And no, I’m not getting an iPhone 3G.
What is the point of this line?
The “subjective opinion” part refers to the notion that Apple has superior applications and UIs to other OSs.
The “I would bet” part refers to the fact that I am not sure about the relative number of Iphone apps, because I haven’t done thorough research. However, I am sure enough to bet USD$100 that I can find a phone other than the Iphone that has more available apps than the Iphone.
“Betting real money” > “wild Iphone claims on OSAlert”
The assertion that Apple has great style is definitely a subjective opinion. Anyone familiar with design and design history can see that Apple’s product style is mostly derived, retro rehash. Striking similarities have been shown between specific Apple designs and specific Braun designs from decades earlier: http://gizmodo.com/343641/1960s-braun-products-hold-the-secrets-to-…
I think we have a ways to go before the Apple monopoly rules the universe…
Steve DOES have a RDF ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_distortion_field ) for real. That is why something always gets blown out of proportion. I have a friend that IS such a said Mac fanatic, and she went nuts when the iPhone price dropped, even going so far as to claim that hers was better, because it originated before the price drop.
So yeah, It just means that Apple reveals something *New, or is revealing the *NextBigThing, and that the Electronics world will go nuts for it for 3 months, then move on. Unless your a Mac person, it will always be new. FOREVER.
*Terms subject to apply with anything that Jobs is associated with.
Worst. Keynote. Ever.
I think Intels delay of chipsets put back any new hardware announcements on the Mac line so yeah, I have to agree to some extent.
The most awful moment in my book: Super Monkey Ball. It’s available on what, 30 platforms already?