http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/0202/11.applehardware.php
I know this was posted in General Mac talk, but it’s degenerated into a Gore vs. Bush flamewar. *shudder*

There are some pretty standard disclaimers here. Don’t expect new computers at Macworld Tokyo. There’s obviously a lot of wiggle-room in this article for rumourmongers to speculate about upcoming Apple products, but the whole effect seems to be a general wet blanket thrown on the rumour community.

About bloody time.

APPL has always been pegged as an event stock, with the common throught for short term investors to be buy on rumour, sell on news. That leads the Apple stock to do these strange dips on almost every MacWorld. The roumour sites help exxaggerate the problem by making some rather pie-in-the sky predictions, then disappointing people when the new systems arrive. Combined with the general stock price, there’s a public perception of disappointment that happens by and large after MacWorld keynotes, even when the product is new and exciting and sells well. This was especially durinApple itself contributed to.

Hopefully, this should help reduce the rampant speculation that contributes to the wholly artificial fluctuations in APPL at the MacWorld Keynote. If this is a new policy for Apple’s PR, it could show that Apple is aware of these bounces in stock prices, and may be attempting to remedy this situation.

I hope so; this would be wise on Apple’s part.

If you want my two cents, I think Mac OS X will be the focus of MW Tokyo.  The Expo falls almost exactly on the “12:00” mark of Steve’s Mac OS X clock.  I’m betting we’ll get OS X 10.2.

I enjoy the semi-annual expos and other shows, but I am more impressed by the day-to-day work being done quietly and behind the scenes at Apple. The company is under superb management (IMHO).

In addition to fluctuations in the stock price, unsubstantiated rumors and unrealistic expectations concerning new Apple products makes sales and inventory management a problem.

Misinformation about unannounced (and non-existent) products from Apple has caused wide gyrations in purchasing patterns. I know of at least one instance in which Apple had to delay for months the release of an upgraded product in order to sell inventory of the existing product.

Rumor sites had promised readers that Apple was releasing an almost revolutionary product revision. In the end, when the product was released, it was a competent evolutionary improvement. The rumor sites cost Apple untold millions in sales, inventory management issues and a delay in the release of an upgraded product.

What I read from this announcement is that Apple is telling buyers not to wait to buy a Mac in anticipation of new or revolutionary products to be released in the coming weeks or months. Apple now has four excellent product groups, a new operating system, retail stores and heavy development efforts in a variety of software areas. There’s no need to wait to buy a new Mac.

Hopefully, comments from Apple early and often will help put the rumor sites out of business. Misinformation posted on rumor sites hurts Apple, its employees, its customers and its shareholders.