Comments on: Howard and 3rd

Howard and 3rd

four panels — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:17:59 -0800

The End of an Era. Apple has just announced this January will be the last Macworld.

By: doctor_negative

doctor_negative — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:24:27 -0800

Actually, it's Apple's last year AT Macworld. The Macworld show isn't run by Apple.

By: spock

spock — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:25:29 -0800

Reading comprehension has gone to hell in a handbasket.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:26:12 -0800

How are they going to pay off that new wing of the Moscone Center now?

By: cavalier

cavalier — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:26:19 -0800

You'd think a MacWorld without Apple would be a pretty bleak MacWorld, though, no? I mean, no Jobs speaking, and no, well.... Mac?

By: spock

spock — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:29:31 -0800

If I were to wildly speculate (**runs and sells Apple stock before saying this**) I would suspect that this decision was based on a health prognosis updated recently of Steve Jobs'.

By: sourwookie

sourwookie — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:30:28 -0800

I think it takes the pressure off of Apple to trot out "one more thing" the second week of every January. Perhaps they'll have the luxury of releasing less buggy, more mature First Revisions without cowering under the whip of the calendar.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:31:09 -0800

So, they're finally going outta business. If only they had gotten two button mice or cloned OS X...

By: troy

troy — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:32:10 -0800

By: starman

starman — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:35:40 -0800



By: tapeguy

tapeguy — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:37:06 -0800

If I were to wildly speculate (**runs and sells Apple stock before saying this**) I would suspect that this decision was based on a health prognosis updated recently of Steve Jobs'. More likely based on the stock price taking a dive five minutes every time Jobs ends his speech.

By: Foci for Analysis

Foci for Analysis — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:37:19 -0800

Reading comprehension has gone to hell in a handbasket. posted by spock at 11:25 PM on December 16 [2 favorites +] [!] Who is Reading and why should I care if he's going to hell??

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:38:18 -0800

Down 5% in afterhours trading today. Heh.

By: jaimev

jaimev — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:40:44 -0800

I guess that's one way to address the issue of who's eventually going to replace Steve Jobs as the keynote speaker.

By: delmoi

delmoi — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:41:07 -0800

Oh, and the director of PR will give the Keynote, not Jobs.

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:42:47 -0800

Who is Reading and why should I care if he's going to hell?? It's just down the road from Slough.

By: hellojed

hellojed — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:46:14 -0800

Maybe Pystar can fill their shoes.

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:47:29 -0800

The Era of Annual Major Announcements from Mac? They're not closing shop, and they're not halting innovation. They're just doing it when and where they want to. The wiki article on Macworld Conference & Expo is pretty detailed. In short, doctor_negative is spot on. Nicking the first line from the wiki article: "Produced by Boston-based IDG World Expo, Macworld Conference & Expo is a trade show dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform with conference tracks held annually in the United States, usually during the second week of January." It's interesting that they're pulling out now. I know E3 tanked after the downsizing in 2006/7, but how are other electronics expos fairing? PAX is booming, but that's more related to the E3 crowd of game enthusiasts.

By: entropicamericana

entropicamericana — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:51:42 -0800

In related news.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:52:03 -0800

Apple Announces Last Year of Christmas.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:52:13 -0800

goddamn!

By: filthy light thief

filthy light thief — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:52:45 -0800

Here's more from Gizmodo, mostly speculation on why Steve Jobs won't be there. Venture Beat has some speculation on why Phil Schiller will be presenting, instead of the Apple COO Tim Cook.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:55:24 -0800

Yeesh, RTFA already. Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris. Apple is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. Apple was just an exhibitor at MacWorld. They paid for their floorspace the way Microsoft pays for their floorspace at CES. MacWorld, the actual conference and the magazine, is owned and run by IDG, a megapublishing conglomorate, for profit. Big conferences are what's jumping the shark, here. Bad economy, expensive travel, and the internet connecting everyone without them. Not as much reason for expense-account junkets anymore.

