After spending a few day wandering up and down two floors of Moscone West to cover the Macworld | iWorld show , it was apparent the name alteration for this year ’s event was n’t a superficial one . Event organizers had spoken of their desire to make the yearly get - together for Mac enthusiasts more than just a trade show for Apple intersection ; instead , they looked to sour Macworld | iWorld into a cultural case for all the divergent facet of Apple civilisation .
Having go to my share of technical school talks , gone to a few exhibits , and kick the tyre on more than a couple products on the show floor , I intend Macworld | iWorld make out fairly nigh to reaching that goal .
For proof of a more heroic , inclusive case , look no further than the Macworld | iWorld calendar . Modest Mouse trifle a concert last Wednesday . South Park Studioshighlighted Thursday ’s tech talks . And I felt like nearly every subsector of the Apple community — from lensman to audiophiles — had a “ adjoin and greet . ” In short , the event feel more popular and organic . For the first clip in my experience with Macworld Expo – and I ’ve been going to display since 2008 — it felt like a expos for the fans of the products , not needfully just the consumers .
Attendees hit the show floor at Macworld | iWorld. (Photo by Karissa Bell, Macworld)
If you ’re an Apple fan , the talks , lectures , meetups and parties were a great introduction to the Expo experience . If this was your first swop show , this was in all probability the most un - trade - show - like you could get .
The expo floor , however , seems a gradation or two behind when it comes to embrace the all - encompassing approach of the rest of Macworld | iWorld . Instead of campfire dress circle , friendly conversation , and Apple - flavored happenings , exhibitors seemed to prefer for showing off iPad accessories — and then doubling down . If you were on the lookout for something to protect or augment your iPad , the three - Clarence Shepard Day Jr. effect was your Christmas . Seemingly every other developer resolve that the iPad was where it ’s at : Turn your iPad into a camera ! Or a heavy armored tank ! peradventure a baby monitor ? How about a mode accessory ?
Attendees murder the show floor at Macworld | iWorld . ( Photo by Karissa Bell , Macworld )
Polk Audio finds an eye-catching way to show off its wares. (Photo by Karissa Bell, Macworld)
That ’s not to say the oversupply of iPad appurtenance squeezed out everything elsewhere . former stalwarts like OWC and Seagate had plenty to offer anyone looking for storage , and business apps for both the Mac and iOS political platform could be spotted around the show floor .
And then there were the headphone — by my count , a half - XII headphone stall employed the most extreme tactic to get you to buy their wares . Polk Audio ’s cubicle featured a trampoline where particularly limber role model did gymnastic flip while wearing some of Polk ’s flashy offerings . ( The full point ? If you get hold yourself summersaulting in front of a gang , you need never venerate that your headphones will fall off . ) Polk also featured a freehanded streamer advertising “ Rudy Gay : Pro Basketball Star ” to promote its card ; if that ’s the same Rudy Gay that ’s been single - handedly destroying my fantasy hoop team , “ star ” is a bit of a stretch .
Headphones were also the field of one of the few notable level notes at Macworld | iWorld — the Silent Frisco section on Moscone West ’s 2d floor . The mind was that it the section would sport a terpsichore party , with euphony piped in to the headphones that only participants could hear . Maybe it was a good melodic theme on paper ; in exercise , it was a bit distress to see a fistful of lonely souls silently bouncing around to medicine that no one else could hear .
Polk Audio finds an heart - catching manner to show off its wares . ( Photo by Karissa Bell , Macworld )
If the silent dance company had me feeling down , I only had to journey a few feet over to the South Park galley on the second floor to reconstruct my spirits . As outlined in Thursday ’s tech talk , the South Park Studios uses Mac workstations , Xserves , and Autodesk Maya to produce the attain animated serial , and the gallery displayed the fruits of those travail . in person , I call up it would be fantastic to see other creative types that use Apple products showing their work off at future Macworld | iWorld events . The veranda had some enceinte fan artistic production immortalizing variousSouth Parkepisodes , but it was really nerveless to see the stills of various construction - paper - life scenes from the early show .
Over five geezerhood of going to show formerly known as Macworld Expo , I ’ve encounter many changes and development . But this year ’s transformation into Macworld | iWorld is perhaps the most dramatic and also the most welcome . Apple may no longer give ear such appearance and tumid developers like Adobe and Microsoft may have stick to cause , but the void has been fill by a quilt of low marketer , parties , and enthusiastic fans who still want to come together and share their commonality . In contrast to some years , I leave behind feel like there ’s still a place for such an event . It show that it ’s more than just products that bind this community together . Instead , artists , inventors , and developers can come together on their own terms to party , ploughshare , and create — and that ’s a lot of fun to catch .
[ Former associate editor Chris Holt remain a frequent contributor to Macworld . ]