Apple's Macworld Exit Due to Politics Not Health Issues?

[i.mac]

I can understand why they would stop going to macworld, but why wouldn't steve do the last keynote?

he is tired?

he wants to be with his family?

he is going to Disney in Orlando?

he has a date with his kids?

he is going to retire (I would in his case... a long time ago)?

he does not want to do what he had to do last time (nothing)?

he thinks that union guys at the expo are not worth his money?

he reached the last of his goals at Apple (iphone)?

he wants to visit the Loire valley in France (if you have not gone there, you should)?

he wants to go skying?

 

[Michael CM1]

This quote from Apple Representative Steve Dowling to CNET may explain why.

"Phil is giving the keynote because this will be Apple's last year at the show," Dowling said. "It doesn't make sense for us to make a major investment in a trade show we will no longer be attending."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10124713-37.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0

It sure sounds like they're sending Schiller to sort of "finish it off."

Kinda like Dick Cheney sending George W. Bush to Iraq? (I had to, I HAD to)

 

[Lesser Evets]

WEEKEND AT STEVE'S

They are propping up the body just so stocks won't plummet to 0.000.
Balmer and Gates are shuffling him around to avoid some kind of Monopoly war cry from the Feds.

 

[liptonlover]

I'm not going to attempt to explain why, I'm just sad that there won't be a stevenote... I've always looked forward to those. He could talk about their first foray into phonebooks and I'd watch it. What he talks about is great, but I just love seeing him on stage talking to an enraptured crowd. It's a beautiful thing. *sob*

 

[Le Big Mac]

I think this is a penny-wise decision on Apple's part. Sure Apple can give a special event at any time and people will notice, but what about all the s/w and perif developers that supported the Mac. MW was their stage. I wonder if they'll go over to CES.

I agree -- the timing seems pretty good anyway--right after christmas is a good time to generate excitement for the upcoming year. And even if they're not going to have a big event, isn't it worth supporting MacWorld for all of the vendors that help make Apple viable?

 

[Le Big Mac]

nothing major to announce.

Crap, so still no mini updates? Or iMac updates?

 

[Analog Kid]

They're in the early stages of setting up a Jobs succession plan and know that no one will match his charisma in public presentations. They need to eliminate those presentations as being a key factor in the companies marketing plan-- expect more produced video streams like Ive's talking about the unibody macbook.

 

[ubercool]

They are propping up the body just so stocks won't plummet to 0.000.

Haha, that reminds me of that old Charlton Heston movie, El Cid, in which they prop up his dead body to scare the bejeebus out of an encircling army.

 

[jaw04005]

No it doesn't. Macworld is one of the biggest computer exhibitions on earth. Apple cannot possibly buy "facetime" with 60,000-plus people cheaper than it can via this event. I'm sure that if they did a cost-per-conversion analysis, they would know that Macworld delivers sales in spades and then some.

They don't want the facetime. They're not looking to impress the 60,000+ loyalists that trample through Moscone each year, and they're sure not looking to meet IDG's deadline for new products each January.

Apple is all about growth, not pleasing their base.

Sales to who? People don't purchase Apple products at Macworld Expo, nor do they purchase Apple products because of a keynote at Macworld Expo (unless you're a Steve Jobs enthusiast).

Apple can generate the same kind of press by holding special events. Just look, the same news organizations (CNBC, CNET, Washington Post, New York Times) and bloggers (Engadget, Gizmodo) cover events such as the September iPod event the same no matter what.

The only real loss associated with Macworld is the young software developers that promote their products. However, many of them have bitched for years about the exorbitant costs of Macworld.

http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/posts/Article/MWSF-Costs-2007-01-16-09-00.html

 

[dwl017]

Crap, so still no mini updates? Or iMac updates?