By: gman

gman — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:56:47 -0800

It's the end of an era as we know it and I feel fine.

By: CynicalKnight

CynicalKnight — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:05:08 -0800

[SNARK FOOT-IN-MOUTH="true"] Is this something I would have to know how to use a computer to care about? [/SNARK]

By: quin

quin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:45:16 -0800

Who is Reading and why should I care if he's going to hell?? Because his soul entering the Infernal Pit is one of the lesser known signs of the Apocalypse. It is said that this will herald in a thousand years of disease, suffering, and death, as the fallen ones walk the earth with impunity. Among the learned scholars, this is known as "The time of ascension of the fruitless tradeshow". Woe be unto us who have to bear witness to the horrors about to unfold.

By: Down10

Down10 — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:47:58 -0800

R.I.P. Stevenote (at Macworld, at least) Wasn't Apple's appearance at Macworld for the benefit of stockholders and developers as much as consumers? Why would Apple want to cut its ties to the publicity bonanza of the Macworld Expo? Is there something they aren't telling us?

By: markkraft

markkraft — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:57:29 -0800

To paraphrase Voltaire, "If MacWorld did not exist, it would be necessary for ~~God~~ Steve Jobs to invent it." Right now, it kinda feels like there's a big hole in the Apple cosmos, and that all the stars -- and the company stock price -- are going to fall down from the sky. And so, we kinda expect Steve Jobs to come flying in on a deus ex machina, to tell us how he's going to make us even happier than we've ever been before.

By: Mephisto

Mephisto — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:01:33 -0800

Yawn

By: markkraft

markkraft — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:02:20 -0800

Is it just me, or is Apple the high tech company of choice for manic-depressives? Now, sadly, it feels like Steve's spiked the kool-ade with lithium, when we just wanted something shiny wrapped in titanium.

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:07:56 -0800

> Why would Apple want to cut its ties to the publicity bonanza of the Macworld Expo? Your assumptions of cause and effect are confused.

By: blasdelf

blasdelf — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:10:57 -0800

Why would Apple want to cut its ties to the publicity bonanza of the Macworld Expo? Because they can do their own PR events better and whenever they want, on a few weeks notice. Because they don't want to be associated with anyone who still harbors fond feelings for OS 9. Because they don't give a shit about shovelware 'tech' magazines. Because they don't give a shit about lame aging fanboys.

By: seanmpuckett

seanmpuckett — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:12:56 -0800

Because Steve looks too cachexic to appear in public anymore.

By: GuyZero

GuyZero — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:26:08 -0800

More specifically, they need to diversify their public face and would rather do events like the recent MacBook launch where they had the team go over it. (and also because Steve looks cachexic) Besides, all the blogger are more than happy to driver to Cupertino to hear Apple make farting noises about whatever the latest product is. Conferences just don't matter any more.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:34:11 -0800

Because they don't give a shit about lame aging fanboys. THAT'S NOT TRUE, MOM, TELL HIM IT'S NOT TRUE!!!

By: pwnguin

pwnguin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:35:37 -0800

Clearly, they'll just use the WWDC instead. Am I the only person in the world driven crazy by the use of WWDC to announce new Apple products?

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:37:42 -0800

I kind of prefer the way OS 9 looks.

By: mike3k

mike3k — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:53:05 -0800

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:55:01 -0800

Down 5% in afterhours trading today. Heh. So, just like the rest of the market.

By: Slap*Happy

Slap*Happy — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 16:56:30 -0800

I vastly prefer OS 9's UI. The crashing I could do without. My yard? You're on it. Look, being a fanboy is fun! Whining about fanboys getting excited over a computer is like telling those darn kids to stop dancing to that rock and roll music. If you don't get it, you'll look like a huffy self-absorbed killjoy to those that do. Tho, in all honestly, as I watch my 24" iMac's screen slowly decay after less than a year, I have to wonder if I've bought my last Mac.... and considering it's just a pretty IBM PC clone, I have to wonder if I bought it years ago with the last of the iBook line. The new stuff just isn't of the same quality. Ubuntu and Android have a genuine vigor and excitement to them these days that seems forced and shaky over at Apple. Maybe I belong someplace that appreciates the fanboys... Apple is slowly turning into Panasonic. Who ever heard of a Panasonic fanboy? No fun.

