[turtle]

WWDC2019
Write code. Blow minds.
This is not an invitation. It’s a challenge.
This is your chance to join thousands of coders, creators, and
crazy ones this summer to do the insanely great.

San Jose, CA, June 3–7

What an interesting logo. Neon sign style. Anyway, it will be interesting to see what comes out with this one.

[kscherer]

iOS 13 - Neon Edition!

[turtle]

Different graphics are out there too. This is one posted online linked by one of the tech blogs:


You know, I hope they bring life back into the app icons and such. This phase of "flat" bland styling sucks and doesn't do well IMO. I know some like it, but I'd rather have back the full textured icons that had lots of info to convey and looked good.

[turtle]

And yet one more:


So we are neon monkeys who will die watching the explosion. As skeletons we will have things blown out of our head and then become robots. Maybe LEGO mini figures instead.

[kscherer]

Well, whatever Apple is doing it's "Mind blowing".

Mind Blowing!

[turtle]

[chucker]

Customer Sat Is Off The Charts!!

As skeletons we will have things blown out of our head and then become robots. Maybe LEGO mini figures instead.

As skeletons we will have things blown out of our head blarttghhhhh and then become robots. Maybe LEGO mini figures instead.

[turtle]

Your'e such a bad bot that you can't even come up with new original gibberish?

[709]

So the run-up to this show has been surprisingly quiet as far as leaks go. A few iOS screen shots over at 9to5 but other than that... bupkis. I was really hoping for a blurry dodecahedron elevator shot, at the very least, with all the silence around the modular Mac Pro. What the heck is going on?

[turtle]

I think going into dark mode is the biggest thing they have talked about. also killing 32bit apps. That doesn't really make a whole lot of difference to most users other than they have to find new apps for the ones that no longer work.

I saw mention of new media app from Apple for macOS expected to be announced. Screen shots are boring.

Hardware, I'd be shocked if they do any hardware. They haven't done hardware are WWDC in a long time that I recall. I mean, they might have, but I really can't specifically recall the last time they did so for anything memorable.

[709]

They've done 'Pro' level sneak peek stuff at WWDC, like the trashcan Mac Pro in '13 and the iMac Pro in '17, so I'm kinda hoping they continue that with this newfangled Pro workstation.

[turtle]

That is true. I forgot about those. There is just the concern that maybe they pull and "Air Power" moment and introduce something that never comes to life.

[kscherer]

I think AirPower was a good lesson. If the new Mac Pro is going to be a thing, I think they will give us a sneak peak on Monday, with an announced ship-time of "Later this year" (which is Apple code for March 2020).

One thing I know for sure (by feeling, not by fact), they are not going to tease a new Mac Pro and then not ship it. The "Pro" press would crucify them, and Apple knows it. Therefore, one of three things is certain:

1) The new Mac Pro will be announced on Monday and is ready to ship
2) The new Mac Pro will be announced on Monday and will ship "later this year"
3) The new Mac Pro is nowhere near ready and will not be announced

I pick door number 2.

These are the only three options Apple has available to them. "Hey, we're going to show you this thing we don't know how to build" and then never ship it isn't even an option. Not after AirPower. Another failure like that—especially for what amounts to little more than a "PC tower"—would yield way too much negative feedback. In fact, I think it would be crushing.

And, considering this thing has the potential to be the most revolutionary tower design ever (and with the "failure" of the trash can), I suspect Apple knows they have no wiggle room. They have to get it right!

[turtle]

I hope you're right. Any announcement for a piece of hardware would be nice. The thing I don't get is why they won't build a solid tower that is easily upgradable. I understand they see computers as consumables but they really are more durables than consumables. Especially in the Pro arena. This is why I'm still building and using hackintosh machines for my heavy lifting. I was going to dock my MBP and use it, but it just isn't the same at all.

[kscherer]

I suspect Apple is working on a truly upgradeable Pro tower. What that tower looks like and how it is upgraded are still in question. The options seem to be:

1) A standard tower stuffed with drive bays, RAM sockets, and PCI slots, much like the Cheese-grater Mac Pro/Power Mac G5

2) A modular, stackable, component-based "tower" for which you buy "modules" that simply stack one atop the other without regard to order. You buy a brain, and then add or remove modules as your needs change.

I like option 2 the best, but think it will prove to be too expensive, and its success will hinge entirely on Apple's willingness to license the connection tech cheaply enough so that 3rd parties can make compelling modules. If it can be done so that a decently-specked system can be had for $3000 to $5000, it will be successful. But these $10,000 systems are never going to be popular. Even the iMac Pro is now way over priced.

[kieran]

I'm on the lookout for a new MacBook, so hopefully that gets some attention next week.

With the MBPs being updated last week, I'm holding out hope.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by turtle The thing I don't get is why they won't build a solid tower that is easily upgradable.

There’s simply no money in that. If users can easily replace components, they will. And they’ll pick cheap components in OEM form straight from south east Asia. What’s in it for Apple?

