First photos from Apple's WWDC site highlight App Store success

AppleInsider reader Alan Jackson burnt the midnight oil on Wednesday to deliver this Flickr album of 22 photos he snapped outside the Moscone West Tuesday evening, the conference hall where Apple will deliver its inaugural keynote early next week and proceed into individual training sessions.

The photos show workers adhering a trademark white Apple logo to the upper glass facade of the conference facility just before sundown. Jumbo-sized App Store icons were later seen strewn around the lower glass near the hall's entrance.

Only one banner is visible from the photos: a sprawling New Year's-themed piece peppered with confetti of App Store icons and the calling phrase "One year later. Light-years ahead" — obviously in reference to the App Store's blistering success that has left rivals and the industry in awe.

Nothing related to Mac OS X or Snow Leopard can be seen from the photos, suggesting that this year's conference may follow in the footsteps of last year's, where the Mac took a back seat to iPhone-related disclosures.

Apple has promised to equip developers with a near finalized copy of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard during the conference, but recent reports suggest new iPhone hardware introductions could steal the spotlight.

A team of Apple executives led by marketing chief Phil Schiller will kick off WWDC 2009 with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.