An Apple a Day ...

Apple already has revealed quite a bit information about Mac OS X 10.5, or "Leopard," and iPhone. Today's keynote will be about what Apple hasn't disclosed. Jobs in the spotlight and his usual delivery of "one last thing" mean much that is still secret will be revealed today.

So what will Jobs talk about, or more importantly, what should he reveal?

Windows Vista
Cancellation of Microsoft's developer conference and repeated reports of mediocre Vista interest set the stage for Apple to upstage the new Windows version. Apple is going to try doing to Microsoft what Microsoft did to so many competitors in the 1980s and 1990s: use a slightly more recent product release to make the competing recently released product seem outdated—in this case ancient. "Been there, done that" should be a recurrent theme of the developer conference.

That said, Apple has yet to show its enterprise chops—that it's serious about selling to businesses or making gains where PC sales are strongest: emerging markets. Jobs is like one of those Three-card Monte tricksters on the streets of New York. While Jobs may not cheat people, he still works the sleight of hand and misdirection. He will make Leopard out to be much bigger than it really is compared with Vista. The bloggers, reporters and developer conference attendees may buy it, but the hype is more hot air if businesses don't buy it, meaning actually deploying Leopard.

iPhone
Apple took a great risk disclosing so many iPhone details back in January because surely there would be imitators even before the device launch. They're here already, with the HTC Touch being one example. Jobs has said lots about iPhone, but he should say lots more. Sorely missing: synchronization, a feature whose importance I blogged last week.

Apple should offer content synchronization with .Mac and iLife, the latter beyond iTunes. The Web services component would be crucial to meeting the connected vision already outlined for iPhone. Apple could truly differentiate iPhone if content is easily and seamlessly moved from Mac and .Mac (and even Apple TV) to and from iPhone. Apple should also offer new Web services from other providers. Google Maps is the start and by no means the finish.

For iPod to be a digital lifestyle hub, as Apple has positioned the Mac, Apple should increase the number of content sources. Integration with .Mac, where Apple Mail is a tipster of what's coming, should include blogging to at least .Mac and some synchronization capability with iLife application iWeb.

As for the device, Apple should disclose another one to two dozen new features or capabilities.

.Mac
The Web is abuzz with rumors of an unholy Apple-Google services alliance. Apple shouldn't do Google Web services, even if the rumors prove to be true. While .Mac needs some overhaul, Google would be a potentially disruptive force. Apple does its best work when delivering an end-to-end experience. Google's productivity application suite, calendaring and other services would not only disrupt Apple end-to-end delivery but compete with other Apple products or services. Apple could tap into some Google services through APIs (application programming interfaces) similar to Google Maps on iPhone. But Apple shouldn't go where the soothsayers and rumor mongers predict.

Apple should extend more iLife, Mac OS and iPhone capabilities to the Web and make available more APIs to developers. Apple does synchronization quite well. Apple should establish three, rather than the one, digital lifestyle hubs: iPhone, .Mac and Mac OS X. There is little developer opportunity around iPod.

I won't predict specific features. It's the approach that matters: three hubs connected around products that people use everyday—the Web, the PC and the mobile device—and content moving easily among them.

iLife
Jobs should talk about a new iLife version, but I wonder if he will. The iLife suite is the centerpiece of Apple's digital lifestyle strategy and a huge differentiator for the Mac. If iPhone is really going to succeed, .Mac and iTunes aren't enough. Jobs should announce iLife for Windows and a new version for Mac OS X. It's about time for a new iWork version, too, with the rumored spreadsheet. By the way, iWork is reason enough for Apple to stay away from Google's online productivity suite, unless there is tapping of APIs for online collaboration and subset of services features.

Leopard
Mac OS X 10.5 is Apple's immediate future. The operating system will be center stage all week, and there will be renewed emphasis on courting Windows developers. Microsoft's canceled developer conference is just too big an opportunity for Apple to pass up.

Jobs should emphasize features that compete with Vista. Vista-buster features front and center: Core Animation, 64-bit capabilities Spaces and Time Machine.

I'm short on time and will add this: Jobs is an amazing showman, who emphasizes strengths while ignoring or even de-emphasizing product weaknesses. When Jobs is having an off day, people walk out of his keynote feeling like if they buy the new product they're lives will be better. If Jobs is really on, people walk out with the sense they're lives will be worse if they don't buy the new product.

Finally, something really bugs me about last week's D Conference, where Jobs and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates answered questions together. Gates spoke about Surface Computing, and Jobs made a coy can't-talk-about-Apple-products statement like something new would be coming. Soon. Apple should release this year a touch-screen iMac with the gesture technology used in iPhone.

That's my two cents on what Apple should do. In a few hours we will know what Apple has done.

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• Can Microsoft Be the Wrench in Google Gears? , Microsoft Watch, June 6, 2007
• Microsoft Scratches the Surface, Microsoft Watch, May 30, 2007
• PDC R.I.P. Means What?, Microsoft Watch, May 25, 2007
• What Would You Ask Bill and Steve?, Microsoft Watch, May 24, 2007
• Apple to Developers: Get a Mac, Microsoft Watch, March 19, 2007
• Vista Ads Are 'Lost' and Found, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 8, 2007
• This Year's Other Big Developer Conference, Microsoft Watch, Feb. 6, 2007
• Where's the 'You' in iPhone?, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 8, 2007
• Gates & Jobs: Substance vs. Style, Microsoft Watch, Jan. 7, 2007