Apple Had Long Planned to Leave Macworld

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/17/apple-had-long-planned-to-leave-macworld/)

As more reactions come in, Apple's stock has dropped in the setting of downgrades (http://apple20.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/12/17/macworld-fallout/) by at least one financial analyst from Oppenheimer & Co. Businessweek's Arik Hesseldahl hopes (http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/12/might_apple_be.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple) that this might mean that Apple could show up at CES (http://www.cesweb.org/), though this would go against Apple's reasoning that trade shows are simply less important.

Gizmodo reports (http://gizmodo.com/5111914/apple-always-wanted-to-get-out-of-macworld) that Apple had been planning to get out of Macworld for a long time. They almost quit in 2002, but about two years ago I was sharing some wine with a friend from Apple and he told me: "We are going to phase out all trade shows". "Even MacWorld?," I asked. "Yes," he said, "MacWorld will go too. I don't know when, but it will."Readers may remember (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/10/18/BU244624.DTL&hw=MACWORLD&sn=006&sc=656) that Apple pulled out of Macworld Boston in 2002 due to disagreements with the show's organizer IDG. The Macworld Boston show was cancelled soon after.


Article Link: Apple Had Long Planned to Leave Macworld (http://www.macrumors.com/2008/12/17/apple-had-long-planned-to-leave-macworld/)

[Tallest Skil]

Should have asked him about WWDC, too. Missed opportunity right there...

[T'hain Esh Kelch]

Gotta love it. One of the major papers here in Denmark just posted an article on their webpage stating that "Steve Jobs is dying"..

O_O

Gotta love rumors. But this Steves health thing is getting out of hand.

[themoonisdown09]

As long as they still have keynotes for product releases, I really don't care if it happens at Macworld or whenever they want.

[Dmac77]

Should have asked him about WWDC, too. Missed opportunity right there...

I think WWDC will be safe. It's run by Apple, and if I'm not mistaken, they actually turn a profit on it each year.

Don

[ilfn143]

maybe psystar will have a booth there

[Dmac77]

maybe psystar will have a booth there

That must be what pissed Steve off:D

Don

[Peace]

This reasoning makes no sense considering Apple already had the biggest booths set up for this years MWSF.. If they were getting out why would they have the largest presence there ?.

[stukdog]

I see Macworld Boston pointed to quite often as the future of MWSF. That may be true, but I will say one thing. The Mac is much more popular now than it was in 2002. MUCH more.

I could see MWSF just scaled down but still acting as a yearly meet up of Mac vendors and users.

[DMann]

This was to be expected. Apple likely felt exploited by IDG, and felt even more so when requested concessions weren't met. WWDC is Apple's event, not a trade show, so it will likely continue along the same line as "Special Events" do.

[Dr. Dastardly]

I would think that WWDC would still be on.

This whole thing makes sense to me and I'm actually pretty surprised it hasn't been done before this. For the last few years people have been disappointed with MWSF and I'm sure Apple has felt the pressure to release something that might not have been quite ready for release just because its January and everyone wants something new.

This wont end press releases in general if they have some new product to show and I think the WWDC will still be on because it is a completely different kind of beast than the people who show up for MWSF.

[ebrunn]

lol at downgrading a stock over this. Major buying opportunity if it continues to fall.

[DMann]

This reasoning makes no sense considering Apple already had the biggest booths set up for this years MWSF.. If they were getting out why would they have the largest presence there ?.

Go out on a high note, whenever possible.

[alphaod]

Apple has everything planned out don't they?

Damn this is just Apple wanting control of their own events. Kind of selfish methinks.

[Peace]

Go out on a high note, whenever possible.

If you were going out on a high note you'd have Steve Jobs there.

[DMann]

If you were going out on a high note you'd have Steve Jobs there.

And he was planning to be there, until the apparent rift. Besides, he just might make a surprise appearance.

[Peace]

And he was planning to be there, until the apparent rift. Besides, he just might make a surprise appearance.

Got a link to where Apple said SJ was planning on being there?

[Tallest Skil]

Apple has everything planned out don't they?

Damn this is just Apple wanting control of their own events. Kind of selfish methinks.

The adjective you're looking for is Jobsian.

[fendol]

Whoa...

Talk about planning. If this is true, and I don't know if it is, there must be something else going on, possibly mixing shady with lazy :cool::apple:http://www.seoagora.com/img/589/d08l1104oulu/smiley2.gifhttp://www.seoagora.com/img/459/k08q1024glza/ecstatic.gifhttp://www.seoagora.com/img/308/s08e1024rvou/champagne.gif

[slapppy]

Stop panicking, the truth is he wanted a raise for his salary. $2. a year. They said no, and that started the avalanche of bad karma all around.

[DMann]

Apple has everything planned out don't they?

Damn this is just Apple wanting control of their own events. Kind of selfish methinks.

Or perhaps they were tired of the exploitation and lack of appreciation. Aside from the iPhone expo (2007), most January events have been highly criticized for lack of expected products and living up to hype. People held out buying during the holidays because of this event. Dropping the MW Expo will bring a level of sanity and equilibrium for their product announcements to some extent.

[dirtbones]

It seems to me that Apple may just be looking to get out of having to release a product every year at the beginning of January. They may have just decided that they wanted total control over the time line for new product releases.