Originally Posted by kscherer I like option 2 the best, but think it will prove to be too expensive, and its success will hinge entirely on Apple's willingness to license the connection tech cheaply enough so that 3rd parties can make compelling modules. If it can be done so that a decently-specked system can be had for $3000 to $5000, it will be successful. But these $10,000 systems are never going to be popular. Even the iMac Pro is now way over priced.

The problem is the Mac Pro basically has to be significantly more expensive than the iMac Pro. Otherwise, the latter doesn’t have much of a raison d’être any more (maybe it never did): no matter how modular the Mac Pro ends up being, the answer is probably more than the iMac Pro. At the very least, for the screen, and probably for more.

[turtle]

Originally Posted by chucker There’s simply no money in that. If users can easily replace components, they will. And they’ll pick cheap components in OEM form straight from south east Asia. What’s in it for Apple?

See, I get that they can't make as much cash by forcing every user into buying every upgrade through Apple directly. The thing about many Mac users is they are willing to pay the premium to not have to mess with it. That's part of the whole "just works" mindset. And the concept that we aren't already overpaying just to have the Apple logo on our hardware is laughable.

I mean, yeah people like me and PB PM aren't going to pay Apple's tax for RAM or other components. I'm sure we would be limited by a CPU and accompanying chipset though. So we are back to something like the mini where we can upgrade the RAM, storage and now graphics. They will say CPU is off limits even though it's not different than any other Intel based system.

I helped out an old church I went to long ago with a power supply for an early Intel Mac Pro. Apple said the PSU wasn't user serviceable/replaceable. It was, just more complicated to do than changing out one in a PC tower. I think I had to pull the logic board out to get the PSU out. It's that kind of design that will keep Apple controlling as much as possible and thus the follow on income of servicing out of warranty service on otherwise good machines.

This of course brings up Apple's real income maker, service and services. The hardware is icing on the cake. They make their money keeping us on the hook with paid iCloud upgrades, Apple Music, iTunes in the Cloud and soon even a credit card.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by chucker The problem is the Mac Pro basically has to be significantly more expensive than the iMac Pro. Otherwise, the latter doesn’t have much of a raison d’être any more (maybe it never did): no matter how modular the Mac Pro ends up being, the answer is probably more than the iMac Pro. At the very least, for the screen, and probably for more.

I think the iMac Pro was a stop-gap machine that got them through the last couple years. I won't be surprised if it is discontinued when the new Pro tower starts shipping. At that point the pricing of the new Mac Pro does not have to be compared to an iMac Pro.

Originally Posted by turtle … It's that kind of design that will keep Apple controlling as much as possible and thus the follow on income of servicing out of warranty service on otherwise good machines.

Apple doesn't really make that much on service. Once a computer is listed as vintage (at 5-years old) they no longer service them, or even make service parts available. Instead, they refer them to Premier Partners like us. We must source mostly used parts at that point. We make the money, not Apple. If Apple wanted to make more money, they would continue to sell parts for Mac Pro towers. There is plenty of market for drives, RAM, power supplies, video cards, etc. And those bits are much higher margin than new computers, believe you me!

Moral of the story: It's about more than money.

[PB PM]

It is about the money, Apple would rather you just buy a new machine than fix or upgrade what you got. That's the bottom line.

Example, the 2018 Mac Mini has soldered storage, no way to upgrade or replace it if it fails, without replacing the entire logicboard anyway. The entire machine, which could be working just fine, would be a write off because they couldn't be bothered to put in a 4x PCI-E M.2 slot. Of course, Apple wouldn't want users to know that third party NVMe drives are way faster and cheaper than what they are shipping, so I can see why.

[kscherer]

What you say is based entirely on opinion, and not on fact.

Originally Posted by PB PM Apple wouldn't want …

… is not fact, but opinion.

We get it. The soldered storage can be a pain. Yet, it is more reliable. Our service department sees this on a regular basis. We make more money on old hardware with removable, replaceable bits, than we do on new hardware without. Far more! Our bread-and-butter is in replacing removable hard drives and RAM that have failed, not on selling new computers. Take out the moving-parts HDD and replace it with SSD. No moving bits = increased reliability = increased customer satisfaction.

You may not like it because you want to open the box, twist a screwdriver, and see what jiggles loose, but most customers do not care. And by "most", I mean "almost all".

But, hey, you keep dragging that 2007 iMac along with its slow RAM bus and slow-as-hell SATA drive-interface. We're happy to keep charging you money to sell a dream.

[PB PM]

The speed and price difference between what Apple offers and what third parties (who are the OEM's anyway, Samsung, Crucial/Micron, WD/Toshiba/SD, are Apple's suppliers after all) offer is a fact, not an opinion. The 500GB SSD in my 2018 Mac Mini is way slower than the WD Black 500GB NVMe SSD in my desktop PC. The Mini caps out at 1800MB/s read, 1000MB/s write, the desktop over 3000MB/s read and 2300MB/s write. No question which is faster. The WB black was $139 Cdn for 500GB, the Mini upgrade from a 256GB drive to a 500GB drive was $240 Cdn. If that's not Apple gouging, I don't know what is. Now it could be the Apple is opting for slower MLC based drives for better longevity, but my guess is they are just massively over pricing the upgrades to increase profits. So as I said, it's all about the money. I like Apple products, but I will not be an apologist for them.

