In a surprise revelation, Apple has announced that this will be their last year exhibiting at the Macworld Expo. Even more disturbing, Phil Schiller will be delivering this years keynote instead of Steve Jobs. It's a sad day in Apple land.
Read the full press release below:
Apple Announces Its Last Year at Macworld
CUPERTINO, California—December 16, 2008—Apple® today announced that this year is the last year the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo, and it will be Apple’s last keynote at the show. The keynote address will be held at Moscone West on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Macworld will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center January 5-9, 2009.
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. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.
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 ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.
duke_seb
December 16, 2008 at 3:51pm
I can deal with them not doing them anymore..... it realy does make sense from a financial standpoint...... but the least that could have happened was steve doing it to end an era
this is going to be the end of macworld...... its the apple keynotes that keep it going
groovninja
December 16, 2008 at 3:51pm
If this is Apple's LAST year at the show then why, oh why, would Steve not deliver the final Keynote address? I fear the worst for his Steveness!
thehaggard
December 16, 2008 at 3:41pm
So, they're growing big enough to be like "other" computer companies and insulate themselves from the unwashed masses. Time to remove the "human" element and rely solely on name-recognition and "dial 1 if you want..." humanless problem solving.
Signs and portends of a bad transition to "we are an important company" pride... IMOHO
