In a move that will surely revive the tiring rumour that Steve Jobs has serious health issues, Apple has announced that not only will they back out of MacWorld San Francisco , but also that Steve Jobs will not hold his usual keynote address at the coming MacWorld event this January - which will be the last MacWorld attended by Apple. The keynote will instead be delivered by Phil Schiller. Surprising? Hardly.
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2005-11-09
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2006-01-20
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2005-07-08
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2008-01-20
I worked at an Applecentre, and this is a BIG mistake on Apple's part.
The reality has been that part of Apple's success has been getting people excited, and thats what Macworld/WWDC does. Macworld always boosted sales because people got a better insight into details of products that aren't immediately obvious otherwise. Customers never liked hanging around listening to a 20 minute talk about Aperture, and the customers who would have liked to, would have just listened to the keynote. Without these extra insights, many salespeople may lose touch of the features in many products, and Apple resellers wont get the opportunity to intermingle with many 3rd party product designers and get their word out.
Apple's stocks probably aren't going to like this announcement, and I am pretty happy that I'm not working at the apple reseller anymore, because with this announcement gone, many users wont hear about major new products in many cases (because they wait for macworld, and see them, but if they are staggered instead differently, they might not).
To me this announcement actually shows that Apple management is possibly losing touch a bit with the community. And especially now that the Apple community is encouraged to get together less, I'd say a large side effect will be that there will be much less people who are apple fanatics around, which will pull down sales even more.
Edited 2008-12-17 00:38 UTC
Member since:2005-07-08
Fully agree with you, Apple needs MacWorld.
But I think that Apple knows that.
So there are only 2 possible reasons why Jobs is not showing up:
1) Jobs health is failing
2) Apple has nothing big enough to announce.
The problem with the last 3 years for Apple is that the expectations are hyper inflated, this is a way to bring the anticipation down and buy more time for some real new products.
PS My money is on both...
Member since:2007-01-22
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Perhps they see their future in iPhones etc and not in desktop hardware.
Perhaps they may even go down the route of just selling the OS to x86 boxshifters. Then concentrate on other avenues. They have seen the money to be made in 1tunes store. In iPhone app store.... perhaps a desktop app store is next and forget the hardware. Then again. I'm just guessing...
Bob
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Why do apple need to pay a small fortune to IDG to attend Macworld?
Apple has been calling 'Special Events' for iPod announcements for YEARS now.
They have a new product, Apple send an invite to a select few reporters when THEY are ready and the press have come swarming! (who then reprint the news everywhere for free)
edit: tried to use english grammer this time :-p
Edited 2008-12-17 10:02 UTC
Member since:
2005-07-24
I don't really follow all this Apple stuff closely. But does the wording of the above suggest that perhaps Jobs is dying?
Member since:2008-04-10
It seemed like a good idea at the time to have Stevebot 2.0 (this is the model introduced when Steve started wearing turtle-necks for all his public appearances) running Windows. Stevebot 2.0 is finally succumbing to a combination of Windows Rot and the majority of his CPU being consumed running viruses. As it is, they must treasure his brief moments of near-lucidity when he's feverishly mumbling in his sleep things like "ipod... zune coming to get me... windows mobile... ipod... phone... IPHONE!!!" to guide the company to future success. Stevebot 3.0 will be out soon, and I guarantee this one will be completely hairless and have a penchant for track suits.
Edited 2008-12-17 07:11 UTC
Member since:2005-08-18
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2006-02-09
About the way Apple announces products. Instead of waiting six months to introduce products, maybe they will start doing it quarterly or sooner. That would help level out sales numbers and the ups and downs in the share price by providing a steady stream of announcements instead of these up-and-down, hold-off for Macworld, buying cycles.
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2006-06-24
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2005-07-06
Member since:2006-09-19
Apple did this before and cancelled their participation for the MacWorld Expo & Conference that IDG World Expo held in Boston from 2004 and 2005. Apple immensly disliked the east coast show and IDG held it anyway, without Apple and with reducing it's size. Same will happen here. No Apple, less visitors. But the show will definitely continue.
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2005-07-06
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2008-04-10
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2005-07-11
I don't think it has anything to do with Steve's health as they can always have Phil and others attend these things.
I am hoping that if MacWorld isn't going to be the place to announce things, then they must be planning other ways to do this, maybe announce things at a time that suites them perhaps... It could be the strain of having to have something in early Jan to announce. If they hold their own events, they can announce things when and where they like.
Anyway, I don't think Apple should pull out of MacWorld, I'm sure the costs involved hare not that large for them...
Personally, I think Apple should never forget where they come from and who helped them get where they are.
