Macworld starts next week

Anyone going?

[travelin cat]

I'll be there on Thursday. Anyone else?

[weeks]

Why do you go? Is it fun or useful for you? Or both? Or neither?

[travelin cat]

Well, this will be my 23rd one in a row. I used to fly up to it before I moved to the bay area. Now it's an hour drive.

It is more then useful, you can find (or at least you could in the past) about every vendor of Mac products large and small. Many offer hands on demos and most provide special pricing only for the show. Some of the pricing is so good that I have bought products I never cared about and use rarely!

It's also a chance to meet small independent developers that make esoteric software/hardware that cannot afford to advertise. Many times you will never know they exist without taking the time to visit the developers area at the show.

In the past there was a lot of freebies handed out. One year I picked up 13 shirts, 3 hats and I can't recall now much other stuff. That generally ended a few years ago.

It's also the place for Apple to introduce new products... or at least it was :(

[swa66]

Apple wants to create marketing hype by keeping new products secret till they can control a big unveiling generating press coverage. To do that the timing is important as they get into more and more competition with the PC world, with phone makers etc. The flexibility of their own events is going to be an important asset in this as they'll be able to work without having to wait for months with a ready-to-ship product due to not having a show to launch it.

[weeks]

That's interesting, TC. I'm needing a little push to hit the conference trail this winter. I wish more people had an open mind like you.

Yeah, the swag isn't what it was at any of the shows. I did score a very cool umbrella last year, which my wife enjoys.

[tonynoriega]

Apparently the writers over at msnbc said it was a snoozer.

nothing new, nothing inspiring....

the articles says Apple is on the downturn of its golden age... and i agree.

[travelin cat]

Snoozer for exciting new products for the masses perhaps, but for power users and developers it is the main event of the year.

Golden Age over? When did it begin? Apple has always been an innovative company, and it will continue with or without The Steve.

[weeks]

Apple has always been an innovative company, and it will continue...

That would be highly unusual for a company. I agree that Jobs, while key, isn't the primary reason for Apple's success. But it is very tough to continue to innovate AND maintain a shelf of mature products and brands. Somewhere out there is the next Apple-like tech company. I don't think it will be Apple. Or Google.

[weeks]

Hmmmm. Apple's Phil Schiller told the New York Times' David Pogue this week that Apple is pulling out of MacWorld because "having to come up with another dazzling show every January--a huge production, starring knock-'em-dead new products every year--was unsustainable."

You heard from me first, t cat. The innovation isn't going to be rolling out of Apple like it has been in recent years.

(Still, Apple's ability to make money might not slow for many years. I'd hold onto their stock.)

[swa66]

There is a difference between not being able to do something dazzling innovative and not willing to do it on somebody else's schedule.
The schedule they need is more aggressive to beat their competitors who aren't coming to macworld.

[weeks]

That would be cool, swa66. But, while I disagree that they are going to be more aggressive on the tech side, I think you're right that working to "somebody's else's schedule" just is not good business for Apple.

[travelin cat]

Well, that's it.

It's over and it'll never be the same.

In fact there are loads of rumors that Apple will be at CES next year. Other rumors were going around that CES officials were trying to get some of the vendors exhibiting at Macworld to sign up for CES next year.

It's the end of an era.... kind of sad.

[EliteWeb]

I was there, and ill be there next year as well :D

[weeks]

Apple's not at CES?!?!?!

[travelin cat]

Nope. It's always so close to MacWorld, if not overlapping with it.