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The hottest news in the Apple-focused blogosphere this week all started with Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) Worldwide Developers Conference keynote.
On Monday, the company -- sans still-on-hiatus CEO Steve Jobs -- announced the faster iPhone 3G S, multiple MacBook upgrades, and its next Mac OS X -- aka "Snow Leopard." All these announcments gave the online world plenty to talk about.
The S Model
Heading into the conference, no one was quite sure whether Apple would announce new iPhone hardware in addition to its iPhone OS 3.0 software. As you may have read, hardware was indeed on the menu: the company showed off the iPhone 3G S, which looks a lot like the plain old iPhone 3G but sports a bigger, faster engine inside. Apple says the S model is up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G, and better yet, it boasts longer battery life and a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera that can also record video.
In addition to the hardware, the iPhone OS 3.0 update -- which will ship with 3G S and be available to owners of all iPhone models -- has more than 100 new features, including the much-demanded ability to copy and paste text and send MMS messages. The new OS also brings Spotlight Search for helping users find what they want on increasingly cluttered iPhones, as well as a landscape keyboard (still screen-based).
The iPhone 3G S will sell for $199 for a 16 GB model and $299 for a 32 GB model. For the entry-level customer 
, the iPhone 3G will drop to $99 for an 8 GB model. Of course, these prices are for qualifying customers, who'll need to sign up for a two-year contract with AT&T (NYSE: T) -- at least in the U.S. Other carriers around the world have different plans.
The iPhone 3G S will hit the hands of consumers as soon as June 19.
Topics Galore
With the iPhone 3G S, Apple has changed little on the outside.
"The all-new iPhone 3G S looks exactly like a previous-generation iPhone, to the point that there is no way at all to tell the new 16 GB model from the model it replaces -- even in the fine print on the back. This was a shock to many folks, myself included, who were expecting Apple to change things up with a new black frame to replace the familiar chrome and a rubberized matte case to provide a more durable experience," wrote Pete Mortensen on Cult of Mac.
Why no change?
"Don't forget, keeping the design the same retains compatibility with all those accessories; changing something that works relatively well for change's sake is a bit silly even for a money-hungry, relentlessly obsolescence-driven company like Apple," commented Irving Isler on the Cult of Mac post.
"Did they fix multitasking?" asked LoveCity, adding, "If not, then yes, I do believe many people will still be interested in getting the Pre over the new iPhone."
Pre over the iPhone? Maybe. Either way, how good are all the upgrades taken together?
"The hardware upgrade was good but not spectacular, which leads us to believe that Apple will have another device before another year goes by," Ken Dulaney, a vice president and analyst of Mobile and Wireless for Gartner (NYSE: IT), told MacNewsWorld.
"Still, the one big thing we are always wanting is background processing," he added.
No Nice Upgrades for Loyalists?
Apple's carrier partner in the U.S., AT&T, has taken quite a bashing in the wake of the announcment. First was the fact that, while Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 will support an official tethering solution to let you use your iPhone's Internet connection with a Mac or PC, AT&T is not yet among the service carriers offering a tethering option. The company will likely offer an option eventually, but it's offered no details about when or how much it will cost. What they do know, however, is that some fine print seems to show that iPhone loyalists looking to upgrade will have to pay out the nose to get a new iPhone 3G S.
"The iPhone 3G S is not going to be subsidized for current iPhone 3G customers. If you bought an iPhone 3G last year, the new iPhone is going to cost you $499 for the entry-level 8GB model, $599 for the 16GB version, and $699 for the 32GB," writes Leander Kahney on Cult of Mac in his "Apple and AT&T Royally Screw Loyal iPhone 3G Customers" post on the subject.
Of course, not everyone feels quite so strongly about the upgrade pricing.
"Things cost money. Someone has to pay for it. When we signed that 2-year contract it was kind of obvious that AT&T wasn't going to be doing us any more favors for two years," commented Andrew Mayne.
"It's unfair but I don't know why anyone is surprised, this is the way ALL cell phone companies work. You need to be in a contract for X amount of time before they allow you to upgrade. It's only worse with an expensive smartphone," added rocketsurgeon.
"I 100% agree with your comments and feelings ... even if these other bozo's haven't figured it out yet. This has got to be one of Apple's biggest Marketing blunders.. Basically, they are saying if your a new customer, we care more about you [more] than our long time loyal followers. I'm not going to pay $599 for a phone," added mc55.
Meanwhile, How About Those New MacBook Pros?
