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To: Steve Jobs Re: WWDC
Let's be honest, Steve. If you want to keep wowing keynote attendees, you can't regurgitate last year's topics.
Dear Steve,
It’s a shame when your premiere mid-year keynote presentation could be a rehash of what has gone before. Your annual Worldwide Developer Conference keynote is supposed to be where you make developers feel good about coding for Apple, where you can rally your base of Mac developers and energize them into creating the quirky, innovative apps that will define your computers in the next year. So what happened? Why does everyone feel so empty inside, as if nothing has changed between June 10 and today?
Let’s talk about Leopard. Leopard is your baby, your big answer to Windows Vista. After all, you’re Apple. You’ve shipped 5 major operating system releases in six years, each of which had significant new features. And yes, Leopard does have its share of new stuff. But here’s the thing, Steve: most of your keynote demos weren’t new to us.
Sure, you announced some completely new stuff. The new Stacks feature of the dock raised eyebrows, Spotlight searching over the network is nice to have, and 64-bit top-to-bottom was well-received by the content creation people.
But the new feature that was best-received was the new Finder. I have to say, that worries me. First, because it took this long to actually revamp it. Second, because it looks like iTunes, which I dislike. An interface made for music catalogs may not work for browsing all the different metadata one may want to see in a file list. The new Quick Look feature definitely seems promising, but just how many people are going to use it? And how many people are going to develop Quick Look hooks for their file formats? I dunno, Steve, I hope this time next year you dont get up on stage and sound silly when you praise all the developers who support it. Without wide Quick Look support, things like Cover Flow and iChat Theater will be fairly useless, don’t you think? I guess time will tell.
And let’s be honest. If you want to keep wowing keynote attendees, you can’t regurgitate last year’s topics. Time Machine, Spaces, Dashcode, 64-bit, Core Animation and iChat were all discussed before. It makes me wonder what you were doing for the past 12 months.
Oh, that’s right, you were working on the iPhone. But I gotta be honest here, Steve, the iPhone isnt looking so hot right now. It’s the price, Steve. $500 is a significant chunk of scratch. Just ask Sony how the PlayStation 3 is doing. I mean, c’mon, Steve, you aren’t even letting us put our own applications on it. That’s something any hundred-dollar Symbian or Windows Mobile smartphone will let us do.
And no, AJAX apps are not true apps. I wonder just how you thought you could pull off that particular piece of spin. May I remind you that you were talking to developers, not some joe-schmoes in the press? You can’t BS those folks, not even with your legendary RDF. Even if you’d merely said you were working on a true iPhone SDK, that would have been enough. We know you’re trying just to get the iPhone out on time, and we understand maybe there wasn’t time to build a true SDK for it. But why you felt the need to try to BS us about AJAX, I’ll never know. JavaScript isnt a robust application platform. I shouldn’t have to tell you that. But if you need proof, just try using the Yahoo Mail Beta on Safari.
Speaking of Safari, you really dropped the ball on Safari 3 for Windows. Yes, I understand you’re calling it a Beta, but I think youre giving it too much credit. I don’t think it even deserves Alpha status. I mean, you’ve got some serious issues to take care of, from rampant security vulnerabilities to glitchy UI and horrible stability problems on both Mac and Windows. Anyone will tell you Safari 3 needs a lot more time in the oven before it’s ready. Quite frankly, I’m surprised you allowed such a shoddy product to even see the light of day outside Apple. I thought you insisted on perfection; what on earth happened, Steve?
If there was one highlight of your presentation, it was EA’s announcement that they would be bringing some of their more popular games to the Mac relatively soon after the PC release. But seriously, it’s EA. They develop games for anything with a processor and a screen; it’s no surprise that they are developing for the Mac. And how many times have you stood up on that stage and claimed that the Mac is a viable gaming platform? You’ve brought out people from Bungie, nVidia, Aspyr, and you even brought out John Carmack to show off his new engines on more than one occasion. But the Mac still isn’t a decent gaming platform. Why? Because the only viable gaming machine you sell starts at $2500 with no monitor. Seriously, Steve, if you really want to attract gamers to your platform, it’s time to suck it up and build a highly-expandable machine for a midrange price, around $1000. Until then, you can parade all the game developers you want on stage, but the Mac will still be a terrible gaming platform.
At the end of the day, Steve, you didn’t do yourself or Apple any favors with that keynote. Nobody—not even your loyal supporters—thought you announced anything worthwhile. Back at last year’s WWDC, you hinted at “secret features” in Leopard, saying that you didn’t want Redmond to start its photocopiers any sooner than necessary. But I don’t think they need to after your lackluster performance. We love you Steve, but next time, you really need to bring your A-game to these keynotes. The speech you gave this past Monday just isn’t going to cut it.
Love, UnnDunn
More Info
Steve Jobs WWDC 2007 keynote video
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| UnnDunn | comments | views |
thinkback
I think Unndunn was *only* discussing the presentation itself here, which was rather “meh”.