That's right! no new Mac Mini at MacWorld ha ha

 

[winterspan]

I'm not going to attempt to explain why, I'm just sad that there won't be a stevenote... I've always looked forward to those. He could talk about their first foray into phonebooks and I'd watch it. What he talks about is great, but I just love seeing him on stage talking to an enraptured crowd. It's a beautiful thing. *sob*

This is just MacWorld.. Why would you think there won't be another Jobs keynote?

 

[dolphin842]

Honestly, I always thought the Apple-Macworld relationship was kind of weird. Or rather that Macworld's business model was rather weird, relying solely on the good graces of Apple to present Steve Jobs every year. I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did.

 

[Axemantitan]

First, they cancel Christmas and now this!

 

[Rot'nApple]

that Steve Jobs' decision was one motivated "more by politics than his pancreas". Instead, the author believes that Apple has been trying to separate itself from Macworld for years with the use of "special events" to introduce new products a few times a year. This is said to give Apple complete control over its own message.

Apple controlling it's own message. That is fine but I hope things get better then the last Media Event they had. I believe it was for the iPod line up, Hmpf!

I have never been to a MacWorld Expo but I always looked forward to viewing the presentation on Apple's website, and while Apple may have more "venues" such as the Apple store or Special Press Announcements, but it's going to be a different class of people. If I recall correctly, the last Media Event held at the Apple campus was craptacular. Apple made all this hype over this event and after the event was over, people were left saying "that was it?" "that is what the fuss was about?" Of course the media was there, in body only, not in "Apple Spirit" or "a Think Different mind set". The whole event wasn't even worth taping and posting to Apple's website. It was 40 minutes I would have wanted back.

I just don't think Apple is going to accomplish what it had with thousands of attendees, programmers, developers, etc as compared to a group of members of the media. And Apple stores, sure has the traffic, although I haven't been to my local store in half a year, so if something "comes out", I probably wouldn't get a chance to be a part of it even if I could because there would be less build up than waiting for MacWorld to get here.

The things I will miss about MacWorld Expo is the anticipation of what might be. I remember when these rumor websites would all be guessing as to what Steve would be introducing and seeing which site had the "inside goods" and then there was the inevitable who got what specs correct, Monday Morning quarterbacking.

I'll miss the friendly banter that Steve would give MS at the beginning of the last few MacWorlds with the I'm a PC guy, or from the funny banners hanging in the hallway, etc.

I'll miss the throngs of Mac lovers, programmers, developers, customers, and employees sitting on the edge of their seats, the cheers, laughter, clapping, oooo's and aaaaawwww's.

And of course, the ever fashionable, "there's one more thing".

Heaven forbid, but what would these rumor sites have left other than reporting yesterdays news? Would be like reading the newspaper today of all the big stories you saw played over and over again on cable news yesterday.

So long MacWorld Expo. You were too good while it lasted..

Meanwhile, Macworld Expo organizer IDG is putting on a strong face saying that they are committed to Macworld 2010 and "look forward to many successful years of Macworld to come."

MacWorld without a Steve keynote is like the SuperBowl without the stand out commercials! Good luck with the press coverage.

 

[rritterson]

I think it's a bunch of malarky BS. In reality, I think this is phase 1 of the end of Steve Jobs as CEO. They will slowly introduce us to more and more people at apple as Steve becomes less the public face and others take his stead. That way, at the moment Steve steps down (or passes on, god forbid), we don't all panic and feel the company is without a person at the helm.

Excuse me while I go put a limit order to sell the AAPL I own.

(Like it or not, Apple is the talent of tens of thousands of engineered focused through the lens that is Steve's vision. Without him, the lens is defocused, and the company becomes less at the forefront of technological design)

 

[law guy]

Apple not participating in Mac World - wow, seems like snub to vendors who benefit from Apple's presence as a large showcase event ... which generates a lot of press and presence and one would think that all of that is very good for Apple. Aside from the general point of not participating anymore, a Phil Schiller keynote... Phil seems a nice enough fellow and I'm sure he's a fine executive, but I don't really want to watch a Phil keynote. I'd rather just check later and see what was introduced ... along the lines of when Sony or any other electronics company introduces a new product.

