WWDC 2012 Updates

While the update is pretty ‘normal’ by Apple’s standard, if we drill down, it represents several key progress. After all, a thousand miles begins with a single step. The major improved one I would say is OSX itself.

Perhaps the star of the show, the line of Macbooks were updated with new insides, a refresh to keep in touch with the times. Ivy Bridge was a given, the Retina display expected, but to our surprise was the graphics card – GT650M deployed. General consensus is to power the high resolution display but the HD4000 found in Ivy Bridge have sufficiently addresses normal usage, browsing, playing songs and movies.

In contrast, Razer’s Blade uses GT555 which makes me wonder, which actually performs better as a slim gaming laptop? For that, we will have to wait for the benchmarks. Of course we’re comparing watermelons with honeydews but melons nonetheless.

As funny as the name sounds (and the look of a lion without a mane), the most beautiful operating system has just got pimped even further. The integration with Notification Center and other nifty addition such as with iClouds and iMessage although minor, was welcomed to make the whole experience of communication technology richer. PowerNap which updates itself during sleep mode was simple but brilliant addition.

I do wonder however, when a message is sent, it will be received at 3 location (assuming you have all the devices, computer, tablet and phone). Not recommended for those with a mistress.

The ‘Documents In The Cloud’ is merely a rehash of Google Drive. It didn’t really offer a new solution but it is a convenient addition to the whole Mac experience.

As a whole, the deeper integration with Facebook and blurring the line between a workstation, social device and a leisure tool is truly an advance in the spirit of ‘all-in-one’, matched by no other in this generation.

While numbers were compared in the keynote, they were very selective to say ‘7% of android users are in 4.0 while iOS5 launched around the same time commands 75% of iPhone users’. So how many is 7% and how many is 75%?

Irregardless, several key takeaway was presented. Passbook will be widely adopted while minor addition like ‘i am busy’ message to reject calls, Siri speaking sports are not revolutionary. Maps with real time traffic update will even beat traffic/direction GPS providers out there.

Overall, the idea of iOS6 seems to jive everything to work together. Making use of SIRI’s requirement of always on GPS, they are now tagging traffic to maps and coupons/vouchers/passes to airports/restaurant/cinema. Whether synergy does sprout will be told by time.