The Preferred Toronto Apple Reseller of MacMedics:
The Preferred iPod and iPhone repair shop in Toronto of MacMedics:
A Safe Way To Dispose Of Your eWaste – And Get A Tax Receipt Too!
My Preferred Canadian-Based ISP
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Jan
10
Reflections on Macworld 2009
Filed Under MacWorld 2009, Views | 1 Comment
On the plane, back to Toronto, another, perhaps the last, Macworld, over. When I went to Macworld in 2006 I arrived at 7am to a lineup that stretched around the corner. There were so many people trying to get in. There were huge overflow rooms to take those of us who couldn’t get into the main hall. I didn’t make it to the main hall.
Steve Jobs took the stage that morning and announced that the Mac was moving to the Intel platform and had been running Mac OS 10.4 on PPC and Intel chips since it’s inception 5 years earlier. Everyone was aghast and excited about the changes. I watched it unfold on a big TV monitor a wall away from the happening. I walked the conference floor that week shoulder to shoulder with thousands of other Mac users and supporters of the platform. Kiosks were crowded – it was an amazing experience. I met my colleagues doing what I do from all over the US and Canada and I learned a lot that I took back and incorporated into my business.
Macworld 2009 has occurred in a totally different context. The economic downturns hitting the US, the announcement that this would be Apple’s last Macworld and that Phil Schiller and not Steve Jobs would, for the first time in 12 years, not being giving the keynote address.
I arrived at 9am – minutes before the keynote. I was hoping to catch the keynote in an overflow room. I encountered no line. I walked in, took the escalator and entered the main hall. I had made it! And there was Phil. And he was nervous. And there were no mind-blowing announcements, muted applause and, at the end, Tony Bennett and his band singing ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’ and “I Left My Heart In San Francisco’. It was all a bit depressing (Tony was great and a highlight, but still…).
As I reconnected with colleagues not seen for a while we all were feeling a bit sad. There was no real excitement on the floor. Vendors I knew were all aware of relatively poor attendance. That’s not to say there weren’t great products to get to know about. There were. I’ve come away again with some excellent ideas to implement and share with my clients and new friendships and opportunities for my business. But it was sad. It was sad because we all knew that without Macworld to draw us together it was going to be harder to connect with one another – and that’s what Macworld, at least good deal of it, is about for those of us that support clients and work in the field – and for users too – to connect, to share, to have fun, to learn.
There may yet be a Macworld 2010. Apple won’t be there. The ACN (Apple Consultants Network) won’t be there and a lot of vendors won’t be there either.
In the end, I am definitely glad I went. I accomplished what I set out to do, with or without an adrenaline boost from Apple – and they did announce some important things – the upgraded iLife 09 (Leopard only by the way – no support for earlier operating systems), iWork 09, iWork.com (jury is out on this one), DRM free music on iTunes which is actually a MAJOR change within the music industry – music purchased from iTunes can now be played on any device without copy protection. New battery technology in the new 17″ MacBook Pro which will hopefully make it’s way into the entire product line. And I’m sure we’ll see the upgraded iMacs and Mac Mini’s that were rumoured to be announced at the show – and much more. Even better, Steve Jobs seems to be on a path to a fuller recovery from symptoms left over from the cancer treatment he had a few years ago. That’s great news.
I have no doubt about Apple. Tony was right – the best is yet to come.
Thank you so much to Arjun and Seneca Gupta for putting me up and putting up with me through the week. They were wonderful hosts and great, dear friends.
And thank you San Francisco – I love this city – City Lights Books, China Town, Ocean Beach, the fog, insanely steep hills (especially experienced when drunk), Dotties Tru Blue Cafe, the best breakfast anywhere period!, Zushi Puzzle – the chef is a Master. I always leave a little piece of my heart in San Francisco too. It’s waiting there for when I come back.
Jan
7
Macworld 2009 Keynote Movie and more
Filed Under MacWorld 2009 | Leave a Comment
For those of you wanting to see the keynote for yourselves:
Apple Keynote 2009
Other Notable Announcements/links
iLife 09
iWork 09
iWork Online Free Trial Download
iWork.com
17″ MacBook Pro
Jan
6
Macmedics Live! At Macworld 2009
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Jan
6
MacWorld 2009 Day 1 – First In Line
Filed Under MacWorld 2009 | 1 Comment
It feels like I’m walking through a cloud today – damp, drizzly, umbrella useless. After registering to get into the conference tomorrow I walk around the floor of the exhibit hall during the construction – lots of activity – hard to believe it will all be ready. After that I walk around outside getting my bearings and contemplate whether or not I’m actually going to get up at 5 in the morning to attend the keynote being given – not by Steve Jobs, but by VP Phil Schiller.
And then I come across Nick Lensander. He is a 15 year old kid – has his own Podcast - MacTips - and his in line for the keynote.
It is 12 noon. It is the day before the keynote – T-minus 21 hours! My plan to arrive in the wee hours of the morning seem sad and pathetic compared to this kind of committment. I decided to interview young Nick with a Flip camera lent to me by RiverdaleMac and below is the result.
Jan
3
Jan
1
Read All About It!
Filed Under Apple News, MacWorld 2009, Rumours | Leave a Comment
The new year begins with, what else, Rumours! And why not, with MacWorld just a few days away it’s not surprising to see a flurry of leaks and speculation about what’s to come. Below are links to some of the freshest tidbits. Enjoy!
iMovie To Receive Update and move online!
iPhone Nano, smaller iPod Shuffles (is it possible?) and cheaper MacBooks?!
iWork to become a Web-based application?
Note: I’ll be attending this year’s MacWorld in San Francisco and experimenting with some live blogging from the conference floor, perhaps some video and certainly followups and summaries so stay tuned!