[Peace]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

[DMann]

Got a link to where Apple said SJ was planning on being there?

http://www.andpop.com/article/12888

It was confirmed on December 12 that Steve would be giving the keynote address at Macworld 2009. Things went awry from there.

[drewsof07]

I hope Apple isn't becoming just another impersonal and greedy corporation locked inside their ivory tower.

To me, the expo's were the major thing that stood out with Apple, they didn't expect customers to "come to them," but went out and interacted with people.

I realize the developers will still meet, but a Mac convention without Apple seems weird... That's like a Star Trek convention with no trekkies (sp?) lol.

People held out buying during the holidays because of this event. Dropping the MW Expo will bring a level of sanity and equilibrium for their product announcements to some extent.
And boost sales during the holidays at least 20% probably! There is economic motivation here, I don't think it has anything to do with simply NOT wanting to be there.

[lifeinhd]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

I couldn't agree more. He'd better either make a surprise appearance, or he'd better do an interview IN PERSON asap. I'm still wondering how I'd react if I found out Jobs were dead. But let's focus on the positives, shall we? ;)

[whatever]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

Why would it be responsible for him to do an interview with a tech site. Steve Jobs is a little bit bigger than that. If he wanted to an interview he would do it on prime time TV (Larry King or something).

If Steve was sick it's debatable whether or not he would have to tell the board. But if he's healthy, he doesn't have to say anything.

[fribhey]

http://www.andpop.com/article/12888

It was confirmed on December 12 that Steve would be giving the keynote address at Macworld 2009. Things went awry from there.

the original poster asked for a link where APPLE said SJ would be there.... not some crappy blog posting a story based on some mysterious "source".

apple NEVER confirmed or even announced that Steve would be there.

[Chaszmyr]

Should have asked him about WWDC, too. Missed opportunity right there...

WWDC isn't a tradeshow, and I think it's highly unlikely to be cancelled. It serves as an opportunity for Apple to reach out to developers, promote development, and attempt to improve the quality of software coming to Apple's platforms.

With that said, Apple may or may not continue to have keynote events at WWDCs, but I think it is likely that they will for two reasons. One, it increases attendance which helps with the aforementioned things. Two, Apple schedules WWDC itself, and it's not always at the same time every year, so Apple can schedule it to correspond with product launches.

[DavidLeblond]

http://www.andpop.com/article/12888

It was confirmed on December 12 that Steve would be giving the keynote address at Macworld 2009. Things went awry from there.

Not to be picky, but he asked where Apple said Steve Jobs would be there, not a link to a random blog that states an unnamed buddy of theirs "confirmed" it.

[Small White Car]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

How would that help at all?

People are speculating that he is leaving Apple based on NOTHING.

So what if he does an interview? What would change? They'd still be basing their stories on the same nothing it's based on now.

[DMann]

the original poster asked for a link where APPLE said SJ would be there.... not some crappy blog posting a story based on some mysterious "source".

apple NEVER confirmed or even announced that Steve would be there.

Not officially, Apple likely withheld officially announcing Steve's appearance until the disputes were ironed out, which apparently didn't happen.

[BornAgainMac]

What else did that drunk Apple employee say? Switching to Intel in a few years? Mac Mini coming soon for under a grand? iPhone rumor? Mac OS X Panther details?

[DavidLeblond]

What else did that drunk Apple employee say? Switching to Intel in a few years? Mac Mini coming soon for under a grand? iPhone rumor? Mac OS X Panther details?

Headless, mid-range, G5 Powerbook tablet: definitely maybe.

[DMann]

Not to be picky, but he asked where Apple said Steve Jobs would be there, not a link to a random blog that states an unnamed buddy of theirs "confirmed" it.

Not to be picky, but if IDG was convinced prior to the dispute that Steve was giving the keynote, then he was likely planning on doing so.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/12/steve_jobs_will.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple

[econoline06]

oh noes!!11!! Apple is totally going outta business!!11!1one!

[DavidLeblond]

Not to be picky, but if IDG was convinced prior to the dispute that Steve was giving the keynote, then he was likely planning on doing so.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/12/steve_jobs_will.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple

Yeah, IDG isn't owed by Apple so that is still not Apple saying Jobs was going to be there. Not to be picky or anything. ;)

[Unspeaked]

Not to be picky, but if IDG was convinced prior to the dispute that Steve was giving the keynote, then he was likely planning on doing so.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/ByteOfTheApple/blog/archives/2008/12/steve_jobs_will.html?campaign_id=rss_blog_byteoftheapple

And what exactly was IDG going to think?

I mean, he'd done the keynote for the past decade plus.

But what IDG thinks is not necessarily the same as Apple's reality.

No where had anyone confirmed a Jobs appearance that ended up being cancelled. It was always a foregone conclusion and that's why people are surprised. That doesn't mean Apple ever had any intention of a Jobs keynote.

[DMann]

Yeah, IDG isn't owed by Apple so that is still not Apple saying Jobs was going to be there. Not to be picky or anything. ;)

IDG isn't "owed" by Apple?

Indeed, Apple owes them nothing but fulfilling their commitment to participate in their show, not to be picky or anything.

[Stridder44]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.


