[psmith2.0]

According to some talk.

(I wasn't sure if I should put this here or in General Discussion - it fits both, I guess. A mod can move if needed).

What do you guys think about this, assuming it's something being planned? Would they be six months apart? And won't that increase the travel and lodging budget for various press outlets (who aren't exactly floating in the cash these days, by most accounts).

And what if you're developer who creates for both sides...suddenly you have to fly to Frisco twice a year (and book hotel rooms, rent a car, etc. again too).

I think, instead, they should have a longer event, or simply stage them both at the same time and let attendees choose which seminars and workshops to attend. You can buy an allover "iPass" that covers all the events...Macs and iOS.

Then again, maybe having one of them in early January (at Moscone) gets Apple back to familiar territory and timing? It's always nice to start the new year off with a Jobs keynote and new Apple goodies. Now that they're no longer participating in Macworld...

I don't know. I know a lot of people were griping that this year's WWDC was so heavy iPhone OS (iOS)-dominated, but is staging two WWDC events (unless they're happening all together at the same time) really the answer?



Discuss.

Those 'Novans who attended WWDC...what was your take on it all? Enjoyable? Better than past years? Worse? Would you attend two a year, or simply pick the one that was closer to your main pursuits/interests?

[Maciej]

As a developer, wouldn't traveling to a trade show just be a tax write off? I would think so, in which case I like the split up format. That way a bulk of the cool announcements wouldn't all be in one small part of the year.

[Dave]

I'm ok with it, but I'm not a developer (yet).

[SpecMode]

Well, given this was my first WWDC, I didn't really have any particular prior expectations beyond what I've read on various sites here and there.

That being said, it was a fantastic experience overall. The sessions were well-run (though they would perhaps have been more valuable to me particularly if I'd had some prior, practical experience beforehand). The events were entertaining, particularly the Stump The Experts show (audience participation and a kind of no-holds-barred atmosphere makes it quite hilarious). Even the beer bash last night was awesome; get a few thousand geeks together in one place with beer, wine, food, and music, and the result is an impressive sight indeed.

I couldn't see myself going to two conferences per year, however, unless Apple were to drastically reduce ticket prices (half per conference, perhaps?) or someone else was footing the bill. WWDC is a costly affair, and that's even if you're within a few hours' driving distance. When you factor in hotel, food, and transportation, the numbers start to add up quickly.

As far as the subject matter is concerned, I was OK with the focus on iOS this year; in any case, a lot of the core concepts covered during the sessions transfer to the Mac just fine. I learned a lot, even though it'll take me a bit longer yet before I can actually apply most of it. It was well worth the trip, and (with the caveats above in mind) I would love to come back again.

Speaking of the beer bash, the highlight of the party was happening upon one Dr. Kim Silverman, principal research scientist, speech technologies department manager, and (apparently) magician, giving a neat performance near the end. He actually looks like the classic stage magician - long white hair, black coat and all. Very cool guy; it must be a blast working under him.

[joveblue]

Jobs did say that it sold out in record time, and demand will probably only increase over time. So, it seems reasonable to split it into two events focused on the two, fairly unique platforms.

The Mac one might not necessarily be annual either, perhaps one per OS release? They didn't have anything Mac-related to show this year.