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Apple unveils upgrades to its laptops and operating systems

Apple unveils upgrades to its laptops and operating systems

SAN FRANCISCO -- Moscone West on Monday morphed into a huge candy store, as Apple (AAPL) unveiled a mind-boggling array of souped-up hardware and software options at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, turning thousands of adult developers into wide-eyed youngsters.

It was the primary conference since Apple cofounder and perennial emcee Steve Jobs' death last year, however CEO Tim Cook used his 1st keynote speech to dazzle developers who had return from round the globe for the five-day tech fest.

And whereas no major blockbuster product were introduced, except presumably the new line of MacBook professional laptops, the Apple executives on stage presented numerous new and mesmerizing tools and toys that the general impact at the two-hour show was overwhelming.

"There were a bunch of tiny, pleasant options, however after you add all up, they promise to supply an out of this world user expertise," said Gartner analyst Van Baker, who was accessible for the keynote.

"It's all alittle of a blur to me immediately," said Australian Erik worth, 36, when Cook had finished his presentation. He was one amongst five,000 developers who snapped up tickets to the show, that sold out in below 2 hours. "There was lots of exciting stuff up there nowadays,
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especially mapping and alternative options that may modification the means we tend to use our phones."

The show started on a light-weight note, as Apple's voice-recognition system, Siri, warmed up the group with some jokes as if she were channeling Henny Youngman. "How several developers will it take to alter a light-weight bulb? None -- that is a hardware drawback," Siri quipped, every wisecrack followed by the attendant crash of symbols on iPad's GarageBand app, splayed across an enormous screen.

Cook bounded onto the
stage, wearing black shirt and pants and replicating a number of constant stage moves his predecessor once used to whip the group into choruses of hoots and hollers. when running through a number of Apple's by-the-numbers accomplishments -- 650,000 apps accessible, Apple stores in additional than a hundred and twenty countries -- Cook heaped praise on the code-writers.

"Despite these blow-away numbers," Cook said, "what we tend to do along is far additional vital than any set of numbers may ever mirror. For Apple and for several of you, our goal has forever been to try and do nice work and in doing thus build a distinction in people's lives."

Hardware came first: promoting chief Phil Schiller introduced major upgrades to Apple's MacBook line of laptops, as well as a faster and thinner and additional powerful MacBook Air. Then he broke the day's single most spectacular little bit of news, saying the next-generation MacBook professional, a super-thin laptop he known as "the most stunning laptop we've ever created." The new machine, with constant super-sharp retina-display currently sported by the iPad, drew loud applause from the group.

But it had been what came next -- a presentation of the tweaks, fixes, and funky new options of the Mac's OS X and mobile iOS vi operating platforms -- that actually worked the group into a lather for the remaining ninety minutes. The operating-system options came quick and furious: a deeper integration with iCloud so things like messages and photos is simply shared among a user's Apple devices; a brand new
app known as PowerNap that enable Macs to update whereas you are asleep; and AirPlay Mirroring, that helps you to simply transfer content from a Mac to a tv screen through Apple TV.

The iOS vi goodie-bag was even additional impressive: enhanced integration with Siri, which may currently provide you with audible turn-by-turn driving directions; additional intensive use of dictation, permitting users to try and do things like dictate a tweet; and therefore the "Eyes Free" Siri app that Apple says are going to be put in within the vehicles of many major automakers within the next twelve months.

An Apple senior vice chairman, Scott Forstall, told developers that iOS vi can offer bigger integration of Facebook, simply as Apple has done with Twitter, creating the social-networking service a virtually seamless a part of the iPhone's show landscape. Users, as an example, are going to be able to dictate Facebook postings and store logins in an exceedingly means that'll allow them to avoid having to log in through Facebook itself.

"With this integration, we'll see Apple still migrate toward Facebook and removed from Google (GOOG)," analyst Ross Rubin with The NPD cluster said when the keynote. He pointed to Apple's new homegrown mapping operate, which can replace Google Maps because the iOS vi default, as a transparent indicator of where Apple appears to be heading.

"By adding turn-by-turn, beside traffic conditions and restaurants and gas stations along your route, Apple is creating a extremely intelligent use of location-based software," Rubin said.

He said the new Passbook feature, that lets users store things like boarding passes, baseball-game tickets, and retailers' coupons, "shows Apple's creating a foray into the e-wallet area. By showing me movie showtimes, then a map to the place, then tickets within the phone that are activated after you enter the arena, Apple's leading customers additional and additional along this transactional journey."

