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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."
Senior execs added: "Have you seen the hookers in Boston? I'm not traveling across 3 timezones for that..."
Can you blame them given current (well, the past 5-10 years :-) traffic conditions in downtown Boston?
www.christopherlewis.com
..Microsoft could go in their place.
Rake Free + Mac Poker: CardCrusade
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.
Haha, what is a MacWorld without Apple exactly? I like how Apple is "important partner for Macworld". Maybe because they make the Macs?
This page was generated by a Barrel of Circus Midgets, and that is the way I like it!!!
Sony announced that it wont be participating in E3 because it's not in Japan.
From the article:
Following Apple's statement, an IDG World Expo representative said the company had no indication from Apple that the Mac maker would pull out of the show if it was moved to Boston.
Seriously, when you're doing *MAC*World, and making a major change, you'd think they'd ask Apple what they thought.
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.
If you don't find the humor in this in the context of Mac's then you're just a little too dense.
MacWorld reports:
I thought it was a pimp convention!
Boy, was I was wrong.
And the only hoochie there was this drugged up kid who kept babbling on about how her term paper going "beep beep beep" even though it was "really good".
I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
By only participating in one MacWorld per year they alliviate some of these problems.
I am not saying that I think Apple will go to a year long product release cycle, I just think they are actively fighting the pre-MacWorld sales problem. I also think Apple will continue with the recent trend of releasing more and more products out of the MacWorld cycle.
According to their ad slogans, they want everyone to change...is it so hard to expect the same from management?
"she says i'm lousy conversation. as if that's supposed to help."
It moved a whole 2-hour drive away (and I doubt most attendees would drive anyway), and they pull a prima-donna hissy fit?
Damn.
Apple - Grow up. You have an immensely loyal user base, yet treat them like dirt. You abuse the community that gives you free development, you actively squash fan-motivated derivative works, you charge 2-3x as much as for comparable intel-based hardware, you engage in disgusting political maneuverings to squash (or obviate) bad press and speculation... Basically, you act just like Micro$oft, except lack the monopoly to pull it off.
Then you wonder why, with what I think most people would agree counts as a far superior OS to Windows, you have such a pitiful share of the desktop market.
Free clue - reward loyaly, ignore bad press (unless it deals with security issues, one of MS's bigger mistakes), and don't throw a tantrum whenever things don't go 100% your way. Oh, and try selling your hardware for reasonably competitive prices.
I will not be at the MacWorld Conference either...
What, is Steve Jobs a Yankees fan or something?
So the convention is held in a different city.
*WHY* is Apple having such an immature hissy-fit.
Let's see, valid reasons for Boston:
Apparently, tradition. Until 1998, Boston is where MW Expo was held for 12 years in a row
Cost - Boston has offered some pretty serious discounts on the cost of renting their convention center for this show
Valid reasons for disliking a move to Boston:
None that I can think of. Apple hasn't given a *SINGLE* reason for their desire to stay in New York.
If Apple was based in the NYC area, I could understand it... But once you're crossing from the West Coast to the East Coast, who cares if you're going 200 or so extra miles? The difference in travel cost is negligible, especially considering the cost of actually hosting the show will apparently be far less in Boston.
I'm forced to agree with the guy who got marked down to -1 Flamebait for making the comment about Steve Jobs and a baby bottle. This decision by Apple is stupid, immature, and nonsensical (especially given Apple's financial state...)
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
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?
Maybe a lot more vendors will be there since they don't have to worry about Jobs coming over to their booths and yelling and screaming at them ;)
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 like how something that has happened for 4 years is suddenly a tradition. Macworld was traditionally in Boston for the first 12 years of the event. Sounds to me like they are just going home.
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
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Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king.
Hamlet. Act ii. Scene 2
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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.
The $45 million dollar loss that people keep linking to comes from one-time charges, mostly Apple writing off investments--and when you have over $4 billion in the bank, losing $45 million is nothing. Had they not taken the write downs, they would have had an expected profit this last quarter.
This has NOTHING to do with hissy fits and everything to do with:
a)Not looking like they are abandoning NYC.
b)Apple knows that when they are in NYC, they have the ear of the media. Moving to Boston is not in their interest as they will get less ink.
c)When those costs are figured, suddenly it seems like an excuse to get out of/cut down on the Expos.
d)Wean people off of the Expo release/disappointment death cycle, which screws up their product flow.
e)Concentrate their money not on the Mac Geek Faithful but instead on Regular Folks Who Might Switch.
You look at all this, and it's a slam dunk...it's too good an opportunity to pass up.
Possibility: maybe Apple will take the money it saves and instead go to PCExpo, and make a stand for the Mac there. I can imagine this happening, as they'd get lots of press for showing up and would strengthen their committment to expanding the base.
Then why aren't they joining the likes of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas?
You want "flashy splash", NYC isn't the place to go - It's all about Vegas.
retrorocket.o not found, launch anyway?
I use to work for a printing company and anytime we had to deleiver to Javitt center, our truck driver had to to bribe at least 2 people in order to get anything unloaded within 3 hours of arrival. The union contracts also forbid drivers from doing unloading themselves. This is only one aspect of the place, I'm sure there are plenty more reasons for moving to Boston.
It looks like it is a decision that Jobs or his team feels strongly about.
Apple tries to get into the center of the biggest cities to influence more people. Sony's Metreon stores are probably a similar tactic.
The news.com article states that the show was held in Boston for 12 years, before moving to New York in 1998.
If you look at Apple's Stock Chart their business shot up starting in 1998.
Here's a brief timeline:
1997
- Steve Jobs becomes an advisor at Apple Computer.
- Steve Jobs becomes interim CEO (for life)
1998:
- Apple phases out Newton.
- Apple discontinues support for all 68000- and 68020-based Macs, and most 86030-based models.
- iMac introduced, largest model rollout in the industry.
- Mac OS 8.5 ships, first Mac OS release with no 680X0 support.
- Apple had their first year with four profitable quarters since 1985.
It was a very good year.
Apple also has plenty of cash to survive a rough market: $4.31B
I know Boston's a big city but after all, New York's the Big Apple!
Apple has been looking down upon Macworld NY for a while now. Disliking the move to Boston is simply an excuse for Apple to back out of MacWorld NY without looking like a jerk.
I would imagine that it is hard to "wow" folks on a set date every six months. People expect to get blown away by a Jobs keynote, however, that's kind of hard to do when a product isn't quite ready or a when a product is ready for sale months before Macworld.
Apple really been having a hard time syncing up with MacWorld dates during the past year so. MacWorld keynote have been fairly week, and Apple has been announcing and releasing a lot of products at "Apple Events," which they can schedule at any given time.
It'll probably be a hell of a lot easier for Apple to wow folks once a year at a set time, and at random Apple expos the rest of the time. But, nevertheless, it sure does look bad for Apple to back out of a huuuuuge trade show dedicated to them. At the very least they could show up and release a press release telling people not to expect new Apple hardware/software at they show. I think Apple should stick with Macworld, however they should inform their users, the press, and investors to concentrate on Apple events... not MacWorld expos.
"Things are more moderner than before- bigger, and yet smaller- it's computers-- San Dimas High School football RULES!"
Sure, there will be a PowerBook revamp soon, but let's face it, until a new PowerPC chip comes out, Apple basically has nothing that exciting to introduce
If you're addicted to CPUs, I guess. Most of the interesting stuff coming out of Apple has nothing to do with processors.
- Scott
Scott Stevenson
Tree House Ideas
Perhaps Steve Jobs is afraid of Radeon Leaks?
Or was that Radon?
Oh, Wait...
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