Apple's last Macworld is beginning of new era (CNN/cnet)

[eppur_se_muova]

(CNET) -- Even though CEO Steve Jobs will not be playing his customary role, the last Macworld Expo with Apple's participation will still be interesting -- for perhaps that exact reason.

Apple's decision to pull Jobs from Tuesday's Macworld keynote speech -- and its announcement that 2009 would be its last year at the show -- deflated much of the usual pre-Macworld speculation regarding the company's 2009 product plans.

The show must go on, however; and Senior Vice President of Marketing Phil Schiller will likely have a few new products to show off, such as an iPhone Nano, a revamped 17-inch MacBook Pro, and a new operating system called Snow Leopard.

But Macworld 2009 will probably not be remembered for the products introduced there, unless Apple has quite the ace up its sleeve.

Instead, Tuesday's 90-minute presentation will be scrutinized for signs that Apple is preparing to change an external communications strategy in which its founder has been its primary spokesman since his return to the company in 1997.
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more: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/05/apple.macworld/index.html

For the latest announcement on Jobs' health issues, see
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/05/news/companies/steve_jobs/index.htm?postversion=2009010509

[QueenOfCalifornia]

1. I believe

that Steve Jobs is ill beyond having hormone imbalances. I hope I am wrong. He is one of the best CEO's of a major corporation around.

MacWorld will survive but the heartbeat has always been the Steve Jobs Keynote. I know people that attend every year - I can't afford to go... :( but my son, who is 9 begs me to take him every year... Poor kid... little computer geek....