Apple announced new Macbook Pros, updates to iLife and iWork, the immediate (and free) availability of OS X Mavericks, new iPad Mini with Retina Display and the new iPad Air. Whew! That’s a lot of products. Here’s how it all went down.
As always, hit refresh for the latest updates
10pm: But not right now. Right now, I do need sleep. Unlike the iPhone 5c/5s reveal, I won’t be liveblogging this from California; instead, you’ll get a remote feed from right here in Sydney, Australia. See you in five or so hours!
3:45am Right. Let’s do this thing. But first, coffee. Lots of coffee.
3:50am It’s now being referred to as a “special event”, which rather makes it sound as though Apple’s giving birth.
Something tells me that this is not how iPads are actually born. When a Mummy iPad and a Daddy iPad hook up, the only thing that happens is that Apple’s share price goes up.
Time, I think, for some outrageous predictions. We’ll get five minutes of Tim Cook talking about how iPads changed computing, two seconds of sly digs at the competition, 30 minutes of Phil Schiller talking about productivity, new iPads (both full sized and Mini), Mavericks and no mention of the Mac Pro at all, just to keep people on their toes.
The above prediction has been brought to you with the kind assistance of my caffeine addiction.
3:55am I almost forgot: iWatches and Apple iTv (no, not the tiny black set top box). I don’t think we’ll see them. This now concludes the wild guesswork portion of the liveblog.
3:58: Apple’s Livestream (which you can watch on Apple TV or on Apple’s web site) just kicked into gear. Let’s see if it can hold up any better than Nokia’s event live stream did.
The disclaimer states that “product specifications are subject to change without notice”. So if Tim says something at the start of the event, he might not mean it by the end.
“Designing something requires focus”, according to the video. Aha! Apple iGlasses!
(I kid, I kid. It’s inherent in the name)
Tim Cook time!
But first, iPhone spruiking. Nobody knew about the 5c and 5s, right? They’ve kept those quiet.
So let’s watch a retail store video. Apple loves its retail stores. Then again, its retail stores make it a lot of money.
Video stream already starting to break up and slow down. That didn’t take long.
5 days after launch, there were 200 Million iOS 7 installations. Also, I suspect, 200 million folks switching off that parallax wobbling effect.
Artists love iTunes Radio. Also, apparently, Justin Timberlake.
(should I be scared of Justin Timberlake fans now? Is that going to be a thing?)
Now talking up Mac. Tim’s speeding through his notes today. Lots of products to announce, or just lots of long canned demos? I’m betting on the latter.
“Our competition is different. They’re confused. They chased after netbooks. Now they’re trying to make tablets into PCs and PCs into tablets. Who knows what they’ll do next?”
Meow.
Craig Federighi hits the stage to talk Mac OS X.
Up to an hour longer browsing on a new Macbook Air under Mavericks. Careful use of “up to” there, and the batteries on those Haswell Airs aren’t that old, anyway. Wonder how well it’ll run on my 2011 MBA?
“You can run more applications and never slow down”. That’s a bold claim. A very bold claim. Has the beachball really been deflated?
“A fantastic new Maps app” Ah, yes, Apple Maps. Everyone loves that.
iBooks now showing a textbook on Mars. David Bowie would be proud.
Long Mavericks Demo. Sign of the Gold Master going live soon (and the Mac App Store melting down)?
Calendar offering travel times because it’s location aware. Wonder how US-centric that data will actually be?
“What’s most important to us is seeing the software in the hands of as many Mac users as possible”
(I’m betting this isn’t a return to PowerPC development)
Little slap at Windows pricing. Mavericks is free. Even going back to Snow Leopard.
Today. What did I say about the Mac App store melting down?
Now talking Macbooks. So presumably Haswell Macbook Pros.
Thinner and Lighter MBP 13″. Haswell (no shock there) and it’s got better battery life. Which a Haswell laptop should be.
Brand new Thunderbolt Pro. Which will probably gather dust unless those peripherals start appearing magically.
$1299 starting price for the MBP. I wonder what the Australian price will be for that. Shipping today. Store is, naturally down.
New 15″ MBPs, all Haswelled up, Mavericked. Starting price USD$1999. Again, wonder what that’ll equate to down under.
