Told you so....

OK, So back from my vacation and Apple were kind enough to hold fire on the release of Lion until I got back.

Very kind of them!

Another stellar earnings announcement last night - Apple Press Release - breaking all sorts of records.

• $76 billion dollars in the bank
• Still selling as many iPads as they can make - 9.25 million of them
• iPads now outselling Macs - amazing for a product less than 18 months old
• 20.34 million iPhones sold in the quarter - more than the analysists predicted even without a new model
• Mac sales still on the up beating the PC - in fact, the 21st consecutive quarter they outgrew the PC market
• Apple's second quarter earnings ($7.79) were higher than the whole of Apple's 2008 earnings ($7.45) (via @asymco)

and lots of other mind boggling statistics.

Absolutely incredible performance and this time, the stock price went up instead of down!

One very surprising thing, was that Apple actually announced that Lion was to be launched on the day after the earnings call - 20th July. This came out of the blue, as Apple historically does not refer to future products during the call.

Happily, I'd previously predicted the 20th July as the launch date back in the beginning of July on an episode of MacBreak Weekly and have stuck to that date ever since.

I have a pet theory that Apple likes to announce record breaking numbers during the earnings call, then immediately follow that up with another announcement a day or so later, catapulting earnings for the next quarter.

So it seemed logical that the Lion release would follow the earnings call.

As far as the fabled Thunderbolt enabled Macbook Airs and Mac Pros, I'm sure they will arrive in the next two weeks, but not on the same day as Lion. Update: Just as I hit publish on this post, all the online Apple stores went down! So it may well be that we will see some new hardware today too. Or it may be that they are just removing/replacing some older versions of software, we'll soon find out

Final Update: Huzzah - new MacBook Airs and Mac minis - So I was wrong but hey, I'm only human ;-)

Today is all about the big cat!

I've done the decent thing and kept to my NDA during the Lion Developer phase so although I've been playing with Lion for a few months, I've deliberately not done any ScreenCastsOnline shows or sneak peaks at Lion. I also haven't done any advance shows, as I really wanted to wait for the final release to be made available so there are no last minute changes.

As I write this, I'm poised for Lion to be released and have created several builds to test the standard install and the unsupported methods of doing a fresh install. We still don't know when during the day it will be released, and how easy it will be to download - it's going to be a serious test of Apple's infrastructure (and the Internet!). Once I have the release version, I'll do my testing and hopefully get an install show out soon. Features and highlights of Lion will follow in a number of other shows over the next few weeks.

One thing to bear in mind is that we will also need updates to most of the Apple applications not contained in Lion (iWork, iLife, etc) New versions of the Apps will be needed to support some of the new features of Lion, so expect to see new versions of these via the Mac App Store. Will be interesting to see if brand new versions of iLife or iWork are released soon, not just Lion optimised ones.

Anyway, back to the Mac App Store....

Is it there yet, is it there yet, is it there yet....

Could Apple retake top spot among portable computer makers in 2012?

As far as I'm concerned, the iPad is a computer. Perhaps a different class of computer, but still a computer. It should be accounted for and give Apple the correct positioning amongst computer manufacturers.

"It's a difficult question for some analysts to answer. Is the iPad a new class of device or is it a version of an ultra-portable notebook? How you group the iPad makes a huge difference to those professionals trying to assess the impact of the iPad on the notebook computer market."

Via TUAW

WWDC 2011 Wishlist

I've been asked to put together some predictions for the WWDC keynote tomorrow, but that's a mugs game! So instead, I thought I'd just document some things I like to see and OK, perhaps some minor predictions. Well you have to don't you!

I think this year is unusual, as we both know more that we usually do (As Apple have already announced the three main topic areas), yet in two of those areas, we really know nothing at all.

The three main areas are Lion, iOS5 and iCloud.

Let's deal with each one in isolation to begin with.

Lion

Apples new desktop OS is bringing some iOS features, back to the Mac.

Apple have already released several developer previews of Lion, described some of the main features in public and even have a separate page on the Apple website describing all of the new features. I doubt very much we'll see any new major features (unless related to iCloud). In fact, Apple will probably cover some old ground again in the early part of the keynote, causing a bit of frustration. I think we'll see them put some focus on AirDrop - the new feature that allows you to seamlessly transfer files to other Airdrop enabled machines - no setup required. I'm hoping that AirDrop will actually also be a component of iOS5, so we may see a demo of some file transfers from a Mac to an iOS device. What is definite though, is a release date for Lion to be announced. Probably a Gold Master released to the developers for final testing and an announcement of the final release date.

As an after thought, Speech Recognition might have a part to play in the Lion story.

iOS5

Well they have kept this under wraps pretty well!

