WWDC keynote: Is that all there is?

In August 2006 , Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference with a video featuring John Hodgman and Justin Long recapitulate their PC and Mac personas from the company’sTV commercials . Then , Apple CEO Steve Jobs exact the leg for his annual keynote , which was highlighted by a preview of the Leopard update for OS X. Among the features Jobs discussed were space , a virtual desktop feature ; Time Machine , OS X 10.5 ’s build up - in back - up puppet ; and an enhanced interpretation of the iChat messaging app that added several Photo Booth issue for video conferencing . That last feature article included a rather funny bit of interplay between Jobs and older frailty chair of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller certify the television core .

In June 2007 , Apple kicked off its Worldwide Developers Conference with a TV sport John Hodgman and Justin Long reprise their microcomputer and Mac personas from the company ’s TV commercial . Then , Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the phase for his yearly keynote , which was highlighted by a preview of the Leopard update for OS X. Among the features Jobs discussed wereSpaces , a virtual screen background feature;Time auto , OS X 10.5 ’s built - in back - up tool ; and an enhanced interpretation of theiChat messaging applicationthat added several Photo Booth effects for video conferencing . That last feature included a rather funny bit of interplay between Jobs and senior vice president of worldwide product marketing Phil Schiller demo the telecasting effect .

Man — Ihatesummer rerun .

OK , I ’m being ridiculously unfair . Apple did trot out some Modern Leopard feature during Monday ’s keynote , and — from this space , anyhow — they seem like nice additions . OS X ’s Finder was in dreadful demand of a refresh , and adopting iTunes ’ flavor - and - find is a clever move . Anyone who ’s glimpsed at my Desktop can tell you how badly I need a feature film like lot , and I ’m looking forward to the 24-hour interval when motley downloads are send out off to their own distance on the Dock rather of floor in a pile on my Desktop . And Quick Look is … present .

But if you ’re scoring along at home , seven of the 10 features that made up Jobs ’ Leopard intro have been known , in one grade or another , for 10 month . Yes , there was a new contingent here and there — fans of the AAC - LD codec surely are dancing in the streets this hebdomad — but was it enough to live up to the “ top confidential features we do n’t want Microsoft to see ” treatment Jobs was giving this hooey last August ? That depends on your point of view , I guess , but the panorama from here is that it neglect to match the plug . That ’s not the same affair as say that the features are n’t worthwhile or that Leopard does n’t look to be a substantial upgrade ; it ’s just an account for why I result the Moscone West auditorium Monday daybreak feeling a small underwhelmed .

I do n’t think I ’m alone in that feeling , either . This is the second consecutive Steve Jobs keynote in which attendees leave without any raw hardware to order — you’d have to go back to that August 2006 WWDC speech communication when Jobs unveiled the Mac Pro to find a hardware announcement that was n’t immediately muffle by a “ come shortly ! ” label . The promulgation that Mac developer long to build up apps for the iPhone could habituate AJAX to create computer programme that move within the phone ’s version of Safari probably was n’t what most package makers had in mind . Let ’s face it — if giving developer the putz to build iPhone apps is throw developer a bone , Monday ’s iPhone development was like tossing them astirrup osseous tissue . And while I ’m trusted the release of a Windows variation of Safari will serve Apple build up its ploughshare of the web browser app market , that ’s scarcely the most inspiring choice for a “ One other thing … ” promulgation in a way pack full ofMacsoftware maker .

One unsatisfying keynote does n’t mean Apple want to give up and go home . Anticipation for the iPhone is build up to a fever pitch . Leopard will debut in October , and for all its delays , it does look like an impressive update that users will embrace . There ’s no doubt that new Mac and iPod hardware is on the way in the second half of the year . And , lest we forget , while the keynote gets all the care , the real employment at WWDC happens behind closed doors in Roger Huntington Sessions where developers figure out how to utilize these raw technologies in their own apps . So the outlook for Apple is far from gloomy , even if the reaction to Monday ’s tonic is n’t on the dot cheery .

But possibly for the next keynote , Apple should break out some raw stuff .