Apple WWDC 2010 set for June 7, iPhone OS & App Store centric event
Apple’s WorldWide Developer Conference is set for June 7-11 this year, and many desktop Mac developers are shaking their heads wondering where the love is. The tagline for this years WWDC conference is “The center of the app universe” and Apple’s Design Awards are curiously lacking a Mac OS X category, instead favoring iPhone and iPad apps from the App Store. The Mac development community was quick to notice this and have been voicing their opinions, as TUAW gathers a few poignant quotes from frustrated developers:
“Eliminating the Apple Design Awards for desktop applications in 2010 is premature and an insult to the thousands of programmers who devote their days to making the Mac desktop a fun and productive environment.” – Aaron Hillegass of Big Nerd Ranch
“…the lack of a Mac ADA when there is still great Mac software being made is a bit of a slap in the face. Whether it’s intentional or not, Apple is saying that the Mac is not an important platform compared to the iPhone and iPad.” – Justin Williams of Second Gear Software
Perhaps there is a lack of Mac attention because Mac OS X 10.7 has been delayed due to Apple’s focus on iPhone OS? Maybe there is some truth to the rumors of a desktop Mac App Store? Or is Apple planning a major announcement regarding the future of Mac OS at WWDC? With no clear answers, the Mac community is left to speculate. Whatever the reasons, many loyal Mac users and developers remain disappointed as this years event takes a clear turn away from the Mac desktop and into the mobile world.
yes, it is sad but when jobs leaves, apple will be no more, jobs is apple, he is the heart of apple and when he is gone, apple will die away and turn to nothing more than a long lost memory within 30 years…
[…] the Apple Design Awards and winners this year. All iOS based, the Mac is noticeably absent and that didn’t go unnoticed by Mac users even months ago. Change is always a bit nerve racking, but this change could be very good for the […]
This is a great prediction on the future of Apple and the industry in general. Basically in 5 years there won’t be a Mac, it will be various stages of an iPad and iPhone, much like Peeved Steve predicts.
Worth a read (has little to do with Flash)
http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2010/04/why-steve-jobs-hates-flash.html
Steve, i have the exact same feelings and I know many with us.
Sorry to say, but apple lost it.
I’m a developer for a pretty major software company and was planning on attending WWDC 2010, not anymore. The writing is on the wall, Mac as a desktop platform is far on the backburner and will eventually just merge into the iPhone OS camp likely as a ‘Pro’ version.
From a business standpoint, these makes sense for Apple to do, there is far more opportunity in the mobile world where Apple already has a dominant lead than trying to make a dent in Microsofts desktop monopoly. Apple has been hitting their head against the desktop wall of Microsoft since the 1980’s, and while yes Mac’s are getting more and more popular as the alt-computer they just don’t have the same future as iPhone OS.
The release of the iPad was the first of many nails in the Mac coffin, expect to see touchscreen laptops and iMac’s over the next year or two as Apple continues to advance the iPhone OS before finally breaking it into two versions; iPhone OS for Dummies and iPhone OS for Professionals.
The worst part about all of this is the Mac App Store, if you truly have to sign everything with Apple before installing it on your Mac then the platform has no future. I don’t think we’ll see that for another few years though, there will likely be one more version of Mac OS X before the merge into whatever they’ll call the next ‘big thing’, makes you wonder if it’s a good idea to buy a Mac right now doesn’t it? Microsoft isn’t about to abandon it’s users to push their mobile OS and Windows 7 is actually the best thing to come out of MS likely ever. So, $2000 for a new Mac or $600 for a PC? Or $500 for the first crippled iPad with no ports, and no real storage capacity to actually store your data, music, movies, and images? What will still be in use four to five years from now? Certainly not the current iPad, and the current Mac’s look like they’re getting the shaft from Big Steve sooner than later.