Apple and Steve Jobs no longer doing MacWorld

Yesterday, there was much speculation as to whether Steve Jobs will be making an appearance at the MacWorld Expo 2009 in San Francisco. Well today Apple dropped the biggest news of all: Steve Jobs will NOT be making his annual keynote address at this year’s MacWorld Expo. In addition, Apple announced that MacWorld Expo 2009 will be the last one for Apple. If you are still wondering if you read that right, you did. APPLE IS NO LONGER DOING MACWORLD. Here is the official press release from Apple:

CUPERTINO, Calif., Dec. 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today 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, 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 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.

(C) 2008 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Now let me allow you to regain consciousness. We were surprised to hear the news as well. We don’t know what to make of this breaking news. Please stay tuned as more information comes our way.

- Geoff

[Source: Gizmodo]