Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi Talk iMessage, Siri API and Mac App Store on 'The Talk Show'

[ThunderSkunk]

Right before WWDC, there were rumors of iMessage becoming open to other platforms such as Android, but where is that now? If that's not happening, and if Apple is making such a big deal out of iMessage as they are doing now, I'd say they're just being arrogant or ignorant or intentionally incompetent. No matter how good iMessage becomes, it will simply not pick up unless it's accessible to all major platforms, except in Apple campus.

I can only guess at why they backtracked on their initial imessage plan to make it available on all platforms along with FaceTime, but I wonder if now if doing so would open the service to security risks. After going to supreme court against the gov to protect security, I'll bet they can't just turn around and say they're opening up the service.

 

[KidAKidB]

Try using Messenger or other apps that support that, if needed. Perhaps google will step up and write an app supporting iMessage for their users?

Apple hasn't opened up iMessage to external use. Even if Google would want to, it's not possible for them to do it. This is something Apple needs to do, stop trying to deflect.

 

[t0mat0]

"we're very happy with the Mac App Store"

Did Gruber pull them up about search. Guess the stream going down means many won't have seen the entire show and the posts on it are about part of the show?

 

[rdlink]

New Apple vision: lowest common denominator pandering

That "lowest common denominator" you're referring to is the average person who picks up a piece of technology and just wants it to work, and do the hundred cool little unimportant things they ask it to do during the day. Or help them get their non-computer related job done.

Try to remember that, as a geek you are a tiny minority of the user base of Apple products. In fact, the geek world is a tiny user base in all ecosystems these days. And that is a sign of progress. Computers have moved beyond the realm of a haven and playground for gear heads, and into the realm of being appliances.

 

[neohavix]

With respect for new faces and emoji, I keep reading that people and I we simply want a file manager in iOS that let us share things, avoid the cloud, skip iTunes. Throw in a card reader and a little more connectivity and you have a real iPad Pro. As for the MacBooks Give us a refresh, more upgrade chances (SSD and RAM) and that is it.
The watch is nice but 450 eur for a second iPhone screen is a little too much.

Bring back the 17" MBP...please.

 

[KidAKidB]

I understand your point, however, the more computers are turning into "appliances" the less apple needs to be a computer company. I don't think there's a real decline in power users, but 15 years ago, power users were probably more than 50% of computer users. Now, I'd imagine less than 1%.

Its unfair not to count iPhones and iPads as computers, if you do, that % drops ridiculously more.

The whole point of jailbreaking is getting the access to the file system, so no, you are 100% correct, file system on the iOS is locked and has always been locked.

The iPhone is not a computer and neither is the iPad. You can do some productivity on them but most definitely not all. They're mobile devices mainly used for consumption rather than creation. I don't care how many times Tim Cook gets on stage to try to convince us that the iPad Pro is a computer replacement. It's not.

 

[niun]

I don't care how many times Tim Cook gets on stage to try to convince us that the iPad Pro is a computer replacement. It's not.

To be fair he did that once. As soon as it didn't generate the numbers he kinda lost interest.

 

[Andres Cantu]

He's not wrong about the emojis, people love them.

 

[bobthedino]

Did Gruber ask the obvious follow-up question regarding deleting the built-in apps: when will we be able to set different apps as the defaults for mail/web browser/etc.

 

[639051]

I wonder if these "people" he's talking about are Tim Cook? It seems like the thing he'd be excited about.

The Mac users I know, and like myself, want stability and not gimmicks, and a new file system is the most exciting thing Apple has announced with relevance to the Mac in many years' time.

You can be as blind to it as you want, but trying to ignore the fact that the majority of iPhone (and Android) users in general LOVE emoji and get excited about it would be silly.

What's even more silly is somehow you feel that's all they have done is add emjoi. They cooked up a new FS as you mentioned, there are plenty of improvements under the hood that we just aren't aware of yet. Give it time and stop acting like a drama queen. Let the masses get excited about emoji and we will get the substance as it trickles out.

 

[AsprineTm]

You can be as blind to it as you want, but trying to ignore the fact that the majority of iPhone (and Android) users in general LOVE emoji and get excited about it would be silly.

What's even more silly is somehow you feel that's all they have done is add emjoi. They cooked up a new FS as you mentioned, there are plenty of improvements under the hood that we just aren't aware of yet. Give it time and stop acting like a drama queen. Let the masses get excited about emoji and we will get the substance as it trickles out.

Why call it at developers keynote then?
These developers are crying of joy knowing they get all this emoji...

 

[639051]

"Work all year on a new File System"

What file system? You mean the HFS that has been here since the dawn of time?

You're just trolling right? There is an article here on MR about the new FS; APFS.
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Why call it at developers keynote then?
These developers are crying of joy knowing they get all this emoji...

The keynote speech hasn't been "for developers" for a long time. It's for the vast unwashed masses that don't know squat about tech to watch it and feel somewhat educated and reporters to go back to CNN and the like and talk about new things Apple is doing.

Last I checked the rest of the conference is actually for developers.

 

[Elbon]

I heard a conversation where one person was trying to convince the other that they should updat to iOS 9. His reason for not updating was that he didnt like the new app switcher (as petty as that is), and her reason was that their were new emoji's. That's all anyone cares about, as sad as it is. I ****ing hate emoji

The iOS 9 app switcher definitely has some usability issues. But yeah...I don't understand the fuss over emoji, myself.

