WSJ:

The reviews are in for Apple Inc.’s first-ever online-only software conference: Virtual tech conferences can work.

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference last week became a bellwether for the potential of corporate gatherings that take place exclusively online as the coronavirus pandemic makes physical conferences impossible.

Developers said they missed the serendipitous social interactions of in-person conferences, but many praised the sharp production and easier access of this year’s event, which was streamed free for eligible participants.

This year, the keynote was prerecorded, featuring senior Apple employees presenting without a live audience from various settings around Apple Park, the company’s 2.8-million-square-foot circular headquarters. Apple said tens of millions of people watched the keynote Monday.

It may give them hope but few if any have the ability execute across the board like Apple does.