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Yes, I'm surprised too that it took me this long to write about the Steve Jobs keynote yesterday, but I think it's a good thing to sit back for a day, soak in all the blog posts about it, and then see what it really entails for everyone.

First of all, I feel a bit of disappointment about the entire keynote. It was really weird- it was slated for two hours and we really didn't get much. Don't get me wrong; this will be a day that should go down in history (more on this later), but it wasn't a traditional MacWorld. As many have wrote, where is Leopard? Where are the new iLife and iWork packages? (I'm particularly looking forward to iWork 07- my iWork 05 is getting old.) Where were standard announcements, like a Core 2 Duo Mac Mini and an Octo Mac Pro? In one respect, it's admittedly a decision that probably had to be made- the fervor over the iPhone would have passed over any other announcements that was made. Hopefully there'll be some sort of announcement in the next few days or weeks about some of these new products. It's kind of strange to have a MacWorld and to not have anything to order; the six months until an iPhone will be nearly unbearable, and the Apple TV just isn't something that I need right now (although maybe a few years down the line when I have a decent TV and a decent living room!)

So that brings us to the iPhone. First thing's first: I want one. It's gorgeous, it looks like it's solved the mobile UI problem, and it'll work great with my Mac. But there's still some arguing back and forth over the blogosphere about it. Here's my take on some of the controversy.

Cingular

The move to an exclusive Cingular contract is a bit of a drawback. Personally, I've never used Cingular, but I have heard and read all of the sentiment about it lately. But, we go back to the unavoidable conclusion that all US carriers suck right now. It's kind of like the elections- you go to the one that sucks the least. Technologically, Verizon and Sprint are in the lead, since their networks are just more advanced. But they also tend to have the crappiest phones and lock down those networks so much to be unusable. Cingular apparently has terrible customer service (though, my previous stay with Sprint might have some arguments about that point), and T-Mobile is in the same boat with Cingular in terms of their networks. The two year contract that ties in with the iPhone is extremely ugly, too; I just want portability, and fine, I'll face it- I'll probably want to pick up a newer iPhone a year or so later before my contract is up, provided the newer one has sufficiently cooler features. I'm just getting sick of being locked into all of these contracts with cell phone companies here in the States.

3G

On a similar Cingular tangent, part of the controversy is that the iPhone eschews 3G support. I'm sort of on the fence with this. I use the EVDO network on Verizon right now, which is pretty decent enough, but I think I'll be banking on the WiFi aspect of the iPhone more. Most of the time I seem to be within a wireless zone, really, so I'll have no problems with internet access then- I can just hop on my wireless network at home, or access the wireless network on campus. As more and more open wireless networks start popping up over the next few years, this will become less of a problem, I should expect.

Price and target market

This has turned out to be a stickler. Many seem to like the thought of the iPhone but are more worried about the price. True, $499 and $599 are fairly expensive for a phone (WITH a 2-year contract!). On the other hand, it obviously is a little more than that. Look at the 8gig model, for example. I forget where I was reading it (my apologies), but someone was making a comparison with a Nokia model phone with 8 gigs of space and the Nokia ended up being close to costing a grand. It really must be noted that this is both a phone AND an iPod, and Apple's most advanced iPod at that. The price is not too far off when you think of it that way. (Somewhat) comparable smart phones are priced at anywhere from $150-400. An 8 gig iPod Nano is $250 right now. Given those two prices, Apple's prices aren't too far off, really.

Along those lines, I don't think many really understand Apple's strategy here. This is clearly not an entry-level phone. This is not an iPhone Nano. This is a really nice phone that Jobs clearly aimed at the smart phone market. As such, it's expected that it will be a pricier phone. This is really similar to how Apple broke into Intel. Most rumors had Apple launching an iBook replacement last MacWorld, with presumably a PowerBook replacement a few more months down the line. But they launched the MacBook Pro first. That way they can secure the more influential, high-profile buyers first. They also dip into the mid-level market: those that weren't sure whether to go with a more expensive or less expensive laptop might end up going with the higher-priced model just because they don't have to wait. That way, Apple gets more people on the higher-priced model. I think this is what they're trying to do with the iPhone, too. Along those lines, I wouldn't be surprised to hear of a new iPhone announcement a month or three after the launch of the iPhone in June, with the new model slimming down the features into a smaller, more affordable package. Some sort of "iPhone Nano" model might end up breaking into the entry level market by Christmas 2007.

