Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 08:48
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
Apple announced overnight that 2009 will be the last time it exhibits at Macworld Expo.
When combined with recent decisions by other companies such as Adobe to give Macworld Expo 2009 a miss - presumably as the result of the current economic turmoil - this does call into question the continued existence of the trade show and conference, at least in its present form.
In a statement, Apple officials said "Apple 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."
The decision to have the keynote delivered by Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing is likely to be interpreted in two ways.
Firstly, it will be regarded as a slap in the face to Expo organisers. Apple's early announcement that this will be its last Macworld Expo implicitly says that the show is no longer relevant.
Secondly, it will draw renewed attention to CEO Steve Jobs' health. Almost every public appearance made by Jobs is accompanied by commentary about how well or unwell he looks - the legacy of his pancreatic cancer.
Who is in line to be Jobs' successor? Please
read on.
