Results tagged “Macworld Expo” from fellcast

For the first and last time, Apple Senior VP Phil Schiller delivered the keynote address at Macworld Expo today.

It makes it all the easier to understand why Apple will not be attending any more Macworlds. The company has been forced to try to produce new products to meet an artificial deadline of early January. None of the products introduced today were revolutionary. They're good, they have cool features, but there were no big secrets hiding in the wings.

The biggest deal was the new 17-inch MacBook Pro. Like many of the other MacBooks, Pro and amateur (that's a joke, don't get peeved), the new 17-incher will feature Apple's new unibody construction, in which the enclosure is carved from a single block of aluminum. It is thinner than its predecessor, by one-fiftieth of an inch (measure that!). It's also an ounce or two lighter. The processor is a wee bit faster, and the graphics chips are improved.

It was bound to happen. The writing's been on the wall for a long time. Apple announced today that its appearance at next month's Macworld Expo in San Francisco will be the company's last at that forum. Not only that, but according to CNET, Steve Jobs won't be delivering the keynote.

There once was a time when the San Francisco Macworld Expo was the center focus of the Mac community. But so much has changed. Apple now has hundreds of stores around the world, especially in the United States. People all over can touch the products, and talk to knowledgeable sales people. As Apple points out in its press release, its been pulling back from other trade shows, such as the National Association of Broadcasters show. Macintosh is no longer the only focus of Apple, and many of the most ardent Mac faithful came to resent the role the iPod and the iPhone have come to play at the expo.

Other companies have disappeared. I don't think Adobe was at the last Macworld Expo I went to. Oh yes, there's that too. The last couple of years, I haven't felt the same passion I used to, to fly to San Francisco and immerse myself in all things Mac. There's enough immersion elsewhere. Every day, I can read a half a dozen great sites covering all things Apple in minuscule detail. Although I wasn't present for the last couple of keynotes, there was nothing too surprising in them.

I suspect this will be the end of the Macworld Expo altogether. Not so long ago, there were two Macworlds; the other in Boston, then New York for a few years, then back to Boston. Apple pulled out, and after that, the Boston expo was abandoned.

One other bad thing about this, Steve Jobs' failure to participate is bound to stir up a whole new batch of rumors about his health. I expect Apple's stock price (which closed at 95.43 today) will be a bit rocky tomorrow.

Its too bad. Because Apple's decision to leave Macworld makes nothing but sense.