Time Machine looks nice but the Star Trek background is just crazy geeky. I was wondering what UI conventions were in place when this was designed - I mean, it entirely throws the UI out the window. That's fubar. ("Press the Cancel button and launch yourself into... hyperspaaaaaace!") C'mon, where's the "Pro" mode once I start getting tired of those animations? And thanks for getting rid of the dock and menu bar. Sheesh. WTF.
To-do lists in Mail are killer. I already mail myself to-dos at home and at work (usually from one to the other), so a smart client would be nice. (Although, I do have a rule set up in lowly Outlook for them, and it works fine.) It's only a matter of time before there's a bridge between Apple's to-do, Apple iCal, and Basecamp/Backpack. I was annoyed, however, that Mail's lame-ass toolbar icons weren't changed. They're an anamoly. Get rid of them, please.
Finally, I think the iChat upgrade is a very, very wise - but quiet - play for businesses. Yes, you can do video backgrounds and photo backgrounds. (I IMmed Dave that it would be smart to record footage of one's office, and then give everyone the impression that one was always working.) The iPhoto slideshows with video are very slick, great for family, but the Keynote presentations and even the iPhoto shows are awesome for business. If I work remotely and need to show a bunch of slides, for instance, I don't have to do a WebEx or LiveMeeting or any crap like that. That is nice. That's very nice!
And being able to share desktops over iChat is a total play for business. I can't tell you how many times I've done that with Windows, and I can't tell you how many times it's pissed me off. If it's pulled off elegantly - now only a 50/50 shot with Apple given Time Machine - it's going to be a godsend. I mean, if my mother-in-law is having problems with her Mac mini, I can just ask her to let me see the desktop. That's how it should be on any operating system.
All in all, the announcements yesterday were solid but not out-of-the-park, and that's okay. The Mac Pro looks great of course, and the base configuration finally has an acceptable amount of memory (1GB!)... but I'm still hoping for an updated Finder. Aren't we all?