WWDC 2017
WWDC 2017
THe keynote held on the first day of WWDC 2017 was full of announcements. Here’s my bullet list of the ones that I was pretty happy about:
- Amazon Prime app on Apple TV
- Apple File System
- iOS 11 enhancements for iPad
– I am millions of others have been waiting for this for a long ass time. About time that Apple and Amazon finally listened to their users. Fall is when they said it would be out. A more solid date would have been nice. Can’t wait to ditch my Amazon Fire Stick, which is only used now for Amazon Prime Video streaming.
– What IOS 10.3 brought to the iDevices, Apple File System or APFS, will be coming to macOS High Sierra. This should bring the file system on the Mac into the current, leaving the 30+ year old HFS+ behind where it should have been 10 years ago.
– Very excited for the many feature adds like drag and drop, multitasking of apps, new Dock, new Control Panel and a Files app, bringing as close to true file management to the iPad after many years.
The iPad Pro 10.5-inch configuration I plan on getting later this year
- iPad Pro 10.5-inch
– Finally! USB 3 speed transfers comes to the standard size iPad Pro. But switching out the standard 9.7-inch screen for a 10.5-inch screen, with minor increases in the size of the case is a great change. Also, faster A10X processor, 120Hz refresh on the Retina screen and 4gb of RAM is a great upgrade to this year’s iPad Pro. I have the iPad Pro 9.7-inch, so no immediate need to upgrade now, but at the end of the year, I plan to make the purchase.
Yow!! To New
What about the new stuff. Like the iMac Pro. At a starting price of $4999, it’s not for everyone. The specs are nice, sure, but unless you are a Pro and your company is buying upgrades, this is just a “wow” factor for us long time Mac fans.
The HomePod, which is esentially the Siri speaker that was rumored, is $399. It’s not in direct competition with Amazon Echo or Google Home, at least price wise and sound quality wise. It’s a nice addition to the Apple line up of products and I’m sure it will eventually find it’s way into some our homes, but not a first gen product for many of us. I’m curious to try one out.
The MacBook and MacBook Pro updates. Pretty much Kaby Lake processors are now a part of all models. A price drop on a couple 13-inch models, but no major changes. I have the 2015 MacBook, which was a first gen product. The new 2017 MacBook is tempting, but the configuration I want is $50 shy of $2k. Not this year.
Thoughts?
That’s my take on what I heard and saw from the WWDC 2017 keynote. I’m excited about the iPad Pro 10.5-inch model and the updates that iOS 11 will bring to the iPad. And of course Amazon Prime streaming on the Apple TV. Everything else is nice, but just not for me.
Anyone else watch the keynote? Excited for any of the new products?
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Five grand?!?! Holy crap!
Yeah, as I said, unless there’s a perk from someone I do work for that would ever require such a spec’d out workstation, this is one of those I will just see at the Apple Store.
What is leading you to upgrade from your iPad Pro 9.7″? I was a bit worried about whether the new multitasking would work well enough on it, but reports indicate that all you lose is the ability to have the slide-over app up and still have the split apps active.
I ordered the base model 13″ Touch Bar MBP pretty much immediately when the online Apple Store reopened and received it on Friday. This is to replace my 2008 17″ MBP.
The increased screen size, the USB 3 transfer speeds and adding the Smart Keyboard to integrate an external keyboard and small plastic stand I now use with my Pro 9.7. I’m in no hurry, but this model has all of the features and specs that I have been hoping for since I got my Pro 9.7.
Nice on the MBP 13″ with Touch Bar. Way to extend the life of that 2008 MBP 17″
I’m satisfied with the smaller Smart Keyboard for my 9.7 and just don’t do enough data transferring to for the speed boost to justify the upgrade (plus, I’m not even sure my camera supports the faster transfer speed). Now — if I hadn’t already jumped from my Mini 2 to the 9.7 Pro last year, I’d be all over the 10.5 now.
As for the old 17″ MBP, I haven’t yet committed to loading the necessary work profiles on the new 13″, so for now the 17″ is still the VPN-to-work system. The 13″‘s true purpose is for replacing the 17″ when traveling, which mean’s I’ll have my 15″ work MBP with me as well, and won’t need to VPN from my personal system. (Day-to-day, the 15″ stays at work.)
When I tried out the Smart Keyboard for the Pro 9.7 (which was after I already bought the iPad Pro 9.7), the keys felt cramped to me. The ext keyboard I use is a Logitech KB811, which has nice full size keys.
The Pro 9.7 is my 6th iPad since 2010. I switch models often. Hoping to have the Pro 10.5 be one I keep for a long time. I think its config is one that I will be quite happy with. I direct sync via USB-C to Lightning cable with my Pro 9.7 and the USB 2 speeds for larger files like movies is painfully slow. 2 movies takes at least 12 mins, A friend has the Pro 12.9 and can copy 4 movies in 3 mins.
Your day to day with the 15″ MBP is how I use my work Dell Precision M4800. Although I rarely travel with mine as it’s a monster.
The iMac Pro looks amazing but way out of my price range. While cool these days I can’t imagine anything other than a laptop. My venerable 15” MBP will be 10 years old next year and I think it will be time for a replacement. I also have a late 2013 15” MBP from work that I find I use more and more at home these days.
10 years old for your personal MBP? Wow. My last MBP went 6 years before I sold it (and my friend is using it still almost 2 years later)
The iMac Pro doesn’t come out till Dec. I will be curious to go check it out at the Apple Store and max out the specs on the online store.