The evolution forward, said developer worth from Australia, is software that may enable customers to use their iPhones to finish the retail method. "Payment," he said, "seems just like the logical next step for Apple.

"They have already got our Apple ID, our Facebook and Twitter passwords, and our credit-card data," he said. "I'm unsure what else they have."

Apple WWDC: New MacBooks, iOS 6, Mountain Lion

Apple, Inc. on Monday refreshed its MacBook hardware, announced that OS X Mountain Lion are going to be accessible in July for $20, and delivered a beta version of iOS vi to developers.

Apple's voice input technology Siri opened the company's Worldwide Developer Conference in San Francisco, ridiculing Google's Android unleash names, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean. Such lighthearted payback for Google's previous jesting at Apple's expense throughout Google's developer conferences should not obscure Apple's serious determination to own the last laugh by reducing the scope of Google services in Apple products--a goal exemplified by Apple's iOS vi Maps app, that now not depends on Google map technology.

Speaking before an enthusiastic crowd of developers in San Francisco, Calif., Apple CEO Tim Cook reviewed the extent of Apple's App Store power, noting that the corporate has over four hundred million App Store client accounts and has seen over thirty billion apps--free and paid--downloaded.

[ For a glance at iPad's competition, scan Windows eight Tablets: Computex Sneak Peek. ]

The company additionally has over sixty six million Mac users, triple the amount there have been 5 years ago, in keeping with Craig Federighi, Apple's VP of Mac software engineering.

Apple introduced revised models of its MacBook Air and its MacBook Pro--with a 15" model sporting a version of the high-resolution Retina show added earlier this year to the third-generation iPad pill.

The company additionally presented a preview of successive version of its desktop operating system, OS X Mountain Lion, moreover as a beta version of iOS vi, the company's mobile operating system. (See our connected story: Apple iOS 6: Best New options.)

Conspicuously absent was any mention of the Mac professional, Apple's desktop workstation that hasn't been updated since August, 2010, or of apps for Apple TV, that had been predicted by numerous Apple news websites. Nonetheless, Apple did update its Mac professional, that at the highest finish currently options 2 six-core three.06GHz Intel Xeon X5675 chips. Apple additionally updated its AirPort specific with support for two.4Ghz and 5GHz 802.11n Wi-Fi.

Apple's innovations tended toward iOS-OS X convergence and cross-pollination. Apple's Safari browser, as an example, is currently tied to iCloud services. OS X users currently have access to the Notifications system introduced previously in iOS. AirPlay and GameCenter, 2 iOS technologies, are delivered to OS X.

Perhaps most importantly, Apple intensified its competition with Google by introducing its own Google-free Maps app in iOS vi, by enabling Facetime video conferencing over cellular connections to raised compete with Google+ Hangouts, by adding Siri support in iOS vi to the new iPad, by adding Facebook integration, and by continuing to reinforce iCloud.

Google last week held a Maps-oriented press conference at its San Francisco workplace, a happening widely seen as a trial to retain mindshare for its software beforehand of Apple's expected rejection of Google's technology.

The MacBook Air has been updated with new Intel Ivy Bridge processors. the 2 models, 11" ($999 & $1099) and 13" ($1199 & $1499), are accessible with dual-core i5 and i7 processors starting from one.7GHz to 2.0GHz (and up to three.2 GHz through an Intel technology known as Turbo Boost), up to 8GB of 1600 MHz RAM and integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics processing that is hour faster than previous models.

The revised MacBook Air models will accommodate up to 512GB of flash storage with a scan speed of 500MBps (2x faster than previous models). and that they keep company with a pair of USB three.0 ports and a 720p FaceTime HD camera. The screen, however, isn't a Retina display; the displays are 1366 x 768 and 1440 x 900 respectively.

The MacBook professional comes in 13" and 15" models. there is additionally a 15" model with a Retina show.

The 13" model incorporates a 1280 x 800 show; the 15" model incorporates a 1440 x 900 display, and therefore the 15" Retina model options a 2880 x 1800 show, with a pixel density of 220. The revised MacBook professional is zero.71-inches thick, 1 / 4 thinner than previous models, and weighs in at four.46 pounds. However, it now not includes a built-in optical drive.

The MacBook professional 15" starts at $2199 for a quad-core a pair of.3GHz i7 processor, with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of Flash memory, and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M graphics chip. It is configured to accommodate a three.7GHz i7 processor with Turbo Boost and 768GB of flash storage.

iOS vi is obtainable currently as a beta unleash for developers and is scheduled for general unleash this fall.