Tikkabik

Macworld Conference & Expo is bearing down on us only two weeks after WWDC wrapped up, and while there's a lot of general pessimism aimed at the show thanks to Apple's absence, it looks like there's still going to be enough to interest folks who make the effort to show up. For one thing, the conference schedule is quite strong and chock-full of interesting topics aimed at everyone from new users to seasoned professionals.

The exhibit hall is what a lot of people use as a gauge to measure the success of a trade show, however, and by that measure, Macworld Expo Boston is bound to disappoint. From what I can see of the show floor plan on the official Web site, it's smaller than last year's CreativePro show in New York, which was markedly smaller still than the Macworld Expo New York that preceded it in 2002. But as someone who spends much of these shows struggling to stay apace of the torrent of announcements and product releases and introductions, it's a welcome respite, because it means I actually might be able to enjoy some of the show instead of struggling to keep my head above water.

I got a taste of that in New York last year; in fact, as downcast as I was going into it with Apple giving that show fairly short shrift, I ended the week upbeat and happy that I'd actually been able to spend more of the show talking with individual people and getting to know them better than I had in years past. I've often lamented at particularly hectic trade shows that there isn't a way to split myself into two or three clones that can then reintegrate at the end of the week, so I can cover the news, enjoy the social atmosphere, and get to know some of the products more in depth.

So to that end, I'm keeping my chin up and hoping for the best at this year's Macworld Expo in Boston. And at the very least, this'll be the easiest show I've covered in a while when it comes to travel: I just have to take a bus to South Station, rather than struggling with train or airplane itineraries.