“Apple has announced that Steve Jobs will not be doing the keynote at this year’s Macworld show, and that this will be the last year Apple attends the tradeshow that has been the venue for so many famous Steve Jobs keynotes,” Peter Burrows reports for BusinessWeek.
“Of course, the first thought goes to Jobs’ health. The company declined to comment directly as to whether this was the reason marketing chief Phil Schiller will be doing the keynote, instead of Jobs. Rather, spokesman Steve Dowling says that since ‘this will be our last year, it doesn’t make sense for us to make a major investment in a trade show that will we no longer be attending,'” Burrows reports.
“I pray that Jobs’ health is fine, but this reasoning isn’t very convincing. If there was ever a good trade show-related investment for a company, it’s Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote. It pretty much guarantees headlines in major newspapers and business publication around the world, and has the added benefit of stealing the thunder from the throngs at the Consumer Electronics Show, often held the same week. Personally, I would think that Apple would have gone the other way: guarantee even more publicity by hyping the opportunity to see Jobs’ last Macworld performance,” Burrows reports.
“Of course, there could be a reason unrelated to cancer to explain why Jobs is leaving the keynote duties to Schiller: that it won’t be much of a show, in terms of product news… Either way, this is a very bad day for the tradeshow business,” Burrows reports. “I also wonder whether there is a far more practical reason for pulling out of Macworld. Rather than spend every December in a forced march to finish products and polish his presentation for the early January event, he and Apple’s employees may be able to actually enjoy the holiday season a bit. Let’s hope that’s the reason for Apple’s decision, and not anything to do with Jobs’ health.”
More in the full article here.
I was at two Apple stores yesterday – not very busy at all. No computer sales going out the door. It was far busier in August/September and generally speaking Christmas season should be booming. I passed by Best Buy yesterday and the Sony Style stores and computers where selling. The iMac and Mac Pro are in dire need of a refresh and doing so after the holidays will hurt Apple. If this is Apple’s last presence at the MacWorld Expo, Steve Jobs should be there – to make a lasting impression and to give Apple a boost it so needs. I am pretty shocked that Mr. Jobs will not be attending. Disappointed. I was looking forward to his speech and now won’t bother. I will just log onto here to see what new products came about after the show. His speeches get the crowd / followers going.
Christmas is more fun when your not trying to develop a new gadget. Also, retail Apple stores are slammed in December and the company is probably wanting to focus on that aspect of the business.
I think it has to do with transitioning. Apple said a while back that they wanted to use others more at these spectacles. Also, investors keep complaining about a line of succession; and I think we’re seeing that line.
@marco
LOL, your so full of sh*t. I travel a lot and every Apple store I’ve visited is always either moderately busy or super busy. iPhone, iPod, Touch and computers constantly coming out of the stores. Go back and hang out at your Sony or DELL store… oh wait, you can’t there aint much left for those idiots.
@marco
Retail stores will always be busier than an Apple store. Apple only sells computers and ipod/iphones and accessories. You can get them at best buy and some of them sell Mac’s but they also sell movies and TV’s, cell phones, car audio…
Seems like Steve has issues with the MacWorld folks, so why won’t he appear at the event? Steve does not want to help them boost there attendance. Apple announces this is the last expo for them and delivers the minimum keynote. Think what it would have been like if this was going to be the last SteveNote that place would have been packed to the rafters. Steve is not sick just making a power play.
Apple will schedule its own “Events” that will drive headlines, etc., and it will be able to do so when products are actually ready for the market.
Among the first major actions by Jobs upon his return was a cultural change whereby the Sales management was removed as the controlling factor in determining product lines and cycles.
The Macworld trade show served a greater purpose serving the ecosystem of software and hardware companies who chose to serve the Apple market.
My gut tells me to never forget who made this decision – Jobs. Many people are truly in a chicken little mode – the sky is falling, chaos everywhere. Jobs is already past this and is making the decisions so the company is properly position for when the media tells everyone to be happy again.
If Apple cares to participate in a trade show event, Jobs knows they are strong enough to now dominate CES rather than have a little boutique show of their own. He also knows that his culture shift to being a Product driven (not Sales) decision making company is complete. Product calls the shots, not the calendar, and not the hustlers.
there are two questions here:
1. why saying you will not attend in 2010, now, 3 weeks before the expo? why not in july 2009, so everyone can plan accordingly and longterm
2. why doesn’t give steve the LAST keynote?
there are only two possible answers to the second question:
1. they have nothing to show and steve doesn’t want to invest that much time and energy in a lackluster keynote
or:
2. he is ill
instead of giving us answers, apple’s press department opens the floddgates of speculation. and there is another problem going on here: people don’t believe apple’s press anouncements anymore. they only raise questions instead of answering them. bad move, apple.
…and so will Steve Jobs.
Epcot Center was just in the planning stages. Look at them now.
Apple will be fine.
@marco
Uh, Apple have already ‘refreshed’ the iMac and Mac Pro lines. If anything, those will get speed and hardware upgrades rather than wholesale revisions — if that’s what you meant.
Plus, sales slowing in ONE store aren’t really indicative of a national trend. To be honest, I’m sure many will carefully consider any future computer purchases but Apple isn’t about to go out of business from it.
