MacWorld 2006: Steve Jobs' Keynote.

So, today was Steve Jobs' annual MacWorld Keynote; his biggest keynote of the year. Naturally, I spent all morning checking Engadget's coverage of the Keynote and am currently watching his keynote, which can be viewed at apple.com. Anyways...here's what was announced, besides all the impressive statistics... iPod FM Tuner This is pretty much like the remote for the older iPods, except that it also doubles as an FM Tuner; but who cares about FM radio when you have all your favourite music and podcasts already on your iPod? Definatly not me. Chrysler iPod Integration It's not like I'm getting a brand new car any time soon, so like the FM Tuner, I could care less. Mac OSX 10.4.4 Jobs didn't even say what's new about this new update, so I can't really say much about this; more bug fixes, woot! iLife '06 - iPhoto: performance update; increased limit of photos (25,000 -> 250,000); full screen editing mode; one-click effects; ability to make greeting cards, calendars, and more books; photocasting I really like the looks of the new full-screen editing mode. As for photocasting, it's too bad I'll need to buy a .Mac account if I want to create online albums. - iMovie: animated themes; real-time effects & titles; new audio tools & sound effects; multiple open projects; export-to-iPod feature; video podcast support. I pretty much never use iMovie... - iDVD: widescreen menus; magic iDVD (automatically creates DVDs using provided themes); new themes; vastly improved slideshows; enhanced map view editing; third-party dvd burner support. I use iDVD even less than iMove... - GarageBand: podcast studio (podcast artwork track, 200+ royalty-free sound effects, 100+ royalty-free jingles, automatic "ducking" effect, speach enhancer, remote interview support using iChat); new jam packs Seems as though the only additions to GarageBand have been about podcasting, and since I don't have my own podcast, this means nothing to me. - iWeb: A brand new application for easily creating websites for your pictures, videos, podcasts, blogs, etc: Apple-designed templates, iLife media browser, online photo albums, blogs and podcasts, one-click publishing to .Mac. This program is very slick. I wish I hadn't started a blog already, because I would love to use iWeb to maintain my blog and images. I would have to buy a .Mac subscription as well as buy iLife though. But god damn, the way iWeb is integrated with all the other iLife applications is just awsome. You really have to watch the keynote to understand how slick these apps are. iWork '06 - Includes new 3D charts; advance image editing; image reflections; freeform shapes & masks; tables with calculations; new themes and templates. This might actually make iWork worth purchasing now, what with spreadsheets, charts, and advanced image editing. It's atleast worth downloading. iMac Core Duo Exactly the same as the iMac G5, except it is 2-3x faster. They have created some software called Rosetta that will allow most PowerPC apps to run transparently; iLife and iWork run natively, however. It's not like I have the money to purchase one of these, so again, it doesn't matter to me. To others though, it sounds VERY recommendable. MacBook Pro Looks exactly like the 15" Powerbook, except for the following: its 4-5x as fast; it has a intel core duo processor; thinner (1-inch thin); 15.4 inch widescreen LCD display (brighter); built in iSight; IR-sensor + Front Row + Apple Remote; MagSafe (a power adapter thats magnetically held in), ExpressCard slot. Man I would love to upgrade to one of these. I would, however, keep my current powerbook around as I am in love with its small stature. But, again, I do not have the money for another computer. All Macs will sport intel processors by the end of the year This is good news; this means more powerful laptops that last longer. FINAL THOUGHTS Thankfully a new iPod wasn't announced, because we ALL know I would find a way to justify replacing my current iPod with it. I am also glad that the only iPod accessory they announced is very unattractive to me, so again, I do not feel the impulse to through cash at apple's online store. I really liked the additions to iLife, even if most of them are far from useful for me. This is the only thing that I think I might shell out for, as I really liked the few additions to iPhoto, and I am excited about using iWeb. I WANT THE MACBOOK PRO. I am not about to sell my Powerbook for it though, as I would NOT be able to afford it, even with the money earned. But damn...I want it.