WWDC 2012 Recap

This is definitely late but its still here. This article will be reviewing the WWDC keynote that Apple CEO Tim Cook and his colleagues presented on June 11, 2012. The presentation was definitely exciting because Apple showed off quite a bit of exciting Mac hardware as well as new software and features in iOS 6 and Mac OS X Mountain Lion (came out on July 25, 2012).

The presentation started with Siri introducing the presentation. This was definitely amazing, Siri made a few jokes and got the audience laughing and had special drum-ins by Garage Band on an iPad. Siri also discussed their opinion on Android names, saying "Who's making up these code names? Ben and Jerry?". Siri also said that she was excited about the new Samsung. Not the phone, but the refrigerator. This was definitely a great start to the keynote.

Obviously, the presentation would begin with some updates about how successful Apple has been over these last few months. The numbers definitely did not disappoint proving how many people are purchasing Apple products. They also showed a video showing how Apple products are implemented into a `wide` variety of environments. Then we got hardware talk. They showed new MacBooks with the new Ivy Bridge processors. However, just when we thought they were done with MacBook talk, they pulled out the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. This monster machine has the amazing Retina Display found on other Apple products as well as lots of power but has a hefty price tag. It costs over $2000 for the base model and things go up from their.

Then, the software part began. They began with Mountain Lion. Apple claims over 200 new features in Mountain Lion. However, they only discussed 8 of the main features. Mountain Lion takes a lot of cues from iOS including Notification Center, Twitter and Facebook integration, as well as GameCenter. It also has great iCloud integration that lets you work with Notes and other apps across all of your devices. There is also iCloud Tabs, which can sync your Safari tabs in iCloud. There is also AirPlay, which lets you stream your screen to a TV. The big deal here was the price, it only costs $19.99 to upgrade ALL of your Macs. Also any Macs purchased June 11 onward were eligible for a free upgrade. 


Now came the part that a lot of people cared about, iOS 6. They also discussed the success of iOS 5 and its features. They showed off many new features available in iOS 6 through demos. They showed the information very clearly. They also discussed how they are working with car manufacturers to add dedicated buttons to cars to let you have easy access. Facebook integration was also showed off, you only have to log in once and you will have access everywhere. They also showed off the new Maps app which comes with a lot of new features but unfortunately is not available on all hardware. For more new features, check out our list of the 200 new features in iOS 6.


Tim Cook concluded by recapping what was presented and wishing the developers a good week ahead