For the same reason Apple doesn't follow the tech trend; because he doesn't have to. I loved MacWorld too (and was lucky enough to attend one) but this makes a lot of sense for them. Sure people's panties will get a bind and fanboys will cry, stocks might temporarily drop, but a month from now you won't even care. After all, WWDC probably isn't going anywhere, and there's always the random Apple events (like "Let's Rock", etc.). The Stevenote isn't gone.

[nick9191]

Should have asked him about WWDC, too. Missed opportunity right there...

WWDC is not a trade show. It's a developer conference held by Apple. I doubt that will go, it is important for developers.

[DMann]

And what exactly was IDG going to think?

I mean, he'd done the keynote for the past decade plus.

But what IDG thinks is not necessarily the same as Apple's reality.

No where had anyone confirmed a Jobs appearance that ended up being cancelled. It was always a foregone conclusion and that's why people are surprised. That doesn't mean Apple ever had any intention of a Jobs keynote.

Are you assuming that IDG merely assumed that Steve would be giving the keynote without expressing his intention in advance? Not so, Steve's intention to give a high profile keynote such as this was expressed well in advance.

[fribhey]

Not officially, Apple likely withheld officially announcing Steve's appearance until the disputes were ironed out, which apparently didn't happen.

based on what? your hunch? or maybe you have your own mysterious "source"?

maybe apple "likely" withheld officially announcing Steve's appearance because Steve was never going to appear.

stop trying to convince everyone that it was written in stone that Steve was going to be there and that the only reason why he's not is because of some "dispute".

maybe, just maybe, Steve never ever planned on going. why you can't except that possibility is beyond me.

[DMann]

maybe, just maybe, Steve never ever planned on going. why you can't except that possibility is beyond me.

"Except" the possibility? What does that mean?

I can accept the very likelihood that Steve expressed his intention to IDG to give the Keynote in advance, and decided not to do it. I do not consider Businessweek a mysterious source.

[fribhey]

Are you assuming that IDG merely assumed that Steve would be giving the keynote without expressing his intention in advance? Not so, Steve's intention to give a high profile keynote such as this was expressed well in advance.

so you are questioning someone else's assumption based on your own assumption?

IDG is in the business to make money and the amount of money that they make depends solely on apple. it's possible they knew all along that steve wouldn't be there but kept it on the down low so it wouldn't cause vendors to drop out or to keep ticket sales from dropping off. why would IDG say from the get go that steve wouldn't be there if it meant less money in their pockets?

[dopeytree]

Awful thing to think or say but what would apple do if Steve say died or had a car crash etc?

[schneb]

maybe psystar will have a booth there

Caught me by surprise. Thanks for the chuckle.

Rudy Pedraza takes the stage in black turtleneck and jeans.

"We have some great news regarding our litigation efforts. No new hardware, just a lot of good lawyers lent to us from a fellow admirer."

[fribhey]

"Except" the possibility? What does that mean?

I can accept the very likelihood that Steve expressed his intention to IDG to give the Keynote in advance, and decided not to do it. I do not consider Newsweek a mysterious source.


so now the source is NewsWeek? the link i'm looking at says BusinessWeek, not NewsWeek....

and even that link is to a blog on BusinessWeek. anyone who cites a blog as a credible sources is a fool.

[Tallest Skil]

Awful thing to think or say but what would apple do if Steve say died or had a car crash etc?

Move on? You can't have a company tied to one man. Phil Schiller would take over as C.E.O. and Jonathan Ive would have full control over the design of products without Steve to guide.

Simple as that.

Oh, and if Steve died, the people clamoring for an xMac would actually have a chance greater than 0% of it happening.

[MacsRgr8]

WWDC is not a trade show. It's a developer conference held by Apple. I doubt that will go, it is important for developers.

Agreed.
But I think we might find out that a keynote speech from Steve could be his last there too.
I know we shouldn't speculate about his health, and I know that every source is all claiming that Apple is denying everything related to his health... but be honest, he looks in bad shape. If he were your dad, you would be concerned... I can't help feeling like that.
Also the major denials about his health.... one thing in politics: don't believe anything until it's officially denied. ;)

I also think that Apple is quite late in giving this statement, so close to MacWorld.

[Unspeaked]

Are you assuming that IDG merely assumed that Steve would be giving the keynote without expressing his intention in advance? Not so, Steve's intention to give a high profile keynote such as this was expressed well in advance.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm assuming.

I don't see why that's so difficult to imagine. As far as IDG is concerned, why would Steve Jobs suddenly decide to not give a keynote speech at Macworld San Francisco?

Obviously there was no contractual obligation on Apple's part or else this wouldn't have happened.

The fact of the matter is no one can know for sure besides those inside Apple and IDG...

[Infrared]

WWDC isn't a tradeshow, and I think it's highly unlikely to be cancelled. It serves as an opportunity for Apple to reach out to developers [...]

... and grab their wallets! ;)

[DMann]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm assuming.

I don't see why that's so difficult to imagine. As far as IDG is concerned, why would Steve Jobs suddenly decide to not give a keynote speech at Macworld San Francisco?

Obviously there was no contractual obligation on Apple's part or else this wouldn't have happened.

I'm not implying a contractual obligation to appear. Steve's intent to appear would have been expressed in advance so that they could plan their Expo accordingly. If all of this "he pulled out of giving the keynote" hype is IDG's plan to keep their participants from canceling their travel plans at the last minute, then shame on IDG for stringing people along.

