Apple 's WWDC Keynote

[G+_Graham Forte]

Apple's WWDC Keynote

 

Below is my take on the keynote that Apple had at WWDC yesterday.

 

TL;DR - Apple is copying from everything from everyone (but mostly webOS and Android)!

 

* OSX - Better support for multiple monitors

 

   I'm pretty sure Linux has supported the announced features for a long time (dock bar placement, maximize window to current monitor, etc.)  As a matter of fact, you can place a dock on each monitor, and only display the running tasks from that monitor.  Plus, add on multiple desktops to multiple monitors, and it's even better.

 

* iOS7 - Flat/Minimalist Interface

 

   This has pretty much been done by everyone.  Palm (via Matias Duarte) did this with webOS.  webOS was beautiful, intuitive and functional.  Microsoft followed suit with their Modern (then Metro) UI.  Google (via Matias Duarte again) has done this with all of its latest products (Gmail, Google Play, and moreso in Android).  Even the calendar in iOS7 and OSX scream of the webOS Calendar (right down to the pastel colors)

 

* iOS7 - Quick Settings

 

   This has been done by Android manufacturers for a long time (Samsung Mobile and HTC), but was added natively to Android in 4.2 Jelly Bean.  Custom ROMs like CyanogenMod have even made it configurable.  The only true difference is the always there media controls.  This would be a nice addition, but it's not totally necessary due to the notification controls when media is playing, and the ability for widgets on the home screen.

 

* iOS7 - Multitasking

 

   Obviously, this was sorely needed in iOS.  Hopefully, Google will be able to utilize this to make Google Now useful on iOS.  Right now it is pretty bastardized. Also, they took a lot of the multitasking UI cues from webOS.

 

* iOS7 - Color palettes

 

   I'm not sure where I saw this, but there were some screenshots where the UI was "pearlized" (meaning there were random rainbow shadings added).  I hope they either dull this down, or remove it completely.  It was pretty awful.  Also, in their flat design, they forgot about delineation.  Again, I don't have any specific examples, but there were instances where it was difficult to determine where one section ended and the next began.  Google did this extremely well with cards (also taken from webOS).  It's a great way to display one piece of data while differentiating it from another.  Plus, they are easily stackable to hide irrelevant data until you ask for it.

 

* iTunes Radio

 

   This was a big letdown for me.  This does not directly compete with Google Play Music All Access, but instead will, in essence, kill Pandora, Spotify, Slacker and Rdio on Apple devices due to the much lower cost for Ad Free ($25/year which includes iTunes Match).  Like these other services, the user can only skip, pause and favorite tracks.  There is no rewind, or play a specific song like there is in All Access (or Pandora One and Slacker Pro, both subscriptions are ~$10/month).  Also, the user is only prompted to buy songs from their history, not just play them.  Another advantage of All Access is that you can "pin" the songs/albums to your device for offline listening.  If/when Google Play Music is available as a native app on iOS devices, people will most likely switch.

 

* Summary

 

   I do not think this was the major step Apple needed to persuade Android  users to switch to iOS (maybe from Windows Phone or BlackBerry).  All it did was keep iOS users from switching to Android.  The picture below shows in pictures everything they copied.  Granted these were sorely needed features, but nothing groundbreaking.

 

There was also a slide where they discussed the latest Android  numbers, highlighting that 1/3 of all Android devices were running 2.3 Gingerbread.  Granted, this sucks, but the 2.3 upgrade to 4.0+ was a major upgrade, and the lower-end hardware could not take it.  That being said, Google has taken measures to fix the OS fragmentation distribution issue.  They have started to release the Google provided Android apps directly in Google Play.   Plus, they are adding features to the Google Play Services app, so even Gingerbread devices can get most of the latest features without having to wait until an update is pushed.  Now, that, is innovation!

