Apple held its opening keynote at its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in San Jose, California. The opportunity to present a string of novelties, mainly software, concerning Mac, iPhone, iPad, and even the Apple Watch, as well as a new Mac Pro and its screen.
Developers, customers, reporters, and resellers looked to San Jose, California, where Apple’s big boss Tim Cook was holding the traditional keynote opening the Worldwide Developer Conference. On the menu, and as each spring: full of ads on the software but also hardware, even if the new iPhone was absent from this conference.
The big news is that Apple has decided to split iTunes, it’s software to do everything. A true Swiss army knife, iTunes currently serves as a shop, a multimedia player and a library for sounds, images, and videos; in addition, it performs the backup and synchronization of iPhone, iPad, and iPod. The firm has decided to create three new applications on the new version of macOS Catalina.
The end of iTunes … on Mac
Now it will combine with Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. For mobile device management, backup and synchronization features will be available directly in the Finder. This change is for the moment only macOS computers. The iPhone and iPad will continue to use the iTunes Store, and the firm has confirmed that it will continue supporting iTunes on Windows. At least for the moment.
Six years Mac Pro fans were getting impatient for an ad! Apple has finally released a new version of its high-end computer, highly anticipated since the latest version dates from 2013 … The firm has abandoned the cylindrical volume, probably too easy to confuse with a speaker connected, to return to a classic and rectangular design. This form offers greater modularity, with ease of access to the different components, which was missing from the previous version.
A new disproportionate Mac Pro
It embeds a basic processor Xeon 8 cores, with the possibility to replace it with a model 12, 16, 24 or 28 hearts. It loads between 32 GB and 1.5 TB of DDR4-2933 on its 12 slots. Also, count a 256GB to 4 TB SSD storage. Customers can install up to four graphics cards, choose from three AMD card models: Radeon Pro 580X, Radeon Pro Vega II and Radeon Pro Vega II Duo. Count 5,999 dollars (and probably the same amount in euros) for the basic version.
Apple has also introduced a new XDR Pro Display display at $ 4,999, with a 32-inch display in 6K (6.016 x 3.384 pixels ). Count 999 dollars more for his foot, if you intend to put it simply on a desk.
The iPad turns into a small computer with iPadOS
The border between computer and tablet becomes more and more blurry, with ultraportables with a detachable keyboard, or tablets with keyboard clipping. Apple seems to have taken note and decided to separate its mobile operating system in two: the iPhone keeps iOS, while the iPad gets the new iPadOS.
This new system will integrate various macOS features, including better multitasking, a more powerful presentation mode, a more advanced version of Safari, or three-finger gestures to copy and paste and cancel the last action. It will also be possible to connect a USB key, an external hard drive, or a camera to import images directly.
And many other novelties
Apple has announced the new macOS 10.15 Catalina, with voice control, a new connectionless localization system, the ability to use the iPad as a secondary screen and the integration of the Catalyst project that allows developers to carry their iPad applications on macOS.
The firm also introduced the new iOS for iPhone and iPod, with dark mode, an improved Photos app and the promise of better performance. The connected watches also have their new operating system with watches 6 which sees land including the App Store.