There was a time (or so I'm told) that Apple leaked like a sieve
with bullet holes in it. Everyone knew which products where coming
out and when. Specs were freely available, and rumors were often
true.
What a long way Apple has come. Getting ideas in and out of Apple
now seems like an exercise for a Special Forces unit. Even after the
rumors make it onto the Mac web, doubters and believers still argue
back and forth over the validity of the photos or reports.
I've read a few articles that grumble about this state of affairs.
Why can't Apple just throw a bone to the press and let us know what's
going on?
Rumors, especially lately, generate a lot of commentary and
discussion. From "Shut up and wait" to "This product can't be
remotely possible," articles and opinions fly fast and furious.
Content is what drives web sites, and rumors provide writers with
plenty of content to fill their pages. Whether the content is always
good is another matter.
Of course, the content spent debating what may be a non-existent
product could be used to debate the merits of a forthcoming product,
right? Well, sure, but then we'd lose all the discussions and
arguments that occur after the product introduction. Secrecy
guarantees lively discussion before and after the product is
introduced.
The second benefit is a spin-off of the first. All this discussion
creates a buzz in the Mac and computer community. We get excited, we
talk about it, and we want to see which rumors are true and which are
not. This buzz is not restricted to Mac-centric web sites. Slashdot
and The Register are two
sites that occasionally post Mac rumors. This is great and helps
non-Mac users realize that Apple is still alive and kicking in the
computer industry.
Steve Jobs and the marketing folks at Apple realize this. In a
world where marketing is at least as important as the research and
development that goes into something (take a peek at any commercial
for a Hollywood movie), hype goes a long way. You just can't buy the
type of marketing that a good rumor can generate.
Elimination of rumors and opening the Apple idea chest, even a
little bit, would cut into the amount of excitement new products from
Apple generates. This, of course, is unlikely. Steve Jobs loves a
surprise and any mention beforehand of a product just spoils all the
fun for him (and for us too).
I'm willing to put up with way out rumors that may or may not be
right instead of the bland predictability found elsewhere in the
industry.
Stephen Van
Esch is the founder and president of
the
E-learning Foundry, an online training
resource for Mac users. Steve loves the Mac and is doubly bilingual,
since he's also fluent in Windows and French.
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