RIP Steve Jobs

David Knaggs · August 28th, 2012, 09:04 PM

There's a great series of free video podcasts on iTunes by AllThingsD (these are the conferences presented by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher) called "Steve Jobs at the D". You can easily find them with an iTunes search.

I watched these a couple of months ago and they cover six appearances from 2003-2010. I was fascinated (particularly in the earlier ones) by how he had a clear vision, but there were a million and one obstacles that had to be handled to bring these various things into existence. For example, in the 2003 podcast (I think) where he was talking about setting up iTunes and mentioned that a major barrier was the record companies' reluctance to buy into the whole thing because of piracy fears. So he told them that he believed that, sure there were people who just love to rip things off, but 80% of people would prefer to do the right thing - if you made it easy for them to do so. Hence iTunes became freely available on both platforms (PC and Mac) and the songs were available for under a dollar. Thus he got them to shift their attention from trying to stop the unstoppable (dedicated pirates) and onto servicing the mass market (the 80% who would prefer to do the right thing).

His greatest point of difference, I think, was that he concentrated solely on the "user experience". Unlike the other dominant IT companies who designed things for corporations or the IT departments, he just wanted to make a great user experience for the individual.

I was reading last week that Apple (in stock market value) is now the "largest" company in the world. One thing's for sure. It was no fluke.

Chris Soucy · August 28th, 2012, 11:22 PM

Sorry, Allan...........

But if it was 1969, it sure as heck wasn't Gordon Brown (thank God, he was a total loss between 2007 - 2010, I shudder to think what he would have been like in 1969).

It was Harold Wilson (1964 - 1970) as Prime Minister.

CS

Steve Game · August 29th, 2012, 12:59 AM

Actually, it was Gordon Brown, but on 10 September 2009.
Brown apologised on behalf of the 1954 Conservative Government's action committing Alan Turing to chemical castration for being gay. Unfortunately, some senior politician's attitudes don't seem to have changed that much since.

Allan Black · August 29th, 2012, 02:47 AM

Yes Steve, it was Gordon Brown who said that.

David, yep Steve Jobs saw the whole picture and that's the mark of a genius. And he totally believed it, without reservation, right to his untimely end.

I wish I'd bought more Apple shares and not Facebook.

Cheers.

Colin McDonald · August 29th, 2012, 07:47 AM

I've counted 3 taboo topics which have being referenced in this thread so far. Is this a new form of Russian Roulette we are playing? (Oops, this might be a fourth one).
:-)

Chris Hurd · August 29th, 2012, 08:02 AM

Yes, it is... thanks, all.

August 28th, 2012, 09:04 PM	#16
David Knaggs Major Player Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 826	Re: RIP Steve Jobs There's a great series of free video podcasts on iTunes by AllThingsD (these are the conferences presented by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher) called "Steve Jobs at the D". You can easily find them with an iTunes search. I watched these a couple of months ago and they cover six appearances from 2003-2010. I was fascinated (particularly in the earlier ones) by how he had a clear vision, but there were a million and one obstacles that had to be handled to bring these various things into existence. For example, in the 2003 podcast (I think) where he was talking about setting up iTunes and mentioned that a major barrier was the record companies' reluctance to buy into the whole thing because of piracy fears. So he told them that he believed that, sure there were people who just love to rip things off, but 80% of people would prefer to do the right thing - if you made it easy for them to do so. Hence iTunes became freely available on both platforms (PC and Mac) and the songs were available for under a dollar. Thus he got them to shift their attention from trying to stop the unstoppable (dedicated pirates) and onto servicing the mass market (the 80% who would prefer to do the right thing). His greatest point of difference, I think, was that he concentrated solely on the "user experience". Unlike the other dominant IT companies who designed things for corporations or the IT departments, he just wanted to make a great user experience for the individual. I was reading last week that Apple (in stock market value) is now the "largest" company in the world. One thing's for sure. It was no fluke.

August 28th, 2012, 11:22 PM	#17
Chris Soucy Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Fairfield, Dunedin, New Zealand Posts: 3,691 Images: 18	Re: RIP Steve Jobs Sorry, Allan........... But if it was 1969, it sure as heck wasn't Gordon Brown (thank God, he was a total loss between 2007 - 2010, I shudder to think what he would have been like in 1969). It was Harold Wilson (1964 - 1970) as Prime Minister. CS

August 29th, 2012, 12:59 AM	#18
Steve Game Major Player Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: London, UK Posts: 353	Re: RIP Steve Jobs Actually, it was Gordon Brown, but on 10 September 2009. Brown apologised on behalf of the 1954 Conservative Government's action committing Alan Turing to chemical castration for being gay. Unfortunately, some senior politician's attitudes don't seem to have changed that much since.

August 29th, 2012, 02:47 AM	#19
Allan Black Inner Circle Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sydney. Posts: 2,936	Re: RIP Steve Jobs Yes Steve, it was Gordon Brown who said that. David, yep Steve Jobs saw the whole picture and that's the mark of a genius. And he totally believed it, without reservation, right to his untimely end. I wish I'd bought more Apple shares and not Facebook. Cheers. __________________ Drink more tap water. On admission at Sydney hospitals more than 5% of day patients are de-hydrated.

August 29th, 2012, 07:47 AM	#20
Colin McDonald Trustee Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Glasgow, Scotland Posts: 1,546	Re: RIP Steve Jobs I've counted 3 taboo topics which have being referenced in this thread so far. Is this a new form of Russian Roulette we are playing? (Oops, this might be a fourth one). :-)

August 29th, 2012, 08:02 AM	#21
Chris Hurd Obstreperous Rex Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 27,368 Images: 513	Re: RIP Steve Jobs Yes, it is... thanks, all. __________________ CH Search DV Info Net \| 20 years of DVi \| ...Tuesday is Soylent Green Day!