As for Steve’s lack of attendance, he probably just wants to allow Phil some time in the spotlight. Heck, the keynote will perhaps have another ‘SteveStatus’ slide detailing his heartrate, GPS location and current mood, or something; perhaps he’ll even appear on the big screen like Bill did in ’97.
Marco just reported some untypical data (few people in the Apple stores he visited), but so did jtc (retail stores will always be busy). In my walk around, there were more people in the small Apple store than in the entire ground floor of Macy’s. In isolation, these reports are anecdotal and don’t mean a lot, but overall, Apple stores usually have 25 to 40 shoppers. I’ve never seen more than 5 people in a Sony, Polo Ralph Lauren, or Williams Sonoma (vastly overpriced kitchenware) stores.
Prediction, Apple announces in Feb an event that Steve Jobs will hold for new products. End of rumors.
@ Tom
Well said. Almost all the speculation we are going to hear in the next month or two about Jobs’ health etc. is going to be as bogus and as mal-intentioned as this article IMO.
At each of the last three product announcements, Jobs gave an increasing nod, and and an increasing level of participation to Shiller and friends. So why not give Shiller the whole deal for the last event? There is nothing unusual about this at all and if not for Steve’s thin appearance this move would hardly even be worthy of comment.
It’s obviously a negative for the companies fortunes to be tied to Steve’s health, especially when it’s not even true that he is unhealthy and yet the stock price tanks on idle speculation anyway (as above.) Whether Steve is healthy or not, the prudent move for Apple, is to separate the two issues just as a matter of course.
Even if Steve lives to be a hundred, there will come a point long before that when he ceases to be the sexiest or most effective pitchman they could find or use. He has to move aside at some point, even if he later returns.
I would bet that Apple has a far *better* way of making product announcements in store. Apple rarely gets rid of one thing or one part of their operation and puts nothing in it’s place. Often they come out of left field with a totally new idea to replace the thing they have taken away.
Man, I was in an Apple store 2 weeks ago, and I couldn’t believe all of the people in there. The rest of the Mall was semi busy, but you had to push your way through the Apple store.
May be just the area. We only have 3 Apple stores in the Portland area.
Imagine in-store simulcasts of the Apple event where you could then immediately buy the product that was just announced.
The show has become a speculative circus, a wild ride, with waaaay too much focus on what new product will be or will not be introduced. It’s begun already. When the wildest expectations aren’t fulfilled, the company gets slammed. There’s a lot of market manipulation around this event as well.
The creepy speculation about Jobs’ health is part of it as well. Too much manipulation around this event. Time to get back to normal.
Personally, I have never been in an Apple Store when it wasn’t mobbed—almost like a mini trade show. Worry about the economy, friends, not about Apple!
All publicity is good publicity. This will have all the bloggers bombastically boogying. And what is upcoming? The 25th Anniversary! That seems a better time and venue for Steve Jobs AND successors to put on their own special show.
RE:: JUBEI – Must you start?
Comment from: Jubei
@marco
LOL, your so full of sh*t. I travel a lot and every Apple store I’ve visited is always either moderately busy or super busy. iPhone, iPod, Touch and computers constantly coming out of the stores. Go back and hang out at your Sony or DELL store… oh wait, you can’t there aint much left for those idiots.
I own Apple products. I am not bashing Apple. I am stating what I saw. Stop defending them or living in a bubble. One day when it burst, you will be saddened – I can picture it.
Apple needs to get the ball rolling if they want to survive. No one is immune to a recession. Some person in the forums at appleinsider said it best…
Apple is overcharging on the iMac and Mac mini and Mac pro and the hardware was used in 2007 in PCs… Apple needs to use cutting edge technology at the premium they charge if they want to remain competitive and increase market share. I plan to buy another iMac when released and holding off until the new one comes for the office…
Agree with iPete.
Reading between the lines here, I sense a rift / dispute between Apple and MacWorld Expo.
Or, simply a positive reality adjustment to cut costs and adapt to internal scheduling (and see below). It’s probably nothing more than that.
It also probably means no new product category announcements — but we already knew that, through the public rumors and discussions, that we might see upgrades but not a new product category announcements. As expected.
I would bet if Steve is ill, it’s not at all life-threatening. It’s probably just weight gain and nutritionally related issues created from his surgery, etc, nothing that will force him to quit. However, he may be scaling back on his stress levels to compensate and focus on his health. This is a good move for him.
Apple’s press release is truthful. All the speculation is whether there is more behind it. I think the above is the most plausible.
I travel widely, and always stop by an Apple Shrine when practical.
They’re always choked with believers.
All is well in the Kingdom!
anyone think the iMac will be refreshed in January?
i know the Mac mini… but what about the iMac… any thoughts?
RE: Jan 24
Not sure why but the two stores last night where not busy… 🙁
It was also Tuesday so…
Marco, the 24″ iMac I’m using right now is the most beautiful, most elegant, most powerful, most versatile computer I have ever owned. Yet, you say it is ******dire******* need of an update (it was just updated 04/2008).
Seriously, you spout off nonsense like this and we’re supposed to take you seriously. Please tell me why my iMac is in dire need of update…….no effing blu ray maybe?