By: Brandon Blatcher

Brandon Blatcher — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:12:31 -0800

I kind of prefer the way OS 9 looks. Preach it brother.

By: Artw

Artw — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 17:19:07 -0800

I also kind of like the look and feel of Vista...

By: mediareport

mediareport — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:03:59 -0800

Back when I was working for a small graphics software company, pre-bust, we used to laugh at how pointless most of the big trade shows were (even as we loved the free trips to San Francisco, where we pretty much always found awesome rare records and/or got laid), and would wonder how long it was before these obvious dinosaurs died off. It's a testament to the pleasure of live crowd interaction - and the idiocy of most tech industry marketing departments - that they've lasted this long. But, damn, those trade show trips sure were fun.

By: bonaldi

bonaldi — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:38:29 -0800

Because they can do their own PR events better and whenever they want, on a few weeks notice. I don't know about this. It means they do them "properly" and have little events for each individual thing they want to launch. So you'll get an iPod announcement, then a month or so later, the new MacBooks are out. That's great for managing the news cycle, I suppose But in the good old Macworld days, they bunched it all up for one two-hour nerdgasm of new shiny shit. MWSF 2001, frinstance, brought the announcement of OS X shipping, The TiBook introduction, a PowerMac G4 bump, the launch of SuperDrives, the launch of iTunes, unveiling of the digital hub, and the DVD Studio Pro launch. Holy shit, that's a keynote. No wonder people are moaning at these one-new-thing efforts we've seen recently. I'd much prefer that to dribs and drabs spread out across the year. I kind of prefer the way OS 9 looks. Platinum > Aqua, but System 7 (not 7.5+) ftw.

By: Rafaelloello

Rafaelloello — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:40:13 -0800

Own a mac. Love my mac. Encourage everyone I know to buy a Mac. Bike to my job listening to iTunes podcasts on my iPod. When I need to run XP, my Mac is my fastest PC. Bootcamp rules. Also, I'm hugely short AAPL. I guess dichotomy really rules.

By: killdevil

killdevil — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:43:51 -0800

[SNARK FOOT-IN-MOUTH="true"] what

By: grouse

grouse — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:44:39 -0800

I don't use a Mac and don't want one, but I will miss all the excitement. I'm sorry to hear that Jobs is in poor health.

By: mazola

mazola — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 22:58:29 -0800

MacWorld keynotes were always dependable, riveting theatre. I'll miss 'em. Bring on the Special Press Events.

By: Mikey-San

Mikey-San — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 23:02:46 -0800

But in the good old Macworld days, they bunched it all up for one two-hour nerdgasm of new shiny shit. MWSF 2001, frinstance, brought the announcement of OS X shipping, The TiBook introduction, a PowerMac G4 bump, the launch of SuperDrives, the launch of iTunes, unveiling of the digital hub, and the DVD Studio Pro launch. Holy shit, that's a keynote. No wonder people are moaning at these one-new-thing efforts we've seen recently. I'd much prefer that to dribs and drabs spread out across the year. Even on the most amazing keynotes ever, all you ever heard was people moaning about being "underwhelmed" because they thought the "two-hour nerdgasm" as you put it was going to have ten new rumored products that never had a chance of appearing. It's been getting worse and worse in the last few years, with the rise of the ~~idiot~~ rumor brigade facilitating ridiculous expectations.

