What to Expect at WWDC 2017: Software Updates, Mac Notebook Refresh, New iPad Pro, Siri Speaker Possible

[Bacillus]

As a TouchBar developer, I hope for some more enthusiasm for the TouchBar than just Phil Schiller (high-fiving in vacuum with nobody)
Time for TouchBar screensavers, TouchBar pacman, TouchBar tetris etc. !
Get away with all that pessimism...
TouchBar wipers in 25 colors !
Flashy blinking TouchBars for the hearing impaired. TouchBar notifications.
Oh man, soo excited. It has enriched our lives.
We want a new TouchBar category in the Mac AppStore (to be revived if dead...) !

 

[pmau]

An end user accessible file system let's app developers create mobile apps that are identical to their desktop equivalents.

Confused. This is exactly what is not happening.

 

[manu chao]

Time Capsule provided an all Apple solution to wireless and Time Machine backups. I am surprised they discontinued it and ask the customer to buy another brand router and maybe an external drive not made by Apple.

They didn't.

It's amazing how many people equate a rumour (even a well-sourced one) with fact and conflate the future with the present. There was a fairly high-level rumour about nine months ago that Apple is getting out of the router (and thus also Time Capsule) business. But so far there has been no Apple announcement on that matter nor have they stopped selling their routers. But many people, including on prominent podcasts like ATP and The Talkshow, seem to believe that Apple has actually stopped selling routers (or at least seem unsure whether they still sell them).

For some people that might just sloppy phrasing, ie, instead of saying "as Apple has apparently decided to stop selling routers" they say "as Apple has stopped selling routers".

 

[Bacillus]

It's amazing how many people equate a rumour (even a well-sourced one) with fact and conflate the future with the present. There was a fairly high-level rumour about nine months ago that Apple is getting out of the router (and thus also Time Capsule) business. But so far there has been no Apple announcement on that matter nor have they stopped selling their routers. But many people, including on prominent podcasts like ATP and The Talkshow, seem to believe that Apple has actually stopped selling routers (or least seem unsure whether they still sell them).

For some people that might just sloppy phrasing, ie, instead of saying "as Apple has apparently decided to stop selling routers" they say "as Apple has stopped selling routers".

With Tim Cook's conduite towards the Mac line, monitors, peripherals and his lunatic citations about the PostPC Era, this is what you could expect.
Don't blame customers.
Who'd sensibly invest in business declared to be slowly dying by its own leader...?

 

[pmau]

WWDC has been nothing but disappointment for years.

Yes. They have introduced new coding guidelines to "improve" the convergence between macOS,tvOS,watchOS while breaking well established API to make things "easier".

They pushed autoi-layout, broke rotation API's which are still broken, replaced standard security and encryption frameworks with their own version to make them even more obscure.
They introduced "containers" which are still broken and document app development is a nightmare.
Resource management (nib/xib files) was easy. Now it is so bad that you create massive overhead on any SCM system.

And for the last kicker: Latest Xcode is only available on Sierra with the latest Swift changes.

You people (not the quoted post) can claim I'm ignorant and hate Apple, but ...

Apple has change so much to dictate how to develop and is pushing in a direction that will cause more and more cookie cutter apps.

It is nearly impossible to implement all new features that a "complete" App should provide, but I understand that big developers with a service behind their Apps can still do that.

If you are a small developer, considering that hardly anyone is willing to pay for apps, only for in-app features, there is hardly any incentive to invest your time in Swift. It is as closed as it can be today and it will be even more so.

If Apple really would be interested, they would release a full toolchain (and I do NOT mean the Xcode GUI), to enable developers to run continuous integration on Linux, Amazon AWS or anywhere they would like.

But this is not happening. Apple up-sells you on Sierra compatible Macs with Gimmicks like the Touchbar, they refactor Swift to make it harder to integrate OpenSource API's and they desperately need you to be an all three platforms.

Look at Apple TV Apps, not happening.
Good watchOS Apps? Maybe a handful.

But the iPhone 8 will blow away all past profit margins.
Independent developers have no future on macOS,iOS,watchOS, although it was the best approach.

I give Apple all the technical credit they deserve, but I despise their politics and profit margins.

 

[manu chao]

And I believe time capsule was discontinued last year as well

There seems to be a collective confirmation bias going on here. How does expecting something to happen in the future (based on a nine-month-old rumour of Apple getting out of the router business) turn into something one believes has already happened? Believing something will happen is not the same as it actually having happened.

 

[Bacillus]

There seems to be a collective confirmation bias going on here. How does expecting something to happen in the future (based on a nine-month-old rumour of Apple getting out of the router business) turn into something one believes has already happened? Believing something will happen is not the same as it actually having happened.

Time Capsule's uncertain future aside:
Go check the latest offerings from Netgear etc. - so much better autoconfigurability, better iPhone app UI and more powerful than Time Capsule that just feels so dated.
TC created his self-fulfilling prophecy with his PostPC-era - where real netw. pros don't lament.