The actual product and its implications

Most are in agreement here, though: the iPhone looks sick. I think Apple's nailed it. It's almost too easy, though- the phone companies and phone makers are so far away from "getting it" that it's ludicrous. Let me clarify for those of you virtually anywhere else in the world: here in the United States, mobile phones suck. The UI is bulky, they are locked down to a point that renders many of its functions and selling points unusable, and we have things like Windows Mobile 5 (I keep reminding myself to write a rant post about WM5 and the Motorola Q). Apple shows that it knows what's going on. From the Times article:



Unlike my phone. He picks it up and points out four little nubbins on the back. "Your phone's got feet on," he says, not unkindly. "Why would anybody put feet on a phone?" Ive has the answer, of course: "It raises the speaker on the back off the table. But the right solution is to put the speaker in the right place in the first place. That's why our speaker isn't on the bottom, so you can have it on the table, and you don't need feet."


This just exemplifies the Apple ideology. Jonathan Ive is in a class of his own. I'm just excited to get to use this in person- the visual voicemail, the widescreen iPod (with CoverFlow all over it!), the full-blown Safari browser on my phone, all the widgets (weather anytime I want it will be great, something I never even thought about), calling features (I haven't had a phone that makes it easy to figure out 3-way calling, call waiting, and all that stuff yet), and by far the coolest: easy syncing with my Mac. I sync my Q with Missing Sync right now, which sort of gets the job done, but it would just be so nice to be easily able to sync my phone and data perfectly with an Apple solution.

Personally, I really do think this will be a day that goes down in history. The iPod is such an iconic figure in humanity right now, and people don't always use their music player every day (at least, not before Apple got there). My cell phone is something that I use and abuse pretty much every single day more than any other device, and it makes a huge difference in my life in terms of how easy I can interact with it. The fact that no one has really tapped this market considering its huge appeal is just screaming for Apple to come in and bash some figurative heads. It's just too bad that we have to wait half a year to start using it. It will certainly be a fun few months ahead, though, as more details are learned about the iPhone. Even more importantly, 2007 is looking to be even a bigger year than 2006, and 2006 was absolutely huge. Leopard and the iPhone will pave the way for Apple's growth over the next decade. I can't wait for this year to get underway.

Tags: apple, att, cingular, iphone
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Comments
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FidoGesiwuj
posted on January 12, 2007 at 03:58 PM
:( I was completely hoping for a new C2D Mac Mini with upgraded graphics.

I think one of the reasons that they aren't releasing new Macs is; why should they release a new PC that is bundled with a soon-to-be outdated OS... I reckon they'll update the Mac ranges when Leopard is released.

I wonder who will be contracting it in the UK, if there will be contracts at all. My bets go towards O2 sealing the contract.

Chris
posted on January 11, 2007 at 07:50 AM
This MacWorld has also been a bit of a disapointment to me as well. Even though I haven't watched it (Anyone know where I can download it legally here in the U.K) - form live write-ups and photos it seems a bit of a stinker. It was a little bit about the Apple TV or iTV (whichever you prefer) but it was predominatly iPhone. However Apple, MacWorld and iPhone have been titled across the blogosphere and news across the globe and it fails to dissapoint that much. On the whole it was a very good presentation it just lacked the Apple and gave too much iPhone. I suppose they've seen all the speculation on this iPhone across the blogosphere that they thought 'What the hell - let's make it iPhone World'

Zach Holman
posted on January 11, 2007 at 01:04 PM
Like I said, I think the iPhone is great and I can't wait to own one, but I agree with you- I just want some Mac and Leopard announcements. Although I guess I can't blame Apple too much- this is a major product for them, and they should squeeze everything they can from the iPhone.

Here's a stream to the Keynote. I haven't watched it yet, either, because when it broke it was getting slammed by everyone trying to watch it, but it might work better now.

TeebZ
posted on January 11, 2007 at 03:48 PM
And don't forget about the built in Google Maps feature, that's going to be hot.

