Simantic

Road to WWDC 2009

Simon 8th June 2009

You’re about to get Mac-swamped and you know it. Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iPhone 3.0, etc, etc. So on the eve of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference, starting in San Francisco tomorrow (our time), I thought we’d take a look at the latest in non-Apple technology and see how this relates to upcoming confirmed and rumoured Apple hardware and software.

Let’s start with the Palm Pre. This little device, recently released in the US, is a beautifully designed smartphone, which holds a slide-out keyboard as well as Multi-Touch on screen. The Pre runs on Palm’s brand new operating system, webOS. This system allows multiple applications to be running simultaneously, including a WebKit-based browser, email, calendar, instant messaging, maps, photos and video. Adobe has also developed a version of Flash for webOS, alongside it’s Open Screen Project, which it has launched with the participation of other mobile developers. Anyway, back to the Pre — what’s so good about it? I think alongside it’s bottom-up design approach to both hardware and software, it’s beautiful exterior and interface, it has a US price tag of $199 (after cash back). But I’m sure this will be an initial price to woo potential iPhone customers. You can read about the design process of the Pre as well as an interview with user experience designer, Michelle Koh (links via Gizmodo). Also check out Engadget’s review or the official Palm site for some extra cheesy vids.

Having used a virtual keyboard on the iPhone for over a year now, I think that the physical vs. virtual keyboard battle is actually a preference issue.

– Michelle Koh
Human Interface Team, Palm

Next up is the Zune HD. I’m really not going to spend much time on this one. I’d be better off doing a review of the Bing search engine. Or maybe, seeing as though there have been rumours of Apple tablets and such, how Asus looks to have made some R&D of its own.

And now on to Nintendo. The DSi seems to be quickly becoming a mobile platform with teeth. With it’s touch interface, multiple-user interaction and ability to create animation, it’s definitely a powerful device. Not to mention the Wii’s ability to track motion, keep track of your fitness levels and measure your heartbeat. But that doesn’t seem to stop CEO Satoru Iwata from believing that his products are not competing with the iPhone and the Mac. In an interview with VentureBeat, he said exactly that.

If I thought our companies were in direct competition, I would not use a Mac in my presentations… If, in the future, this overlap becomes bigger to the extent we should call it direct competition, I have to be more careful. I can’t bring out the iPhone during an interview anymore. Today, I don’t worry about it.

– Satoru Iwata
Chief Executive, Nintendo

Phew! Well, that’s all I have time for, and I didn’t even get time to mention Android. But thanks to TK, there’s plenty to read on that. Enjoy the WWDC announcement and may all your wildest Mac fantasies come true

Entry Filed under: tech