Apple Reveals New Computer Hardware, Software Updates at WWDC Keynote
If it just wasn’t feasible for you to spend two hours of your workday watching the video stream, checking Twitter, or reading live blogs, here are the new computer products and software updates (and there are a lot) that Apple revealed at its WWDC keynote.
The first big announcement at the annual developers conference was for the next Mac operating system. Apple is ditching the large-cat naming convention with OS X 10.9 being called Mavericks, a nod to the surfing competition held in California. OS X Mavericks comes with new applications, Finder tabs, and the ability to tag files to make them easily organized and searchable (use presets such as Work or create your own, like Website Project).
OS X Mavericks also has the built-in ability to use multiple displays, letting users seamlessly multitask between screens, with separate docks and menu bars for each display. Users are in control of where to divert power among programs, which will help extend battery life, and compressing inactive memory will speed up wake time. The new system is available to developers in a preview today and will be widely released this fall.
Apple’s web browser, Safari, also got an update with Nitro fast start, a redesigned home screen, background tab optimization, better JavaScript performance, and improved memory usage. It’s adding a Reading List sidebar, which lets users bookmark reading material, keep scrolling from one article to the next on a website, and see what friends on Twitter and LinkedIn are reading. (Perhaps it’s aiming to become a suitable replacement for Google Reader.) Apple’s online bookstore iBooks also will be available in the new OS, letting users buy books from their desktops and then read and make notes on them across multiple devices.
On to the applications: OS X Mavericks will update apps automatically, removing a source of annoyance for many Mac users. App changes announced included a redesigned Calendar, Notifications that can be viewed and responded to from any window, and the iCloud Keychain, which safely keeps track of passwords, credit card numbers, and other secure information.
But the big app announcement was for the new Maps, featuring 3D images, ETAs for events accessed through the Calendar, and syncing between a desktop and an iPhone.
The iWork apps Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are going to be available in the cloud. iWork for iCloud will let users create, access, and present their documents across devices (even on PCs), all in a web browser. Developers can try this out in beta today, and a public beta will be available later this year.
And last but definitely not least, there was some news about new hardware going on the market. New models of MacBook Air laptops were debuted, and they’re available to buy today. The line has Haswell ULT processors, boasting all-day battery life (“all day” meaning nine hours for the 11-inch laptop and twelve for the 13-inch model), as well as 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which is supposed to be three times faster than the previous support.
Finally, good news for creative professionals: The Mac Pro is getting a long-awaited update with an Intel Xeon chip, promising a twice-as-fast CPU, bandwidth, and flash. It will come standard with dual workstation GPUs and will support as many as three 4K, ultra high-definition displays. The sleek, canister-shaped Mac Pro is one-eighth the size of the current generation and will be available “later this year,” but it was already drawing many onlookers at the conference.
Phil Schiller, Apple’s head of marketing, presented the new design succinctly: “Can’t innovate anymore, my a**!” he said during the keynote.
For more from Apple's WWDC keynote, read about the new mobile apps and features announced with iOS 7.
