Apple makes an effort to injure Macworld Expo ?

Yesterday, the first Macworld Expo opened in San Francisco without Apple. The absence of Apple is already largely felt, at least at the media level. Up to now, Macworld was an major event, it was entitled to practically any cover, except that of indifference.
In itself, the absence of Apple is already an enormous punishment for its organizer, IDG. It was more than difficult for them to convince exhibitors to come, and similarly convincing people to attend the conferences, especially since the entry ticket was nearly $1000.
The departure of Apple has not happened without argument between the two historical partners, and according to rumours Apple still has enormously resentment towards IDG. Certain people think that they have shifted deliberately the release of the new portables to one week later just so that this release does not serve as a boost for Macworld. Even though they are only rumours, another fact also points in this direction, the closing of the Apple Store yesterday.
As you probably noted, the closing of the online Apple store was exceptionally long yesterday. It closed at the usual hour shortly after 12:00 (Paris time), and it reopened much later, around 16:00 and all that just for an update of Aperture. We expected a mountain, instead we received a molehill.
There is really the impression that Apple delayed to the maximum the reopening of its store just to disturb the beginning of Macworld, the first sessions having begun a little time afterwards.
One could of course say that this was just due to chance, but our experience of Apple tells us that chance has no role in their decisions and releases are always more than prepared.
To go back to the Macworld Expo, we will know rather quickly if it is nevertheless a success and if there will be a 2011 edition of it. If it stops, it will be probably the end of Mac Community events, Apple focusing on the press at the time of Special Events, and the WWDC being orientated more and more towards the iPhone and soon, the iPad.