 

[crsh1976]

You can be as blind to it as you want, but trying to ignore the fact that the majority of iPhone (and Android) users in general LOVE emoji and get excited about it would be silly.

What's even more silly is somehow you feel that's all they have done is add emjoi. They cooked up a new FS as you mentioned, there are plenty of improvements under the hood that we just aren't aware of yet. Give it time and stop acting like a drama queen. Let the masses get excited about emoji and we will get the substance as it trickles out.

The reality is that Apple is putting a lot more emphasis on iMessage improvements to have more/better emoji/stickers than boring-but-useful features like a new file system (which the common user doesn't care about, nor does s/he understand what it is).

But this is a dev conference to begin with; past the keynote (a media event for the press and consumers), it's a little weird that technical improvements are given so little coverage to keep talking about consumer-centric features that do not impact developers (iMessage is a stock app, not an API/service). Notice also how framework improvements are given little details, HomeKit get a hub app, but that's apparently it. SiriKit is the major new addition, can developers add to the lexicon or are they limited to have Siri just call their app and that's it? No idea.

These are just some points, I'm not at WWDC and most likely workshops on site are there to sort out these points, but Apple is not doing a great job at spreading the news about iOS 10, macOS Sierra and the like beyond confetti explosions in iMessage and re-stating again and again how watchOS 3 is a lot more performant.

 

[Stella]

Schiller said that Apple "loves all of our kids"

Creepy!!!

 

[Belgique]

I wonder if these "people" he's talking about are Tim Cook? It seems like the thing he'd be excited about.

The Mac users I know, and like myself, want stability and not gimmicks, and a new file system is the most exciting thing Apple has announced with relevance to the Mac in many years' time.

Hey.....who cares about updating copy/paste...unchanged for 25 years, or updating mail...what we all NEED is more"emoji's" hundreds of them...all colors......Yeah.....lets appeal to preteens and teen and forget the rest of users.

 

[TMRJIJ]

Right before WWDC, there were rumors of iMessage becoming open to other platforms such as Android, but where is that now? If that's not happening, and if Apple is making such a big deal out of iMessage as they are doing now, I'd say they're just being arrogant or ignorant or intentionally incompetent. No matter how good iMessage becomes, it will simply not pick up unless it's accessible to all major platforms, except in Apple campus.

Actually it's picking up nicely. Lots of people love iMessage and hate it when nonApple users that ruin the fun of it. Two of my friends are switching to iOS now that they don't get added to our group messages anymore.

 

[msh]

You mean the majority of people buying devices?

Yes. But didn't Apple get where they are by leading people to where they need to go rather than following their customers fickle fashion preferences?

 

[Klae17]

Right before WWDC, there were rumors of iMessage becoming open to other platforms such as Android, but where is that now? If that's not happening, and if Apple is making such a big deal out of iMessage as they are doing now, I'd say they're just being arrogant or ignorant or intentionally incompetent. No matter how good iMessage becomes, it will simply not pick up unless it's accessible to all major platforms, except in Apple campus.

You are joking right? iMessages handled 40 billion messages a day.... In 2014.

 

[hakonik]

You can be as blind to it as you want, but trying to ignore the fact that the majority of iPhone (and Android) users in general LOVE emoji and get excited about it would be silly

You are aware that no one, except maybe some random American gradma uses the iOS messages app for anything these days? I think the reason for devoting half of the keynote for emojis is the fact that Apple would like to change that. That is why they introduced three times the features that were missing from their messages app when compared to rivals. I think they lost that battle due to being a platform specific solution at a time when their platform coverage is diminishing. But I don't blame them from trying.

 

[John Mcgregor]

All this political correctness ******** when asked a direct question is pissing me of.

 

[rawweb]

I understand why apple spent so much time and energy improving (hopefully) Messages in iOS, but I really wish they would also fix Messages on the Mac. I have lost the ability to screenshare, which was a very useful tool.

How did you loose the ability? Maybe it's just me but I have never had any issues with screen sharing since the days of iChat.

iMessages on Mac 10.11.5:

 

[John Mcgregor]

You are aware that no one, except maybe some random American gradma uses the iOS messages app for anything these days?

Your "statement" is full of ****.

 

[639051]

You are aware that no one, except maybe some random American gradma uses the iOS messages app for anything these days? I think the reason for devoting half of the keynote for emojis is the fact that Apple would like to change that. That is why they introduced three times the features that were missing from their messages app when compared to rivals. I think they lost that battle due to being a platform specific solution at a time when their platform coverage is diminishing. But I don't blame them from trying.

Funny, I have a huge group I communicate with and every single iPhone user uses messages to do it. I don't use Facebook and never will, hangouts is installed but for three people. The rest communicate with me as well as each other via .. messages.

Guess were all just grandmothers.

 

[iBug2]

The iPhone is not a computer and neither is the iPad. You can do some productivity on them but most definitely not all. They're mobile devices mainly used for consumption rather than creation. I don't care how many times Tim Cook gets on stage to try to convince us that the iPad Pro is a computer replacement. It's not.

They are computer replacements. I use my iPhone more than I use my computer. 10 years ago I only used my computer. Hence, it did replace my computer in MANY MANY MANY tasks. It's not a 100% replacements, nor will it ever be. That was always misunderstood.