Apple Leaving MacWorld; Jobs Absent from Keynote

[DoctorFinger]

I'm not really what you'd call an Apple person, but this story (http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081216-apple-no-jobs-keynote-2009-our-last-macworld-expo.html) really jumped out at me. Apple has announced that Steve Jobs will not be delivering the keynote address at next month's MacWorld expo in San Francisco. In addition, this will be the last MacWorld expo that Apple will be participating in (at least for the time being).

Jobs had been delivering the keynote at the SF version of the Expo for (I believe) each the past 15 years. Apple had often used the show to launch new or updated products, and it was considered to be one of the must attend dates on the calendars of tech journalists and analysts the world around. Speculation is that Jobs is dealing with some sort of health problem, although nothing of the sort has been confirmed.

[hideouslywrinkled]

Yeah, the "Jobs is sick" rumor has been swirling for a long time. It's unfortunate that the market ties Apple to Jobs so much, because he obviously isn't the one creating the products and breakthroughs anymore.

But anyway, it is a pretty big development that Apple is dropping out of MacWorld. Although I do completely understand it from their POV. Its press events get as much coverage as the MacWorld keynotes, anymore. And I'm sure those are a lot cheaper to put together.

[Telefrog]

Yeah, the "Jobs is sick" rumor has been swirling for a long time. It's unfortunate that the market ties Apple to Jobs so much, because he obviously isn't the one creating the products and breakthroughs anymore.

Obviously? :confused:

Do you know something that highly paid analysts and tech industry insiders don't? By most people's accounts Jobs has been THE driving force behind Apple's success and continued to have had a very active hand in day to day management and innovation right up until last year when the rumors started to gain ground.

[KingGorilla]

Or, maybe there is not much to tell. More MacBooks without Fire-wire? A 4G iPhone? Why would he come out without anything even remotely sexy to talk about?

Apple, like the rest of the works, is riding out the storm, cutting R and D, and just insulating. That is not cool to give a speech on.

[Tron]

Obviously? :confused:

Do you know something that highly paid analysts and tech industry insiders don't? By most people's accounts Jobs has been THE driving force behind Apple's success and continued to have had a very active hand in day to day management and innovation right up until last year when the rumors started to gain ground.

I was gonna say the exact same thing but you beat me to it.

[hideouslywrinkled]

Do you know something that highly paid analysts and tech industry insiders don't? By most people's accounts Jobs has been THE driving force behind Apple's success and continued to have had a very active hand in day to day management and innovation right up until last year when the rumors started to gain ground.

Like the Analysts, it's just my opinion. But it's based on two main thoughts.

1) Since Apple has proven it can, even in a down economy, charge a premium for off the shelf parts, it's put them in a power position. The last few major product enhancements (with the exception of the uni-body aluminum case) have come directly from outside vendors or in partnership with an outside vendor. Intel and Nvidia brought Apple platforms on which to base their system.

2) Apple is a big company, and their are only so many hours in a day. So while Jobs is the decision-maker who drives the company, he isn't the one who is developing the products. Jobs may say, "we need a product that does this." But he, likely, then just chooses his favorite option from those presented (or rejects the whole thing). Apple has done extraordinarily well with recruiting quality talent. As long as the corporate culture doesn't change post-Jobs, there's no reason to think that will change.

[Tron]

Apple is a big company, and their are only so many hours in a day. So while Jobs is the decision-maker who drives the company, he isn't the one who is developing the products. Jobs may say, "we need a product that does this." But he, likely, then just chooses his favorite option from those presented (or rejects the whole thing). Apple has done extraordinarily well with recruiting quality talent. As long as the corporate culture doesn't change post-Jobs, there's no reason to think that will change.

You know Steve Jobs left Apple in the past and the company did horribly without him. I don't share your optimism.