As far as the price is concerned, I'm not that suprised. It's about the same as a SonyEricsson W950i here in Sweden. Come to think of it, they are both MP3-playing phones with touchscreens. The real innovation on the iPhone is it's software, and the multi-touch interface.

Also, I'm intrigued by the weird carrier/cellphone situation in the US. Once I bought a Vodafone-branded cellphone, and I'm never making that misstake again. I wonder if they're going to lock the iPhone when they launch it here in Europe? I hope not...

Zach Holman

The rumors were true, but didn't go far enough.

Steve Jobs introduced both the iPhone and Apple TV during his keynote address at Macworld Expo 2007, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd and an enthusiastic reaction from investors. The iPhone will be available in June for $599 (4 Gb) and $699 (8 Gb) from Cingular and Apple stores, while the Apple TV will ship in February for $299. Apple's stock soared over 8% for the day, to $92.57.

Perhaps the most significant announcement was that the company changed names: from Apple Computer Inc. to "Apple Inc.," a change meant to emphasize the expansion of products beyond just computers.

Steve Jobs began his keynote by reviewing the past year, specifically noting the continued success of the iTunes Music Store. Various news sites had claimed that sales of iTunes songs has been on the decline since the first of 2006. Jobs noted that Apple is selling 5 million songs a day, and has overtaken Amazon for downloaded music.

Jobs proudly mentioned the Intel transition, and thanked everyone who made the transition successful. But he moved quickly on. Perhaps that's just the way it should be. But it should prompt everyone to marvel at how Apple managed to move millions of computers users to a major new operating system without a hitch.

Jobs said that now that over 50% of purchasers of Macs in all channels are new-to-Mac. Previously, this figure had been applied to only Apple's own retail stores.

No mention was made at all of the upcoming upgrade to OS X.

He introduced the Apple TV first, noting that it will sync up (Ethernet or wirelessly via 802.11x) with a single computer, storing your video, music and photos on its hard disk. Once set up, it will detect new media on your computer and automatically copy it over to the Apple TV hard disk. You can then use the included remote control to display the media from the Apple TV on your television, using a Front Row-like interface. Jobs said you can also stream media from up to five computers directly to the device and your TV, bypassing the synch and storage capabilities. The device has a 40 Gb hard disk to store your media, and features various resolution settings. No mention was made of compatibility with other TV standards such as PAL or SECAM.

Everyone was expecting a personal video recorder (PVR), like Tivo (or better), and the reaction on the exhibit floor to Apple TV was ho-hum. Usually you can't get anywhere near the new products that Jobs announces at Macworld. But in this case, a double sided display of large-screen TVs and Apple TV devices was nearly ignored by attendees. Naturally, the device is software based and Internet connected, so upgraded features are no doubt possible and probable. But compared to previous products intro'd at Macworld, and especially compared to the iPhone, the Apple TV device was pretty mundane.

Jobs then told the audience that Apple was introducing three devices: an iPod, a communicator and an Internet device. He then revealed--it's a single device. He said that he had been waiting for this day for two-and-a-half years. Obviously, he saw the first iPod back then and realized what it would eventually become. [Be sure to watch the keynote video--his iPhone intro is very dramatic.]

The iPhone takes the cellular phone into the stratosphere. And when you consider that it's also an iPod and Internet-connected device, it's positively out of the galaxy. Apple left nothing out.

Tragically, there were no iPhones available for a hands-on test. There were just two phones rotating under glass for attendees to view and photograph. A security guard stood literally two feet from the display to insure it didn't go anywhere. Jobs said there are "over 200" patents linked to the iPhone, and that the company intends to protect them. No doubt Apple has no intention of letting other companies come up with look-alike devices, and Jobs may have been specifically tweaking Microsoft for their look-alike Zune. ["Boy! Have we patented it!" Jobs told the keynote audience.]

The phone operates as a quad-band GMS phone, which means the phone will work not only in the U.S., but also lots of other countries around the world. The phone will use EDGE technology on the Cingular network, which is considered 2.5G technology. Upgrades will allow full 3G technology, which will allow near DSL-speeds. Cingular is moving to HSDPA, which offers a theoretical 10 Mbps speed, but which probably will practically top out at 1.3 Mbps.

