Macworld Exit Opens New Doors for Apple

Apple may also be attempting to liberate its product roadmap from the trade show schedule, which often forces tech firms to push their latest announcements through to coincide with a specific event.

"Now Apple no longer has to be held hostage to a timetable dictated by Macworld," wrote a self-confessed Apple "groupie" in an email to TheStreet.com on Tuesday. "In the past, [that] often led to forced announcements of products and/or software dictated by a conference rather than true readiness."

Apple is also in an unusual situation thanks to the media dust cloud that constantly follows the company and its CEO. Like Google (GOOG Quote) and, to a certain extent, Microsoft (MSFT Quote), Apple's every move is so closely scrutinized that it no longer needs the launch pad offered by technology conferences.

The media, for example, were salivating over the scant details contained in the invitation to Apple's recent notebook launch event, and the blogosphere is full of articles deciphering every comment or shred of information that comes out of Cupertino.

At least one analyst was hardly surprised by Apple's low-key approach to its final Macworld.

"With Steve Jobs not presenting, expectations were low and today's announcements were in line with our supply-chain checks on the hardware side," wrote David Bailey, an analyst at Goldman Sachs, in a note released Tuesday.

Despite the lack of fireworks in San Francisco this week, Bailey feels that Apple's overall Mac business remains relatively healthy in the face a weakening PC market . "[The Macworld product updates] should help keep Mac growth above the industry average - although, even here we expect sharp deceleration to 6% unit growth in FY2009 versus 38% in FY2008."