Some features likely to get mentioned:

• Notifications - Every man and his dog are complaining about the sorry state of notifications so this is likely to get an overhaul.
• Speech Recognition - With the acquisition of Siri and talks of a tie up with Nuance, using speech to control iOS may well figure highly.
• UI - I do think that the iOS UI is due for a revamp. I've thought this since the iPad was launched. That great big screen with those tiny spaced out icons. Just doesn't look right to me. Probably not going to happen as Apple don't usually make sweeping UI changes.
• Deep Twitter Integration - whatever that means. It really wouldn't surprise me if Apple make a play for becoming more social by integrating Twitter at the system level. How this would work or play out, I'm not sure. I have a feeling that we won't see Facebook integration after the Ping debacle. Ping should have been launched with FaceBook integration, and I'm sure this was in place until literally the last minute. I wonder if Apple have forgiven Facebook for pulling out or if they let them down in another way - payback time?
• Enhancements for Developers - I'm sure there will be a host of changes to the SDK/Programming environment that allow developers to develop for multi processor and fast GPUs. The latest iPads already have dual processors and the next iPhone will also be multiprocessor - Apple need to give the developers the tools to create the next generation of apps.
• Mapping and Navigation - Enhancements to all the services that link into location based services - possibly new mapping applications or even built in turn by turn navigation.

However, due to the secrecy of iOS5, expect the unexpected and you can't go wrong!

iCloud

Well if we thought iOS5 was clouded in secrecy, what to make of iCloud!

I think the music service component is a given. Music in your iTunes library will be scanned and if the tracks are identified, you'll be able to stream those tracks to any of your authorised iOS devices or Macs. The question is will it be restricted only to music purchased via the iTunes store? Can't see it myself, that's never going to fly. The only option would be to charge a monthly subscription charge (perhaps not for a while) and have access to all the music in your Library via iCloud. Let's face it, the majority of music in most iTunes libraries are legitimately ripped CD's. I'm sure we'll see some unique offerings in this space.

But what of other iCloud components?

The folks at Cupertino must be sick to death of people complaining about iDisk and why can't they build something like DropBox. Tomorrow we'll probably see how they respond.

Lots of rumours about new Airport Devices which communicate with the iCloud service to back up your local files to the iCloud to make them accessible from anywhere. Potential of having an always on Airport Extreme that communicates with iCloud and streams your iTunes library from iCloud direct to your Apple TV, without having to have your Mac switched on.

Plenty of scope for innovation in this area and we'll just have to see what is announced. It could well be a staged announcement, with Apple just announcing some of the components tomorrow, we the full picture being revealed over the next 12 months.

One More Thing?

No hardware (except perhaps for the Airport devices). The keynote will be seriously jam packed with new stuff so I can't see Apple doing anything frivolous for one more thing. However, what I would like to see, is how the Apple TV fits into the new ecosystem, and when Apple are going to open up the platform to allow third party apps to be developed for the Apple TV. This will happen, it's just a matter of timing. Possibly not tomorrow, as we know Apple don't like to dilute the message.

Overall Theme

It's the first keynote where three major components have been announced simultaneously. This smacks to me of convergence, deep integration and connected thinking. The overall theme of the keynote may well be interoperability of the desktop and mobile platforms with iCloud as the glue that ties everything together.

The keynote has the potential of going two ways:

1. A keynote that announces some cool new features for the Mac and the iPad/iPhone
2. A keynote that announces a shift in the approach Apple are taking in converging and integrating the desktop and mobile platforms. Something that will take us into a more connected ecosystem with all our data accessible from any device in any location.

I hope it's the latter, but we'll know in less than 24 hours!

Well I've only gone and done it!

I've been mulling over if I should wait for the iPad 2 to hit these shores two weeks after the US, get one shipped out, or go and get one myself.

Well, I priced up the trip to the US based on the assumption I'd need to fly out on the Wednesday, spend the Thursday mulling about and then start queuing nice and early for the launch on the Friday. Then fly back on the Saturday or Sunday.

Eek!

That would be a 4 or 5 night stay. Plus, to keep the costs down, I'd need to fly with a stop on the way to New York, as the direct flights were expensive. The thought of flying through Philly again filled me with dread (No offence to the City, but the airport transfer is horrible)

So I'd sort of dismissed the idea.

Next option would be to get one shipped out. I checked out the US Apple website to get pricing on the model I wanted, and discovered that the actual launch isn't until 5pm on Friday afternoon.

Really!

So that means I could fly in Thursday night, have a kip, and then into the City first thing on Friday to get my place inline, then fly back out Saturday and home for Sunday afternoon.

Simples!

A quick check on Expedia followed, and although I couldn't get a direct flight from Manchester, I was able to get a shuttle to Heathrow, and then a direct Virgin flight to New York. Never flown Virgin before! A two night stay in a cheap hotel near the Airport and sorted!