 

#ios7   #apple   #applewwdc2013   #wwdc   #google   #android   #allaccess   #itunesradio   

[G+_Scott Abramczyk]

Wow its like IOS 7 is a new rom or theme or something

[G+_Scott Abramczyk]

everyone should see this

[G+_Cass Morrison]

It's new to people on iOS. Let them have some loveliness that Duarte brought to WebOS and Android., they still didn't get any major change in functionality.

[G+_Chris Lefebvre]

I want that ios7 rom for my Android phone so I can make all my apple friends jealous and let them think I can do all the awesome stuff they can do.

[G+_Joseph Cappellino]

Elizabeth S. - Is there a reason you need an iPhone for work instead of using you Android phone?

[G+_Chris Lefebvre]

Joseph Cappellino some jobs get their employees Iphones because they don't believe android is as safe plus they may have apps that are only designed for iPhone.

[G+_Joseph Cappellino]

Doug Miller 

 

I probably should have prefaced this that I am pretty heavily biased toward Android!  ;-)

 

So, below are my retorts:

 

- AirDrop does look pretty cool, but I think there are similar 3rd party apps that can achieve the same thing.  Sharing is still much more open on Android.  I would rather see them implement something similar for sharing to other apps.

 

- The "parallax" feature can be achieved on Android today.  There is an app that creates a live wallpaper that exhibits a similar effect [1].  It's $1.60, but works pretty well.  Also, this was available before yesterday's keynote.

 

- I, too, am a couple of days away from my subscription expiring for Google Play Music All Access.  I have no plans on cancelling it.  I use it everyday for at least an hour (I commute 30 minutes each way, plus additional Ingress time).  To me, it's worth every penny to have the ability to play any song, at any time.  To each his own.

 

- I wholeheartedly agree, Android needs more work on battery life (get on this, Sundar Pichai ;-)).  Multitasking is welcome for iOS, but I hope it's not just a loosening of the current restrictions, which then limits what true background processes can do (i.e. - Google Now).

 

- The ability to remotely disable the phone is great.  I currently have this through Cerberus.  Granted it's 3-rd party app, but currently on iOS6, this isn't possible.  Maybe through iOS7, but only time will tell.  Google Wallet has this ability, but only for the app.  My Microsoft Exchange account also is given "Device Administrative" rights, which will allow my company to "remote wipe" my device.  Not that I want them to do that, but the ability is there.  ;-)- I still prefer Google Drive to most other office applications.  It does pretty much everything I need, is available on all my devices (including offline on my Chromebook), and best of all, it's free.

 

- The car integration is the only thing that really got me during the keynote, but I scrubbed it off.  Not because it wasn't awesome (it is), it was because, for some reason, the US manufacturers don't even acknowledge that Android exists.  It's getting better, slowly, but surely.

 

- I know all too well about the fragmentation distribution problem (from my wife, not me).  There are several ways for you to correct that on your next device purchase:

  1)  Get a Nexus device.  This is difficult, especially if you're on Verizon Wireless, like me.  If not, the Nexus 4 should be upgraded for the foreseeable future. 

  2) Get a "Nexus Experience" device.  Again, these are only for AT&T and T-Mobile, so you're SoL if not on these carriers.

  3) Get the comparison model of the "Nexus Experience" device that's on your carrier.  For example, get the Samsung Mobile Galaxy S4 or HTC One.  These devices should be supported very well via CyanogenMod.

  4) Get a different "flagship" device.  In essence, if you spend less than $200 on-contract, then you will probably have issues later in the device's life.

 

Thanks for the reply.

 

[1] - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=opotech.image3Dlwp

[G+_Joseph Cappellino]

Chris Lefebvre - I understand that, but I was asking her specific case.  My job hands out iPhones as well.  I think it's because that's all IT knows.  :-)

[G+_Cass Morrison]

I doubt it's IT pushing iPhones, more likely the execs who think iPads/iPhones are the only devices they would want to carry. I know our company went to iStuff. IT is unhappy but enough execs BYOD iPads they were pushed into a corner.