Here are my (mainly) unprocessed notes of Apple’s Spring Forward event:

Apple TV

HBO is probably a big deal.
I expected new Apple TV hardware (and an SDK), but I think this was not the event nor the time to announce it, with all developers targetting the Apple Watch. Maybe WWDC 2015 can get us the long awaited SDK.
Dropping the price given that they keep selling old hardware seems like a good move, and I would guess if a new OS with an SDK is comming implies that it will be supported.

ResearchKit

The idea sounds great. I think using mobile devices for larger field samples makes sense, even if the sample is skewed in some ways.
I like that it’s Open Source. It shows they are doing it for a greater good rather than to sell more devices. But…
- In the past, Apple has promised to standarize FaceTime and didn’t.
- I dont’t think Apple has been a good steward of Open Source projects in the past. What I would love to see, is Apple commiting to develop ResearchKit in the open¹. Open Source projects can’t be really open if they are only released alongside new OS versions and don’t have a somewhat public roadmap.

I’m glad it is still Intel and not ARM. I still need to boot into Windows from time to time, and I think that’s been one of the biggest benefits of the Intel transition.
I’m not sure I like them using a single USB-C port, but I understand the rationale: this is a MacBook designed with iPad ideas, and this makes sense in this context.
Using USB-C (an industry standard) is a great move. It will help move the adoption, as the original iMac did with USB, and lead to cheaper accessories in the near future. By the time all Macs have USB-C connectors, I guess will have a fair share of inexpensive hubs available.
Additional thought: what prevents Apple to move iOS devices to USB-C now? The connector looks small enough, and it’s standard. You could charge your iPhone with the same cable that came to charge your MacBook.
The new trackpad looks amazing. I’m courious how the Force Feedback settings work and feel.