 

[RainbowHurrican]

All I really want is a proper os for the iPad with apps designed for the extra pixels, not iPhone apps spread out.

If app,emthinks the iPad is the best expression of the future of computing, then they need to lead the way with making the iPad a great tool to replace the laptop. Thinner and a bunch of new hardware specs alone will not get there.

I'm hoping that they add TrackPad (or mice) support to the iPadPro. They don't have to turn it into full blown macOS but they need to make it easier for users when typing text . Anything short of that and Apple will find iPAD sells falling by half again. There just are that many artist users. Microsoft is going right at the iPadPro by updating their Surface Pen for the new Surface Pro. A graphical user will be able to use the Pen and full photoshop on the same machine. Its could be very compelling the Graphical artists. Apple needs to make iOS for iPad much more useful for general purpose users' productivity.

I also think that they need to create an iOS based Laptop to replace the MacbookAir. This should come in 2 size, the first would have a 12.9 screen have a 360 degree hinge and weigh 2 pounds. The A series chips are now powerful enough for this. The second iOS laptop (iOSBOok) would have a 9.7 polycarbonate with body designed for students and schools for $250. This would also weigh 1.5 pounds but be as tough as the old black and white polycarbonate bodies of the macbook.

 

[-BigMac-]

i have a mac, apple tv and an iphone, and am legitimately only excited for iOS.
Everything else is trash these days. No innovation

 

[manu chao]

Go check the latest offerings from Netgear etc. - so much better with auto configurability, better iPhone app UI and more powerful than Time Capsule.
TC created his self-fulfilling prophecy with his PostPC-era and accompanied lamenting

I don't dispute that other routers have surpassed Apple's offerings for a while (though they always had more features). I just hate it when people invent facts ('Apple has stopped selling routers') because it fits their narrative. Or in your case justify the inventing of facts because of Apple's, let's say, unfriendly behaviour (as in, 'It's Apple's fault that people make up stuff about them').

 

[macpanzer]

As a TouchBar developer, I hope for some more enthusiasm for the TouchBar than just Phil Schiller (high-fiving in vacuum with nobody)
Time for TouchBar screensavers, TouchBar pacman, TouchBar tetris etc. !
Get away with all that pessimism...
TouchBar wipers in 25 colors !
Flashy blinking TouchBars for the hearing impaired. TouchBar notifications.
Oh man, soo excited. It has enriched our lives.
We want a new TouchBar category in the Mac AppStore (to be revived if dead...) !

The touch bar was not meant for any of the above. And none of it would increase the enthusiasm anyway.
The current implementation of it is poor, and doesn't create much benefit. Perhaps if they develop it further so it will become the next Magic Trackpad kind of "thing" ...

 

[RainbowHurrican]

Apple always does the same, it makes fun of something they can't offer for sale.
Until at some later point they do make it, and try and forget that before they said it was wrong.

Remember this:

They hope no one remember this.... lol

Or that you shouldn't use a stylus with iPhone yet they sell it with the iPadPro now.

 

[Abazigal]

Why should ios 11 have "system-wide design changes" when most people agree ios 10 works perfectly?

I am reminded of how ios 10 introduced a new card-based UI to support HomeKit and fast audio-switching for W1-enabled headphones. Widgets also received a design overhaul to complement force touch.

Sometimes, new software and hardware products require a rethinking of the UI. Apple also uses this to incentivise the use of their products (it's faster to switch pairings of the airpods than normal Bluetooth headphones, for instance).

In the very least, I see reason for a system-wide dark mode (for oled displays) and a possible reworking of the UI to work with a virtual home button.

 

[Threejw]

Would be great if the siri speaking had a projecter than project stuff on the wall..

 

[Duel]

Or that you shouldn't use a stylus with iPhone yet they sell it with the iPadPro now.

Exactly. With iPad. Still don't see anyone using iPhone with stulys, also stylus for iPad isn't meant for navigation it's mostly for graphics designers and artist.

 

[pmau]

I am reminded of how ios 10 introduced a new card-based UI to support HomeKit and fast audio-switching for W1-enabled headphones.

But this is only a couple of days for a small developer team.
I want to see deeper changes like data management and multiple user support.
My dream would be to be able to hand you an iPad, you do whatever you want without seeing my data.
After you finish, you might name your profile and give it a password.
Done. Your local settings, history and probably files from your iCloud.

By the way, the swipe gestures from the sides are hardly usable.
This also goes for app switching

 

[plexdk]

I'm wondering.. how can they make a tvOS, macOS, iOS, watchOS, Macbook, Siri speaker and iPad announcement within the normal keynote period... 4 OS' normally take 1,5-2 hours to present - and now hardware?

 

[shyam09]

Saw this over on reddit: Anyone want to play along during WWDC as a MR group in the live discussion thread?

