MAX Day 1 Keynote Thoughts
I'm scrambling to get these notes online while they're still fresh in my mind and while I can still decode my scribbled notes. I will be trying to edit and refine these throughout the day.
- Keynote kicked off with a hilarious presentation by Ze Frank who had made a name for himself a few years ago with his "Learn to Dance" website. He spoke to how Macromedia has changed all of our lives. Funny stuff
- According to Macromedia CEO Stephen Elop there are over 3000 in attendance at MAX 2005
- A short mention was made of the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort in New Orleans, the site of last year's MAX confernce.
- Flash Player 8 has already been downloaded 100 million times which equates to 400,000 downloads during today's keynote
- Macromedia really strives to listen to audience, hence redesign of tech notes and online knowledge database. 400,000 queries last month
- SAP in huge partnership with Macromedia to use FLEX technology inside of SAP's NetWeaver product. This was demoed and looked great.
- Elop made a couple of good slams against Microsoft and they're efforts to build good user experience into their websites and their OS. Also slammed their efforts to build a Flash-killer application. He said, "I've got two words for Microsoft: 'Try Again!'" Zing.
- Kevin Lynch spoke about the new Flash Player 8.5 and claimed that will be at least 1000% faster than FP8
- Plugged the new Macromedia Labs as the go to place to see new experiments and download alphas of new products
- Demoed future "pie in the sky" proof-of-concept travel applications as well as a killer POC of a future home media center application. That one was a real crowd pleaser. Cue the future!
- Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen popped on stage at the close of the keynote to speak a bit of the Adobe/Macromedia merger (albeit more a tease due to legal constraints) and said that the deal should be closed in the next few weeks. Basically tried to pump up the audience and keep them from losing the faith as it were. Crowd seemed very into him and appreciative of what he had to say. Man, that guy seems a ton more intense that Elop
- Chizen said that after seeing what Macromedia has been up to, he really feels like he got a good deal with the price he paid for Macromedia. No mention of the new name.
Posted: Monday, October 17 2005 @ 3:42 PM
Categories: MAX
1. | On October 17, 2005 4:42 PM, Jay added:
