Apple, where's the software?
The Apple event today went mostly as we expected. We got the iPad Mini we were expecting (though the fourth-generation iPad was a surprise), we got a new MacBook Pro and a new iMac, and we heard a lot about the many millions of iThings that have been sold (if you made a drinking game hinging upon the word "millions" at an Apple event, you'd have passed out in the first 30 minutes). As a software reviewer, however, I have to say there wasn't very much for me to talk about.We heard a little bit about iBooks getting continuous scrolling, and another tidbit about the iBookstore and iBooks Author. But with so much talk around the Web about problems in iOS 6, the Apple Maps app, and the coming launch of a redesigned iTunes, I expected at least a mention of progress on those fronts. Apple Maps received an enormous amount of criticism across all the tech sites after the iOS 6 launch, later resulting in Apple's Tim Cook issuing a formal (yet respect-worthy) apology for the app's lack of readiness for prime time. We did our own tests, incidentally, but this horse can't really take more of a beating. Still, I thought Apple would at least give us a progress report on the Maps app.I was ready to review the new iTunes and check out this enhanced mini player, but it's not happening today.CNETThen, at the iPhone 5 launch a little over a month ago, we were told that the revamped iTunes 11 was coming in October. Looking at the calendar, there aren't many days left in the month, so where was the announcement?There are lot of people -- both Mac and Windows users -- ready for a new look, cleaner layout, and hopefully some kind of speed boost to Apple's media hub, but there was not even a peep at the event. I'm guessing this means we'll see the new iTunes in the next few days, but why not give us a date?Obviously, it turns out today's Apple event was more about hardware than software and there's plenty to be exited about in what was released. But it just seems like, with the recent software-related problems and the promise of a new iTunes, there should have been at least an acknowledgement of future releases on the horizon.
