Slashdot Mirror
Apple Won't Be At Macworld Boston
analog_line writes "Apple apparently is none too pleased about the decision to move Macworld to Boston from New York in 2004. So much so that they have said that they 'will not be participating in Macworld Boston.' They are also considering pulling out of Macworld New York 2003, though they say they will be at Macworld San Francisco."
It's not like Apple is doing so well that they can afford to play the role of protester. Don't they think that if they stay away from the east coast trade show because "IGN is no longer investing in New York", there might be a significant number of people on the east coast who decide not to invest in Apple? Especially after Boston lobbied hard to bring the trade show back, this is definitely a slap in the face. Apple deciding to take their ball and go home just doesn't make any sense.
If Apple won't be at MW2004, then we can safely assume that no new PPCs will be showing up in the Apple lineup. Because if they were, Steve Jobs would NOT BE ABLE TO RESIST announcing it there.
I wouldn't be surprised if Apple were trying to break from the pattern of announcing all their new shit at conferences (MW, SIGGRAPH, etc). That leads to too much speculation.
But what do I know. I'm just looking for anonymous gay sex.
Given the current state of the industry - and Apple's situation in general - one would think any move that would cut the costs of hosting and attending a trade convention would be appreciated. Perhaps they dislike leaving the Big Apple for symbolic reasons?
Listen, I think that the Mac OS X and the current set of Macs look real darn tempting right now if I were looking at a new system, software the whole shebang as it were.
_ _
However, people need to realize that Apple is not the benign underdog against the Microsoft Evil Empire. Apple as a company is very control centered. It keeps close control over the hardware, OS, software devel for the platform as well as user experience. In some ways this makes for a much smoother overall computing experience for the users. In some other ways, it is do it the apple way or hit the highway for a Dell or whatever.
This is just another example of this corporations obsession with controling every aspect of everything having do in any way with its products.
_______________________________________________
ACK
Ok, I live in the UK, and I seem to be missing something - I don't understand the reasoning behind this - could some Americans fill me in?
Apple HQ is in Cupertino which is already pretty far from NYC, I thought. Now MacWorld's going to be in Boston instead. A brief consultation of my Atlas reveals this is not significantly farther away from Cupertino. I can't imagine the geography is a problem - so what is the problem?
Is it just that NYC is 'cooler' than Boston? I saw how excited Jobs was to announce the Apple Store opening in NYC - is this coolness really the only reason? Is Boston a run-down dump? Is it hard to fly to? Is it a logistics nightmare? Do Apple have a big office in NYC, but not in Boston?
Or is it just an excuse for Apple to not go to the east coast MacWorld because they need to save money?
Just curious...
Tim
Not sure why everyone is pissed at Apple about this...it's their *right* to participate in any or no trade events. And before you scream about abandoning the east coast...how do you know Apple won't just do their OWN show in NY or get another promoter to do the show?
I think Apple wants desperately to marginalize the Expos and their keynotes. They're using IDG's action as an excuse to pull out.
I have heard from an Apple Store employee (surely not the best source, but corroborated by common sense) that Apple is none-too-fond of the pre-Expo sales slowdown and the heightened expectations that they rarely achieve. They've made some pre-emptive moves already by having product announcements at special media events and in arenas definitely not Macworld Expo.
I believe that this is not quite what it seems. If Apple were that opposed to a move to Boston, they would have communicated that to IDG quite a while ago and the move would not have occured.
Something financial/political is behind this. I believe that the amount of good publicity that will be generated by a return to their roots in Boston (The City of Boston is even spending money to publicize the return) far outweighs their leaving NYC.
The Macintosh debuted here in Boston, as did all of Apple's cutting edge technologies - Hypercard, the Newton, etc. While the temporary relocation to NY was important to help strengthen Apple's credibility amongst their media (broadcast and print) customers a return to Boston is equally important.
Remember the rumors that Apple was contemplating moving their West coast outing to LA for that reason.
Apple still has strong educational and bio-tech/research links here as well as a mature media industry that resides here - Boston has long had the reputation of being the place where you get your start in print/ film/video production and the place where people come to after they've established themselves to set up their own independant companies.
So, I say, wait a bit. Let the politics unfold. If you want Macworld to return to Boston with Apple's support - let your voice be heard. Compose a well reasoned letter as to why they should return to Boston. Snail mail may be best way to get your message heard, maybe not. But remember that Steve Job's baby had its coming out party here and that Boston knows how to put on a damn good show!
McHummer
Actor/Macintosh Specialist
I'll have grounds
More relative than this: the play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
Hamlet. Act ii. Scene 2
Hit your lines and say your marks. - Lee Marvin
Everyone and their brother knew that Boston was lobbying hard for MacWorld and that IDG was all for it. Apple certainly DID know before the deal was inked and they didn't say a word. BUT this way, Steve gets to show us all how powerful he is.
This is a classic, "I'm gonna take my ball and go home." I suspect little Stevie Jobs said those exact words many times.
"The words of the prophets are written on the Slashdot walls."
honestly i think it will cost most companies about the same to exhibit at either city. yes, IDG gets the Boston space for free, but whena ll the costs are added up to the individual companies that make up the show, it's not cheaper.
Boston is not a cheap city to live in or visit. it will cost a lot of atendees about the same for either place... maybe more since NYC is more in the middle of the east coast megalopolis. and a lot of the visitors are from NYC itself.
there is no way theyw ill have the numbers of people show up in Boston as they have been having in NYC. nothing against Boston, but it's a fact.
from a psychological standpoint NYC is considered the peak of the east coast. a mark of success. to retreat back to Boston seems like they are going back to the old days.
then, as posted above..... NYC was hit hard last year. they can still use all the support they can get. why pull out on them now?
as a resident of neither city and somebody that visits both a few times a year..... i think it's crazy to pull out of NYC. i can see Apple's point. i would think NYC is their strongest city on the east coast.... why make them travel 250 miles to go to MacWorld? Why make Philly and Baltimore/DC people travel an EXTRA 250 miles? it doesn't make sense (except the money factor for IDG).
I've never seen Dell or Linus at any of the Linux conventions I've attended. What the hell does Apple do but assemble the boxes and write the operating system? They don't make the applications or the user community that surrounds them, the community makes that themselves. What the hell do they need Apple for?
But then again, I guess for Mac fanatics this is like the Vatican saying there won't be Christmas this year.
They need to quick licking Steve's boots. This is the perfect opportunity to begin standing upright.
From what I recall (it was from one of those "history of computers" documentaries that were on PBS a couple of years ago), it wasn't the sex that bothered Apple, but the fact that people were DUMB and were catching (and spreading) all kinds of nasty STD's throughout the company.
Do you really need reason for beer? Wingman Brewers