In little more than a few hours we’ll know if Apple is about to change the world again, or simply put a little spit and polish on the current line of products and call it a day. Again.
CEO Tim Cook says 2014 will bring about a number of new Apple products, and by new, new product categories are in the mix. The year is about half over. Apple’s WWDC 2013 developer’s conference will publicize what the company has been working on and will launch soon. Here’s what I want.
Something New. Anything. Not That!
Before I get start on my growing list of wants, needs, and expectations for Apple in 2014, let me point out what’s coming.
No, not the actual list from Apple. That would be presumptuous and I have no insider contacts.
What’s coming will be some of the same, something new and different, and then a howling cornucopia of noise from the technorati elite who will criticize Apple to a pulp.
Shortly after that, customers will begin standing in line for the latest and greatest, and once again proving the nattering nabobs of negativism totally wrong. Again.
The List, Boss. The List
Alright. Here we go. My list of wants, needs, expectations.
iOS 8 – Well, duh. After all, this is a developer’s conference so the focus will be on what makes developers happy, and the latest and greatest iOS version must be near the top of the list.
OS X 10.10 ‘Bakersfield’ – Yeah, sure. Bakersfield? No, but the newest version of OS X will sport a California name. I’m thinking Big Sur or Yosemite, rather than a city name.
OS X will also continue on the road to iOS-iffication with a flatter, more neutral look. Shadows and depth are so last century.
More Siri – Think Siri on your Mac. And more Siri integration, especially useful for those in a car, but with hooks to 3rd party iOS and OS X apps. This I want and need, though expectations drop below 100-percent.
AirDrop 2.0 – Why is AirDrop between Mac and iPhone or iPad to Mac not available? Seriously? That obvious feature is missing in action, but maybe Apple feels compelled to treat their Windows customers equally.
Healthbook – What’s wrong with iHealth? Regardless, Apple is about to bring all the health related items into a single segment of iOS. Think motion detector meets biometrics. I look for an iOS platform that lets you gather and store steps, routes, distance, calories, heart rate, nutrition, hydration, maybe even blood sugar levels. Wearable health, anyone?
Hardware – Last year Apple introduced the new Mac Pro. This year what? The Mac mini needs a refresh. The iMac needs a price cut. The MacBook Air needs a Retina display.
And the world wants an iPhone 6 in three screen sizes. Don’t hold you breath. First iOS 8, the iPhone 6.
What about iWatch? This seems like a good place to make an introduction to a product that won’t ship for four more months (iPhone and iPad were announced the same way but at a different venue). Why? Developers need time to get apps ready on iOS to work on an iWatch.
One More Thing
In 2001 Apple set the world ablaze with the iPod and iTunes combo. The iPod wasn’t the first portable media player but it was the best. How about iHome– home automation platform, Apple style? I’m thinking home monitoring, home security, home camera, lighting and appliance integration.
OK, two more things. Apple TV really, truly, deeply needs an update. And apps. What better time to announce both than WWDC.
I have more wants, needs, and expectations but with the announcements looming just hours away, let’s sit back, watch the show, and see how close I came to envisioning a reality not yet beheld.
