(We miss you already, big Steve!)
First off the huge news
Starting immediately
iTunes: will be DRM-free. In April, iTunes will have a three-tiered pricing structure. Songs will be either be 69 cents, 99 cents or $1.29. Apple claims that there will be more songs falling into the 69-cent category rather than the $1.29.
iPhone 3G:
Owners will be able to preview and purchase every single item from the iTunes music catalog on the 3G network instead of only being able to use Wi-Fi.
On the hardware front:
Apple announced a new 17-inch MacBook Pro. Like its 13-inch and 15-inch brethren, the $2800 notebook will have a chassis milled from a solid block of aluminum. It will also feature a nonremovable battery that claims 8 hours of continuous life. The Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93-GHz powered beast will be available in January.
iLife, GarageBand and iWork
All received updates.
iLife:
True facial recognition and better video editing features.
GarageBand:
Feature tutorials from actual rock stars
(Sting teaches you to play guitar!).
iWork:
Going all online with group editing and file hosting services.
You know, kinda like Google docs. (Ahem!)
Conspicuously lacking was any mention of an AppleTV update. WTF, guys? Want to read the keynote as it happened?
Scroll on down to read the live blog as it unfurled.
Live Blog from MacWorld 2009
10:37am: Standing ovation for Bennett.
That's our show for Macworld 2009, says Phil. I want to thank everyone in my family, and the people at Apple. Enjoy the rest of the show.
That's it?
These are the sort of announcements that normally would have been in a press release.
10:34am (Tony) Singing “The Best is Yet to Come"
Message there?
It's a mortal lock he's going to sing “I Left My Heart in San Francisco"
And here it is.
As Apple says goodbye to MacWorld...
10:30am The New 17 inch MacBook Pro Introduced
(Remember this is a live blog in reverse see 10:05am)
“This is a really big step for wireless music on cell phones." starting today
Ending on music, and in many of our keynotes, we try and make sure to remember why we do this. It's fitting that we end our last macworld keynote with an artist who has some amazing music, and is a true legend. 15 Grammys, 2 Emmys.
Tony Bennett.
McClusky: We started iTunes six years ago.
Sold 6 billion songs.
10 million songs available.
75 million accounts.
iTunes is the largest music retailer in the US What's new for 2009?
Price: we've worked with the companies. Over the past six years, we've had jsut one price. Starting April, .69, .99, and $1.29.
Three tiered pricing.
More songs will be offered at .69 than $1.29.
Second thing: iTunes Plus.
That's how we offer DRM free music.
Also encoded better.
What's new: all the major labels. 8 million songs DRM free.
By end of the quarter, all 10 million songs on iTunes will be DRM free. Every song in the catalog.
Third new thing has to do with the iPhone.
We've got the iTunes Music Store on the phone. You can now use Wi-Fi and 3G for the Music Store.
10:24am Brian X. Chen: $2800 for the 17-inch MacBook Pro
Starts shipping late January.
Where's my mac mini? i'm going to be humiliated if it isn't real
10:22am Mark McClusky: If this is the last announcement, this is a very underwhelming keynote.
Integrated battery, non removable. Custom battery fabrication, non removable to it takes up all the space possible. New chemistry, chip managed charging. Claiming 8 hour battery life on the integrated graphics.
10:20am
They're going off on their environmental schpeel. They're saying the battery lacks harmful toxins. And because it lasts five years that's fewer batteries purchased and disposed...
10:15am Brian X. Chen: It will have 3x the number of recharges 3x the lifespan compared to the industry standard.
Brian X. Chen: 320 GB hard drive, you can upgrade up to 256gb solid state drive. And of course it works with the new LED cinema display (through the display port connector.
They've worked on the battery to “deliver the longest lasting battery life ever."
They're showing us a video on how they made a longer lasting battery. They had to make a bigger battery. The challenge was finding where to find the space to put it. They created a notebook with a 40 percent larger battery that lasted 8 hours on a single charge.
10:10am Brian X. Chen: “At 6.6 pounds it's the world's lightest 17-inch notebook."
1920 x 1200 pixel resolution.
700:1 contrast ratio.
60% greater color gamut than the previous model
$50 Anti-Glare option.
Magsafe, firewire 800, ethernet USB, express card 34
There's no Firewire 400. That's notable.
It's got the glass trackpad just like the rest of the new MacBook family.
Intel Core 2 Duo 2.93GHz Processor. (Not a quad-core like some people were speculating.) Up to 8GB memory. GeForce 9400M
Brian X. Chen: One more thing the third thing is the new 17 inch MacBook Pro.
10:05am Mark McClusky: OK, that's it for iWork. Will there be some hardware now?
For more information contact All About Jazz.