I think it would have been better if Jobs didn’t do that whole “Top secret features” act last year. I too was disappointed by Leopard; I’m sure it has a ton of really useful smaller features, but the presentation itself was...lacking.
| Nick | Jun. 18, 2007 | |
| 1:56 pm |
I really get the feeling that “Secret Features” was the Apple Iron Curtain way of saying “We’re not ready yet.”
| Jun. 18, 2007 | |
| Liam | 4:55 pm |
amen
This year’s WWDC was full of emptiness. Where were those “secret” features?
I was there that week and attended anything that remotely felt “new” and quite frankly, found none of it. almost everything discussed were repeats of last year, wich insignificant details added as sugar on top.
And anyone gasping at the forthcoming “jesus phone” (as it’s being dubbed) claiming it’ll be end end-all of phone, well, let me tell you I’ll be waiting for the second coming.
Give me an SDK and local storage. My life doesn’t revolve around a web page.
And if it did, i’d already have a Win mobile -based phone to access it. Your next iPhone killer app: on anyone’s half-assed internet-enabled device anyhow.
Oh come now. Y’all KNOW that 3D Dock is going to absolutely REVOLUTIONIZE the computer industry.
| Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| Arden | 4:42 am |
UnDunn criticized Apple? Are pigs flying out my window? LOL!
That was a gem, UnDunn. Seriously, I love how you criticized the iPhone when it was first introduced because it wasn’t open to 3rd parties. Now it’s open to 3rd parties, but it’s not good enough.
Let’s be honest, there is not a single thing Apple could announce or show that would illicit a positive response from you. You are completely predictable.
Steve, if you really want to attract gamers to your platform, it’s time to suck it up and build a highly-expandable machine for a midrange price, around $1000.
Yeah, because we all know how well Windows PC gaming has been doing over the last five years, don’t we? How’s your Xbox 360, UnDunn?
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 12:06 pm |
Now it’s open to 3rd parties, but it’s not good enough.
Scot, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but basically the entire Mac developer community agrees with this sentiment. The general consensus is “We’re software developers, we’re Cocoa developers, we don’t want to write web apps,” which is really not an unreasonable request. If presented as the stopgap measure it is, the solution Steve proposed would have sufficed, but he presented it as if it were the ultimate solution to global peace and world hunger, and developers didn’t buy it.
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| Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| Arden | 12:13 pm |
Arden, this is another “The real story is what Apple didn’t announce/The real story is what the iPhone doesn’t do/The real story is what Leopard doesn’t do/The real story is what Jobs didn’t announce”.
My point was it doesn’t really matter if anyone agrees with his point of view or not, we know what UnDunn’s point of view is going to be on any subject or any announcement, don’t we? Look at the list of blogs you guys are going to put in a book, for crying out loud.
This is a man who said the Apple TV is ill-equipped to handle high definition downloads because of its small hard drive in the same blog where he touted the Xbox 360’s capability in this regard with a smaller hard drive.
If the iPhone came with Xtools on it for people to write iPhone applications on the bus or underwater, UnDunn would just say (in the spirit of the EA announcement) that Apple will put Xcode on anything with a processor and a screen so it’s no big deal…
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 12:52 pm |
That was a gem, UnDunn. Seriously, I love how you criticized the iPhone when it was first introduced because it wasn’t open to 3rd parties. Now it’s open to 3rd parties, but it’s not good enough.
Nothing has changed between January and now regarding iPhone’s 3rd-party application support. It had Safari and AJAX back then as well.
AJAX is not a real SDK. Javascript is not a robust app platform. My criticism then remains valid now.
| UnnDunn | Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| 1:55 pm |
I never claimed your criticism wasn’t valid. I said it was predictable. I knew three weeks ago that you would post this exact blog. 
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 3:03 pm |
And one could make the case that no matter what Unndunn posted unfavorably about Apple, you would be here trying to refute everything he said. Just like you always do.
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| Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| Arden | 4:34 pm |
Sigh. I’m not refuting anything he said am I?
And your post is complete BS, frankly. Why? Because I’ve been on here criticizing Apple for a few months, haven’t I? So please stop with the comments portraying me as the zealot. There are many unfavorable things UnDunn could say about Apple that I would be in full agreement with.
But, yeah, if he ever bashes the Apple TV because of its “small hard drive” in the same blog he touts the Xbox 360 (with a smaller hard drive), I’ll point it out. I guess I’m unreasonable like that.
And if I made a blog about how Gates or Ballmer were full of crap every time Microsoft had a keynote, or if I made a blog every time they announced a product and I listed off all of its missing features and said it was crap, I’m quite sure the regular suspects would be making comments about it.
