The Keynote for WWDC ’06 has come and gone and left in it’s wake a visibly shaken Microsoft. This was the one where it’s finally made abundantly clear that whatever Vista ends up being, now it’ll have to catch up to this. There were the obvious pokes at Microsoft (Hasta la vista, Vista and  Introducing Vista 2.0) but once the demos started, there were no doubt some “Visty” eyes in Redmond. Even the stuff that was inspired by Windows and Linux ended up looking like something your average person off the street would be comfortable using.

Here’s some quick points I thought worth mentioning.

1. There’s no HEAT

We have the new Mac Pro, a fine machine indeed. BUT, now we know why they didn’t show off FrontRow (aside from the obvious fact that this is a keynote for Pro’s :). As of this moment, there’s no information at the Apple store on an IR receiver for the Mac Pro!! That’s right, no “10 foot interface”, no “Apple Remote” for you pro users... better just get yourself a Mini to pair up with it and be happy with that! The Xserve doesn’t have one either so no 1U happiness in the living room. Unless someone comes up with a Firewire IR receiver for that spot up front. Griffin! Belkin! Step up to the plate!

2. Wii are mildly amused

Apple seems to be taking a page from Nintendo’s playbook by announcing the meat of 10.5 but leaving some additional “secret” bits for later. Hey, it’s worked for Nintendo as the rumor mill is continuously swirling about secret ports, secret features and some secrets that, secretly lie in a secret undisclosed location waiting to be whispered much later.

3. Cinema for less

That smiley face guy was seen flying around Apple headquarters flipping the toupees of engineers and flipping down the pricing numbers on all of Apple’s monitors which now range from $699 to $1999. All reports state that the two lower end monitors are now “Gooder” than before the drop.

4. Be a Backuppa

No need for you to be a Carrie, unaware of the benefits of backing up your data (I’m talking to all 74% of ya lowlifes!). Heck, don’t even call it Backup, call it Time Machine. As I expected waaay back when, Apple’s been working on time travel technology to keep your data all huggably safe without you even thinking about it... well, you DO have to think of buying an extra HD. Two questions though:

a) Soooo, what will Backup, that nice lil’ program that apparently got no use but was free with .mac, become? Will .mac users get some OTHER freebie?

b) Will HD manufacturers be able to keep up with the demand of the data packrats?

This little fella’s name is Alex. Accessibility Alex I reckon. He sounds like this. He talks kinda funny, but he can do the jumping jacks like nobody’s business. They captured him here mid-jump...or mid-jack...

7. Dual iSights

I’m sure this was something I wasn’t supposed to notice, but, sitting there looking like a monitor faced Johnny 5, on that Dual Dual (or Quad if you don’t like L’s) Demo system were two iSights! I’m surprised I haven’t read anyone else writing about this! Oh sure, one MIGHT be inclined to believe that was just for the redundant backup (used in the Time Machine demo) but that’s just what they WANT you to believe!

Hey, it’s PURPLE technology, how can you go wrong with that?

9. Cool Leopard makeover

These pages got a good ol’-fashioned (sorry, new-fangled) shiny x makeover. Hmm, if only my Keynote presentations could be put into a webpage in a similarly spiffy way. Using iWeb... Time for feedback!

10. YOU can have that X up there

No, I couldn’t let such a momentous week go by without a nice download from me. I created the X using Intaglio, even set up and cut out the gradient areas and arranged the bezel. You can download the Keynote file right here..