WWDC 2010 Announced
Wednesday, April 28, 2010 at 2:09PM 
Apple have finally decided to announce the dates for WWDC and have left it pretty late with just over five weeks notice - streuth!
The dates have been announced as 7th - 11th June 2010 at Moscone West, San Francisco.
Much rumblings of disquiet on Twitter as developers are left with the last minute decision to attend. Looks like Apple have elevated the status of iPhone/iPad development over the Mac with @pilky on Twitter counting up the split of sessions (not counting the web sessions) as:
It also looks like the Apple Design Awards are just for the mobile platforms this year - surely some mistake?
Tickets for WWDC are extremely expensive this year, with UK developers having to stump up £1099 plus VAT for a single ticket. Add in the extra expense of last minute flights, accommodation and living expenses, it looks like Apple may suffer a backlash of WWDC being poorly attended by International developers.
I daresay that WWDC will be a sell out as usual (and by that I mean they'll sell all the tickets!) but it's a shame that Apple held onto the dates for so long. Surely this must have been planned for quite some time.
Anyhow, WWDC is an event I've never been to before as I'd always considered it to be inappropriate for me as I'm not a developer. Yes, I have a good appreciation of Apple technologies obviously, but some of the sessions look way over my head.
That all changed when I went to the NSConference in 2009, a much smaller event held in the UK. I sat in on a number of technical sessions that actually were fascinating, even if I couldn't put them to good use but more importantly, met up with a load of really cool Mac developers, including some customers of mine. I found it to be a hugely valuable experience.
So I'd sort of played with the idea of going to WWDC one day, for a similar experience - learn something and meet up with developers whose products will end up being featured on ScreenCastsOnline. I've had several conversations with people who all recommended that WWDC was really a good place to go, both on a personal and professional level. One technical aspect I am interested in is some of the web technologies in relation to video on the web. Obviously, I have a vested interest in that!
So despite the expense, I've just made a rash decision to book a ticket and now I'm confirmed for WWDC 2010. I managed to get a combined flight and hotel deal at a reasonable cost but it's still a significant expense. As I needed to pay up front to get a good deal on my flight and hotel (with this short notice, I suppose that's pretty much unavoidable anyway) I'm going to postpone the planned upgrade to my MacBook Pro for the time being. Otherwise, it would be a pretty hefty month!
It's a shame there won't be more International attendees based on some of the early feedback, but I'll try my best to fly the flag.
Reader Comments (6)
Hi Don,
Do you think Apple rescheduled WWDC due to the Gizmodo/iPhone 4G episode?
I would doubt it to be honest.
Hi Don,
Can you explain to a layman like me what really goes on at these conferences and how organisers can justify charging such huge amounts for what is essentially just a matter of days' content? It seems astronomical especially, as you rightly say, for those people who must travel from afar to attend.
Bonne soirée!
Daley.
"what really goes on at these conferences..."
THis particular one is a new one for me but the obvious answer to this is training and education. WWDC is packed with sessions and labs to allow developers to interact with Apple engineers and learn more about the current (and importantly future) technologies Apple is developing. At a conference like Macworld, it's similar in that there's lots of education but you also have a show floor where you can see the latest and greatest hardware and software from third parties.
To me though, one of the greatest benefits of these types of events is the ability to meet and make connections with lots of different people in the Mac universe. Networking is a bit of a clichéd label but it's most definitely a valuable part of any type of event like Macworld or WWDC. You learn lots from just talking to people in the hallways, at Dinner or at any of the many social events that happen outside of the main event.
As far as the costs are concerned, it's a five day event and is costing £1099 for the full 5 days sessions. By comparison, a 3 day FCP training course in Manchester costs £599. When you consider that WWDC is a much more specialised event and run by Apple themselves, it compares favourably with the usual cost for specialised training.
You should realise that something like Macworld is much less expensive, in fact, you can get show floor tickets for free and spend a couple of days wandering the show floor and attending lots of free sessions.
I hope to see you out in Macworld in 2012 ;-)
Hi Don
You were obviously too modest to say that when professional education courses work out at around £30 to £50 an hour, a year's sub to ScreencastsOnline is an absolute bargain!
just re-read my previous comment - didn't intend anyone to think that SCO wasn't a professional setup, perhaps I should have said 'traditonal' or 'conventional' education courses etc...