Hmm, let’s look at my blogs here. There’s that one where I bash Apple for Motion 2/2.1 incompatibility. Then there’s that one I did where I talk about how Steve Jobs shouldn’t make fun of Microsoft’s delays right after Apple announced a delay. Oh, and then there’s a dozen blogs bashing Microsoft. Oh wait, there aren’t any. Yeah, how’s that comparison between the two of us going now?
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 6:01 pm |
Come on, let’s be real. This is his blog about the keynote:
1. Everyone feels empty.
2. To little, too late for new Finder
3. Finder is like iTunes, which is a bad idea
4. Nobody is going to use Quick Look
5. Nobody is going to support Quick Look
6. Cover Flow and iChat Theater will be useless
7. Steve only covered same things as last year
8. iPhone is not so hot
9. iPhone won’t sell because of price
10. Safari for Windows sucks, it just does because he says so
11. EA announced more Mac support, but who cares?
12. Mac is a terrible gaming platform and the only Mac you can play games on is $2,500
13. Nobody thought Steve announced anything worth while, except those pesky Mac zealots
Sorry I accused UnDunn of being predictably negative. After review, he was incredibly upbeat about Steve Jobs and Apple’s announcements.
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 6:16 pm |
Ahhh, don’t make me edit my posts!
I know Safari 3 Beta is the biggest piece of crap in the world and only some idiot would ever think of using it, but this resizing the comments box is really nice, don’t you think, Arden? 
| Jun. 19, 2007 | ||
| 6:35 pm |
Ahhh, don’t make me edit my posts!
But it’s all new and AJAX-y. I only just added it!
I know Safari 3 Beta is the biggest piece of crap in the world and only some idiot would ever think of using it, but this resizing the comments box is really nice, don’t you think, Arden?
Actually, I’m still using Tiger’s Safari. I’m quite content with the way it works, having installed Saft, Stand, and (recently) Inquisitor. There are a few features I’ve seen in 3 that I’m looking forward to, though, but I do so much surfing that I don’t want to rely on beta software for it.
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| Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| Arden | 7:38 pm |
And the AppleTV has a 160GB HDD now. So both Apple and Microsoft realized that anything south of 100 gigs is totally inadaquate for HD downloads (well, the AppleTV doesn’t do HD downloads yet.) Just waiting on Sony, but they’re being pressured for price cuts at the moment.
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| Jun. 19, 2007 | |
| Liam | 10:37 pm |
No, Liam, the Xbox 360’s 20 gig hard drive (the size of the drive when UnnDunn wrote that blog) is completely adequate for HD downloading. It’s the Apple TV’s 40 gig hard drive that was inadequate for HD downloading.
BTW, I’ve been using Safari 3 Beta on 10.3.9 and it’s perfectly stable for me. It’s noticeably faster and I really appreciate the new Find feature. Plus some sites that wouldn’t work with Safari now work.
| Jun. 20, 2007 | ||
| 6:30 am |
well, the AppleTV doesn’t do HD downloads yet
The Apple TV supports 720p, but who needs that when you are watching YouTube videos at 320 x 240? Ugh.
What the hell are they thinking? Seriously.
I know there are a lot of complaints about how well the HD downloading works with Xbox Live, so maybe Apple feels the bandwidth isn’t there yet to offer a reliable service, but YouTube?
| Jun. 20, 2007 | ||
| 6:35 am |
This is what I get with Safari 3.0.1 beta on my Vista box.
I don’t care what designation it carries, alpha, beta, whatever. There is no way a non-open-source application should have been made available for public download sporting a bug like that.
It is completely unusable.
| UnnDunn | Jun. 20, 2007 | |
| 6:20 pm |
You know, I could easily show you a few screenshots of Windows and say that Windows shouldn’t be out with a bug like that, it’s completely unusable…
So Apple’s own browser can’t render their own Web site on every single Vista PC out there?
| Jun. 20, 2007 | ||
| 7:14 pm |
Pretty damn sure he meant it was unusable on his system. I know that if I had that bug, I wouldn’t be able to use Safari, either.
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| Jun. 20, 2007 | |
| Liam | 10:37 pm |
It’s not just Apple’s website, it’s on every single website out there.
And yes, it should not have been made available for public download, and yes, it is unusable on my system.
I keep it on my system in the hope that it is fixed, because it is the only KHTML browser easily available for Windows, so it will be useful for web site testing… when or if it works.
| UnnDunn | Jun. 21, 2007 | |
| 9:12 am |
1.
Dude, you need a reality check. Leopard rocks. Sure, the keynote was mostly a regurgitation of last years with a few new items, but guess what… WWDC is about the technology Apple gives to developers to make great apps. Leopard has a shit load of great stuff under the hood. Obj2.0, Core Animation, Core Text, etc. Since Leopard was delayed, there was an obvious need to recap. Still, you’re acting like the sky is falling over a keynote. Get beyond the presentation and look at the tools Apple has made available to developers. It’s light years ahead of anything anybody else has.