Steve Rubel has started a discussion on Friendfeed about Apple's press briefing today, saying it failed because the Cupertino, Calif.-based company didn't live up to the hype.

Some expected Apple would announce The Beatles' catalog would now be available on iTunes. Didn't happen. Some thought Apple would announce a tablet or netbook. Didn't happen, either.   

I responded there, and will repeat it here:

"The speculation about an Apple tablet came from an analyst who admitted it was just speculation. But that was enough for lot of people to bank on it as if it were a fact. If Apple had to deny every incorrect rumor, it'd have to hire its own PR agency just for that. Still, I don't think the event was a fail because it was pretty huge that Jobs ran the show himself."    

Apple isn't always innocent. Last year, Apple did hype MobileMe - and when it launched it turned out to be quite the flop. Most of the time, though, Apple outsiders are doing the hyping.

What the press got to see today was Steve Jobs being Steve Jobs: talking about Apple products, pointing out new features that the company thinks will be big, and holding attention at center stage. Given that there was quite a bit of speculation and hype about Jobs' own health (some true, some not), you would think that's enough for now.