Who's Afraid of Apple Computer?


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 [UPDATE: Dan Knight at LEM has also written on this this morning. and Applelinks. all covered this issue. eWeek's Matthew Rosenberg (an employee of Ziff-Davis) did report it in some detail (see also the story of blacklisted GraphicPower). .

Oddly, we cannot find coverage of this story 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.