Edible Apple

Matt Drance on vaporware and the inherent problem of announcing and hyping up products long before they’re actually ready to ship.

The problem with talking smack is you immediately put yourself on the clock. You almost guarantee public disappointment when the product does not ship as (or when) promised. If you just shut your mouth and let the product speak for itself—once you actually have a product—then there’s a much better chance for people to be pleasantly surprised. Some companies understand this. Others clearly do not.

Apple appreciates the importance of keeping expectations within the realm of reason. The blogosphere can busy itself diddling and daddling over rumors and speculative product roadmaps. Apple, meanwhile, has work to do.