“Though seemingly coming out of left field, Steve Jobs’ decision not to speak at the Macworld keynote this January makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons.,” First of all, Macworld expectations got out of control and put too much pressure on Apple to deliver amazing products at arbitrary times. Second, it’s the most recent step by Apple to introduce other Apple personalities, and to let people know that Steve Jobs is not the only person responsible for Apple’s success. This is significant because the health of Steve Jobs was starting to overshadow what Jobs was actually announcing. Leaving Macworld and giving Keynote duties over to Phil Schiller was Apple’s way of taking back control of an event that simply got too big and hyped up for its own good. [In addition,] Apple’s recent success has created other avenues for users to hear about and experience Apple products,” EdibleApple writes.
Why Steve Jobs isn’t speaking at Macworld:
1. Macworld expectations got out of control
2. Apple is bigger than Steve Jobs
3. Apple outgrew Macworld
Full article – recommended – here.
I have to agree, but I’ll miss the buzz he created
The bottom line is that this upcoming Macworld is going to SUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!! 🙁
I too will miss him, but it also may have to do with the name change for Apple Computer, Inc. to Apple Inc. and all the other products that have come out. The name MacWorld still has the word Mac in it….and CES does not. And, who knows, Apple Inc. showing up @ CES in 2010 just might blow all the peeceer’s away and actually help them see the light.
(I too will miss him….kind sounds like he’s gone….but he isn’t…remember)
Don’t forget point 4.
Most announcements were published days before by rumor and news sites.
“Macworld expectations got out of control and put too much pressure on Apple to deliver amazing products at arbitrary times.”
The timing was anything but arbitrary — that was part of the problem. Everyone expected some new & wonderful at each and every Macworld.
Don’t we all owe Apple, Phil Schiller, and other top cats the opportunity to keep things going without Steve Jobs? I’m sure Steve knows that Apple needs to be bigger than him. I admire the guy, but I don’t worship him. I look forward to product announcements, and have generally watched the keynotes with anticipation, but let the guy create some distance so that a) the company does not fall apart when he leaves or dies; b) the stock doesn’t drop every time he goes to the doctor; c) public perception of the company is on the products and business practices, not a single man. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Board of Directors took a vote on Steve attending and thought it wise for him to start “bailing out” of these types of public performance.
I’m glad somebody finally typed up this article. It’s exactly what I thought long before Apple made the announcement.
@Olternaut
Why will it suck? Read the article. The iphone is still creating a ton of buzz. You will have to be satisfied with that.
Why hasn’t anybody mentioned Steve’s health? Perhaps his public appearance would do the company more harm than good.
A very healthy decision on many levels, if you ask me.
It’s not over. I heard Phil Shiller checked into a hospital in the past year. It may have been serious.
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Apple is no longer a computer company. Unfortunately, they still require us to buy their brand of computer in order to use their amazing software.
And this is what pisses me off. I love my MacBook Pro. I love all my Apple software, i.e. Final Cut Studio and Aperture. But I don’t really like the iMac. My Power Mac G5 is getting long in the tooth. I’d really love to replace it but the only thing Apple has is a Mac Pro and its about a grand more than I want to pay. Even a stripped down Mac Pro with a single quad-core processor costs around $2200 when in fact it should probably come in around $1500.
I like the odds that Jobs will host a special Apple 25th Anniversary event on Jan 24th. That would be icing on the MacWorld decision.
Finally, an article that discusses the obvious reasons Apple left MacWorld instead of trying to fabricate nefarious, convoluted conspiracies.
The situation had become ridiculous. Absurd and impossible-to-live-up-to expectations of what would be announced, and a timetable imposed on Apple by people who know nothing about what they’re up to. By making changes like this, Apple can announce what they want when they’re ready and take some control of their announcements.
Even sites like this one where we complain about the stupid stock market driving the shares up, down, sideways and in several other directions only Steven Hawking could conceive, contribute to the very problems they bemoan by contributing to the hysteria that Apple would need a time machine to achieve. I know they have one, but it’s not the right sort.