[DMann]

so now the source is NewsWeek? the link i'm looking at says BusinessWeek, not NewsWeek....

and even that link is to a blog on BusinessWeek. anyone who cites a blog as a credible sources is a fool.

Well then, by your logic, anyone who cites a credible news source is equally a fool.

[MacTraveller]

The thing I miss about Macworld Expos were those after-parties. Lots of booze, lots of great (free) food. And you're surrounded by hot babes, and lots of fellow Macintosh nerds. It was heaven.

It was always tradition that you HAD to beg for passes into those exclusive after-parties (usually sponsored by bigwig companies like ATI, nVidia, Corel, Microsoft, Adobe, etc). And of course, that was in the good old days when Apple had enlisted the support of Mac-using Hollywood celebrities like Sinbad or Sandra Bullock. Those celebrities could sometimes be spotted at the better after-parties.

The end of an era.

[twoodcc]

surely, surely wwdc will stay here for a very long time. hopefully this doesn't mean wwdc is going away

[Freis968]

In the words of George Harrison..."All Things Must Pass"

[Fast Shadow]

I might believe that Apple had long planned to leave Macworld, but I don't believe that Steve planned to skip this year's keynote. People spend a lot of money to attend this conference. Admission with seats to the keynote costs thousands of dollars. Plus there is the cost of travel, hotel, etc. People attending MW 09 had to pay for this almost a full year in advance. For Steve to announce he's not doing the keynote less than a month before the event, it's a slap in the face to the people who have long since committed their time and money to attending.

[MacTraveller]

I might believe that Apple had long planned to leave Macworld, but I don't believe that Steve planned to skip this year's keynote. People spend a lot of money to attend this conference. Admission with seats to the keynote costs thousands of dollars. Plus there is the cost of travel, hotel, etc. People attending MW 09 had to pay for this almost a full year in advance. For Steve to announce he's not doing the keynote less than a month before the event, it's a slap in the face to the people who have long since committed their time and money to attending.


Why is it a slap in the face? A slap in the face against Worshippers who prioritize The Show.... The Stevenote .... over the products (the thing that matters most)? This is exactly one of the reasons (possibly not the only reason) why Steve Jobs is bowing out of the expo.

Because he realizes that his "cult of personality" could be damaging the future of the company he so loves. He finally realizes that The Show needs to die. The cult of personality needs to end. People need to start looking at Apple as a company with thousands of great employees that make great products. People need to stop carrying the stereotype that Apple is only about one man.

[Peace]

For the same reason Apple doesn't follow the tech trend; because he doesn't have to. I loved MacWorld too (and was lucky enough to attend one) but this makes a lot of sense for them. Sure people's panties will get a bind and fanboys will cry, stocks might temporarily drop, but a month from now you won't even care. After all, WWDC probably isn't going anywhere, and there's always the random Apple events (like "Let's Rock", etc.). The Stevenote isn't gone.

Stocks will continue to drop until there's a Stevenote of some kind. And the longer Apple refrains from announcing that the stock will continue to fall even more than it's "depression" levels.

"Except" the possibility? What does that mean?

I can accept the very likelihood that Steve expressed his intention to IDG to give the Keynote in advance, and decided not to do it. I do not consider Businessweek a mysterious source.

If Jobs is so arrogant to basically tell people ( the ones that spend thousands of dollars for MWSF ) to eff off he doesn't care about the stock price due to his last minute decision not to do a keynote then he should be replaced as CEO. That attitude con be equated to the CEO's of the US automakers.

Then Apple will get to shut down it's production after wasting away the lost value.

Or something else is up.

And I'm not sorry for implying anything. I will publicly apologize if I'm proven wrong by Apple,Inc.

[austinfd]

For me this is a little upsetting because now Apple holds ALL the cards when it comes to product releases. Sure, things have been creeping this way for some time, but until this week, we could count on MWSF to be a launchpad for some new products.

Now Apple is free to update and release at their whim. Good for them, but sucks for the consumers who now have to guess that the product they buy won't be upstaged by something at some unkown date.

Yeah, yeah, updates and obsolescence are all part of the deal, I know. But in my case, I just came back from living abroad for 2 years and decided to wait on buying my iPhone because MAYBE there will be an update in January. If this was the year Apple pulled out of MW, I would be left guessing.

That may be fine. A 16GB iPhone is probably sufficient. However, today, I have some power to buy or wait, becase MW is a reliable place to expect new things. After this, the customers are at the mercy to Apple product refreshes.

[CWallace]

It's probably better for Apple down the road. Rather then have to wait once a year for Apple to announce new product, they can do it whenever they want.

Of course, many of you will note, Apple has been doing just that with the iPod event and the MacBook (Pro) event. So this makes MacWorld even less important as a "launch vehicle". I mean Apple didn't even bother to announce the new Mac Pro, even though they could have waited the week or so until MacWorld and announce it then.

Let MacWorld be about the Mac community outside of Apple. Let all the third-party hardware and software folks gather and announce all their goodies and WWDC can be for the core OS and system technology announcements. And Apple can do three or four events a year highlighting new and updated hardware.

[jaw04005]

The latest MacBreak Weekly is worth a listen to for its sheer awkwardness.

