Microsoft Tech-Ed vs. Apple WWDC: Lots of Hype, Little News
Maybe we media types really don't have anything better to do with our time. This week, two of the biggest vendors in the technology industry are going head to head with conferences, leading us to produce tons of articles about…not much, really.
Oh, sure, there's the new iPhone. Apple, the new king of technology, unveiled it today at its Worldwide Developers Conference. The new wonder device is smaller, faster...and a bit underwhelming, apparently. iPhone 4 didn't really surprise anybody -- although it looks impressive enough -- and Apple's share price actually fell almost two percent today. Welcome to the world of high expectations, Apple. It's not enough to impress anymore. You have to blow people away.
That's something Microsoft didn't do today, either, as it opened Tech-Ed in New Orleans. There was a bit of news about Service Pack 1 for Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 (due in July), and apparently the folks in Redmond tried to convince attendees in New Orleans that Windows Phone 7 will have some sort of practical application for business.
Mostly, though, today's conference showdown added up to a dud of a duel. Maybe the next few days will bring more news, but probably not -- the days of really big launches at conferences have mostly passed. Shows are almost all about networking now and about setting up sales meetings, golf outings and trips to local bars. And that's fine -- it's just not very exciting for those of us who aren't in attendance.
Have you heard anything from Tech-Ed or WWDC that excites you? If so, lay it on us at [email protected].
Posted by Lee Pender on June 07, 2010