A Noob at WWDC
I quit my last job because the promised 15% travel turned into something closer to 50%, so getting on an airplane is not my idea of a good time. Be that as it may, I can’t wait to fly to San Francisco this Sunday to attend my first WWDC (Apple’s World Wide Developer Conference). Aside from providing an escape from Houston’s already oppressive 90+ degree heat and 100% humidity, the Bay Area is hosting nothing less than “nerdvana” for five days next week. I really try not to get caught up in all the fanboy hype, but as WWDC draws closer, the Apple rumor mill output goes off-scale, piquing my anticipation.
Everybody tends to focus speculation on Monday’s keynote, and while I’m excited about it I must admit [as a fledgling Apple developer] the lineup of sessions and labs I’ll be attending has me more excited than Johnny Five in a Barnes & Noble. If Apple delivers half of what they promise on their web site, the trip will be well worth the three grand I’ve invested in it. There is a ton of new technology to cover this year, even by Apple’s standards. OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) is looming on the horizon, iPhone OS 3.0 is due to be released this month and we don’t even know what new magical hardware Mr. Schiller will introduce during Monday’s keynote. There will probably be a new iPhone, maybe a larger tablet-like device. Speculation ranges from the probable to the completely implausible but what is certain: Apple will spring something surprising, they always do. I’m getting stoked just writing about it all.
It’s easy to lose sight of what the “D” in WWDC stands for amidst all the speculation and hype, especially if you’re on the outside looking in. As I try to plan my week using the published schedule of sessions and labs, I get snapped back to reality in short order. This is going to be real work! I even wonder if my poor brain still has the capacity to assimilate all the information being offered. It’s going to be like drinking from a fire hose. Compounding this dilemma, I’m certain I’ll be attempting at least a portion of this task with a (hopefully)mild hangover. Oh well, all I can do is give it my best shot and hope to capture what I need.
Beyond everything I just described, what I most look forward to is the intangible. I’ll be immersed in all the Apple goodness with the people who build OS X, the iPhone OS and the applications that run on them. Me, right in the middle of the event that all the blogs, news and fanboy sites will be focused on next week is like an escape from the every-day, mundane routine and a pilgrimage to the center of the Apple universe. For a few short days this is where it’s happening, and I’m going to be a part of it. Cool.
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