It probably is a good business decision for Apple in some way (or can be spun that way) because we Apple cultists have let things get out of control. But companies would pay for this kind of attention. But here is a good example from The AppleBlog:

thought Apple’s farewell Macworld Expo keynote had plenty of substance, notwithstanding that Phil Schiller lacks Steve Jobs’ on-stage presence and charisma. Phil had an unenviable assignment, and I think he carried it off well. I’ve been astonished and saddened by a quite large proportion of reaction and commentary declaring the keynote “disappointing,” “boring,” “a failure,” “going out with a whimper,” and so on and so forth.

The annual Expo hoopla has become in some ways a no-win equation for Apple. If they introduce something at the show, it’s never enough, eliciting “is that all?” reactions, while not rolling out some game-changing “one more thing” leads to accusations that Apple has lost its innovative groove.

From Edible Apple:

If you thought Apple’s keynote this week was boring, I highly advise you not to watch Microsofts presentations at CES. This isn’t a swipe at Microsoft, but rather intended to show that the vast majority of presentations by tech companies aren’t terribly exciting. Yet for some reason, Apple is held to some impossible to reach standard for each and every presentation they do. And to be honest, if you look back at all of Steve Jobs’ keynotes over the years, you’ll find that his exciting iPhone introduction was the exception, and not the rule.

I think Macworld CAN and SHOULD survive without Macworld. It isn’t about Apple. Apple has never cared about the community (except perhaps for a brief period of time). They never are. I go to meet other phreaks like myself, and as long as we phreaks want to hang out it will be all good. And as Paul Kent stated during the Town Hall Meeting, IDG no longer has Big Brother dictating to them what they can and cannot do. The possibilities can be endless. I almost wish I was on staff at IDG to be a part of proving the nay-sayers wrong.