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http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=620
Who''s Afraid of Apple Computer?
By Remy Davison, Insanely Great Mac
July 8th 2002
Not the Mac Web - with certain exceptions
Last week. stories circulated that IDG was refusing press passes to Mac web sites with
any ''coverage'' of rumors.
Mac publshers such as IGM, LowEndMac and Applelinks. all covered this issue. eWeek''s
Matthew Rosenberg (an employee of Ziff-Davis) did report it in some detail.
Oddly, we cannot find coverage of this on MacCentral, a publication of IDG, the
organizers of MacWorld (if this proves not to be the case, I''ll apologize and happily
retract this). While the story of Apple allegedly heavying IGD may well qualify as a
''rumor'', it has beeen widely reported by credible Mac journalists. It would appear
an error of omission, to say the least, to avoid comment on what is apparently a
serious attempt to gag the Mac media.
Now IGM is, at times, privy to confidential information regarding Apple and
third-party hardware and software developers. We do not break embargoes or speculate
upon this information, although we do report information which other sites have raised
for discussion.
Time Canada''s premature release of its iMac cover prior to MWSF this year is a
classic example of something that is out in the public domain which should be
reported. Furthermore, the Mac media is a supporter, but not a servant of Apple.
Apple is unwise to bite the hand that feeds it: the Mac web and its user base provide
literally millions of dollars of free tech support to existing and new Mac users. With
MUGs beginning to dry up in some areas and to merge in others, the Mac web''s forums
and advice columns - osxfaq, for example - provide an invaluable service that Apple''s
impenetrable (for a lot of users) KBase cannot hope to provide.
In our view, reporting of rumors of new or revised product is fair game. Auto
magazines snap and publish pictures of unreleased cars on test. Political reporters
make a living out of background briefings.
The other side of the argument is that rumors hurt Apple. People don''t buy product
because they''ve heard (right or wrong) an upgrade is around the corner. There''s no
solid evidence that supports this hypothesis: how many people walk in to buy an iMac
knowing an update might be around the corner? Only those seriously interested in the
Mac and its industry follow these issues closely. There are a lot of us, but even we
do not represent more than a fraction of the entire Mac user base.
Apple can stop doling out press passes, but we''ll predict here and now that Apple
will continue to develop new hardware...and we''ll speculate about what it is.
Post your comments at:
http://www.insanely-great.com/news.php?id=620
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Copyright (c) 2002 Insanely Great Mac. All rights reserved. This article
may not be republished in part or whole without explicit written
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