As in ex-parrot. At least, that's the feeling I got today, walking around the likely-to-be-renamed-next-year MacExpo. With my contributor's hat on, it was quite a successful show - I got to meet up with Chris and Trevor, and a few other contacts. But as a consumer, the show was woefully lacking. A number of top-tier companies were notable in their absence - not only Apple, but also FileMaker and Adobe (whose presence comprised a few companies showcasing Adobe's wares, and a conference talk on CS3). It wasn't all bad news: the Microsoft stand was friendly and entertaining, the chaps at Eizo were great (assuming you're looking for an expensive but very high-quality monitor), the MacFormat stand was bustling all day, and Quark, as usual, showed off a decent stand. But the show still felt hollow and empty, and it doesn't bode well for the future. If the rumoured name change to something like 'Creative Expo' proves true, that's surely the final nail in the coffin, and will return what should be a high-quality 'Apple' expo to the largely unforgettable niche experience that it used to be some years ago.

What did you think of this years show? Am I being an old misery guts, or have I hit the nail on the head? Comment away, viewers!