OK, the keynote is over. We're all aflutter over the new products and software (in fact, my iPhone is wiggling with delight). We can't wait to get our hands on a MacBook Air. How about you? What was your personal highlight from Steve's keynote? The MB Air? The Apple TV 2? Yet another chance to support the US economy while increasing your personal debt?
Vote in our unscientific poll and check back tomorrow for the results. In a few weeks we'll be able to judge how it compares to keynotes past, but today we think it was pretty darn great.
Gruber's got a good post up on the topic du jour for most Mac blogs-- the iPhone's newly announced SDK and how its release will affect already created (and to-be-created, for that matter) web apps. I'm not sure I agree with him that web development for devices like the iPhone will be bigger than native app development after February (assuming Steve gives us a full SDK, and not a widget maker), but I do agree that web apps for the iPhone need more-- either Flash, Silverlight (shudder), or some other quality runtime.
However, I think the most interesting part of Gruber's article is in the note at the end. When we say iPhone (as I've done throughout this post), we really mean "iPhone and iPod touch." While lots of people have picked up touches, I tend to still consider the iPhone the vanguard of this situation. And so, while the SDK will also be able to create applications for the iPod touch (even Steve himself relegated it to a PS in his big announcement), the iPhone tends to get all the press.
But I'd like to know what you think, readers. Is it OK for us to say "iPhone" and mean both devices? Should we spend the extra time typing to point out that everything that runs on iPhone runs on the iPod touch? Or should we use them interchangeably-- make "iPod touch" mean both the iPhone and the iPod/iPhone Frankenstein monster that is the touch? What do you think? It's a small issue, sure, but little things can mean a lot.
David recently posted about some clever iPhone dream apps. As the ranks of existing iPhone applications continues to grow to include games and utilities, what applications are still missing? What iPhone apps do you want to see developers concentrate their efforts on? Native IM or IRC? Trip accounting? GTD management? Let us know in this poll and in the comments.
We've examined Apple's latest offerings (by "examined" we mean "stared at their respective web pages"). Some of us have even purchased iLife and iWork.
Now, we want your opinion: Which is the most desirable of Apple's new products? That iMac is gorgeous, iMovie '08 is completely new and everyone loves the Mac mini (right, Uncle Steve?).
Vote in our poll and check back tomorrow for the results.
I'm a little skeptical about this one (who is the Eagle Research Group, and why are they polling people about iPhones and Zunes?) but a new study from the ERG says that a whopping 70% of Zune users are actually planning a switch to the iPhone. And perhaps even more revealing, 36% of Zune users say they never would have bought one if they'd have known Apple would produce something as "ground-breaking" as the iPhone (well, duh).
Of course it's not news that the Zune sucks, and it's definitely not news that the iPhone is a revolutionary little device. But it's an interesting idea that while the Zune has been fighting to stay alive ever since introduction, it might be the iPhone that actually puts it out of its misery.
The social hasn't been quelled yet, though. Of the Zune users keeping their phone, 43% say the reason they don't want an iPhone was the lack of storage space for music (which is kind of an obvious conclusion when you're comparing a phone and a music player, innit?). And 22% of those sticking to the Zune say the reason for doing so was simply an overall dislike of "all things Apple."
Yesterday, I wrote about setting up the iPhone with pay-as-you-go service. Without purchasing feature packs, the data plan goes for an exorbitant $0.01/KB. (With a feature pack, the data goes down to $2/MB, or $0.002/KB.) This got me wondering. It's been almost a month since the iPhone debuted. How much data have you used? My iPhone tells me that I've sent 608 KB and received 2.9 MB--although with all my resets and restores, that number is probably much lower than my actual usage. Still, that's nothing compared to our own David Chartier. He's at 12.2 MB sent and 59.8 MB received. (Data junkie!) So I'm curious. How much EDGE data have you sent and received? You can find out by selecting Settings -> Usage. Let us know in the comments how big a data user you are. Bragging rights to everyone who beats out David.
