Today: MacWorld Expo Limps Past Finish Line With No Steve Jobs, No New Macs

Let’s play a little catch-up, shall we?

Some passing observations on what was once one of the highlights of the year for millions of fans of the company known as Apple. The celebrated MacWorld Expo went down last week. Until last year, the annual January gathering of Mac product developers, fans and followers was a monster. It was beyond huge.

No mas…

It was the place where Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and other company hotshots debuted the company’slatest and greatest. As often as not, Jobs would hold  down the keynote speaker slot. This year, the biggest named dude on the MacWorld docket this year was Kansas City refuge Sinbad, for crying out loud!

In year’s past, the Apple store would go offline awaiting the latest new MacBook, iMac and/or software breakthrough. The store would then reopen at the end of Jobs’ speech and the faithful would flood it with orders.

Until last year. And again this year.

"The other frequent topic of conversation at the show was the continued absence of Apple," reads MacWorld’s account of this year’s major announcement-less outing. "But whereas last year it was a dark cloud hanging over everything—Would vendors and attendees come back? Would the show survive?—this year it was understood that this is just The Way It’s Going To Be…

"I’m looking forward to next year’s Macworld show. Apple still won’t be there, and the show’s undoubtedly different for Apple’s absence, but for many of us, that’s not all bad."

Nice spin. But if MacWorld gets any duller, don’t hold your breath on it being around much longer.

Worse yet, this was the year Apple was in sore need of some sexy, new computer hardware.

Instead, not only did Apple no-show this year’s MacWorld, it released its new MacBook Air just prior to – not at – the conference. Not even bothering to hold off a week or two and let MacWorld do the honors.

Talk about slights.

Two guessing games are now afoot. Jobs leave of absence and health issues. And second, how much longer will the wait be for a new generation of laptops beforet he current generation dies of old age?