[WarrenS]

is it just me, or could this whole no show thing by apple be fixed by moving the date of the expo to a date of apple's choosing. like before christmas.

[Remiss63]

I think it is far too late for changing Apple's stance on attending Macworld by shifting the date. I'm sure that's been discussed over the years. Clearly the date wasn't ideal for Apple, but I don't think that was the number one issue behind their decision to withdraw from the conference and expo.

[TamTam]

I think the whole idea of the gigantic trade show is on its way to extinction. Such a waste of resources.

I was a faithful Macworld attendee for two decades but I've really gotten tired of the circus. Get up early. Take the train or drive to SF. Deal with the always-stupid registration process. Visit every aisle, fighting the knots of people either watching a demo or just talking in the middle of the aisle, bypassing pushy booth reps. Buying overpriced food or losing time going offsite.

In 2008 I bought nothing and brought home no magazines and very few brochures. In 2009, despite a last-minute promo pass, I bailed. For me the killer was not even "no Steve" or "no Apple," but "no Russell Brown on the show floor."

There are too many specific user groups and meetups, Apple Stores, Gizmodo, etc. to alert me to new must-haves. It was fun while it lasted, and I have some great Macworld memories, but no. No more.