Tech News Beats

Apple announced that this year is the last year the company will exhibit at Macworld Expo. Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the opening keynote for this year’s Macworld Conference & Expo instead of CEO Steve Jobs and it will be Apple’s last keynote at the show. The keynote address will be held at Moscone West on Tuesday, January 6, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. Macworld will be held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center January 5-9, 2009.

Apple says it is reaching more people in more ways than ever before, so like many companies, trade shows have become a very minor part of how Apple reaches its customers. The increasing popularity of Apple’s Retail Stores, which more than 3.5 million people visit every week, and the Apple.com website enable Apple to directly reach more than a hundred million customers around the world in innovative new ways.

Apple has been steadily scaling back on trade shows in recent years, including NAB, Macworld New York, Macworld Tokyo and Apple Expo in Paris.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Now lets come to the question why Apple exiting MacWorld Expo which it was attending for last 25 years? Was is because of Steve Jobs’s health? Well, if that has been the case then any proxy like the present VP could have delivered the keynote and the game could have continued. The news that they are exiting the MacWorld altogether points to something different. I think it has much to do with financial and political notes. It takes a lot of money even for a debt free – $ 25 billion plus cash reserve company like Apple. Also, these days due to hyper media activity, most of the news or pictures of new product are leaked. So much of the surprise element is lost. Also, due to MacWorld, Apple has to meet dead lines to announce new products. Now After exiting MacWorld, they can release or announce a product when they are ready. However Macworld was a great meeting place for the Apple community.

IDG the company who runs the MacWorld show will continue with the show next year at Moscone Center January 4-8, 2010.