 

[Macaholic868]

I don't get the Siri speaker. Unless it's leaps and bounds better than Siri built into iPhones, iPads and the Apple TV, what maniac would buy it? Siri sucks. I've been dealing with a bug where I ask Siri to call someone and it just hangs for years. It happens about every 4th or 5th time I try to use it to call someone in my contact list. I'm a beta tester and have reported the bug on several occasions over several versions and get nothing back from Apple. I've reported other bugs within other areas of iOS and usually always get a response from them. Here's to hoping this product forces them to make Siri a hell of a lot better than it is today.

 

[4jasontv]

Independent developers have no future on macOS,iOS,watchOS, although it was the best approach.

Really? The best? It's great that app developers want to make money on watch and tv platforms, but there are very few that are willing to invest in them. I don't mean apple brand, but the tech. Want to develop for apple watch, you better have an android wear and tizen app too. Why? Because the developers need to sell consumers that apps need to be on these things. When the atv4 launched I was so disappointed to see apps used to justify its existence. As a consumer I don't want apps on my tv. I see apps as fragmentation. I want content. I want to watch football and then jump to playing destiny seamlessly. I want to have a platform to play AAA and indie games, watch movies and shows without considering who made it, and apps only hurt that. Consider this issue: developers keep pushing their own sync solutions, or selling out and only supporting one, instead of providing support for all of them. I cant use one sync service as a primary solution between mac, ios, linux, android, win10, and tizen devices. I get why 1st party doesn't support it, but developers have no excuse. I stopped using day one, possibly the best apple app I ever used, because it didn't work when I needed to pull something up on my surface. I want my watch to do the same basic thing, except instead of other people's content, I want it to manage my content. I don't need another app to tell me a score or the news, I need better filters for what content I should be notified about and what I want waiting when I seek it. Not everything in my calender needs to show up on my watch, and not every email needs an alert. For example, why can't I get an alert only when an email is sent to only me from a domain I selected. I don't need my wrist to vibrate when I get an ad from my car dealership, but I do want one when they reply to a service request. I get that developers are a major reason for why apple is so big, but we can't act like they are the savior for every product.

 

[tkukoc]

Saw this over on reddit: Anyone want to play along during WWDC as a MR group in the live discussion thread?

Saved that, definitely going to print that and have it at my desk while watching at work. Probably won't see everything, to many meetings on Monday's. But I'll catch the rerun that evening.

 

[kilimanjaro]

I just unearthed my '11 17" MBP after not using it for nearly two years.
Yeah, it's heavy but I just put 16GB of RAM and an SSD.
I like the lighter new MBPs but I can't upgrade them so I need to buy them fully kitted.
So.. I dream of a new - 17" MBP.
Poo poo me all you want.

 

[44267547]

Hardware announcements may or may not happen (plenty of WWDC keynotes didn't have any), but iOS 11 is indeed very likely. All that will happen Monday morning.

Very Likely? More like guaranteed. That's one of the main points of WWDC is demoing the latest version of iOS/macOS/WatchOS. Apple doesn't hold the developer conference and not demo the latest version of iOS. That would defeat one of the reasons the developers Are even present to begin with.

 

[Bacillus]

I don't dispute that other routers have surpassed Apple's offerings for a while (though they always had more features). I just hate it when people invent facts ('Apple has stopped selling routers') because it fits their narrative. Or in your case justify the inventing of facts because of Apple's, let's say, unfriendly behaviour (as in, 'It's Apple's fault that people make up stuff about them').

What you call unfriendly behavior, I'd consider inexcusable negativism around the (formerly) best computer business of its kind. That self-destructive PostPC message has done the rest in the market - because who'd sensibly invest in business declared to be soon over by its own leader...?
There is little difference from actually ceasing production, now that the psychological contract around customers' trust has been broken (Lesson 1 in any business school: don't ever, EVER break that) and soon, lost sales/position may force them to do so (self-fullfilling prophecy)
It demonstrates the insane arrogance of this Board, as nobody in any other company would survive such blunder. That's the root cause - now leaving it up to you to blame anyone else...

 

[The Game 161]

I don't get the Siri speaker. Unless it's leaps and bounds better than Siri built into iPhones, iPads and the Apple TV, what maniac would buy it? Siri sucks. I've been dealing with a bug where I ask Siri to call someone and it just hangs for years. It happens about every 4th or 5th time I try to use it to call someone in my contact list. I'm a beta tester and have reported the bug on several occasions over several versions and get nothing back from Apple. I've reported other bugs within other areas of iOS and usually always get a response from them. Here's to hoping this product forces them to make Siri a hell of a lot better than it is today.

well i'm guessing they will have put some good improvements into siri given what the comp is now doing. We can but hope.

I would use it for music speaker and for podcasts but guess it depends what else it syncs with and how well it works