Apple announces final MacWorld, Steve Jobs won't deliver keynote

Watch this space folks -- it's the end of an era. Apple has just issued a press release stating that this coming MacWorld in January will be its last, and Steve Jobs won't be on hand to say goodbye. Instead, Phil Schiller will be heading up the proceedings, thus marking a quiet end to a conference that's been the launching point of some of the most important pieces of consumer tech in recent memory. In Apple's words:

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.

Update: Oh, and just to clarify, this is merely Apple's last MacWorld, not the last MacWorld. IDG just made a statement confirming that it's on for an Apple-free MacWorld 2010 at the Moscone Center -- January 4th through 8th if you're planning ahead.

[Thanks, JBCornelius]

[Chefgon Posted Dec 17th 2008 7:29AM]

I doubt it. They are trying to separate Steve from the company's image a little bit so that he might some day be able to retire without Apple's stock plummetting 90% instantly. It's pretty clear that investors believe the company cannot survive without him, if he ever wants to leave then he needs to let somebody else take his spotlight every once in a while.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 1:50AM]

I am personally disappointed to see it go. Apple has been ramping up their own special events for a while now and everyone gets excited about those, but for years MacWorld was the one big event other than WWDC that we expect big things. I can't help but think it has to be hard for Apple to knock one out of the park every year in January, but lets not underestimate the power of this event.

While its value as a trade show may be limited and the explanations of the online and retail stores trumping the need for a trade show make logical sense, I can't help but think that the nostalgia and nearly un-rivaled coverage they receive from this one event is something that is hard to value. How many companies other than Apple can systematically pull this off every year and get the attention that they do? I don't know the cost involved for attending MacWorld, but it would have to be awfully high for this to be dropped. This makes me question why they chose to do this. Special event coverage doesn't occur on a pre-defined schedule, so I would think they would at-least want to replace MacWorld with their own event every year. I guess we'll see.

I imagine this is a combin

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 9:58AM]

This is gonna be like doomsday. Nooooooooo. This can't happen. Steve, plz. We love you! We do. xoxo, Raphael :'(

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 2:22AM]

It just means that if MWSF 09 will be Apple's last, they need to give us (especially fanboys) some good surprises, like a netbook **cough** **cough** or an iPhone nano ***cough*** ***cough***.

Oh, well, if it means more special stand-alone Stevenotes, well we have to sacrifice once in a while.

And, by the way, applecanceledchristmas.com is a good copy of Apple's website, huh?! Pretty clever.

[sterim Posted Dec 17th 2008 4:34PM]

Er, no

That's what they call copy and paste

Speaking of that...

[crow610 Posted Dec 17th 2008 3:56AM]

Uh hu, and it's the Rolling Stone's final tour.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 6:08AM]

ohh damn :/
Those keynotes rocked.

I remember Steve saying "an ipod, an internet navigator, a phone" - and the crowd went wild.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 6:55AM]

Steve Jobs is sick. You can see it. He's lost a lot of weigh, and it's not from a Atakins diet. If it's cancer, then he needs time to be with his family and recuperate. Poor guy, I feel sorry for him if it's cancer. Sometimes you don't come back from cancer, no matter how much money you have. I really feel bad for his wife and kid.

[Chefgon Posted Dec 17th 2008 7:24AM]

Just one more puzzle piece in the massive corporate conspiracy to cover up the fact that Steve Jobs is, in fact, a zombie.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 3:32PM]

Well, the Internet says Steve Jobs is going to visit his home planet so he can come back and take over the world. And I believe it.

http://www.maccomedy.com/steve-jobs-not-speaking-at-macworld-due-to-trip-to-home-planet/

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 8:19PM]

It's odd that the speculation about Apple's MacWorld pull-out centers around two, supposedly different, factors. Mainly, Steve Jobs' health and Apple's dearth of new products. When in reality they are really the same issue. I'm afraid, based upon the reticence and truculence exhibited by Apple spokes people today, that it is time to face the cruel reality of Jobs' decline. He is definitely one for the ages, right up there with Bell, Edison, Rockefeller, Ford and Carnegie. So sad.

[Agent007 Posted Dec 17th 2008 4:45PM]

Hang in there, Jobsy

[sterim Posted Dec 17th 2008 4:31PM]

Now there's only one dead cert for new product releases - WWDC

Two if you count the September iPod, but that's not concrete

What will the fanboys do?

[gt350 Posted Dec 17th 2008 5:04PM]

Maybe The Simpsons hit a nerve?

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 17th 2008 5:23PM]

After reading the Time article on this, I honestly think this is a business decision for Apple.

The show is in January and although they've been pressured by the fanboys to drop new product details at MacWorld every year, it's not really an advantageous time for them in the buying season to get people excited about new things.

Is Steve's health going downhill? Probably. Does Apple have other business-related motives for withholding him from the show? Yeah.

I don't think every move Apple makes can be judged on the basis of Jobs having cancer again or not.

"They made the Nano skinnier again! Wow, it must be because Steve has gotten skinnier!"

See what I mean?

[crash7 Posted Dec 18th 2008 2:16AM]

When I went to my first Mac Expo I was amazed, it was love with Apple ever since. To Bad its coming to an end.Apple is making a big mistake.

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 18th 2008 12:43AM]

The comment is just dark humor. So what, get over it. Actually funny. If apple is going to reach out, cannot only be to sensitive geeks.

I got banned from apple for saying that the mobile me logo was developed by a 7 yr old special ed girl.

[mbanks Posted Dec 18th 2008 1:58AM]

Does this mean I can't haz 32GB IPHONE in January... no??

[(Unverified) Posted Dec 18th 2008 2:10PM]

why's the humor got to be black? where are you going with this?

[AKX3000 Posted Dec 28th 2008 11:20PM]

Steve Jobs has no new Iphone that is the reason why he dosen´t want to talk the Keynote. Other
manufacturer brings out ever 9-12 months new cellphones, only Jobs dosen´t do this.