Apple’s decision not to attend Macworld might mean any of the following:
- – Yeah, maybe Steve Jobs is really ill. It’s none of our business, though
- – Apple no longer wishes to indulge the trade show industry
- – Apple would rather present stuff on its own agenda, to its own timetable, when there is stuff ready to present. And if it wishes to hire a big room in which to do so, it will certainly have the money to do that
- – Apple would rather devote itself to WWDC
- – Perhaps, given the success of the iPhone, Apple would rather devote its energies to publicising and marketing the iPhone and the App Store
What Apple’s decision not to attend Macworld might NOT mean:
- – All of the above
- – Any other speculation you read elsewhere today
Meanwhile, keep injecting the rumor sites if that’s what grabs you. New Mac minis! Some kind of netbook! iPhones on skis! Yeah yeah yeah; it’s all just hot air and page impressions until Phil Schiller stands on that stage. And even after that, it’ll mostly be page impressions.
12 responses to “Apple’s Last Macworld: Don’t Panic”
Apple is a big enough presence now that it doesn’t need, or want, to be tied to these media events to announce new products. Indeed, it is probably counter productive to raise expectations or to have product development cycles dictated by macworld events. I’m actually surprised they lasted this long. With so much of an industry built around Apple’s products these events have generated little interest anyway of late. I’d much rather see events built up around specific sectors of users where Apple has a strong presence, such as graphic arts and photography in the way that Photoshop World manages. Ultimately, this decision is the outcome of success.
I think this idea of Steve not being there for (potentially) the last MacWorld ever isn’t a good idea on Apple’s part… it’s just going to breed speculation that his health is declining. I hope that’s not the case. Kind of a double whammy to say that Apple is no longer going to attend something so traditional for so many years and at the same time say Steve will not attend.
Something doesn’t seem right about this. I just hope it was only a bad PR move on Apple’s part… but, that’s not really like Apple, is it?
O_o
Steve’s health is our business if he can no longer perform properly as CEO, and giving the keynotes was one of his greatest contributions. I agree that if he has health issues that do not impact his ability, then it is none of our business.
Yeah, actually Steve Jobs health is our business. He made Apple, he revived Apple and he brought Apple to it’s current massive success. Steve Jobs IS Apple.
Without him the company has a far smaller chance of survival.
This is the new Apple where Jobs take a back seat and the management team takes the spot light. It’s time for the world to look at Apple that Jobs is not the sum but a member of the team. A good move.
@Rick: I actually thought a lot about this last night, and I think you’re right, but I disagree with your end conclusion that it’s in Apple’s best interest to avoid gatherings like this.
I completely agree that Apple is big enough that they can call a press conference in a heartbeat: all they need is a flashy logo that says “new tunes” and the rumors are flying about a DRM-free iTunes or a new band or label deal or new iPods or something else, so they hardly are in the position they were in several years ago when MacWorld and WWDC were the only two events where Apple and Apple users and fans could gather enough people and media attention to make an announcement really worthwhile.
Here’s where we differ though – I think Apple is doing a disservice to the developer and trade communities that propped them up and worked symbiotically with them for such a long period of time when Apple couldn’t raise a journalist’s eyebrow unless it was about rumors of a merger with Sun or IBM or the company’s outright death. By abandoning the community that worked so hard to help Apple succeed (and by no doubt succeeded on their own), I think Apple may be spiting its face in an inevitable future where Apple loses its luster again. We all want Apple to be successful forever, but I fear for the day when Apple is back in the ditch, supported mainly by fans and hardcore Apple lovers, but this time without a development community because they felt abandoned by moves like this.
There was a time when MacWorld and WWDC meant Apple was saying “thank you for standing with us, we’ll be there,” and now I’m worried this announcement means Apple is saying “we’re too good for you,” like a kid who suddenly struck it popular in a schoolyard.
Maybe you actually have to be at the show to feel that energy though – podcasts fly out of MacWorld and WWDC, deals are made, developers are hired, software is acquired, venture capital is arranged – all on the expo floor where the small developers who can afford a booth show off their latest widget or application or iPod case or Macbook skin. I can’t count the number of nobody developers got their start by renting a booth at MacWorld or the WWDC, and without Apple at the show, it won’t be long until the other large names like Adobe and Google pull out as well and the show dies off at worst or becomes a joke at best. And all of those developers who depend on the show to announce products or software, or want to use the show as a platform to launch their businesses will be left without a real avenue to do it – except maybe CES.