Speculation about a product refresh due next week, because that’s when it happened last year, new product next month because there’s an R in the month like the last time we had a new product, for goodness sake get a grip. We’re now at the stage that mere disappointment over a lack of a major announcement is not enough. Oh no. Now we have to speculate that someone is dying. By next year we’d all be reading about Steve not planning a keynote so obviously the World is about to end. Why else wouldn’t he appear? What other possible explanation could there be?
End of Rant. Sorry.
I hope this is not a signal that Schiller is in line for the CEO spot.
Marketing Guys should never be aloud to run Tech companies.
“1. Macworld expectations got out of control”
That is ridiculous. Apple already holds themselves to high standards and I cannot believe that Steve Jobs is really afraid to deliver great products. That is what they do. If they did not, they would be Dell.
Speculation? That’s called free advertising.
Effects on stock prices? Uh, that has already been happening. They also engender this through their ultraconservative guidance on financials each quarter. They have not changed that approach despite the same consequences.
Only crappy companies without any confidence in themselves are afraid of expectations. Do you really think Steve Jobs, ie Apple, is afraid of expectations to deliver great products? Really?
Somebody needs to save Christmas before it’s too late!
Finally, an analysis that actually makes sense. Anybody that did not reach these conclusions on their own is simply delusional.
Sure, Apple can and will deliver great game changing products, like the Mac, iPod, and iPhone. But they need to do it at their discretion, not that of the publics.
Steve blew up and said, “Macworld SUCKS! Phil, do it LIVE! I’ll write it out and you’ll do it LIVE! F*&king;thing SUCKS!”
Sounds just like Steve, doesn’t it?
Peace.
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Olmecmystic
they should have canceled that embarrassing macheads movie.
I want Jony Ive to be the new speaker! He’s awesome
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This is the lesson learned from the MobileMe debacle.
Yes, MM was announced at an Apple-branded even, but it taught them not to announce products before they are ready. This exposed the liability that Macworld has become to them.
My guess is “the thrill is gone”. Steve doesn’t get to spend hardly any time interfacing with the public other than a keynote and I have no doubt he enjoys the reaction when he rolls out a surprise. Unfortunately there are people so obsessed with finding out what Steve’s “up to” that they sit at harbors studying crates arriving on ships; sneak out photos from factories in foreign countries; do everything they possibly can to ruin the surprise. And they have the past year; quite successfully.
I remember how “disappointed” the reaction was in the press after the last MacWorld with reports of how “underwhelming” it was, “is that all there is?” etc. These obsessed people are like kids who poke pinholes in all their Christmas presents under the tree; back light them so they can read through the wrapping and figure out every single thing they’re going to get. Then when Christmas morning arrives, there’s no excited reaction when they unwrap them….they already knew.
Due to the predictable timing of a MacWorld event, this made it possible for these obsessed people to get frenzied about uncovering the possible surprises; and the press and blogs spread it around the world in minutes. So if Steve stands on stage and unveils something which everyone saw a mock-up of, product component photo leak, etc, 3 days earlier… well… the thrill is gone. Gone for both the audience and Steve.
Then the mental midgets in the press report how “disappointing” it all was and how Apple “may be in trouble” blah blah. And the stock price goes down EVEN THOUGH the product is great, sales are great, and Apple is making money.
It’s my guess that Apple (Steve) may simply want to get control over their own product announcements by not having a predictable announcement schedule anymore. This gives them the freedom to announce what they want, when they want without all the spoilers taking all the fun out of it.
Just a guess but I don’t think it has anything to do with Steve’s health. Apple doesn’t really need MacWorld anymore. They’ll have more fun and probably do better without it actually.
While I love Macworld, the timing is really bad for a lot of people — Apple wants to reach out to the education market but teachers can’t attend because it’s right after winter break, a lot of companies are gearing back up after holiday slowdowns, and people are still recovering from holiday travel and might not want to head out across country away from family for a week. Plus, being at or near the same time as CES makes it a logistical nightmare.
Perhaps IDG should consider moving the Expo to sometime in the summer — mid July perhaps. Or maybe there could be mini-Expos in different parts of the country dedicated to a specific portion of the Mac community — you could have a Tech Expo for those who like to get under the hood (perhaps in conjunction with WWDC), a Gamers Expo, an Education Expo, a Creative Expo, etc. Smaller, perhaps with less buzz but more meat.