Alex Lindsay interviewed Paul Kent (IDG Macworld GM) and mentioned something about Steve's usual keynote. Kent immediately cut him off and said they hadn't made any announcement regarding the keynote.

MacBreak Weekly was recorded Tuesday morning before Apple's announcement.

http://www.twit.tv/mbw119

[thejadedmonkey]

I don't think this is good news.

Apple likes to control its image. If they were planning on pulling out, they wouldn't have let the cat out of the bag like this. Instead they would have announced a year in advance that the next year's would be their last.

I think something happened where steve jobs can't give the keynote anymore (health?). I also think that he was the one who pushed MacWorld, and since he can't give keynotes anymore there's no reason for Apple to be at MacWorld.

If you put it the other way around, and Apple pulled out first, steve jobs should still be giving the keynote, AND Apple should have given more notice.

Personally, I think it's the end of an era. I expect this will be the last keynote, and also either spectacular, or a major letdown.

[Mitch1984]

This isn't all bad news it means that Apple is more likely now to release stuff out of the blue rather that predictably at Macworld.

[the vj]

Leaving the trade shows I believe is a big mistake and is even selfish.

I believe they are trying to adapt earlier to the "Apple without Steve Jobs" age and focus the attention directly to the products as the face of the company.

That is what I would do and this is the way I would be preparing on doing. There is just one Walt Disney.

On the other hand you can have a million apple stores but the personality and presence that give you a key note is what makes the difference (among others) between Apple and the rest of the manofacturers.

I can see the influence of the one after Jobs who is thinking only in the husiness side. The economy is going down and is time to cut the corners.

[DMann]

For me this is a little upsetting because now Apple holds ALL the cards when it comes to product releases. Sure, things have been creeping this way for some time, but until this week, we could count on MWSF to be a launchpad for some new products.

Now Apple is free to update and release at their whim. Good for them, but sucks for the consumers who now have to guess that the product they buy won't be upstaged by something at some unkown date.

Yeah, yeah, updates and obsolescence are all part of the deal, I know. But in my case, I just came back from living abroad for 2 years and decided to wait on buying my iPhone because MAYBE there will be an update in January. If this was the year Apple pulled out of MW, I would be left guessing.

That may be fine. A 16GB iPhone is probably sufficient. However, today, I have some power to buy or wait, becase MW is a reliable place to expect new things. After this, the customers are at the mercy to Apple product refreshes.

Perhaps having the rumors be so accurate really got to Steve.:) All in all, the MR website seems to offer a pretty accurate account as to when to expect an event, what to expect, and of the details of upcoming product and software releases. At least we still have WWDC, and, of course, reliable leaks which inevitably make it here.

[Rocketman]

Buy AAPL.

Apple, issue stock options to all employees now!

Buy out of the money call options on AAPL.

Make money.

Rocketman

[DMann]

Buy AAPL.

Apple, issue stock options to all employees now!

Buy out of the money call options on AAPL.

Make money.

Rocketman

Many thanks!

[hiimamac]

Stop panicking, the truth is he wanted a raise for his salary. $2. a year. They said no, and that started the avalanche of bad karma all around.

You mean the Mac Specialist right, wait, check that, MAC is no longer in the name, it's specialist. LOL. Had a friend who worked there and was #3 in sales all year, 1.3 million. You know what she got? NOTHING. Not even a piece of paper that others got. You know what the PAPER was for? Those that sold a high percentage of Apple Care with the Apple products. If not mistaken, they make a tiny bit more than minimum wage, in fact, I think Starbucks pays a bit better and you have a better chance of moving up as Apple retail staff is 80% part time to 20% fill time.

Just heard that many stores (RETAIL IN GENERAL, not Apple), will be closing in the next several years. Huge commercial, retail collapse.

Can't believe that Apple pays that low and that once upon a time, they used to have a pooled commission, this is no longer the case, obviously.

[bailorg]

This isn't all bad news it means that Apple is more likely now to release stuff out of the blue rather that predictably at Macworld.

If so, why are we still waiting until this MacWorld for updates and/or overhauls to current products?

The timing of this just reeks of either incompetence or desperation. If this has been the plan all along then there are two options for a competent, non-panic inducing strategy change:
1. Cancel months in advance and openly announce the new strategy
2. Do the full Stevenote as expected and then announce the next day that this was the last one while we still have a buzz from the Stevenote and new/updated products. And on the plus side, no fans/developers would have wasted money on a deflated conference.

The other option, desperation, would imply that something is wrong, either in terms of Jobs' health or internal Apple politics.

Neither explanation really reflects well on Apple.

Oh yeah, just to reminder people of what Apple was like sans Jobs and the extent to which Jobs and friends helped save Apple, here's a link to the full Jobs presentation to MacWorld Boston in 1997:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEHNrqPkefI

[RobertD63]

This reasoning makes no sense considering Apple already had the biggest booths set up for this years MWSF.. If they were getting out why would they have the largest presence there ?.
I thought they had the largest presence in all of the expos the attend?

[robbyx]

As I pointed out in another thread, Jobs has never been a big fan of trade shows. Back at NeXT, he killed NeXTWORLD. After returning to Apple, he killed MacWorld/East. And now he's killing MacWorldSF.

