“After this year’s showing, I doubt we’ll ever see another Macworld Expo,” John C. Dvorak writes for PC Magazine.
“Apple bailed out of the show unceremoniously, and amongst those exhibitors who did show, hardly any of the products were Mac-related,” Dvorak writes. “They ought to rename it the iPhone Expo—or just shutter the event entirely”
“Apple, for its part, doesn’t need an Expo,” Dvorak writes. “The company has retail stores, which serve as mini-expos all around the country.”
MacDailyNews Note: A video of Dvorak walking the show’s floor is here.
Dvorak writes, “Macworld 2010 may mark the end of the personal computer experiment that began in 1975. Thirty-five years is a pretty good run, but make no mistake, the scene has slipped completely, as PCs and Macs have become household items.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: This is the way the Macworld ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
So in another words, there will be one next year!
Dvorak is an idiot. This event was a place to see the entire Mac universe in one place. What new Mac software and hardware was available.
Apple stores do not replace this at all.
Apple could easily afford to exibit at these events. Just like the Mobile convention that just happened.
O find it rather arrogant of Apple to ignore these events.
Makes sense…
He’s right. they’re a waste of time and money. I also hope Apple dropsmthe over hyped and prentious press conferences. All we need is the normal press release and those spiffy videos. if the MacWorld folks were on their game they would create a year round virtual MacWorld trade show that we could
visit 24×7 365.
Apple doesn’t need Mac World. They dominate CES without even showing up. Why bother?
MacWorld was great this year, and I’m going next year! Without Apple overshadowing the event, it really was about connecting with the vendors, which was always the best part of MacWorld anyways. (Plus the training sessions as well.)
I was at MacWorld and I hate to admit it but I agree with Dvorak on the one point that MacWorld is dead. However, I believe an Apple Expo would be valuable and well attended. All the vendors are not at the Apple Stores and you can only get a hands on experience at an Expo. It is also good PR. I have gone 15 to 20 times and enjoyed it. It is my tech vacation. I think about 50,000 other attendees would agree.
Dvorak said the same thing in 1997 when Apple chose Next and Steve Jobs over BeOS.
Play it again John.
I doubt that he was even there.
It was smaller, but for the Expo exhibitors that showed up, I think it was worthwhile. In terms of people-density, it was more crowded compare to last year. In some places, it was hard to walk around without dumping into others.
> hardly any of the products were Mac-related
That’s not true. I thought there was a higher percentage of Mac-related exhibitors, compared to last year’s iPod/iPhone-case-fest.
It’s possible that IDG World Expo did not make money on this, so they may not have any more Macworld expos. But I wouldn’t be too surprised if there was one next year.
http://www.cultofmac.com/macworld-vendors-delighted-about-turnout-brisk-business/30225
I had a good time, and I’d go again (but I do live nearby).
Mark my words, there WILL be a Macworld expo next year; or there WON’T be one; one or the other, maybe there will be an expo, but maybe not. But it’s one of those two, nothing else. I’m sure of it. And I’m always right.
Mostly.
Macworld, get ready for record crowds next year. The Dvorak has spoken.
Sooo, MDN agrees with Dvorak on something??
I haven’t been to one since 1996. Have I missed anything?
I was there. It was a great show. Yes, it was smaller, but it ended up being fine. I got a lot out of it. Great sessions. Bought stuff on the show floor. Looking forward to next year.
” People—newcomers especially—constantly fail to backup their machines properly. Whoever can seriously automate that process out of the box will make a fortune.”
Ah John… it’s been done. It’s called TimeMachine.
Thanks for playin.
This was the 14th Macworld I have attended. Yes this year was different that last year, but the last three years were different that the previous ten. Change is inevitable for any living thing and this community is a living thing.
Yes, there were lots of vendors selling iPod, iPhone products. No, there were not large booths dominating and partitioning Moscone. But the vendors that were there were doing very lively business. Of the ones I asked, all said they were seeing high traffic.
This year I spent more than in the IT conferences than I had in the past, because the information was better. Those session were full, with tech professionals jotting notes, recording presentations and asking relevant questions.
Maybe it should be renamed the “Apple Expo” or the “iGeek Expo”, but ended? Hardly!
This conference is the last of it’s kind, I rumor has it, the only one IDG has consistently profited on. If this is failure, then “War is Peace” Freedom is Slavery” and “Ignorance is Strength.”
@ sn:
I think hell just froze over.
No snide MDN take…
no derisive slagging…
nothing
in it’s place, agreement
I feel so disappointed.
Just because it is Dvorak saying that, there will be a lot more Macworld Expos!!!
@ Laszlo
Exactly! Time now to get your reservation for next year. Prime exhibition spaces will be going fast!
BTW, MDN, where was the Think before you click.™ disclaimer?
I attended this year, and while I’m not going to agree with Dvorak, ‘cuz he’s a total douche, the Expo seriously needs to do some work to reinvent itself.
Vendors were there as well as attendees. But for me, it really lacked any excitement or enthusiasm. They were missing some big guns – like Adobe & it still felt like the iPhone show.
I’d really love for it to get back to its Mac user roots as I really feel these kind of shows serve a great purpose. They get Mac users together & small vendors can show off their wares – but they need some big players to generate enthusiasm.
MacWorld has been redundant ever since Apple pulled out of the Boston MacWorld show. Apple certainly doesn’t need MacWorld and all the MacWorld security leaks that preempted it’s new product announcements in the past few years, which were a big reason it decided to control it’s own events and environments.
That makes it official then. MacWorld 2011 is on.
MacWorld is much better without Apple. Without them its a Mac expo with them you end up with 70% of the vendors being iPhone iPod based.
I think with the attendance being what it was, expect other vendors to return to the show next year, even without Apple being there. From what I gather it was still a bonafide success.
What? Now your taking Dvorak’s word on what the future will bring?
I have no dog in this fight. But I don’t think MacWorld isn’t dead yet.