Appletell | Apple, Mac, iPhone, iPod | News, Rumors, Reviews, How-Tos

One of the most interesting things about being media at Macworld Expo is that people always want to know what you think. Or, more accurately, they ask what you think so they then have reason to tell you what they think. I’ve been to five Macworld Expos now in both New York (ah, those were the days) and San Francisco, and almost every meting I have with exhibitors on Tuesday starts with, “So what did you think of the keynote?” I answer, but I’m always more interested in what publishers and developers have to say. This year, by and large, it’s not looking too good.

Live by the keynote…

People who were expecting the mythical iTablet (Netbook (Macbook Nano)) were obviously let down. This is just a matter of setting expectations too high. Rumors are fun and all, but they inevitably lead to disappointment.

During the Macworld Expo Keynote itself, spirits seemed to be up. The applause was big, people were digging the software demos, and there was an energy present that I thought would be missing sans Steve. But then, the keynote ended. And there was no Macbook nano. And there was no new Mac mini. And there was no iPhone nano. Instead, we got a bunch of software updates and a MacBook Pro refresh that we all saw coming back in October. “Is that all there is?” people ask. But they know the answer. Of course that’s all there is. I mean, if Apple says they no longer need Macworld Expo, why make a big announcement at Macworld Expo? Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of pulling out?

...die by the keynote.

This, of course, leads to a letdown, causing people to just sort of trudge around the show floor. There’s still a lot of excitement from many developers, but the collective energy is gone. In talking with various exhibitors, the conversation inevitably turned to the death of Macworld Expo. IDG is already promoting the hell out of Macworld Expo 2010, but it feels desperate…like that woman on the street who handed me a flier and told me and Bill to come to her club tonight to watch her dance (she obviously doesn’t know about the iSkin party tonight…hello!). One software developer (Macintosh only) said his conversations with other developers have them all believing that Macworld 2010 will be cancelled within two months, and he’s furious about it. He understands Apple’s motivations, but feels they don’t understand how important the Expo is to companies such as his, even if it’s not important to Apple. This sentiment was echoed across most software developers with whom I spoke.

Unless…well, the iPhone. Two things came into play here. First, anyone developing anything for the iPhone/iPod touch were thrilled to be alive. Everyone’s making the money on the iPhone/iPod touch. But moreso than that, the people developing software/hardware for the iPhone don’t need Macworld Expo either. They’ve got CES. They’ve got dozens of other electronics events at which they can hawk their wares to more than just the Apple/Mac crowd. If anything, it seems some are happy that Macworld may go away, as they won’t have to plan for simultaneous events, focusing solely on CES at this time of year.

And that saddens me. Because, at the heart of it all, I’m a Macintosh guy. I could give up my iPhone and be okay. I could do without my iPod, although it’d be annoying. But if you took away my Macintosh and told me to work on a PC, I’d give up my job and become a train engineer, a lumberjack, or anything that doesn’t require me to look at a computer all day.

But it’s people like me—or, more accurately, people who write programs for people like me—who Apple is abandoning. So, I guess I’m a little disappointed, too.