And can you really blame him? These trade shows impose a release schedule on Apple that is, at the very least, outside the company's control. Who is IDG to tell Apple when to announce new products? Before the Internet, it made better sense. But now, between the net and a chain of stores coast to coast, Apple really doesn't need trade shows at all.

Then there's the hype/expectation factor, all the rumors (many absurd) leading up to the event, the post-event "let down", etc. That has to get old. And now his personal life and health is under a microscope, something a notoriously private guy must find very irritating.

Bottom line is this...we, techies who spend our time debating these matters on sites like MR, represent a TINY percentage of Apple's overall customer base. The majority of customers couldn't care less about MacWorld. Many probably have never even heard of it, much less attended. They know Apple from the TV ads and their local Apple Store. That's what matters. Apple should be able to announce products when it pleases and shouldn't be held hostage by the expectations of a few, arguably very loyal customers.

[Eric S.]

I see Macworld Boston pointed to quite often as the future of MWSF. That may be true, but I will say one thing. The Mac is much more popular now than it was in 2002. MUCH more.

But not many of those with whom it is newly popular go to Macworld.

And he was planning to be there, until the apparent rift. Besides, he just might make a surprise appearance.

Phil's "Oh, and one more thing"?

[Winni]

I hope Apple isn't becoming just another impersonal and greedy corporation locked inside their ivory tower.

"You have been living in a dream world, Neo."

Apple has been an impersonal, greedy corporation locked inside their own ivory tower - and reality distortion field - for more than 30 years now.

[kas23]

This whole situation is very of fishy. It's kind of interesting to see how Apple's trying to scramble around in a half-assed attempt to control the damage. If it is true they always wanted to pull out for a long time, why didn't they announce it the end of last year's show? Why wait until less than 2 months before the show to announce this? No, this certainly wasn't planned. Or, as someone else pointed out, it wasn't planned to have Phil step in to do the keynote. Something is deifinitely going on that we don't know about. Apple is not a bunch of stupid people, they knew that if they pulled a stunt like this, the stock would fall. I certainly don't think they would "plan" such a stunt.

And where's Jobs right now. People are losing a lot of money right now and Apple is very well aware of it. Steve can't be so stubborn to just pop his head out and say "I'm all right. Everyone calm down," is he? What a jerk if he's just going to sitting comfortably on the sidelines as AAPL diminishes in price. But, I really don't think that's the case though.

[Winni]

WWDC is not a trade show. It's a developer conference held by Apple. I doubt that will go, it is important for developers.

Yep. It's just that developers have never been really important for Apple.

[tonyl]

No Apple for Macworld? What's the Macworld for?

[badNameErr]

Yep. It's just that developers have never been really important for Apple.

That's right. The support of MS, Adobe, Quark, etc has never had anything to do with Apple's survival.

[faroukabad]

In the words of George Harrison..."All Things Must Pass"

oh, give me a break. Are we back in the seventies, now? Woah, man, heavy duty, take another hit......

[Bevz]

Even if pulling out of the show was part of a longer master plan (which is perfectly reasonable), I still think the way apple announced it (i.e. at the last minute and that SJ won't be doing the last keynote) is very inelegant! Either they have absolutely no idea whatsoever about how to handle the press (which i struggle to believe) or something else has driven this... I'm not trying to say it's down to SJ's health, i'm just saying that IMHO something forced apples hand and they HAD to announce it when they did otherwise why do it the way they did? Could be designed to just annoy the Macworld organizers or just that SJ got pissed off with doing keynotes and they realized at the last minute they didn't really have anything to present.... Whatever the reason, i don't think the timing of this cludgy, rushed announcement was part of that grander plan!!

[sebastianlewis]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

Or maybe he cares about his personal privacy more than he cares about answering to damned shareholders who think the fate of a single company rests on a single man's shoulders.

Sebastian

[sjo]

Even if pulling out of the show was part of a longer master plan (which is perfectly reasonable), I still think the way apple announced it (i.e. at the last minute and that SJ won't be doing the last keynote) is very inelegant! Either they have absolutely no idea whatsoever about how to handle the press (which i struggle to believe) or something else has driven this... I'm not trying to say it's down to SJ's health, i'm just saying that IMHO something forced apples hand and they HAD to announce it when they did otherwise why do it the way they did? Could be designed to just annoy the Macworld organizers or just that SJ got pissed off with doing keynotes and they realized at the last minute they didn't really have anything to present.... Whatever the reason, i don't think the timing of this cludgy, rushed announcement was part of that grander plan!!

well maybe they had planned something to announce, but apple probably got some indication of the thanksgiving holiday sales, which are generally provide insight of the seasons sales in general, and decided against significant new product introductions.

due to the economic situation, early next year will generally not be the best time to announce or bring to market anything. the shops will be full of stuff from the holiday season that needs to be discounted and moved out of the stores and warehouses before it's reasonable to introduce anything new. it would just sell badly and possibly damage further the prices of the excess stock.

as for stock price, they had the choice of taking the hit now, or taking the hit later (when not introducing anything in macworld). if the assumption of low seasonal sales is right, apples stock is probably going to take another hit later on anyway. and if the there's significant amount of products unsold that needs to be discounted and sales jan-mar will dive because of that, apples stock might well take third hit.

[OriginalMacRat]

What's the Macworld for?

The same thing all the IDG conferences are for.

To make money for IDG.

