Macworld 2010 opens down but not out

Attendance at Macworld 2010 is expected to be down slightly on previous years

The first day of Macworld 2010 has highlighted the problems caused by Apple's withdrawal from the show, but a healthy number of businesses and consumers are still attending.

Apple said in December 2008 that Macworld 2009 would be its last appearance, and one attendee described it as outrageous that the company had continued to release news ahead of the show and steal its thunder. Yet stand holders on the show floor were upbeat.

"You notice the lack of Apple's big stand in the exhibition, but at the end of the day it hasn't been too big a loss," said Pat Lee, director of desktop products at VMware.

"Macworld is all about the customers after all, and we have been seeing plenty of those today."

Expected visitor figures have not been released, but attendance is expected to be down slightly on previous years.

The bulk of exhibitors on the show floor are from the consumer and peripherals end of the Apple market, but the big names are here too, such as Microsoft, Cisco, HP and VMware.

Microsoft has been giving some information on new features promised for Office for Mac 2011, including collaboration and multi-working tools. HP is showing new apps for the Mac platform, and printers aimed at the Apple market.

VMware, meanwhile, is showing its Fusion 3 product for the Mac, launched last October.