Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 (5)

For some people attending the Macworld Conference and Expo part of the fun is being in a group. (see previous blogs)

Like Sheldon and friends Lynne, Sam, Bob and Hal, who had journeyed up to 40 miles to be there.

'We met up here although we do the conference separately, and just went to lunch together which was by far the best part!' he said.

Sheldon has two reasons for attending.

'I always like to see if there's anything new,' he said, not only with Apple but on the periphery, and he also takes the opportunity to approach vendors with questions if he is having tech problems.

His friend, Sam, is attracted to Macworld for the new software.

'I always like to hear the presentations on that because they do such a good job of showing the capability, and then I like to window-shop for all the hardware,' he said.

Another group were Jason, Mark, Sara, Alisha and Nicole from the Bay Area.

'It's awesome!' said Mark. 'A lot of cool stuff to see. It's cool to get your hands on stuff and try it out.

'There are a lot of cool deals,' he added, but the schwag is lacking!' - 'schwag' being freebies.

And then the unthinkable occurred.

'I'm a PC person,' said Alisha. 'Me too!' said Nicole.

'Traitors!' I said.

'Traitors!!!' they expostulated. Surrounded by thousands of Mac devotees, their courage was undeniable.

'Doesn't it make you want to switch?' said Mark.

'No!' said Alisha.

'It makes me want to have both - if I had the money!' said Nicole.

She, at least, can be worked on!

pics show: Sheldon, Lynne, Sam, Hal, Bob.
Jason, Mark, Sara, Alisha, Nicole.

Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 (4)

'This was my first year so I was very excited and I didn't know what to expect,' said Stacey of the Macworld conference and expo that opened today. (see previous blogs)

'I was overwhelmed at all of the products available, I had no idea there were so many. I have been a Mac nerd for about ten years so I have always wanted to come here!'

Stacey and her husband had travelled from Massachusetts, where she and her husband run an art agency and a publishing company.

Top of her shopping list was printing software and Desktop publishing.

'And as I girl I love all the cool bags. There are some fabulous bags that I'll be picking up on the last day!'

As I left Stacey, I approached an older couple walking towards me. They paused briefly.

'He's lost his iPhone,' said the wife, 'so we're in a big panic right now!' and they disappeared back into the Moscone Center.

Later I met Samantha and Sheila who were girls after Stacey's heart.

'It's cool. It's different from last time, it has more exhibitions,' began Sam.

'There are a lot of accessories to choose from with the iPhone especially,' continued Sheila, referring to Laptop bags and iPhone cases.

Sam liked the iPhones and the expo raffles and Sheila the expo giveaways.

'The free stuff is always cool,' she said.

Henrik is an experienced attender of Macworld.

'I have been there many times before and you get some level of pulse as to how things are going,' he said.

'There are a lot more iPhone Apps programmers and there is less iPhone and iPod gadgets like there used to be.

'I haven't covered the whole floor but it seems like some of the main attractions are not here, like Adobe and Belkin, but I think there are a lot of attendees and people are having a good time.'

Henrik avoided the keynote speech. 'I didn't want to go there this time because I've been so many times and it's a lot of money.

'I heard some comments that it was one of the worst keynotes because there was so little news, just the 17-inch MacBook Pro, iLife and iWorks software.'

But then he brightened at the thought of the upgraded iTunes facility to the 3G iPhone, which is now DRM free, ie has unlimited use.

'That's a pretty big thing,' he said, wondering if initial restrictions had been for fear that it would use too much band width.

pics show: Stacey; Sam and Sheila; Henrik

More reports in next blog...

Macworld Conference and Expo 2009 (3)

There are feelings that this Macworld may reflect a decline in the quality of the conference and that the peak may have been as far back 2001. (see previous blogs)

One person who shares this view is Justine, an attractive, vivacious San Francisco blogger who I bumped into in the conference foyer. (See her blog, iJustine.com, for a great summary of the Apple roll-outs and some fun pics)

'I feel like this year the energy is just lacking as oppposed to more of the other years. Steve didn't do the keynote and they didn't really announce anything that was new or very impressive,' she said.

'You'll never be able to top the first release of the iPhone. It was the best day of my life...I cried!' she confessed.

I caught her in the throes of conversation with Scott who was making his first visit to Macworld but who, paradoxically, might find with hindsight he was at the centre of news-in-the-making.

He overhead a conversation among some of the organizers discussing whether the conference will continue now that Apple have withdrawn. At the same time, he was anxious not to spread rumours as these were purely speculative thoughts by people whom he didn't know.

The other side of the Apple coin, conferred Scott and Justine, is that people tend to think Apple have organized the conference when it's IDG, and that Apple have tended to 'steal the thunder.'

Maybe interesting days ahead!

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.

Macworld Conference and Expo 2009

'This was my first visit to Macworld, so this is the most amazing thing I have ever seen,' said Fred from Chicago who tumbled out of bed at 4 am this morning, walked one-and-a-half miles through the city and queued for five hours - to hear the keynote speech!

When he arrived in the dark at the Moscone Center where the Macworld Conference and Expo are taking place, he was far from alone. There were about 150 people already there, the first ones having lined up from yesterday morning, he said.

This year's conference is distinctive for the fact that Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO, is not there amidst media discussions about his health, and also for the fact that this will be the last Macworld with Apple participating.

The keynote speech was delivered instead by Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing, whose chief announcement of new products concerned the lightest and thinnest 17-inch MacBook Pro.

So for Apple fans there is a lot to discuss.

How did Phil fare?

'I thought the speech was like going to see a movie show or a famous band...a media event,' said Fred.

'I work in iLife...there were a couple of things I thought were going to be announced (but weren't)...I sat on the 'edge of my seat, I did not sit back at all. And Tony Bennett was great!' he said.

Singer Tony Bennett brought the keynote to an end with songs 'The Best is Yet to Come' and a farewell of 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco'. Where else!!!

Fred's summary of Phil: 'It was great to see Phil...he was simple but yet fun and he kept your attention. I like his personality.'

What was Fred there for in particular?

'I want to buy a new Desktop computer, I'm looking for iMacs, a MacMini, a new LCD display. There's a 24-inch with a non-glossy screen but I was hoping they would do a 30-inch.'

And his opinion of the new MacBook Pro?

'I like it. You have to pay $50 to get the non-glossy screen,' he said, continuing, 'I was holding it. It's really light. You don't feel like you have a 17-inch powerhouse in your hand!'

For Fred, this is not only his first visit to MacWorld, but his first trip to San Francisco. Already he has seen Fisherman's Wharf but his eye is on the fabled cable cars.

'I want to ride on all the trolley cars because I love trains,' he said. But then his thoughts went back to the conference.

'I sent my co-workers pictures of the keynote. I'm like a little kid in a candy store. My fiancee is in Chicago and I didn't want to come by myself, but once I got here.....!!!!'

Other interviews follow shortly...