Even without handling the phone, you can tell...it's thin. The 3.5-inch diagonal screen is very nicely set into the front of the phone, which features a single front "home" button. The screen is larger than a current iPod screen, and is the highest resolution screen Apple has ever produced, 166 pixels per inch, giving a 480x320 display. The screen looked good on the demo models--although it's tough really tell looking through plastic as the iPhone slowly rotated. Buttons on the side of the phone control the mute and volume functions, and the sleep function. That's it. Connectors for earphones and the iPod dock and a SIM slot round out exterior of the phone.

The screen dimensions offer a 1.5:1 viewing ratio, which is wider than the 1.33:1 ratio (or 4:3) used by standard television. But it's not as wide at the 1.78:1 (or 16:9) ratio of high-definition television, or even wider formats used in motion pictures. However, Steve Jobs did demonstrate that you can double-tap the screen when a movie is playing, either viewing it full-wide with black bars at the top and bottom, or full-screen, cropping the left and right sides.

But it's really the software features that blow away any current or imagined cellular phone. Every feature has been nurtured by Apple into a work of beauty.

Take the phone features. There are beautiful on-screen buttons for every feature: answer, conference, hold, look-up, etc. Apple co-developed Visual Voicemail with cellular carrier Cingular, allowing you to view and access your messages just like e-mail. The messages are listed by caller name, date, time and phone number (obviously, the incoming call must include Caller ID, which must then match an iPhone address book entry in order to be displayed on the list). You can play, re-play and delete voicemail messages by pressing an on-screen button. During an exhibit hall demonstration, the feature that drew the most applause was being able to scrub backward through a message at any point, so you can re-hear a phone number, name or something you missed. Neat.

When you put the phone to your ear, a sensor shuts off the screen display to save batter life and prevent inadvertent screen touches. The phone also has a built-in light sensor that will dim and brighten the screen appropriate to the surrounding environment.

The iPhone comes with an earbud/microphone combo, and there is an optional Bluetooth, in-ear earphone-mike from Apple.

The $499 and $599 prices require a two-year contract with Cingular. There was no talk about the monthly fees. It wouldn't surprise me if Cingular required a voice plan and upgraded data plan, anticipating that this phone will generate lots more traffic on its network. I have the feeling that Cingular had to make changes to its network to accommodate the iPhone, which they'd be anxious to recoup with extra fees. [In fact, later rumors suggest the data plan will be $49.99 for the iPhone, with a separate voice plan of your choice.]

A January 2007 story in USA Today explained why Verizon Wireless turned down an offer to exclusively offer the iPhone: Apple wanted a portion of the monthly fees. Even more, Apple demanded control of the relationship of the iPhone customers. Steve Jobs also wanted complete discretion over warranty and replacement issues. That makes perfect sense when you consider Apple's current control of hardware, software and everything in between.

The iPod is the device everyone was expecting as an iPod-only device: wide-screen, touch-screen and larger screen. But in this case, the "touch" feature doesn't include an on-screen wheel. Rather, it's all based on lists and a more traditional "play," "stop" and "rewind" buttons on-screen.

Photos, movies and iTunes display brilliantly on the screen. Movies can play either full-screen (sides chopped) or wide-screen--just double tap the screen. The music list scrolls in a very elegant way as you slide your finger up and down on the screen. It moves briskly as your finger moves, and when your finger leaves the screen, it s-l-o-w-l-y comes to a halt (someone described it as how a roulette wheel moves). An on-screen "A" through "Z" index on the right side of the screen lets you more quickly find items.

All the standard iPod features are included, including playlists, shuffle, and album cover art, along with selecting music using the spectacular Cover Flow technology. The device syncs with your computer to load up music, video and photos to the limit of memory (4 or 8 Gb).

Audio plays from a tiny speaker at the bottom of the iPhone, but it's not possible to know how well it will sound. The included earbuds will probably provide a superior listening experience. There's also a microphone on the bottom of the phone, although it's not clear if this is only for making cellular calls.

Although the phone has Internet access (see below), there's no direct connection to the iTunes Music Store. Instead, all music comes from your computer. Will the iPhone ever simply have iTunes loaded on-board, so you can purchase and download music directly?