[TiggsPanther]

Or maybe he cares about his personal privacy more than he cares about answering to damned shareholders who think the fate of a single company rests on a single man's shoulders.

Sebastian

Plus it could be absolutely anything. Major health scare. Minor health scare, but with advised bed-rest. Simple desire to hibernate during December. Family crisis.

It could simply be that something has cropped up that isn't earth-shattering but doesn't warrant public inspection. If he wants to keep to himself then he has every right to try. At least, unlike some TV/movie/music "stars" he's not crying for privacy at the same time as going out nightclubbing.

[kas23]

Or maybe he cares about his personal privacy more than he cares about answering to damned shareholders who think the fate of a single company rests on a single man's shoulders.

Sebastian

As the CEO of a coorporation and being on its Board of Directors, Steve Jobs has a direct responsiblility towards AAPL's shareholders, privacy or not. FYI, I own no AAPL shares.

While I also don't believe the fate of Apple falls directly on Jobs's shoulders, the leader of a company can certainly determines its fate. See: Jerry Yang.

[wbeasley]

IMHO. If there were no problems with Job's health he would do the responsible CEO thing and do an interview with a tech site. But he hasn't. Either he doesn't care that Apple stock is going down because of this news or he can't.

If his financial security is tied to the share value, don't you think he'd be caring about the stock price?

Why is everyone so reactionary? I hope he is well but when you run a big company, you get to choose what you do.

I had a (non-IT) company and we attended trade shows. Over the past 7 years I saw every year the costs go up and the returns go down. This year the company didn't attend the largest industry event on the calender. Guess what? It was the worst trade show ever and those who did exhibit lost heaps of money.

Once upon a time trade shows were a great way to introduce yourselves to customers, convert fence-sitters and press the flesh with customers. These days, with daily blogs, online reviews, search engines, trial software trade events are no longer the best bang-per-buck. There's so little new for release at a show that most people dont want to travel or spend the money/effort to go along.

In hard financial times, it gets even harder to justify.

It's a good decision for Apple to pull out of trade shows and to concentrate on their own events. It's probably even good for the smaller companies who attend trade shows as their products won't be overshadowed by Apple.

On the downside, trade shows rely on pulling power. Without a major drawcard they might struggle and die. These things go in cycles.

[AtariKee]

It's as though many of you actually WANT Apple to fail...

[djgamble]

pfff everybody knows afterwards...

I could have said:
"Oh I called steve back in 1999 and he told me they were planning to stop doing Macworld..."

[dernhelm]

I hope Apple isn't becoming just another impersonal and greedy corporation locked inside their ivory tower.


As opposed to what? An impersonal, greedy corporation that comes out once a year to put on a big show?

Apple never had your best interest at heart. It was insanity to think so.

But they are the best at figuring out what people want and how to deliver it. And in all actuality, MacWorld had absolutely nothing to do with that. MacWorld was little more than a large pep rally.

That said, I'll still miss it.

[Vip]

No More ;-)

V

[TiggsPanther]

But they are the best at figuring out what people want and how to deliver it. And in all actuality, MacWorld had absolutely nothing to do with that. MacWorld was little more than a large pep rally.

As well as being something potentially harmful to their income cycle.

For most companies, the pre-Christmas buying season is the big shopping event of the year. People buy things for themselves. People buy things for others. People spend money from December 26th onwards that they only received on the 25th.
And in many cases, people can make purchases knowing that products have been released just in time for this.

MWSF being in January means that many tech-savvy people actually stop buying from November onwards anything Apple-based that hasn't been immediately released, expecting a January reveal (and possibly release).
This can then extend to not requesting Aple products from friends/family, not buying it for friends/family and recommending others hold off on purchases.

Yes, it's mostly just delaying an inevitable sale buy a month or two. But it's also meaning that Apple's sales risk a temporary dip when other companies are getting a spike.

Maybe they just figured that having people not expect anything in January might be better for the December bottom-line. Especially now that financial situations are somewhat tighter, it might make more sense to try and grab people's spending attention during one of the main shopping seasons of the year. Not having the main (actual or expected) releases happening just after the big push.

[johnmcboston]

It's as though many of you actually WANT Apple to fail...

There's a long line of companies that either failed or lost direction once the founder, who was always the source of the company vision, was no longer in control. We saw Apple go that direction the first time SJ left.

[johnmcboston]

And can you really blame him? These trade shows impose a release schedule on Apple that is, at the very least, outside the company's control. Who is IDG to tell Apple when to announce new products?

Isn't this personally Apple's fault as well? IDG doesn't tell Apple/Jobs to release products. Steve is a great speaker, and can come and talk about anything and just give us a nice talk. Some time ago Steve used the exposure to talk about new products and company releases, so now we've come to expect it. Today, if Steve just gave a nice lecture, we'd probably rip him apart for not announcing a product...

[lftrghtparadigm]

"as more reactions come in..."


LOL get a grip.


Let me refer you a book called, "Things That Matter, Things That Don't"

[SactoGuy18]

And can you really blame him? These trade shows impose a release schedule on Apple that is, at the very least, outside the company's control. Who is IDG to tell Apple when to announce new products? Before the Internet, it made better sense. But now, between the net and a chain of stores coast to coast, Apple really doesn't need trade shows at all.


