What would I like to see at WWDC 2013
We are quickly approaching one of my favorite days of the year. For me it is the geek version of the Super Bowl. I sit in front of three or four computers with live streams, TWiT coverage and live blog feeds straight out of the Moscone Center. We are just over a week away from Tim Cook taking the stage at WWDC 2013. There are several things that I am expecting to see on June 10th, several things that are rumored I don't expect to hear about at all and there are the things I hope I will see but have my doubts.
What we will see
We know we are going to see a refreshed iOS 7, likely with one of the biggest redesigns in the history of the operating system. Following the firing of Scott Forstall, Jony Ive has taken over the iOS development and it is rumored he has drastically put his design touch in the new OS. I also expect to see an updated version of Mac OSX. There have been very few rumors on what changes we will see in the updated version of the Mac OS. For the most part I am very content with Mountain Lion as it is and even though we are due for a larger OS change, I don't expect to be blown away.
What we won't see
There has been rumors abounding as we lead up to WWDC about new iOS hardware that could be introduced at the conference this year. I don't believe we will see anything related to a new iPhone or iPad. One could hope for a retina iPad mini but I expect that will come this Fall at the iPhone announcement.
What I hope to see
The Apple product I most hope to see announced at WWDC this year is a completely refreshed and redesigned Mac Pro. Tim Cook alluded last year in an email to a customer that we would see something new for the Pro line this year and what better time to take the covers off the product than a conference full of developers. I have been postponing an entire overhaul of my workflow and entertainment behavior at the house awaiting a new machine. I have been using a 2010 27" iMac as my main production machine for photos and videos. Last year I picked up a Retina MacBook Pro that blows my iMac out of the water but it still isn't sitting at the house plugged in and ready to go all the time. I want a workhorse that is always here and always connected to the devices in the house. I would love to see Apple bring back something closer to the old 'cube' style computer from the late 90's. It would fit well in my office and allow me the ability to easily add new components when needed.
Secondly, I believe in the hype that wearable computing is the next big thing and I think Apple needs to jump in now and take over the market. I think Google Glass looks ridiculous and there is no way I want to have a machine on my face. I would however love to have a watch-like device that is connected to my phone that allows me to read text message, look who is calling, check twitter feeds and even see my Google cards. I think a small device that will allow me to keep my phone in my pocket or even in this case now can keep in my bag would be revolutionary if developed correctly.