1.) Thanks for taking the time for this interview, I understand you attended the actual keynote at MWSF this year, how close to Steve Jobs were you?

I was in the first row at the far right of the stage, so I wasn’t that close to him most of the time. John Mayer was about 15 feet from me when he was playing, and I could see all the special guests as they came out from behind the curtain before walking onstage.

2.) What was the general tone of those in attendance of the keynote, were they visually excited, etc - how were you feeling going into it?

As someone in the first row it was hard to say — they were all behind me! As always I’m a combination of excited and apprehensive when I enter the keynote, because not only is there cool stuff, but I have to do some pretty serious work and a lot of people are relying on me to cover the keynote. So it’s a combination of excitement at the outcome and apprehension about the amount of work that’s about to come.

3.) With only the iPhone and the Apple TV being released, were you disappointed of the lack of for example a Leopard update/showing, iLife updates or any software or hardware releases being absent from the keynote?

I wasn’t really surprised about iLife and iWork not being there. I was a little surprised about the Mac stuff not being covered, but let’s look at this realistically: the iPhone was going to blow any other announcement out of the water in terms of press coverage and attendee mindshare. Who wants to be AirPort Extreme and be forgotten before it was even remembered? Better for Apple to move those products to a later introduction.

4.) What is your take on the iPhone and Apple TV (in favor of, dislike)?

In favor of. The rubber meets the road when the products are actually shipping and we can really test them out, but I’ve been waiting for an Apple set-top box for literally years now, and I can’t wait to try it out!

iPhone is an attempt to a product that is vastly better than anything that’s been attempted in that space. Whether or not it succeeds remains to be seen, but full credit to Apple for setting the bar so high. Just as MP3 players were before the iPod, “smart phones” out there today are really disappointing. They’re just not good enough. Apple is going to force them to get better, regardless of how well the iPhone sells.

5.) Have you seen any of these devices in person yet, while attending the expo?

Yes, I’ve used the Apple TV and got to use the iPhone for about 15 minutes. Suffice it to say that while the idea of the iPhone is cool, holding it in your hand is FAR better.

6.) Have you spoken to any Apple staff members on the show floor or keynote room floor about the newly released products, if so what did they have to say?

I spoke to apple execs off the show floor for about 40 minutes on Wednesday — to recount what they said would take a long time!

7.) Will you be purchasing an iPhone or Apple TV unit for either review purposes or personal use, if so why, if not, why not?

I bought an Apple TV with my own money — I suppose there’s a chance, depending on how other people want to use it, that I might end up having Macworld reimburse me for it, but for now my plan is to keep it. iPhone, I assume that I will be getting one — it seems like something I really need to be on top of as editor of Macworld, doesn’t it? Work with me here.

8.) What were your personal predictions for the keynote, product or announcement wise?

Phone, Apple TV, Leopard Update, one new Mac model. Two out of four isn’t bad. I’m surprised at the scope of the iPhone, though. Congratulations to Apple for not just coming out with an iPod nano with a phone stuck in it.

9.) This has bugged me about the iPhone, GSM. Do you ever think Apple will port/move the phone over to networks like Verizon (CDMA), Sprint, etc?

Not for three years, which apparently is the length of the Cingular/AT&T agreement. Apple had to make a deal with a carrier to get control of the back-end network, and it chose Cingular. So it is — the cell phone market is a mess, and they had to pick. Hopefully the AT&T infusion into Cingular will lead to a deployment of their high-speed data network sooner rather than later.

10.) Stepping away from Apple for a second, have you seen the “ModBook” from OWC? If so, what is your opinion on it?

We gave it a Best of Show award so I think that pretty much covers how I feel about it! I think it’s not for most people but the people who really wished for a Mac tablet will now have that option. Especially graphic artists who want a portable Mac sketchbook, it’ll be big for them.

Any closing comments about the expo or the keynote?

I thought it was a really good show, very well attended and with a lot of energy. Best Macworld Expo we’ve had in several years.

best,
-jason

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