Why pay for ads when you can get it free.

Implications: Apple was famous for it's cease-and-desist orders to web site overs the years. The lawsuits against web site were legendary. Now all of a sudden they have slowed down and stopped.  Has Apple discovered something we all knew for a long time, they were getting free advertising.

Analysis: The iPhone is coming, a new laptop is coming, the new OS has all these features would say the rumor Apple sites, over and over. TV stations would broadcast the rumors, magazine and newspapers repeat them and Apple never paid one thin dime for that air and print time. I am wiling to bet the amount of lines of print far exceeded the press release coverage of any new product. So maybe, just maybe someone in the advertising department of Apple finally figured it out, don't stop the leaks and rumors, use them.

I can't think of another company that gets as much free advertsing in the form of these rumors than Apple. Do the rumors have to be correct of course not, when the actual new product appears the rumors vanish and no one remembers them anyway. But Apple gets all that press and air time.

So a change in this direction by Apple is a smart move.