By: Down10

Down10 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:24:05 -0800

Even on the most amazing keynotes ever, all you ever heard was people moaning about being "underwhelmed" because they thought the "two-hour nerdgasm" as you put it was going to have ten new rumored products that never had a chance of appearing. You need to stop hanging around impotent nerds, hombre. It's been getting worse and worse in the last few years, with the rise of the idiot rumor brigade facilitating ridiculous expectations. I'd believe that if many of those rumors didn't end up coming true. The rumors of the iPhone dated back to at least 2002, coinciding with the rumors of Apple re-entering the palmtop market with a touch-screen display. Other fringe rumors that have come to pass were the AppleTV, the Mac mini, and of course, the Intel Macs. But, no, please continue on with being a party pooper. We always look forward to that.

By: Mikey-San

Mikey-San — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 03:05:05 -0800

I'd believe that if many of those rumors didn't end up coming true. The rumors of the iPhone dated back to at least 2002, coinciding with the rumors of Apple re-entering the palmtop market with a touch-screen display. Other fringe rumors that have come to pass were the AppleTV, the Mac mini, and of course, the Intel Macs. You're selectively choosing things that eventually happened. Using your own 2002-era iPhone example, I fail to see how a rumor that was predicted repeatedly for five years somehow proves me wrong. If you say X is going to happen, and it doesn't, and that happens for five years, that's five years of being wrong. You've also ignored that the iPhone was not in development in 2002 (and it didn't even begin as a cell phone), so there's no way it could've come true even if it weren't a completely bullshit rumor that far back. The same rule applies to your other cherry-picked examples. The secret is that no one remembers when these sites are wrong, just when they're not. Gruber loves calling them out. Most recent example: http://daringfireball.net/2008/10/todays_claim_chowder But, no, please continue on with being a party pooper. We always look forward to that. What is your problem, "hombre"? For fuck's sake.

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:37:11 -0800

You'd think a MacWorld without Apple would be a pretty bleak MacWorld, though, no? I mean, no Jobs speaking, and no, well.... Mac? They used to do a summer show in New York which was just as big. A few years ago the organisers decided to move it to Boston, and Apple took the opportunity to give up coming.I went to one of the Boston ones and it was completely bleak. A giant hall, partioned off to a third its size, and only that part was half-filled, mainly with small local resellers and single-product accessory vendors. The biggest stand was run by SpyMac, the third rate rumours site. I fail to see how a rumor that was predicted repeatedly for five years somehow proves me wrong They used to get decent scoops (I'm talking 10 years ago). They always mixed them in with vague prognostications, but it was always easy to tell which was which. In the last few years Apple has got very good at keeping a lid on things. Wasn't Apple's appearance at Macworld for the benefit of stockholders and developers as much as consumers? Why would Apple want to cut its ties to the publicity bonanza of the Macworld Expo? Is there something they aren't telling us? The target audience of these things is the internet now. There's no need to make the speech coincide with a gathering of a tiny subset of your marketbase, when instead you can rent a local theatre or use their own on-campus Town Hall, and do it in when your product is actually ready.

By: designbot

designbot — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:06:22 -0800

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By: justgary

justgary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:45:54 -0800

The new stuff just isn't of the same quality. posted by Slap*Happy I can't speak for your iMac, but you couldn't be more wrong when it comes to macbooks; the new ones far superior to the old white plastic versions. Not to mention recent surveys that put (mac) consumer happiness at the top of the heap. Perhaps you shouldn't use the experience of your one, sad iMac to speak for anything more than that one sad iMac.

By: justgary

justgary — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:18:14 -0800

The new stuff just isn't of the same quality. posted by Slap*Happy For the second year running, Apple's computers are the most reliable and its support the most dependable of all computer makers selling in the U.S., a national chain of computer service shops said Wednesday. Oops.

By: rokusan

rokusan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:49:05 -0800

There haven't been good Mac rumors since the days of Mac the Knife in the back of MacWeek. (Is my cred established yet?)

By: cillit bang

cillit bang — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 07:59:12 -0800

I don't know. Are you wearing an As The Apple Turns T-shirt?

By: ikkyu2

ikkyu2 — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:23:50 -0800

Glad to see this go. Now we can get around to the important business of resurrecting Softalk.