Monthly Archives: February 2010

Fri, February 19th, 2010 by Graves and Allen

The Beginning of the End of an Era

A number of years ago the MacWorld conference (Mac festival) thrived on both coasts.  In the winter, the conference went on at San Francisco’s Moscone Center.  In the summer, MacWorld occurred at New York’s Javits Convention Center.  The MacWorld people decided to move the summer program back to Boston (where it had originated).  Apple Computer (now Apple, Inc.), the mainstay of the conference said it would not support the relocation to Boston.  The convention moved to Boston and Apple did not attend.  It shrank significantly and ultimately disappeared.

For the next several years the Mac world met in San Francisco every winter.  Apple attended.  So did a large array of vendors of products that ran on or worked with Apple’s hardware and a few who just showed up for the party and the exposure.

Last year Apple said it had no further need for MacWorld and would not attend in the future.  The Mac people bravely went on and met in San Francisco earlier this month.  I went to the convention (as I have done for years).  It was sad.  Yes many Mac users attended.  Yes they saw a reasonable collection of Mac software and accessories.  No, Apple did not attend.  And MacWorld this year did not compare favorably to the previous MacWorld conferences.  It reminded me of the first year back in Boston without Apple.  Still it was MacWorld, but it was less than it had been.

It appears that MacWorld has entered the Twilight Zone and that it may hang on for another year or two, but that the prognosis does not favor long life for the conference.  It appears to have run its course.  I, for one, will miss it when it goes.