Update: It looks like the average is currently around 150-200 MB for readers who aren't hovering around WiFi hotspots. The current high is near 2.7 GB. The few of us who have ready WiFi access are way, way down in comparison.
It's a question that keeps many developers up at night: should they maintain backward OS compatibility at the expense of release speed and new features, or just dump support for older releases in the interest of getting out a new version as quickly as possible? The Yahoo! Messenger for Mac team is facing this quandary now, and you can help them make the call by responding to the version poll here. Want a quick release of a Tiger-only Messenger? Or a longer wait for a 10.3-compatible build? Make yourself heard. Thanks, Lucky.
We here at TUAW are big The Joy of Tech fans--and we found this particular cartoon especially inspiring. So inspiring, that we created a new unspun poll for you to take part in and let us know the deepest darkest secret things you would do in order to get an iPhone of your own. Sure, most of you already have a cell phone. So do we. What you don't have yet is...an excuse.
We asked you, our readers, if you'd be willing to line up on the 28th to purchase an iPhone on the 29th. In our highly unscientific poll, a full 45% of you said, "No, I have better things to do." Just over 2,100 of respondents (or 28%) said they'll "absolutely" line up, while 18% are considering it and only 9% are willing to commit if the opportunity presents itself.
So maybe we won't be camping out...but we do all want one. Right?
OK, it's results time. Apple released speedier and roomier MacBooks earlier this week, with a black model priced $125US more than an identically configured white model. We asked: Would you cough up the extra greenbacks for a black MacBook? Here are the results:
A full 52% of you said "I ain't payin' $125 for paint." The remaining votes were pretty evenly split between the other two options - "Absolutely, it's beautiful" and "I'd consider it."
That's a pretty clear statement. No black MacBooks for most of our readers.
Yesterday, Apple announced major improvements to Final Cut Studio. This announcement turned out to be pretty much what we were expecting but the FCS2 news still leaves a number of Apple issues missing-in-action. What happened to the High Def movies in iTunes announcement many of us were hoping for? Or some hardware refresh announcements beyond the move to more powerful Mac Pros? Which of the following items do you most want to see Apple announce?
Now that Apple and EMI have announced the pending availability of DRM-free music, we're wondering if you're going to upgrade your music. When the new downloads become available in iTunes this May, you'll be able to "upgrade" the EMI music you already own by spending an extra $0.30US per track.
Yesterday, our own Erica pointed out just what you get for your thirty cents, and with that in mind, we ask: "Will you upgrade your iTunes music?" Leave your answer below and check back tomorrow for the results.
One of the long-standing major appeals of the Mac OS has been its relatively small and low-impact ratio of serious security vulnerabilities and virus attacks. Users wear it like a badge on their shoulder, and even Apple has jumped in by flat-out bragging about Mac OS X's security with their latest Get a Mac ad campaign.
While the debate surrounding exactly why the Mac has earned this reputation has raged at least since the term 'trolling' was coined, I'm a bit more interested in bending the space-time continuum and asking you, dear readers, a hypothetical: what would happen if a truly malicious Mac OS X virus were to break out in large scale? I'm talking about something along the lines of the Sasser worm, which grounded some Delta Airline flights, brought many other companies to their knees, and is estimated to have caused billions in damage.
I know Apple's machines aren't quite as integral to the various operations of our society and businesses like Windows and Linux are, but it would be hard to argue that a good portion of of the Mac user base doesn't care about the security of their chosen OS. With this in mind, I wonder: would you keep your Mac in a day and age when 3rd party virus and security tools become a basic necessity of Mac OS X? Would you bite the bullet and buy Norton Virus Mega Security Bundle Premium 2007 beta 5? Do you think all those switchers - reeled in by Apple's "We don't have any viruses" Get a Mac commercials - would become crippled in disillusion?
What say you, TUAW readers. How large of a hole in Apple's security record would be 'too large'?