Mac Pro announcement up now. So my early, coffee lacking prediction was wrong (presuming they don’t just tease it again)
Short form: It’s fast, powerful, fast, powerful and fast. Tell ’em the price, Phil!
4K Video support. But no mention of an Apple TV, and if they were going to do one now, it would pretty much need to be a 4K panel to make sense in Apple’s premium space.
I’m not a big Mac Pro user; is this the first Mac Pro with no inbuilt Firewire? I wonder how well the community will take to that?
Pricing: From $US2999. Again, waiting to see what the Australian price will be around that. December availability. So they are just teasing it after all. My prediction still holds. Just. Ish.
Forty minutes in, no iPad mentions. Wonder what no new iPad announce would do to the fans/the share price?
Video of shiny, comfortable people making computers. Doesn’t it just make you want to go and work in a factory?
Cue Eddy Cue!
New iLife; now 64-bit apps. Photo books directly from iOS.
Everything is all iOS 7 look-i-fied. That’s not a word, but the coffee is starting to wear off.
I’m even too tired to do “Drummer” jokes about the new Garageband. Actually, it’s neat looking software, but I have near-zero musical talent, unless listening to music counts as musical talent.
iLife updates all available Today. That Mac Store. It was nice knowing it before it melted into green goo.
iWork all reworked, claiming “full file compatibility”. So it’ll work with my TASWORD files?
(Wow. Even I’m stunned my brain cracked that joke, which exactly ONE person who might read this would get)
New iWork is interesting, but I’m willing to bet most watching this stream (or this blog) aren’t exactly hanging out for it.
Once again, there seem to be a few of you. Reminder: Hit refresh for the latest updates
Collaboration. “Even for a friend who’s stuck on a PC”. OK, more Windows slaps there.
iWork also now free for new Mac buyers. Available today.
Tim Cook is back.
“We want our customers to have our latest software. We think all of customers… are going to love this new experience”
Next up: iPad.
170 million iPads sold so far. Tim now talking up usage and satisfaction of iPad users.
475,000 apps as a big number on stage. “But it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality”. Ooookay, then.
Video now showing usage cases. I wonder: Is it legal to be operating a combine harvester and using an iPad simultaneously?
Hang gliding with an iPad. That seems risky, but I guess it’s good for replacement sales figures.
Back for another fill of Phil.
New iPad… looks like an iPad!
Except it’s now the “iPad Air”
Weighs one pound. That’s imperial weight, not the UK asking price.
Running on A7 processor, includes the M7. It’s the iPhone 5s with a big screen!
(may as well get that well-worn joke out of the way, right?)
72x faster than the original iPad. I’ve got one of those behind me. I think it just started weeping.
OUCH! Just got the new Mac Pro pricing through. Australian pricing starts at $3,999. Unless we get a higher spec than the US, that’s a STIFF Australia Tax.
November 1st for iPad Air, from $US499. Still waiting on local prices there. iPad 2 survives as the low cost option, not so the 4th Gen iPad. Apple wants to sell new products, everybody! Nobody should be shocked.
Next up: iPad Mini with Retina display.
From US$399 at 16GB, A7 chip, available “later in November”. iPad Mini lives to fight another day, but at a lower price of $299.
Those are, again, US prices.
New covers and cases. Just covers, though — no mention of a keyboard or a battery case. Guess that’s still down to the third parties (who probably all just managed to breathe out again after more than an hour)
OK, Macbook Pro pricing from Apple’s release:
“MacBook Pro with Retina display is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com/au), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorised Resellers. The 13-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.9 GHz, 4GB of memory, 128GB of flash storage, and Intel Iris graphics starting at recommended retail price AUD$1,599 inc. GST; and with a 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 2.9 GHz, 8GB of memory, 256GB of flash storage, and Intel Iris graphics starting at recommended retail price AUD$1,849 inc. GST; and with a 2.6 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory, 512GB of flash storage, and Intel Iris graphics starting at recommended retail price AUD$2,199 inc. GST. Configure-to-order options include faster dual-core Intel Core i7 processors up to 2.8 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, up to 16GB of memory and flash storage up to 1TB.”
So, USD$1299=AUD$1599? Not quite, even allowing for tax, but it’s not quite as sharp as that Mac Pro pricing.
And that’s your lot — Tim Cook has wrapped up, and I need yet more coffee!