Watch the Keynote in HD
For the first time ever, Apple is releasing streaming video of the Macworld 2008 Keynote Address in HD.
Watch the keynote in either HD or standard resolution from Apple’s website, or download it for free in iTunes.
So Who Won the Bet?
Let look back at a couple posts that were made before the Macworld 2008 Keynote. There were my official keynote predictions, followed by Mr. Chovanes’ official predictions. For those of you who are unaware, we made a bet that the less accurate person would have to buy a sandwich for the winner. I’ve gone through the predictions and determined the winner in the fairest possible way, with a point distribution system. Let’s go ahead and look at my predictions first…
- iTunes Movie Rentals
Result: YES
Points: +1 - iTunes DVDs
Result: YES
Points: +1 - New iPhone Software
Result: YES and NO (no new apps)
Points: 0 - iPhone SDK Demo
Result: NO
Points: -1 - New iPhone (8mm, 16GB)
Result: NO
Points: -1 - Office 2008 Praised
Result: YES
Points: +1 - MacBook mini
Result: YES and NO (no touch screen)
Points: 0
FINAL TALLY: +1 Points
So, how did Mr. Chovanes do? Let’s take a look…
- iPhone nano
Result: NO
Points: -1 - New Mac mini
Result: NO
Points: -1 - Miniature Laptop
Result: YES
Points: +1 - Touch Mouse
Result: NO
Points: -1 - New iMovie
Result: NO
Points: -1 - iFlicks
Result: YES and NO (rentals within iTunes
Points: 0 - New AppleTV Software
Result: YES
Points: +1
FINAL TALLY: -2 Points
Looks like I’ll be enjoying a sandwich.
My iPod Concept is Recognized
The concept mockup that I made for a touch screen iPod before the iPod touch was revealed has been ranked 5th (at this point) on the list of the “best apple concept mockups.” Here is the concept mockup.
References and Appearances
Here are some of the references to my keynote predictions that I found on the web:
On http://twitter.com/siracusa/statuses/566989552…
Thanks to Leopard and Time Machine, I can watch the MWSF keynote right now! (Good job, Neil)
On http://chucker.mystfans.com/2008/01/06/its-almost-like-the-real-keynote.entry…
It’s almost like the real keynote.
Not sure which is more fascinating: that people go through this much trouble to fake a keynote in such meticulous detail, or that Neil actually came up with a result that is reasonably believable.
On http://www.martingordon.org/blog/2008/01/05/leopard-time-machine-mwsf-08-keynote/…
Leopard + Time Machine = MWSF 08 Keynote
Neil Pomerleau does a great job of predicting the MWSF 08 keynote that takes place a week from this Tuesday. Instead of a bulleted list of predictions, he wrote what Steve will say and how he’ll probably say it, complete with photos from the event. His predictions are pretty sound, and while I’m not entirely convinced we’ll see a subnotebook or tablet, the level and credibility of the rumor is at about the same as iPhone rumors were last year the weeks prior to the keynote.
On http://www.austinheller.com/links/…
Keynote Predictions From Neil Pomerleau
Pretty good predictions. The doctored keynote screenshots are well done, too.
I also got some presence on the web by being in the keynote line. I’ve spotted myself on the galleries of two major Apple websites, Mac Rumors and TUAW.
On Mac Rumors, there was a post explaining that the keynote was about to start, and there were three pictures. In the middle picture of the keynote line, I can be seen with my friends Edwin and Ryan. Ryan, who let me borrow his wireless 3G card, is in the cowboy hay. Click here to see the original picture on Mac Rumors, and the version below shows where we are…
On TUAW, you could see me in one of their galleries, although I wasn’t facing the camera. Click here to see the original picture on TUAW, and the version below shows me. I’m the one wearing the orange backpack…
Updated Celebrity Checklist
Now that Macworld is over, it’s time for me to see how I did with the Celebrity Checklist I mentioned earlier. Let’s go over the list of celebrities I saw/met:
- Steve Jobs – I have already explained this one in great detail, and I even get bonus points for direct eye contact.
- Steve Wozniak – I saw him going by the keynote line on his Segway, but I never got to actually meet him. No bonus points for being pranked by him (unless he did and I just don’t know it).
