What everyone is too polite to say about Steve Jobs

[DanaC]

I think the man was a genius and will be much missed.

I also think he had a fucking big pole up his arse when it came to central control (as has been mentioned).

I think one of the biggest laughs I had last year (think was last year) was when Steve Jobs wrote an open letter (I think in response to an open letter from Adobe) citing as one of his reasons for not allowing Adobe Flash on the i-phone/pad/pod that adobe is too proprietary.

Itunes and apple products are awesome, if you don't mind your usage being predetermined. I love my iphone. My mum loves her i-pad. It's perfect for her. What she needs, and what Apple have provided, is 'appliance computing'. No bugs, no glitches, no conflicts no grinding. Perfect.

Not much use if you want to watch certain formats, perform certain tasks, share the media you've fucking well bought (seriously, DRM? Get fucked.) then you need a proper computer or non-apple tablet.

I'm a very recent convert to the joys of ipod and iphones. I held off for a long time in protest against the proprietary and nailed down nature of apple products. I detested the way new OS would come out for the mac, but without backwards compatibility. I detested the way some formats just wouldn't work. And, frankly, to be able to run the kinds of games I used to run, and play the way I played, I needed a pc. I have been a PC gal since the 90s and have no intention of changing: my main comp and my laptop are both windows machines.

Jobs was a visionary. And we should rihtly celebrate his contribution. But he certainly wasn't a saint.

Bill Gates is and always has been one of my heroes. He did for personal computers, what Steve Jobs did for consumable media platforms. Taken together they've fundamentally altered the world we live in.

[tw]

Originally Posted by DanaC

I think the man was a genius and will be much missed.

He was not a genius. In fact, I suspect he was rather nasty. As was Walter Cronkite and Peter Jennings. What Jobs did was empower the geniuses. He was all about the product; screw the finance. He made the company so profitable by ignoring profits. The product was more important. He knew what a genius could do - and encouraged such people.

Management never makes these decisions. Management only defines a strategic objective. Decisions are made and succeed when management permits them to happen. Jobs did that.

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by tw

He was not a genius.

I like how you just state that as a bald fact :p

Neither you nor I are qualified to make such a statement.

[Gravdigr]

Originally Posted by tw

...I suspect he was rather nasty. As was Walter Cronkite...

Hey!! Don't talk about Uncle Walter like that! The man jumped into Lake Como dressed in a tuxedo fercryinoutloud. He was the King of Fun.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Gravdigr

Hey!! Don't talk about Uncle Walter like that!

When it came to the news, neither Walter nor Peter were kindly gentleman. However the same Walter did something that this couple will long remember him for. When Clinton was caught cheating, Walter invited them to his home. Provided time and opportunity on his boat that the Clintons so desperately needed for healing.

He may be ruthless. But he was also smart. He could see the bigger picture. Even defined Vietnam for what it really was - before a scumbag president took office to massacre another 35,000+ American soldiers and maybe another 1 million Vietnamese.

Being ruthless is why Cronkite could see through lies. And is why CBS President William Paley had Cronkite all but censored for political reasons. Being ruthless and honest has consequences.

I would not call Cronkite or Jobs geniuses. They simply did what good management is supposed to do so that real geniuses can do their jobs. Best management gets credit only when they let real heroes do their jobs. Watch Apollo 13 if you have any doubts.

Being kindly is not a relevant characteristic. Ask anyone who worked for Patton.

[Lamplighter]

MicroSoft wins... eventually.

Roger Igar (CEO of Disney) has been elected to the Apple Board of Directors.
Arthur Levinson (Chairman of Genentech) will become Apple's non-executive Chairman
Timothy Cook (Chief Executive of Apple) was passed over.

All business and no creativity will eventually make Apple a dull, near-sighted corporation.
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