Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 (2)

'I felt that Phil Schiller tried to deliver a presentation as if he was Steve Jobs. I'd like to see Phil,' said Susan who was at the Macworld conference today. (see previous blog)

Susan and her husband, Curtis, were there as dealers and debating one of the talking points: Phil Schiller versus Steve Jobs.

Susan has trained people in presentation skills so is well-qualified to comment.

'There were a lot of moments when there should have been applause, when there was a moment of emphasis, when there wasn't any,' said Susan of the keynote speech, and I felt that's because he was delivering the presentation in a Steve Jobs-like style. I would have liked to see Phil Schiller's own style to discover what that is.

'As a former trainer there are things I look for in a presenter and at the end of the day it would be nice to see who Phil Schiller is,' she said.

Curtis was positive about the speech and Apple's business strategy but had reservations about the future of the conference.

'Everybody considered Phil did a good job but they were late with announcements, but that's to be expected,' he said.

'Everybody always has ridiculously high expectations for what they're going to announce. Announcing a new business product after Christmas doesn't make good business sense, especially if it concerns products like iMac.'

He described the new 17-inch Macbook Pro as a 'safe' product to go for in the post-Christmas period because the Laptops are not likely to have been widely given as Christmas presents.

Curtis works in iLife and likes the 2009 version that Phil revealed which, he said, had some interesting features.

Did he miss Steve Jobs?

'It's okay,' he said philosophically.

What of the future of the conference and expo now that Apple have withdrawn?

'I'd hate to be IDG - the conference organizers. 'Trade shows themselves have been on the decline since 2001...their need diminishes with the internet.

'I was here in 2001. I said, "Enjoy it, it's the best one that's going to be!"'

More interviews to follow.