Here’s my brief commentary on today’s announcements:
iPhone update
The Maps update with the location detection feature is pretty cool, and I can see it being useful in a city when I’m on foot and not with my in-car GPS. And using Wi-Fi data? I’ve never heard about that— that’s cool. After installing the update this morning I walked around work asking people if they needed to know where they are. I also tested it at every red light on the way home. It’s fast, and it’s precise enough to let you easily figure out which street you’re on. A nice treat is the page peel UI element. I don’t really care for it as a corny video transition or an annoying element in the corner of a web page, but in this case it makes sense and looks great. The graphics capabilities on this device are incredible. As far as Web Clips go, I’ve added Google Reader, WeatherBug, and Facebook. I’m looking forward to the apps that will come after the SDK release.
Apple TV
I wanted an Apple TV when it was first announced, but later decided against it because I couldn’t find a simple, legal way to acquire good HD content. Now I do. And without new episodes of the office being released, I haven’t been watching any HD content on my TV lately. As an added bonus, I don’t have to take sides in the expensive Blu-ray/HD DVD issue.
Time Capsule
It makes sense as a product, but I didn’t reach for my credit card immediately as in my apartment it’s not terribly inconvenient for me to just plug in to the USB drive sitting under my coffee table. However, my router has been acting flaky lately (I think it’s my router— I still have to rule out my Internet connection), so it looks like I have an excuse to buy! Since I’ll be backing up a 100 GB drive, I’ll just go for the 500 GB model.
MacBook Air
Yes, it is cool. Really really cool. Unfortunately, it’s not the computer I’m in the market for. If I didn’t already have a portable, I’d consider it, but since I already have a MacBook Pro and am looking to do some more video editing, I’m actually debating between an iMac and a Mac Pro.
Regarding the keynote itself:
When Steve mentioned the Mac Pro revision at the end, I was reminded how amused I get when they say “our most powerful Mac ever.” Any speed bump to the top of the line product would be the fastest ever! Maybe someday they should release a “slightly less powerful” Mac just for kicks. Stay tuned for Randy Newman’s performance at the end. I LOLed when he alluded to the Macbook Air leak.
Whenever I talk tech, please bear in mind my disclaimer.