Apple WWDC

[Asher]

http://www.macrumorslive.com/web/

Probably more indepth ones later.

They did their usual classy act by claiming how much Vista is copying OS X. The best part, of course, was right after they were ranting about that they started copying Vista features like what Vista calls shadow copies and OS X "time machine", where the HD keeps many revisions of documents automatically that you can revert to.

[Nostromo]

With pictures

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/07/live-from-wwdc-2006-steve-jobs-keynote/

They didn't change the Macpro much, it still the coolest looking desktop on the market.

Nothing about the new iPods?

[Verto]

I liked the new features.

http://www.apple.com/macosx/leopard/

[Verto]

Time Machine - a new built-in backup system that will back up your entire system and allow you to restore the whole thing or just selected files.

Enhancements to iChat -- including a tabbed interface, custom still or video backdrops for your video iChat, iChat Theater (which lets you show iPhoto pics or a Keynote presentation during an iChat), and Photo Booth effects to make yourself look silly during a chat. Other iChat enhancements that were mentioned but not demoed include video recording (yes!), invisible mode, and animated buddy icons. The Apple site also shows the ability to share your desktop during an iChat. Now just let me figure out how to use these features to do screen recordings and machinima -- hmmm.

Two dashboard additions -- Web Clip, which allows you to build dynamically updating widgets from any Web page (examples -- a cartoon or bestseller list that updates every day); and DashCode for widget development, complete with modifiable widget templates (for RSS, podcasts, and more), and a library of parts to pop into your widget.

Additions to Mail.app -- a To-Do list made automatically from emails and that ties into iCal and other apps; Stationery (rich HTML email templates); and Notes (to replace those reminder emails you've been sending yourself).

Universal Access features - natural sounding voiceover, closed captioning in QuickTime, and braille support.

Core Animation - with features like keyframing and tweening to help developers create animations.

Spotlight enhancement - Spotlight will be able to search other machines on your network, do Boolean search, and will launch your applications for you.

Virtual desktop Spaces - letting you combine task-based applications into separate logical desktop configurations. That means you can have one group of apps running for Web design, another for print production, and yet another for podcast creation and editing. You'll be able to drag items between Spaces.

Complete package - of built-in apps, including Boot Camp, Front Row, and PhotoBooth.
64 bit processing.

[Verto]

Mac Pro: (BTW, taken from TUAW)

"The fastest, most configurable Mac ever" indeed. Today at WWDC 2006 (check out our coverage and the chatcast) Apple introduced the Mac Pro, and it might as well come with a pair of hot pads with all-new features like this:
Two 2.66GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon "Woodcrest" processors
4MB shared L2 cache per processor
1.33GHz dual independent frontside buses
1GB memory (667MHz DDR2 fully-buffered DIMM ECC)
NVIDIA GeForce 7300 GT graphics with 256MB memory
250GB Serial ATA 3Gb/s 7200-rpm hard drive1
16x double-layer SuperDrive (DVD+R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW)
And the fun doesn't stop there. You can stuff up to 16GB of RAM in these beasts now, along with 2TB of storage. With over 1,000,000 available BTO configurations, we wouldn't be surprised if customers have a hard time simply deciding on which Mac Pro they want to throw down their credit cards for.

Xserve:
Along with the new Mac Pro Apple introduced some s****y new Xserves that have me drooling. Scheduled to be available in October these things sport 2 Dual-Core Intel Xeon 5100 processors (up to 3 Ghz), up to 32 Gigs of ECC FB-DIMM memory, 1.33GHz frontside bus per processor, 4MB shared L2 cache per processor, and two eight-lane PCI Express expansion slots. These things can also have up to 2.25 TB of onboard storage. They also have redundant power supplies (that was the sound of many sys admins rejoicing).

The Xserve also boasts having the first Intel ready version of Tiger server (you get an unlimited client version with an Xserve).

All of this for a starting price of $2,999.

Cut in Cinema Display Prices:

A number of observant TUAW readers have also noticed that Apple has (quietly) slashes Cinema display prices with the introduction of the Mac Pro. There were rumors of Cinema updates before WWDC, but it seems that Apple simply wanted to give our pocketbooks a break with the $500 increase in the Mac Pro's price. Cinema display prices now look a little something like this:
20-inch: $699
23-inch: $999
30-inch: $1999 (what a drop!)
Unfortunately, I can't even get into the EDU store so I'm not sure how much better prices are for students yet. Ultimately, these prices should look a bit more appealing amidst criticism of what some say are slightly overpriced LCDs.

[Asher]

It still kills me that a lot of the features new in Leopard have existed on the PC for quite some time. Normally this doesn't bother me (they are good features), but when Apple just prior to announcing those new features mocks others for supposedly copying them, it really bothers me.

[Nostromo]

I'm sure, Asher, that you appreciated this pic

[Verto]

Or the Vista 2.0 banner.

[Nostromo]

They're not remotely funny

[Asher]

They remind me of the fat ugly guy who thinks everyone is always jealous of him. Just obnoxious and immediately eliminates any redeeming qualities he may've had.

[Wiglaf]

is it called Leopard just so they could make that copycat joke? or is there some reason for it.

[Nostromo]

All the previous versions had big cat names, like german tanks

[Wiglaf]

i know, but why?

[Nostromo]

Do you really care? Big cats are cool, how's that for a reason? Except lions, they're lame.

[Wiglaf]

normally when apple makes a name for something, they are trying to be cool and make sense. Like "Time Machine" is a ridiculous name but it has something to do with the feature, at least. Or "Expose" ... more than a little showy...but at least it connotes "showing a lot of windows."

Leopard and Tiger and Panda and all those names are just to sound cool? like iChat and iPhoto and iWeb and iLife and iMac and iBook and all that? i wish they would tone down their self-absorbed "we are the coolest and the best and our operating system is 10 years ahead of its time" crap. and the names just reflect their arrogance..