Wouldn't hang onto a machine with a Core 2 Duo, although my sister has that 2007 iMac, they hardly use a desktop computer so they don't care. I don't keep a machine for than 5-8 years. Do I upgrade them? Of course, I'm not going to buy a new machine just because I need more storage or RAM, that's just stupid and waste of money. Of course I do it myself, not have some hack making $10 an hour in a back of a mom and pop computer shop that chargers $100 an hour do it. I have a custom PC (2018 parts), 2018 Mac Mini, and a 2012 Mac Mini (media centre use only). Never had a hardware failure on any Mac I've bought, other than a Gigabit Ethernet G4 that had a power supply die. Stuck it into a G4 I picked up for $20, swapped parts over (the old one was better), and still boot it up for some legacy OS9 stuff once every few years, and that has nothing on our 1980's Mac. Old stuff is old, but I don't mind my little museum pieces.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by turtle See, I get that they can't make as much cash by forcing every user into buying every upgrade through Apple directly. The thing about many Mac users is they are willing to pay the premium to not have to mess with it. That's part of the whole "just works" mindset. And the concept that we aren't already overpaying just to have the Apple logo on our hardware is laughable. I mean, yeah people like me and PB PM aren't going to pay Apple's tax for RAM or other components. I'm sure we would be limited by a CPU and accompanying chipset though. So we are back to something like the mini where we can upgrade the RAM, storage and now graphics. They will say CPU is off limits even though it's not different than any other Intel based system. I helped out an old church I went to long ago with a power supply for an early Intel Mac Pro. Apple said the PSU wasn't user serviceable/replaceable. It was, just more complicated to do than changing out one in a PC tower. I think I had to pull the logic board out to get the PSU out. It's that kind of design that will keep Apple controlling as much as possible and thus the follow on income of servicing out of warranty service on otherwise good machines.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Apple should provide more modular computers so we can put our own components in, but we actually won't, pinky swear?

Originally Posted by turtle This of course brings up Apple's real income maker, service and services. The hardware is icing on the cake. They make their money keeping us on the hook with paid iCloud upgrades, Apple Music, iTunes in the Cloud and soon even a credit card.

While services is a fast-growing part of their revenue, their "real" income maker continues to be hardware, by a long shot.

[kscherer]

Originally Posted by PB PM not have some hack making $10 an hour ...

Hack? Seriously? They’re people. With jobs. You know, trying to support families. And those “mom and pop” shops represent real people who take real risks to provide jobs and services that other people want and/or need!

They’re no more hacks than you are!

Reign it in and try to show at least a little respect.

And even if Apple provides the world with the ultimate, super easily upgradeable computer (cheese grater Mac Pro?) there will still be people who will want/need those “hacks” to help them.

Edit: sheesh! Doing this on an iPhone just flat out sucks!

[PB PM]

Last time I went to a mom and pop shop, my gear that was “fixed” was covered in doughnut glaze, so excuse me if I don’t jump for joy at the service provided. I co-own a small business, so I get it, I’ll respect each business on its own accord and merit.

[PKIDelirium]

On the other side, I’ve gotten things back from AppleCare centers that had to be sent right back, and once even had my iBook come back from AppleCare reeking of some awful cheap air freshener/deodorant/whatever scent.

[kscherer]

* Skip *

—

Ok. What's coming, today?

Mac OS 10.15
iOS 13
TV OS 13 or 6 or whatever it's called
Watch OS 6
More Swift things that will blow somebody's mind

One more thing … Mac Pro tower, and Phil Schiller will urinate on the tech media.

I am guessing that Craig Federighi will make some jokes about the new Mac OS name, certainly something about pot or getting stoned somewhere in the mountains and having a "vision" or something crazy. I am guessing there will be no less than 15 different types of humans shown at the exhibit. Most of them will be woefully unprepared, but they will definitely drone on and on about their little nugget of software excellence.

iTunes will get dissected, decimated, trimmed, and deleted and we will all wonder what is going to happen to our respective media servers. Podcasts, Apple TV, and Music will arrive in the hands of some random presenter we have never heard of before.

Federighi will take a funky picture of himself and giggle.

That Watch OS dude will drive me bats.

There will be additional chatter about Apple's vision for Apple TV+. Hopefully, Oprah will not make an appearance.

The Mac Pro will be awesome, but tech nerds worldwide will stomp their feet because they cannot install their SCSI drives or Radeon 7200 GPU. I mean, their old PC can do it!

Finally, a random singer/songwriter will sing a song I have never heard before, and will never hear again.

[chucker]

Well damn. That's quite a negative take.