- Jonathan Ive – I only found out that I saw him after reviewing the pictures I took of Steve Jobs. You can see him in a couple of the shots. He was right next to me.
- David Pogue – I met him multiple times. Once after the keynote, and again during Macworld Live backstage.
- Walt Mossberg – I might have seen him in the audience for the keynote. Not sure.
- Andy Ihnatko – I saw him during “The Process of Elimination” presentation.
- Shawn King – Thanks to David Pogue, I was able to meet him at the podcast booth.
- Steve Jobs Wannabe – Once on the way to the hotel, and an even better one at the airport.
- Macworld Expo Newbie – I guess I am this person, but my Asian friend Edwin was also at his first Macworld.
- The Kid Who Knows More Than You Ever Will – Met many of them in the keynote line.
- That Guy Who Still Runs Mac OS 8 – I saw one or two at the conferences.
- Reality Distorted Geek – This is almost everyone who attended the keynote, including myself.
- The Swag Whore – There were people at the expo with bags full of freebies.
I even took the time to check off the original checklist.
Visitor Stats During the Week
I had been curious about how visitor statistics would be during Macworld, and if the keynote would bring any increase in traffic. Low and behold, it did. Here is the chart to prove it.
As you can see, page loads and unique visitors increased leading up to the keynote, and they peaked at around 110 page loads and around 70 visitors on Tuesday, the day of the keynote. Not bad. After the keynote, I got fewer and fewer visitors as expected.
Final Thoughts on San Francisco
What an amazing city. So much to do in one place, and everything is either a walk or a cable car ride away. With few exceptions, the people are entirely friendly. This is much different than my experiences in other big cities, where people are either rude or are in too much of a hurry to help you with anything. Here, everything is slowed down, and almost anyone will help you get where you need to go.
Overall, it is less industrial than Boston and less corporate than New York. It is now my new favorite big city, and it is the experience of a lifetime. I will miss it.
An Even Better Steve Jobs Wannabe
Right before my flight on Friday from San Francisco to Detroit, I saw the best Steve Jobs wannabe ever. Without a doubt, this guy was trying to look like Steve, and he did such a great job that I had to snap a picture when he wasn’t looking.
Compare it to this actual side view of Steve that I took.
It was hilarious. I even had to look at him for a few minutes and assure myself he wasn’t actually Steve.
Excellent (and expensive) Places to Eat
One of the things I haven’t really mentioned so far is how great some of the food is in San Francisco. On Tuesday, I went to the Jollibee, which didn’t have particularly great food, but it wasn’t too bad either. I’m mentioning it only because it originated in the Philippines as a McDonald’s alternative, and I was extremely surprised to see it right next to Moscone West in the United States.
The best food I’ve ever had in my life was at the Cheesecake Factory, on the top of the Macy’s building. I went there on Wednesday night, and although the food was rather expensive, it was very good. Not much more I could say about it, but I seriously recommend it to anyone visiting San Francisco.
Our hotel also has a restaurant next to it called the Daily Grill. I went there on Thursday night, and although this food didn’t quite surpass the food from the Cheesecake Factory and was equally expensive, it was still good and I would also recommend it.
Up Close With the MacBook Air
One of the advantages of going to the expo is the chance to play around with the latest Apple product before it hits store shelves. I focused my attention on the new, incredibly thin MacBook Air. My first impression from holding it in my hands was that it feels incredibly thin, especially when it’s open. I would compare the thickness to holding a couple pieces of cardboard.
The new trackpad gestures are really handy, and when I asked one of the Apple experts about if they are going to be bringing the same gestures to the MacBook Pro with a software update, he told me, “We are not making any official announcements at this time,” with a wink and a smirk. Sounds promising.
I also asked how much battery life would increase with an SSD instead of a standard hard drive. He told me that it would be greater, but they don’t have the numbers in terms of how much at this time. The solid state drive is extremely expensive, $999 in fact, but it greatly adds to the performance and quality of the MacBook Air.
The limited I/O is a deal-breaker for me, but I never saw it as a replacement for any current laptop. It is an entirely new market for Apple, and anyone looking for it to replace the MacBook or the MacBook Pro is going to be disappointed. However, if you look at this computer as a product for people on the go with mobility needs, this is sure to please. It is an amazing piece of technology.
I wonder though: why in the world does it have an eject button?