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly to many, are the Internet features. First, the device is powered by OS X, and includes full-featured, what Apple calls "desktop class" applications. The operating system will be upgradably, just as it is now on computers, Apple execs have said. There is also total connectivity: cellular data, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Apple's exhibit hall demonstrations were Wi-Fi based are were snappy. Steve Jobs said the phone will automatically manage the connections, switching between Wi-Fi and the EDGE cellular data networks as available.

Besides synching with your laptop for iTunes material, the iPhone also syncs your address book, notes, calendar, e-mail account set-ups, and Safari bookmarks.

The Safari browser includes all the usual features, but with enhancements for the smaller screen. First, you can rotate the device (90 degrees counterclockwise only) any time and the iPhone will sense the change in orientation and reformat the screen to show more or less of the page you're viewing. The rotate option also works when displaying photos or playing music (for album art). Once you have a Web page displayed, you can open a brand new page, and then move between the two (or more) pages with a simple slide of the finger.

While in the browser, you can also zoom the page image in and out using the no-doubt patented Apple Multi-Touch technology. You place two fingers on the screen, and then move your fingers apart to zoom in, or move your fingers together to zoom back in. It's an essential skill for looking at small-type Web site or to more closely inspect photos.

Email mimics what you see on a Macintosh computer, and links to the included address book to auto-enter destinations. You can set up either IMAP or pop3 mail services. Interestingly, Yahoo will provide iPhone purchasers a free e-mail address that will "push" e-mail to the iPhone automatically. But you can just as easily set up .Mac or ISP e-mail accounts and manually retrieve e-mail.

The e-mail supports Rich Text, but there was no word in if it would display other types of attached documents (pdf, doc, etc.) beyond images. Jobs did demonstrate that it parses phone numbers within an e-mail message, and tapping the phone number will dial the phone number.

How do you compose e-mail (or any other text)? You use a finger to press on an on-screen keyboard. It uses predictive technology to speed composition and prevent misspellings. The small on-screen keys mean that you're probably pressing two of them at once with your finger. However, the software predicts what key you're probably intending to press, and ignores the "wrong" key, and enters the "right" key. Interestingly, when you press a key, it enlarges slightly as you touch it. If you want to correct a mistake, you double-tap the screen, and a circular, magnifying glass-type area appears over the text, allowing you to move a blue cursor bar to the proper position, and to add and delete characters. (Columnist Andy Ihnatko writes that the keyboard is great.)

The iPhone has a special Google maps application. You can enter addresses or place names, and the typical Google map appears. You can save common locations for future reference. You can also examine the address and phone number of specific locations, and double-tap the phone number to automatically dial the number on the phone.

The mapping application helps define Apple's devotion to the interface. When you enter a location and the Google map is displayed, a split second later a red-topped pushpin drops from the "sky" and lands on the location. The pushpin isn't already there when the map is displayed. No. It "lands" on the map--pfoot! Definitely neat.

And lastly among the Internet applications are Widgets, which mirror those on the Macintosh. There is a stocks Widget, along with weather (multi-location capable), calculator, notes, clock and calendar. Apple execs have said the company won't be accepting third-party applications, but that Apple itself expects to develop additional functions. Outside companies will be limited to developing accessories for the iPhone.


The phone has a 2 megapixel camera, and the photos are stored in an iPhoto-like interface. You can e-mail the photos or select one as the wallpaper for the home screen of the iPhone.

Conspicuously absent from the phone is any iChat capability. The omission is so glaring that it must have been forced by some technological or Cingular contract issue. But not to worry. Apple has implemented SMS services, and given it an iChat interface: the traditional colored bubbles containing the text, which can be scrolled up and down as the exchange continues. In fact, when you send an SMS message, it finishes with the standard iChat "bl-loop" sound effect.

There's no word on whether additional Widgets will be available for the phone. It seems logical that Widgets will appear from various sources, if not from Cingular for a $1.99 download.

Apple made a point of noting the full networking of the iPhone, but no word on if you can use the phone for data storage, such as storing documents directly to the available memory. Apple also didn't mention if there's a way to move photos from the camera back to your computer, either as a file or imported into iPhoto.