[itchyeyes]

You know Steve Jobs left Apple in the past and the company did horribly without him. I don't share your optimism.
Correction, Steve Jobs was previously ousted by CEO John Sculley over major disagreements with him on how the company should be run. The Apple of today is very much the company that Jobs wants, and many of the people at the top share his opinions on the direction of the company. Apple will continue on the path Jobs has set for it for several years after his departure, as opposed the the major shift in direction that followed his last departure. At the end of the day, Jobs is still just one man. Replace him with talented people who understand Apple's business and the company will do just fine.

[J Arcane]

I think people also forget that Steve Jobs has been responsible for some of the worst decisions in the company's history. He's the man responsible for driving the Mac into being a high priced boutique machine, he's the one responsible for the declining build quality compared to the pre-iMac generation, he's the one who presided over the decision to put fucking Intel graphics in a Mac, and the one responsible for the massive price gap in the Apple computer line that keeps it from broader acceptance.

In fact, the only thing I'm really willing to applaud the guy on is the decision to move to OS X, but even that took 5 bloody versions to get right, and was mostly a political stunt to allow him to keep as much of his NeXT stuff as possible.

[MagGnome]

I'm sure things are blowing up right now at all of the Apple fan sites.

Time to go take a look. ;)

[Tron]

Correction, Steve Jobs was previously ousted by CEO John Sculley over major disagreements with him on how the company should be run.

Isn't that what I said? :confused:

[hideouslywrinkled]

I think people also forget that Steve Jobs has been responsible for some of the worst decisions in the company's history. He's the man responsible for driving the Mac into being a high priced boutique machine, he's the one responsible for the declining build quality compared to the pre-iMac generation, he's the one who presided over the decision to put fucking Intel graphics in a Mac, and the one responsible for the massive price gap in the Apple computer line that keeps it from broader acceptance.

In fact, the only thing I'm really willing to applaud the guy on is the decision to move to OS X, but even that took 5 bloody versions to get right, and was mostly a political stunt to allow him to keep as much of his NeXT stuff as possible.

Agreed. Jobs can be extremely arrogant and everybody washes over his mistakes. You could even list some more recent products/moves:

iPod HiFi: a $350 iPod dock with no features.
g4 cube: underpowered like a Mac mini, but sold at a premium over other Apple computers
Firewire support: Jobs pushed it over USB, then unceremoniously yanks it (years later) leaving some of the Apple faithful with external drives they can't connect to their new laptops

Then too, I would consider the fact that he's built so much of the brand around his persona to be another huge mistake. I mean, we have this thread to discuss his not appearing at a trade show. When Jobs leaves Apple, the stock will take a nose-dive.

Maybe I sound like I'm contradicting myself, but contradiction is part of Apple's core philosophy. They push open standards with some technology, but are more than happy to create a closed, monopolistic environment when they can (iTunes).

[KingGorilla]

I do not think any reasonable person would argue what Jobs has done to the Mac line is great or earthshattering, other than turning it to a designer lable. His baby is the iPod and iTunes and all that goes with it.

Apples business and consumer growth is in those markets. And it was necessary for the business, apple being unable or unwilling to work their way into the professional markets with servers and workstations.

[J Arcane]

Admittedly, I do have a very Mac focused perspective. The Mac is the part I really care about. I don't really give a fuck about iPods, I don't even have much use for them.

I wwas initially intrigued by the iPhone, but in a way, while it's been a commercial success, the way they've locked down the bloody platform I see as another prime example of a Jobs' cockup. I want an open bloody platform, it's already running bloody OS X in the first place after all, it doesn't have to require me to crack the goddamn phone just to put whatever I want on it. And the whole vetting process for the App Store is even more of a joke than the Nintendo Seal of Quality. Tons of good shit gets blocked or delayed, while utter shit and even outright scams skate right through.

Oh, and then there's the bloody price tag , the limited availability, the choice of cell carrier to hitch their wagon to, it's just a mess, as I see it, which is why I'll never own one. I'd rather buy one of those cheap new $99 Palm phones than blow the kind of scratch they expect you to pay for an iPhone.

[KingGorilla]

You still cling to that Woz dream. Let it go.