[twargoth]

No iOS product would crap itself like that during a keynote demo. Sure, I've had them panic and reboot on me in real world use, but Apple takes the time to make sure the demo runs smoothly.

When you can't or don't make your demo run smoothly during a high visibility presentation, it makes you look careless, either in the development of your product or of your demo. In either case, it reeks of incompetence. This might not be a justified impression (accidents happen), but that's how life is.

[dangrossman]

No iOS product comes close to the complexity of a Microsoft Dynamics product either, nor are developers at Apple expected to develop and demo such complex products on pre-beta operating systems created by a different group.

[twargoth]

You're right about apple developers not being expected to demo apps on pre-beta software. Because doing that makes your software look shitty.

Don't do that. Or script out the demo really carefully.

PR exists to make the products look good.

[rbanffy]

Wasn't it just a user interface for Dynamics running somewhere else?

[timothya]

Problems during the iPhone 4 keynote: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qivCeSIaKA

Other Apple keynote bloopers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCZgqoQSGu4

Software is buggy sometimes, that's just life, and Apple is not immune to it. The best a company can do is have a backup system that they can quickly switch to so they can continue the demo.

[nkassis]

Apple doesn't make a habit of demoing products still in development. In there case when things crash (as they've done in the past) they don't really have a good excuse when that code will get released in a few days.

Microsoft isn't done they have until October minus 1 month for manufacturing to go.