Jobs noted that the iPhone's battery life was five hours using any combination of phone talking, Internet browsing or Widget use. If you just listen to music, battery life is 16 hours. Apple didn't set out a common cellular phone specification, stand-by time. However, it appears the phone has some substantial power-saving features that will boost the time between charging.

The Apple Web pages given you an idea of how the iPhone software operates, but doesn't quite do justice to the full interface. The buttons and typeface are beautiful. The actions flow. Pressing your finger on a screen button creates a reaction. It's interactive and reactive.

Apple is so protective of the device and its features that it still hasn't received approval from the Federal Communications Commission to market the device. Submitting it early would have publicly revealed details of the device. Apple has just filed patents to protect the interface, and they had security guards protecting the only two display models. It's obvious Apple has sunk a ton of resources into this product. And they have absolutely no intention of losing that investment to any other company.

By the way, Cisco owns the trademark to the "iPhone" name, but on Tuesday told reporters that an agreement was nearly completed to presumably allow Apple to use the name. [On Wednesday, Cisco reportedly sued Apple over the iPhone name.]

Looking ahead, it's easy to see additional products, including an iPod-only device that has the iPhone form-factor, but has a large hard disk. There will probably always be a need for iPod-only features, if only for the lower cost. On the other hand, if you're a high-end iPod user now, you could spend $150 more and tack on phone and Internet features.

Another future feature: since cellular phones now include geo-locating features to transmit your location when your dial 911, there could be map-based applications available on the iPhone. Your current location would be pinpointed on a map automatically, you could get quick directions to other locations, and you could find the nearest Starbucks.

Steve Jobs talked about their collaboration with Cingular on the phone, and said they would continue to come up with new features that take advantage of both the iPhone and the Cingular network.

How about Skype or VoIP calling using the Wi-Fi conection? Apple vice president of worldwide iPod marketing Greg Joswiak told Macworld UK that the Wi-Fi connection won't support VoIP telephony. Will we be able to share files among iPhones that are within range (sorta like Zune)? No word on that.

Notice that Apple authorized resellers are cut out of iPhone sales, and current resellers will reportedly have to meet certain requirements in order to sell the Apple TV device, including having a large-screen TV available for demonstrations. Even Cingular's resellers won't be selling the phone. However, a Cingular exec says its exclusive deal to sell the phone won't prohibit Apple from making salesl deals with Best Buy or Wal-Mart.

I'm looking forward to future development of the Apple TV device, and hoping that some day I can get rid of my 4 year-old Tivo. And I can't wait until the iPhone rolls out in June.

Check New York Times columnist David Pogue's hands-on review of the iPhone, his FAQs about the phone (and Part 2), and a hands-on review by Cade Metz of PC Magazine. Also check the iPod Observer's list of Top 10 iPhone Accessories. Sun-Times columnist Andy Ihnatko also has a hands-on review of the iPhone.

Scott M. Fulton III has a particularly insightful view of the iPhone on BetaNews, putting its development into future perspective. Also check the existing Windows Mobile PC offered as the Cingular 8525.

For an alternate view of the iPhone, check this article by Matthew Lynn of Bloomberg.com.

[This review is based on press reports and my personal attendance at the exhibit hall on opening day.]


The Entrance: First Jobs strides onto the stage to wild applause. The audience had been waiting for hours to enter a dark room with hip, moody music piped throughout, and his arrival signals the beginning of the festivities.

It's like your parents coming downstairs on Christmas morning after you've been awake for hours anticipating the gifts. He says some variation of, "We've got a lot of cool stuff to show you today, and we're really excited, so let's get started."

Oh, boy.

Nailed this one. He didn't say the thing about a lot of cool stuff to show today, but the reliable Apple (AAPL) CEO did say, "We're going to make some history together today." I think that counts.

The Setup: Next, Jobs usually gives a little retrospective. He talks about the products Apple has recently introduced, and how they fit together. He usually gives some numbers to show how well Apple's retail stores did during the holiday season ¨C he might even single out a flagship store and highlight how many sales it did every hour.

He'll offer some iPod numbers. He'll offer some Mac numbers. This year he'll probably talk about how many movies and TV shows iTunes users have downloaded, to emphasize that Apple has commanding market share of legal video downloads.

This is the point when he usually announces new content partners for iTunes ¨C new movie studios signing on, for instance, or new TV content. Jobs does this early in the show because it's corporate business ¨C somewhat cool, but not the hands-on stuff consumers really get psyched about.

Nailed this one, too. Jobs talked about how well Apple did on its switch to Intel processors in Macs, recapped retail store numbers, talked about iTunes music downloads, TV downloads and movie downloads. He also talked about how the iPod is the world's most popular video player. He also announced the latest movie partner for iTunes, Paramount.

The Tease: After that, Jobs typically launches into a software demonstration. This is the time to rehash features of an upcoming operating system release, do a little Windows bashing, and show off a couple of cool new doo-dads in the latest version of OS X.

This is also the time to show off updates to Apple's iLife suite ¨C programs like iMovie, iDVD, iPhoto, etc. He'll often show off some professional software, too, and some professional hardware. He then starts hinting that the really exciting stuff is next.

Tease? There was no traditional tease! Sure, Jobs did some obligatory Microsoft bashing, by showing off the new Vista-related Mac/PC commercial and pointing out that the Zune fared horribly in its debut against the iPod. But he didn't show off anything new in OS X and there was nary a mention of iLife. Instead, he would later do a retrospective on the game-changing products Apple has released, and said what he was about to announce would be their equal. Which, indeed, was a big tease in its own way.

The Main Event: This is the product announcement that gets the most hype ¨C it's typically something accessible and high-volume like an iMac or an iBook with new features and a low price ¨C something the masses can get excited about. This year it might be the iTV. Jobs unveils it, demonstrates it, praises its design, and rolls video of a commercial hawking it and of experts extolling its virtues. He might bring a celebrity out on stage to be dazzled by it. Jobs then recaps the announcements of the day with a satisfied tone, lulling the dazzled audience into a false sense that this is the end.

The iTV (renamed Apple TV) was indeed the main event. Jobs unveiled it, demonstrated it and all that, but didn't roll video or bring out a celebrity (yet). And he didn't do the announcement recap. Why bother? He hadn't announced but one product. He knew what we wanted to hear.

One More Thing: But of course, it's not the end. As he finishes his recap, Jobs says something like, "But there's One More Thing," and the words "One More Thing" may even appear on the screen behind him. The most experienced Apple watchers and rumormongers have awaited this moment. They're hoping the "One More Thing" will be that ultimate technology advance they've been waiting for, the one they've predicted for months.

The true believers relax and the cynical ones brace themselves to defend against the full force of Jobs' legendary "Reality Distortion Field," the mystical aura that sucks you in and makes you believe that Apple is the most beautiful force for goodness and truth and light in the known universe. One More Thing is the biggest gift of the morning, the one that wouldn't fit under the Christmas tree and had to be kept in a secret spot in the garage, and as Jobs unveils it, and demonstrates it, and praises it, the crowd looks on in slack-jawed amazement, awash in feelings of unworthiness that yet again Steven P. Jobs would deign in such Promethean fashion to bring the unwashed among us such a gift of digital fire.

OK, so he didn't actually say "One More Thing," probably because he had only announced one thing up to this point. But he did say Apple was bringing us three products ¨C three things it had been working on for two and a half years. Then he showed us that the three were one. The field was in full effect. As expected, the last thing was the iPhone.

This year, in all likelihood, "One More Thing" will be the iPhone. This will present some pacing challenges for Jobs, because it's also the most anticipated and over-hyped product in Apple history and the only thing most people at Macworld will care about. After every announcement leading up to it, the crowd will be thinking, "That's pretty nice, nifty even. But where's my iPhone?"

I imagine that for Jobs, this will be sort of like dealing with an 8-year-old who wants a pony for Christmas. Even if you get her the pony, she might be disappointed that it isn't a unicorn.

But if Apple can create an iPod ¡­ surely if it tries hard enough, it can genetically engineer a unicorn?

Please, please, please?

Steve found a nice way to handle the pacing challenges, I must say ¨C he got right to the phone. And indeed, we all wanted that pony bad. The way he demonstrated that iPhone up there ... wow. Sure looked like a genetically engineered unicorn, didn't it?

So, a grade for my Macworld theater preview? I give myself a B.

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