So will there be an iPhone announcement at Macworld? Some speculate that yes, there will be. Others say no, at least not at this time. We here at TUAW are agnostic about the entire issue. We're happy to report rumors about the iPhone in its many possible incarnations--who might manufacture it, what it will be called, and who might buy it-- but we have no solid evidence one way or another as to when or if the beastie might appear.
So what do you think, TUAW readers? Are you with the yays or the nays on this one?
I've had keyboards and mice on my mind for the last few days so I thought I'd see what you all are using. To get the poll rolling I asked a few of my colleagues here at TUAW HQ to chime in, too.
David Chartier: iMac - Apple Pro Keyboard with a Microsoft Intellimouse Explorer 4.0. Most comfortable.mouse.ever. Sometimes I whip out the Mighty Mouse for multimedia/time-based work though. MacBook - built in keyboard and usually the touchpad, though I bring along the Mighty Mouse from my iMac mainly because it packs in a bag easily.
Alex Wollenschlaeger: I use the keyboard on my 12" PowerBook (one of the main reasons I got another PowerBook over a MacBook) and a Microsoft optical mouse. I've used other mice in the past and I've always come back to Microsoft ones. They just feel right. I carry it around with me everywhere because I don't like trackpads too much. Though the new scrolling feature goes a long way to rectifying that.
Scott McNulty: I use the built-in in stuff on my MacBook. On my iMac I have Apple's included keyboard and a Logitech S 530 Laser mouse.
Dan Lurie: When I'm not out and about with my PowerBook, it sits on an iCurve at my desk and I use the standard white Apple keyboard and Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer (which I love, but I need to get in a wireless version). I'm actually in the market for a new keyboard due some wrist pain I've been having, so I've been looking at the GoldTouch Mac from KeyOvation.
As for me? On my home and office desktops I use the Matias OS X keyboard. The symbols are great for me since I always forget where they are. The extra control key and the caps-lock key being out of my way is a blessing and I really love the action on it. I'm a big fan of tactile keys - and this one is quieter than a typical tactile keyboard, which makes hubby happy, but it's still "clicky" enough to make me happy. My mouse is a 5-button, rockin' tilt-scroll Microsoft Wireless Intellimouse Explorer, which I would be lost without. When I'm on the PowerBook I generally stick with the built-in keyboard and trackpad since I'm typically on-the-go and it's just easier that way.
Hmmm... 4 out of 5 bloggers agree that what Microsoft lacks in the OS department they make up for with their mice, which rule. We don't agree on much around here so that's about as resounding of an endorsement as you're going to get from us.
Now it's your turn -- What mouse and keyboard are you using with your Mac(s) these days?
OK, the keynote is over. We're all aflutter over the new products and software (in fact, my iPhone is wiggling with delight). We can't wait to get our hands on a MacBook Air. How about you? What was your personal highlight from Steve's keynote? The MB Air? The Apple TV 2? Yet another chance to support the US economy while increasing your personal debt?
Gruber's 
David recently 
We've examined Apple's latest offerings (by "examined" we mean "stared at their respective web pages"). Some of us have even purchased iLife and iWork.
I'm a little skeptical about this one (who is the 
It's a question that keeps many developers up at night: should they maintain backward OS compatibility at the expense of release speed and new features, or just dump support for older releases in the interest of getting out a new version as quickly as possible? The 
There are no iPhone fanboys here.
OK, it's results time. 
Now that Apple and EMI have announced the pending availability of 
One of the long-standing major appeals of the Mac OS has been its relatively small and low-impact ratio of serious security vulnerabilities and virus attacks. Users wear it like a badge on their shoulder, and even Apple has jumped in by flat-out bragging about Mac OS X's security with their latest 
I've had keyboards and mice on my mind for the last few days so I thought I'd see what you all are using. To get the poll rolling I asked a few of my colleagues here at TUAW HQ to chime in, too.