Just before WWDC, the distinction between the old high-end MacBooks and the low-end MacBook Pros was slim at best, and now the distinction is gone: All of Apple's aluminum unibody notebooks are considered MacBook Pros. Each MacBook Pro includes an LED-backlit display with greater color intensity, the innovative glass multitouch trackpad, an illuminated keyboard, an SD card or ExpressCard slot, a FireWire 800 port and Nvidia graphics. Plus, the 13-inch, 15-inch, and 17-inch models all feature Apple's built-in battery.
The new distinctions between the line are most noted in the screen size, processor options, and whether the graphics processor is simply the Nvidia GeForce 9400M integrated graphics processor found in all the 13-inch models and one 15-incher ... or the 9400M or 9600M GT fond in the higher-end models.
The MacBook Air picked up some slight upgrades, too. Surprisingly, the white polycarbonate MacBook is still kicking, holding down the low end of Apple's notebook line all on its own.
Most seemed pleased, overall -- perhaps because expectations for major upgrades, or even minor ones, were low.
"Nice. I predicted that they would release a lower end MacBook 15" with integrated graphics for less money in response to the MS ads. Good show. Complete surprises for me are SD card slot and the awsomeification of the 13" MBP. Nice job Apple," commented Outsider on the AppleInsider.com post on the subject.
Some readers bemoaned their recent MacBook purchases, but not everyone was bothered.
"I got a MacBook Pro not too long ago but I don't mind, I already put 4GB of RAM and have a 320GB 7200RPM HDD in it so the most I would get is a minor CPU upgrade. I won't switch out my laptop until Apple does something drastic like put Core 2 Quads in their laptops and upgrade the GPU and whatnot," noted DA360 on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) post on the subject.
Not surprisingly, the lack of a Blu-ray drive, even as an option, was bemoaned by some ... just another reason to wait for the next generation of hardware to hit after Snow Leopard ships.
Speaking of the Cat
Apple's upcoming release of its next version of Mac OS X, Snow Leopard, isn't packed with the same number of new features as its predecessor, the plain old Leopard. Yet Snow Leopard is shaping up to be one fast cat -- and not the least bit fat.
In fact, Snow Leopard is half the size of the previous version and frees up to 6 GB of drive space once it's installed, Apple says.
As for speed, Apple says users will notice a more responsive Finder; Mail will load messages 85 percent faster and conduct searches up to 90 percent faster; Time Machine will be up to 50 percent faster during its initial backup; and Safari 4 will get a 64-bit version that will boost the performance of the Nitro JavaScript engine by up to 50 percent.
As for features, there are actually quite a few. The Dock will now sport Exposé integration, and here's a media-friendly upgrade: Snow Leopard also includes an all new QuickTime X that has a redesigned player to let users view, record, trim, and share video to YouTube, MobileMe, or iTunes.
On the enterprise front, Snow Leopard builds support for Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) Exchange Server 2007 right into Mac OS X Mail, Address Book, and iCal, Apple says, which lets you use these applications to send and receive email, create and respond to meeting invitations, and search and manage your contacts with global address lists.
The best feature yet? It'll only cost $29 to upgrade to it.
The hardest part for most Mac users might be waiting until September to get it.
"I'm still wary of the upgrade game, but $29 is an easy sell for current Leopard users," commented Eidorian on the MacRumors.com post on the subject.
More importantly, if Apple can get most of its users onto Snow Leopard, it'll be favorable to developers to create new applications.
"I'd been pondering if they would do 10.6 cheaply. It really makes sense to me. There aren't a ton of end-user facing upgrades (ok exchange support looks amazing), but developers will be keen to start using the new features without fear that they're restricted to a small user base. For $29 users won't find it difficult to justify the upgrade, once 10.6 only apps start appearing," added tyr2.
How many new Mac customers really spend much time thinking about operating systems, though? Is Snow Leopard just for the Mac fanatics?
"I don't think the average customer has a clue," SvenOnTech.com blogger Sven Rafferty told MacNewsWorld.
"In fact, I have a few Mac clients that I have told them about this and they had no clue," he added. "I do think overall SL (Snow Leopard) will be a difficult sale for Apple since only power users understand the significance of this release."
Still, "As for the features, I think the better spring folders in the Dock, improvements to the Dock, and Exposé will attract the attention of the everyday Joe. Those are simply eye candy, and while they are cool, I'm way more excited about true 64-bit programs, Exchange 2007 support for iCal, Mail and Address Book. Lower CPU hit with bloat trimming is what makes me excited at the end of the day," he explained.
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