 

[GeekLawyer]

It's weird to be part of a community that's gone ape-nuts bonkers.

Really weird.

 

[Roller]

For the past few years, I've wondered if Apple's need to sync their major product announcements with the January expos was more trouble than the attention they generated was worth. It'll make more sense for Apple to release products on their schedule. But it'll be interesting to see if Steve does a keynote at the next Apple-sponsored event. It wouldn't surprise me if he cuts down to one a year, or even none.

 

[Fast Shadow]

It's weird to be part of a community that's gone ape-nuts bonkers.

Really weird.

You must be the new guy!

 

[GeekLawyer]

You must be the new guy!

Comparatively speaking, yes, I suppose.

 

[inkswamp]

Actually, the real reason is that Apple broke up with its long-time girlfriend like a month ago, but they were thinking of getting back together and so Apple confided that in MacWorld. And then MacWorld was seen taking her out... as if that were no big deal.

Way to go, MacWorld. Nice job stealing your best bud's girlfriend.

 

[tirerim]

Crap, so still no mini updates? Or iMac updates?

Those aren't major. The Mini is a nice product that does well for Apple, but it's not something big and flashy. The iMac is more important, but it's only going to see some upgrades, not an entirely new design.

What it really means is that we won't be seeing any completely new products, which we weren't really expecting anyway. Could be any number of updates to existing ones; check the Buyer's Guide for likely possibilities.

 

[maknik]

I'm a little confused by that quote

Can someone explain to me who is talking about who here:

Sources tell me that if Jobs for some reason was unable to perform any of his responsibilities as CEO because of health reasons, which would include the Macworld keynote, I should "rest assured that the board would let me know."

So this is the source saying that he would know if Jobs were unable to do stuff, because the board would have told him (the source, "me")? The syntax of the sentence around the quote makes it almost sound as if the board would let the journalist know, whereas the context makes it sounds like Jobs himself is speaking (ie, they would let Jobs know -- but that would mean it was him speaking, since it says "me").

All in all, a confusing denial, to my ears. "More about" politics than pancreas is not to say that it isn't about the pancreas -- and I don't think that's a too-close reading when it comes to these things. Also, this is still saying that he is presently able to perform his duties -- or rather, that a weak board hasn't decided that he has to be stopped against his will -- which is a far cry from saying they have full confidence in him for years to come. Again, that sounds like a fine distinction, but if it were true, there is no doubt they would say it.

(Incidentally, I don't give a damn about any of this -- apart from the disappearance of my beloved MacWorld -- but I enjoy doing close readings of gnomic texts and carefully leaked sources.)

 

[Peace]

This quote from Apple Representative Steve Dowling to CNET may explain why.

"Phil is giving the keynote because this will be Apple's last year at the show," Dowling said. "It doesn't make sense for us to make a major investment in a trade show we will no longer be attending."

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10124713-37.html?tag=TOCmoreStories.0

It sure sounds like they're sending Schiller to sort of "finish it off."

That Dowling quote is pure malarky. Apple has the biggest booths at this years Macworld. Had they decided to pull out before that presence wouldn't be there. Apple has already spent a lot of money on this years MW.

What. Does Steve Jobs get paid a lot of money for a keynote address ?.

I don't buy the PR being put out by Apple,Inc.

MWSF has been Steve's big show event for a long time and he wouldn't simply decide at the last minute that he wasn't going to do a keynote and send Schiller instead.

There's a lot more to this story than we know.

 

[neutrino23]

I find it hard to believe Macworld going-on after 2010-especially with the majors pulling out of the trade show.

It is only a matter of time...

No question it will be different. I don't know about the financials of these things. I'd still attend if they had a strong educational program. The exhibitions are fun but the real meat of the week for me is the course offerings.