“According to industry reports, Apple only sent out 100 or so invitations to publishers and journalists, but as is the case with anything Apple, the announcements were bound to grab the headlines. The invitations only included an image of a calendar with Feb. 28th as the announcement date. Granted that this doesn’t prove much, but the location of the launch (Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, California) does suggest something. Moreover, I hardly doubt a company would label its major product update as ‘…fun, new products.’ Of course, it could be misinterpreted, which is exactly what happened in this case, but a speck of common sense could’ve prevented the media from a lot of reader embarrassment,” Gundeep Hora writes for CoolTechZone.
“As soon as the invitations made their rounds, the media (and bloggers) went haywire with speculations and expectations baselessly. Once the day came and Apple released a few average products that no one anticipated, the media criticized Apple for not living up to its expectations. I might’ve missed the memo, but Apple never hyped this press conference. It was the journalists who decided to do a story on the upcoming launch, and seemingly gathered the news from a mere phrase and a corresponding image. When they finally realized that Apple had made them look childish, they went after Apple for no apparent reason… the fact of the matter is that Apple was the innocent party in this uncalled for fiasco. Maybe if the media doesn’t try to makeup stories without supporting facts, it wouldn’t be so disappointed, but I doubt this would be a lesson well learned,” Hora writes.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: “Maybe if the media doesn’t try to makeup stories without supporting facts?” What an strange and alien world that would be, huh? If the amount of errors in articles about tech products from Apple Computer are any guide, then media stories about supposedly “important” subjects [fill in your cause here] are full of half-truths, myths, and general poppycock. Which, of course, they are; often to the brim. We do agree that the hyping of Apple’s last “special media event” was caused by the media, but abetted by Apple’s pathological need for mystery to drive press coverage. In the future, Apple should add a little more detail to the invites or leak nice meaningful tidbits to the right sources in order to throttle expectations as needed.
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Very good point. Let’s have a contest, Since we all feel that the Media has done Apple wrong. Lets challenge the Media to write some good stuff on Mac OS X as we all know is the best operating system ever.
Come on Media men you can do it…
I’ll bet MS would love the same exposure.
Firstly, I would like to say that I agree
Apple have now become a victim of their own hype
Unfortunately, everything looks lukewarm from now on
I’m first.
It won’t have done any harm. The next event, a biggy, will be even more heralded and watched and consumed by ever more millions…
David Gregory anyone???
You can also blame all the dorky Apple fanboys who truly need to get out of their parent’s house. I’ve never witnessed such a bunch of whining crybabies after that press event.
And in other news, the warming of the earth is caused by the sun!
But not as much this summer as was expected, so . . . we’re all pissed at the sun here at WSUK.
Thankfully the media didn’t follow Mac fans outright unwarranted hatred for the new HiFi (even while most of them hadn’t even seen or heard it in person). While Apple didn’t unveil the $99 iPod Time Machine, the products that were announced appear to be worthy of Apple’s high standards of quality and design.
Fact is that there is just no pleasing a lot of Mac fans.
I’m sorry, but Apple is to blame as well, special invite for a Hi-FI system and a Mac mini, most companies would have just issued a press release.
MW: “both”… both are to blame.
First –
Wow, I’m ALSO first. Cool!
To lay Apple “blameless” for the hype is to underestimate Apple. By sending out just 100 invites, and being so tight with the details, Apple created an atmosphere of suspence and exclusivity. Did the media over hype it? you bet. Did the media over vilify Apple for not releasing product XYZ? Certainly. Did the media play right into Apple’s hands? No question.
What was the real impact here? Apple got tons of free press and hype for what’s coming next from them. They get to see what people are anticipating most (Movie Store) and what they could care less about ($100 iPod cases). So the stock shrinks a few points for a buying opportunity. Come April 1st, we’ll all know who the fool is.
Agreed, there was no reason for Apple to hold a media event… The products should have just been added to the online/retail stores with a simple press announcement…
Apple media events of late have been grandiose events with breakthrough new products… So in turn, the press and analysts expect grandiose products at a invite only media event.. Apple needs to be selective.. Jobs even joked about about the Apple rumor mill at Macworld with the 10 lb , 8 inch screen iPod joke… They should have known what type of media attention that a cryptic invite would create
I think everyone learned a lesson…
Maybe the chicken & egg theory works here.
Apple might never want to become easily predicable.
In a sense, Apple is cutting the wave of the future these days and, apparently, such is the world’s expectation.
Prognosticators deserve the right to survive. Besides, what can be more fun than to spend some moments filled with hope for the possibilities.
In a nut shell, people are wanting Apple, and nobody else, to bring them the possibilities. (Phenomenal?)
It should come as no surprise if somebody gets abused when expectations don’t measure up. That has always been a risk from the start. We all learn from the basic research method of trial and error, don’t we? That’s life. We all (Apple and the consumer community) suffer with excessive divergences, when substance falls short of expectations.
Is it better to expect more or less? Should the expectations for Apple be lessened, then our common circumstances might be considered pitiable. There’s not yet another firm on the horizon measuring up to this sort of mantle.
Apple is doing more than OK here. We’re all adjusting. Well, I sure as hell have some high expectations for the next Stevie presentation.
Personally, I don’t think the media event on Feb. 28 was disappointing. The Mac mini update was very important news, and so was the FrontRow demo. Apple now has a Mac that can actually funtion as a home theatre PC in the living room. People have been predicting this for the last 2 years. Now it’s here and it isn’t big news?
Meh, everyone b!tches way too much.
Apple did the absolute right thing. By just adding it to the Apple store we fanboys and girls would know about it. But by having a small media event the whole world gets to know about their products.
It’s not Apple’s fault that it’s the only company today that makes people dream of all sorts of good products..
So company wish they could have the press Apple gets.
Apple knows their own history of “media events.” Calling one for the iHiFi and the intel Mini is either:
1) NAIVE: Did they really think these products were worth an event?
or
2) CUNNING: They could be intentionally working to lower media event expectations, for one of two reasons:
2A) They have a very lame year ahead of them and they know it, or
2B) They have something pretty phenomenal up their sleeve and want to heighten the impact to unheard of levels when it arrives.
The media hyped it, sure. But if you give them an inch, they hype EVERYTHING, and an Apple Media Event is a safe bet. Apple either SHOULD know better, or they DO.
me,
Is that you Donald Rumsfield?
“Apple either SHOULD know better, or they DO.”
And the sun APPEARS yellow, or it actually IS.
me,
As you suggested,
either youz SHOULD be “rummy” or youz ARE.
“The Sun APPEARS yellow, or it actually IS”
It all depends on how you define IS.
Bill C,
I knew you shoulda still been the prez, you make a lot more sense than the one we got right now.