In fact, I can see Apple going to this route to announce new products:

April--new iMacs and Mac Pro desktops
June during WWDC--new iPhone models plus previews of the next MacOS X update
September--new iPod models
October--new MacBook models

This allows for very tight control of the announcements and at a lot lower cost to Apple.

[bergmef]

What I'm hoping for is when apple does have a release/media event, they start streaming the video .... at least into the stores so we can watch live.

Personally, I'm not shocked or upset. With the other pull-outs from this event and CES and having less of a presence at other shows it should have been expected. It is an IDG event anyway. Now if they cancel an apple event like WWDC, then an explanation would be hoped for.

[VicMacs]

well, I went last year for the first time and didnt get the chance to go into the keynote, this year I saved my money to see Steve live, and I have to PAY to see Phil Schiller? Hes cool and all but he better have some free iphones to make up for the stevelessness.

[Eric S.]

In fact, I can see Apple going to this route to announce new products:

April--new iMacs and Mac Pro desktops
June during WWDC--new iPhone models plus previews of the next MacOS X update
September--new iPod models
October--new MacBook models

This allows for very tight control of the announcements and at a lot lower cost to Apple.

It seems like this move is designed precisely to move them away from a fixed schedule for product announcements.

[IJ Reilly]

As the CEO of a coorporation and being on its Board of Directors, Steve Jobs has a direct responsiblility towards AAPL's shareholders, privacy or not.

Correct. Apple has long needed to be far more upfront about Steve's health issues, if only because his ability to continue running Apple so clearly has a bearing on the value of the company to investors. They didn't need to share intimate details, just something more definite than the extremely few, vague words they did offer. Steve can have complete privacy when he retires -- until then, he's the very visible CEO of a major corporation. When you've been entrusted with other people's money, you don't get to live your life as a completely closed book.

[blindzero]

If his financial security is tied to the share value, don't you think he'd be caring about the stock price?

Why is everyone so reactionary? I hope he is well but when you run a big company, you get to choose what you do.


Exactly.

This is just one piece of news that affects the stock price for a day or two. The stock is more affected by the recession (obviously) and the lack of growth projections because it looks like Apple's industry isn't impervious to the recession (unlike a few industries like video games which are growing just fine but whose stocks are STILL hit hard)

People need to Lighten up. Everyone's sky is falling talk doesn't help at all. I mean it's friggin MacWorld. Big deal. Move on.

EDIT: Cutting the costs associated with these things is much better than cutting actual jobs like so many other companies.

[pubwvj]

I'm not too surprised. With the web who needs trade shows? The Internet has replaced what shows used to do, besides the carousing and partying. It is much more efficient and environmentally friendly to skip the shows and use online resources. In-person meetings and travel are so passé.

Our company dumped trade shows over ten years ago. I stopped going to them too. Live is now less stressful, more pleasant and we still have the sales thanks to the web.

Apple's just getting with the times.

[VicMacs]

I think shows do save up time for us resellers and distributors, you get to meet the top people of a company and chances are that you will do business with them and meeting is just better than sending an online applicaton, they know youre for real and it vanishes the hassles of modern day fraud and skepticism.

And also you get to see products you wouldnt have had the chance to see because there are just so many out there that it is very hard to reaearch and find the best products among the rest. After my first MacWorld my sales have skyrocketed and I believe it is majorly due to the new products and pricing I brought back from macworld. I dont know if its a good trip for normal consumers but for resellers and distributors its a must.

[pubwvj]

And also you get to see products you wouldnt have had the chance to see because there are just so many out there that it is very hard to reaearch and find the best products among the rest. After my first MacWorld my sales have skyrocketed and I believe it is majorly due to the new products and pricing I brought back from macworld. I dont know if its a good trip for normal consumers but for resellers and distributors its a must.

Interesting thought. I have only thought about it from the consumer angle and the producer angle. But if the resellers and distributors are benefiting so much from the trade shows then perhaps they should fund the trade shows. We sell direct to consumers and businesses, thus cutting out the distributors. The web has made this even easier for us.

[numediaman]

The same thing all the IDG conferences are for.

To make money for IDG.

And why is that bad?

I guess someone has to defend the media, so here goes: someone has to deliver news and information, and without a way to make profits there is no way writers can do their jobs.

I know that MacWorld profits from Apple, but it also profits from every other company that profits from Apple. In other words, if no one profits from Apple no one will support Apple. This was the basic lesson exploited by Microsoft many years ago.

MacWorld has probably gone on long enough, but I really can't blame IDG here. The real problem is that trade shows, in general, are getting a bad reputation because of ridiculous fees for things like in-booth Internet, waste basket dumping and other stupid fees that are out of control. No one likes the fees associated with trade shows (I received a notice that it will cost my company almost a thousand dollars for an internet connection at a show where we spend less than two thousand for the booth space itself).

[AidenShaw]

No one likes the fees associated with trade shows (I received a notice that it will cost my company almost a thousand dollars for an internet connection at a show where we spend less than two thousand for the booth space itself).

Bring your own.... (3G to WiFi router)

http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/image/wireless/kr1-router.jpg

http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kr1-router/

[chatin]

Definitly the wrong time to drop this bomb on the opinion leaders that float this company. I heard on Mac OS Ken D6 that there may be a silent protest at the keynote. (No applause please!)