So hopefully, I'll be arriving back in the UK with two iPad 2s on Sunday.

One for me, and one for a lucky ScreenCastsOnline member.

I'll be giving away a 16GB WiFi iPad 2 on the show at the end of April.

So I'd better get working and prepare for next week's extended show as I'll have to have it finished and uploaded before I go on Thursday.

Although it might seem a bit crazy to go all that way, I'll actually use the travel time to do some work, heck I may even record the following weeks show on the iPad 2 on the Sunday in my hotel room!

PS: It looks like there will be a limit of just 2 iPads per customer on the day, so I won't be able to take any requests for additional iPads to bring back with me - Sorry!

So How Did I Do....

The iPad 2 event has come and gone. So how did I do....

• Faster - Check
• Thinner - Check
• Lighter - Check
• Dual Cameras - Check
• No Retina Display - Check
• More internal memory - TBA but I'm pretty confident they will have upped the internal RAM to at least 512MB to cope with the faster processor and HD video editing, etc.
• Subtle changes in styling to make the original iPad look outdated - Check

So on the iPad 2 itself, I think I can claim 100%

The other items I mentioned didn't make an appearance, but I did qualify myself by saying that Apple may just concentrate on the iPad.

Surprised that iOS 5 preview didn't happen though!

Some thoughts following the event...

I won't go into detail about all the announcements, the interwebs are awash with people regurgitating the specs, so I'll leave that to them!

Form Factor

Wow! That's thin! Thinner than an iPhone 4. Have you seen how thin an iPhone 4 is? A lot of the iPad 1's appeal is how it feels in the hand, albeit slightly heavy for some people. Couple the thinness of the iPad2 with the slight reduction in weight, it should make it easier to hold for prolonged periods.

Performance

I never really had an issue with the performance of the iPad 1. The boost in performance of both the CPU and the graphics will just mean that it will support more sophisticated apps.

Cameras

Seeing FaceTime demo'd made me realise just how much better it would be on the iPad rather than the iPhone. Hey, it's lighter so you can hold it up further. The inclusion of HD video is a bonus but we'll need to see how that looks when the device hits the streets. I have my doubts, especially if they've not used the same camera as in the iPhone 4.

Oh, and PhotoBooth will sell a shed load more of iPads on it's own.

iOS 4.3

The updates to AirPlay look fantastic and will transform how the iPad is used in the home to consume media. Stream from Mac to the TV and control via iPad/iPhone4, stream from iOS device to the TV and stream from the Mac to the iPad/iPhone 4 - all bases covered.

The personal hotspot for the iPhone 4 will probably make me go for the Wifi model of iPad, unless the carriers screw us over on the pricing or availability.

Smart Covers

Very smart! I saw one tweet saying that Apple probably spent more time designing Smart Covers that some of it's competitors spent designing competing tablets. I currently use the Apple case on my original iPad and while it's functional, it's pig ugly. Nice to see Apple give us an option to actually see the iPad whilst giving it some protection.

The magnets are a stroke of genius and building them into the case of the iPad itself, shows the attention to detail and innovation Apple are renowned for. Not forgetting including software to detect if the cover is closed or not.

Sheer brilliance.

I'm not too sure how the cover will behave when carrying the iPad, but kudos to Apple for coming up with the design.

Video Mirroring

At last. Full video mirroring for all applications. Long overdue and will be a boon to educators or anyone who needs to demo their iPad.

iMovie and GarageBand

Setting the quality bar high and the price point low. Both applications look very impressive and Apple are making huge strides in data manipulation using touch.

Live Feed

I'm sure there is more that I haven't touched on, but I'd like to comment on the absence of a live feed for the event.

Poor show Apple.

Not so much that there wasn't a live feed, despite the fact that they have provided a live feed for the past two events, but more so at the utter disregard for the Apple fans.

Would it have hurt to issue a note stating that the event would not be broadcast?

It's ridiculous that, in this day and age, that we have to cobble together information from live blogging, especially as they have proven that there is a robust and eminently usable live streaming capability.

Poor show that they don't treat their fans (and customers) with a bit more respect.

Rant over!

Availability

So will I be getting an iPad 2..... of course I will, it's my job.

When will I get one?

Well although the US launch is 11th March, the UK isn't scheduled for release until 25th March (assuming that the date doesn't slip). There is also no online ordering until the 11th March in the US.

So I have two options:

• Get one shipped over to the UK - I have a friend who has offered to get me one on launch day and ship it over. That will incur extra charges and a short delay.

• Take a mini break and fly over to the US for launch day! - Slightly more expensive (!) but I could get it on the day and bring it back.

Of course, if I did over to get one, I might as well get two and give one away in a ScreenCastsOnline members prize draw.

What would you do?