Buzz Out Loud 992: WWDC: What Will Data Cost

We recap all the announcements from Apple's WWDC keynote, especially ruminating on what the tethering app will cost for AT&T customers. We also rant a bit about the new prices for current iPhone conferences. And don't forget Snow Leopard people. That looks like a good upgrade for a very affordable price.

EPISODE 992

WWDC coverage
http://news.cnet.com/2702-1041_3-116.html

New 15-inch MacBook Pro Non-replaceable battery. No Express Card slot (SD card instead) Up to 3.06 GHZ processor up to 8GB RAM up to 500 GB. $300 price cut. $1699, $1999 and $2299 options 2.53, 2.66 2.8 GHz, and 250 320 and 500 Hard Drive. Includes FireWire port.
13-inch becomes MacBook Pro cheaper at $1199
MacBook AIR also with a price cut.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10259307-1.html

OS X Snow Leopard
Exchange support in Mail, Calendar and Contacts
Crash Resistance. A bad plug-in won’t crash whole browser.
$29 Upgrade.
$49 Family pack.
$10 ‘handling fee’ if you buy a new Mac between now and the September release.
$169 non-upgrade price but includes iLife
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-10259248-56.html

Safari 4

New QuickTime 10
HTTP Streaming, editing video within player.
Get 5GB back after upgrade from Leopard.
http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-10259637-12.html

iPhone OS 3.0 Copy paste, tethering (but not for AT&T users), multimedia messaging (later this summer from AT&T) purchase videos and audiobooks from phone. Supports HTTP streaming.
Find My iPhone. Encryption.
In-app purchases NOT available in free apps.
Push notifications

Tom Tom turn by turn navigation
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10259662-1.html
Available June 17
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10259579-49.html

iPhone 3GS Faster processor. Ready for faster HSPA network.
Autofocus
Video recording/editing
Voice control
Compass
Better Battery life, tethering
$199 16Gb, $299 32 Gb and now a $99 iPhone 3G. For new customers only! Loyal iPhone upgarders will pay $18 PLUS $200 extra for the hardware.
Available June 19
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10259830-37.html

*****
EMAIL

Hey Buzz Crew

Apple selling the OS X upgrade at $29.00 is obviously a stab at Microsoft. According to Paul Thurotte on Windows weekly, Microsoft planned on selling the Windows 7 upgrade between $79, for the basic edition, to over $200, for the ultimate edition. Now Microsoft has 2 choices.

Choice 1: Sell Windows 7 at a similarly low price. This means that Microsoft would have to sell many more copies than they originally planned in order to get a good return on their investment.

Choice 2: Sell Windows 7 at their original target price. As soon as they would announce these prices, Apple would put new commercials of PC vs MAC where they would compare their prices and show that Windows is more expensive than Mac. This would be a stab directly at Microsoft’s current “I’m a PC” ads showing that Macs are too expensive.

Either way, Apple has put Microsoft in a position that they did not want to be in. After the Vista PR nightmare, the upgrade to Windows 7 is the most anticipated Windows upgrade since going from 3.1 to 95. Apple had to try to take that away from Microsoft.

Love the Show.

Geff,
Geek at Large
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

*****
Guys,

I am sold on the 3GS. The feature set is a rock solid upgrade and kills
almost all the reasons a Palm Pre would be in the running. Still, the
weak link is AT & T, which I hate. But, I hate all carriers, so it is a
wash. Some of the limitations that ATT will put on the phone’s
usability, like tethering, will be negated by the jailbreaking
community, who will enable it. I doubt we will see a Pre jailbreaking
community. So, I still say that the only answer for Sprint (not Palm,
because they will be spreading the device over other carriers) is to
become the value brand. Offer better data packages and cheaper plans.
Otherwise, they are toast when the Pre hits Verizon.

Respectfully,

Clayton
Bloomington, IL