Member since:
2005-10-12
The real problem with Macworld is that it is a computer show, and its full of Mac fans. Both are rapidly becoming an embarrassment to Apple, particularly the antics of the fans. Get ready for a major shift in marketing strategy with this. No more Mac guy / PC guy. Finally, at last, and its been a long time coming, they are moving away from positioning the users as the different minority of misunderstood enlightened ones. Thank heaven for that! MacWorld closing down (its inevitable without them) will be a great relief to everyone.
Now if they just will stop suing everyone in sight for no particular reason.... It will come, it will just take a while longer.
Member since:
2007-01-13
The prognosis for pancreatic cancer is very poor. Only 15% of patients are alive 5 years after diagnosis if detected early. If not detected early only 3% of patients survive 5 years.
http://www.cancerhelp.org.uk/help/default.asp?page=7519
Member since:2005-07-06
Depressing comment, but I appriciate its truth
The reason people are making such a big deal of Job's health is that in the eyes of the share holders he runs every single little mini detail of the company and that without his vision Apple will return to the Apple of the 90s.
He should really create a 'heir apparent' as this would minimise the constant rumors on a mans health.
It can't be nice to hear repeated again and again that you're going to die every time you chose not to attend an event
Member since:2005-06-29
Didn't Steve say it was some 'rare' form of cancer and that they could completely remove it? You may look up the full reference on wikipedia, but here's the quote from there:
"Jobs, however, stated that he had a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. After initially resisting the idea of conventional medical intervention and embarking on a special diet to thwart the disease, Jobs underwent in July 2004 a pancreaticoduodenectomy (or "Whipple procedure") that successfully removed the tumor. Jobs apparently did not require nor receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy."
Member since:2005-07-06
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/26/business/26nocera.html?_r=1
Steve Jobs saying he was Cancer free 07/2008
Member since:2007-01-13
"Jobs, however, stated that he had a rare, far less aggressive type known as islet cell neuroendocrine tumor. After initially resisting the idea of conventional medical intervention and embarking on a special diet to thwart the disease, Jobs underwent in July 2004 a pancreaticoduodenectomy (or "Whipple procedure") that successfully removed the tumor. Jobs apparently did not require nor receive chemotherapy or radiation therapy."
This form still has a 5 year mortality rate of up to 50%.
The pancreas is responsible for many metabolic functions including glucose metabolism. At best Steve woulds have ongoing serious health issues.
Member since:
2006-01-10
I think this has less to do with steve's health and more to do with the perception that apple==jobs
he has been too closely associated with every decision.
i saw this recently when apple modified a statement fro one of the itunes ad bands who said that Steve personally picked the song for the ad. he may have but it is not good when the CEO is workign at this kind of micro level.
apple is a big company. obviously Steve can't do everything. they need to shift way from the cult of Steve.
/ds
Member since:
2005-06-29
What I find disturbing is not that they're doing away with the Macworld per se, but the way they do it. Surely throughout the years it's been a very significant event for Apple where many major things were announced, and to end it in such an insignificant way.... that to me spells something is wrong. Steve could at least appear on stage, and make a symbolical burial of Macworld like he did with MacOS 9, or just say a few closing words, just to make it feel right. Instead when everyone expected the tradition to continue they suddenly (less than a month left now) announce the event 'is not significant' and that Steve won't even be there. It still FEELS wrong regardless of whether Apple's saying the truth or not.
Also, I wouldn't share Thom's optimism (if we may call it such) regarding WWDC. For all we know this one may be cancelled as well with a similar tagline, "apple.com can now directly reach more developers than ever blah blah blah". But we'll see.
Such abrupt endings like this one just generate more useless heat and speculation and I wish they would end it differently.
Member since:
2005-07-06
This guy has put together some nice YouTube clips of past events, and the one in 1997 where Jobs has just arrived, he announces the new board and announces Larry Ellison will be on it because he believes having software expertise on board and a guy in the audience lets out a huge laugh is a wonderful moment amongst a few:
http://technologizer.com/2008/12/16/a-brief-youtube-history-of-the-...
Member since:
2005-10-12
Mac sales were down 1 per cent November compared to 2007, while Windows PCs were up 7 per cent year-over-year. NPD credits Cupertino's lackluster performance on Apple being harder hit by declining desktop sales.
The total number of desktops pushed out in November dropped 20 per cent reports NPD, with Windows boxes falling 15 per cent and Mac desktop sales down a whopping 38 per cent year-over-year.
The notebook and netbook market remains red-hot. Apple notebook sales were up 22 per cent in November, while Windows PCs rose 15 per cent, according to NPD numbers.
Member since:2005-07-06
To me that reads like the general market is moving away from desktop to laptops as laptops tend to be powerful enough now-a-days for most people's needs.
Everyone I personally know who has bought a computer in the last year or will in the next year have chosen laptops for their portability and/or ease to find somewhere in the house to setup.