A Little More On Apple At CES

Posted by: Arik Hesseldahl on January 13, 2009

As a follow-up to this Apple-goes-to-CES thread, I called up my contct with the Consumer Electronics Association which runs the show and asked if there was anything to the rumors on which I commented yesterday.

I got back this statement from Jason Oxman, the CEA’s VP of industry affairs:

We are implementing an area at the International CES in 2010 for Mac-related manufacturers in response to inquiries we have received from interested companies as well as our own business development activities. We have just begun the process of signing up companies to exhibit at the 2010 CES so it is too early to provide information on space allocation or specific exhibitors. As to Apple’s plans for 2010 you would have to ask that question of the company. Apple is a member of CEA, but we do not have any insight into, nor would we comment on, the company’s specific business plans.

This will by no means put an end to the speculation about Apple’s plans to appear or not appear. But given the lack of further evidence I’m inclined at the moment to come down into the camp that says Apple will not attend, if nothing else because I don’t want to have to start going to attending CES again. The best evidence for that line of thinking is Phil Schiller’s statement to David Pogue of The New York Times that trade shows just aren’t worth the money and effort anymore. I still think it would be fun to see dueling Stevenotes (Jobs vs. Ballmer).

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