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It's funny. Laugh. Businesses Apple

Steve Jobs Gives The Bird on Xserve Video 52

Posted by pudge from the no-comment dept.
opaquewhite writes "In the recent 'Apple Introduces Xserve' video, an audience member asks two questions, the first regarding Apple's plans for licensing WebObjects, and the second a slam on Apple -- and a poorly aimed one, considering it focuses on slamming Apple's choice several years ago to license AIX for some of their early server offerings. Steve's response while the man is answering his question had me rolling on the floor practically in tears. To see it for yourself, take a look at the video and skip ahead to about 01:28:30 and watch from there. At 01:29:02, Steve makes a familiar gesture to push up his glasses -- glasses which by any account needed no adjustment. A video capture is available."
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Steve Jobs Gives The Bird on Xserve Video More

Steve Jobs Gives The Bird on Xserve Video

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  • Go Steve. He really is the man, btw. Very slick. The video is well worth the watch.
  • Steve Jobs flips the iBird

    :P

  • No account? (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Johnny Mnemonic ( 176043 ) <mdinsmore&gmail,com> on Monday May 27, 2002 @07:30PM (#3592720) Homepage Journal

    If by "any account needed no adjustment" you don't include the fact that moments previous he rubbed his eye, thereby dislodging his glasses, you might have a point.

    I think the funnier part of that dialogue is when Jobs explains that "that was before I came back to Apple, which I consider a dream, like Apple was in a coma". It raises the issue again: what would Apple be like if Jobs never left?

    One thing's for sure--nothing like it is now. Whether that means "more successful", "more successful like Microsoft" or "more like Be" I'll leave to future posters.

    • Re:No account? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by technomancerX ( 86975 ) on Monday May 27, 2002 @08:02PM (#3592826) Homepage
      "It raises the issue again: what would Apple be like if Jobs never left?"

      Actually, if Jobs hadn't left and learned many valuable lessons by more or less falling on his face with NeXT (amazing technology, but let's face it a financial disaster) Apple would have probably crashed and burned.

      Jobs learned from his mistakes at NeXT and used the experience to bring Apple back from the brink.

      • I disagree. Apple would be the dominant OS maker today if Jobs had never left. Here's why: In 1985, Sculley made a really bad decision to sign a contract that later doomed their "look and feel" lawsuit against Microsoft. Sculley signed the contract because Microsoft threatened to cancel Office for Mac (sound familiar, anyone?) I think Jobs would have flown them the bird in 1985 if he had been sitting at the table instead of Sculley and I think that would saved Apple right there.
  • Now that's a responce that doesn't please the media... but, i think it pleases the geeks...
  • Appel has been sucessfull due to Jobs' vision, you either love it or hate it, it doesnt try to please every one so it works.

    Thats jobs attitude, and if he doesnt like a question, he gives the finger.

    Apple - technology with attitude

    (slogan from rebel.com, the now defunct makers of the netwinder)

  • As was mentioned, the first time this video was posted here, the day it was released, one of the Besides, how is that part of the video news?
  • I posted this to a Mac friend on an intranet web board we have in the office a week ago. Not that it's a point really worth making---but I had to pass it on. Quite fine.

    blakespot

  • No, He Doesn't (Score:2, Insightful)

    by Anonymous Coward
    I watched it. He adjusts his glasses at the beginning of the question. The "heckler" is a 15 year Mac user -- so not someone who wants to stick it to Apple or make Jobs stumble.

    About half of glasses wearers use their middle finger to adjust their glasses. Nothing sinister about it.

    In short, not news.
  • In response to the comments made at the Xserve introduction, a friend made this [tripod.com] relevant work of art.
  • The audience member asked a question regarding Apple's track record with servers and how it would affect interest in the Xserve. It wasn't a slam and Steve didn't seem to take it that way. The gesture was a quick adjustment to his glasses (which he had just knocked aside while rubbing his eye).
  • I am wondering why they cut to Jobs in the middle of the question, as if to almost capture him doing that.

    If you watch the video, the guy is asking a quesiton for about a minute or so. Then they cut to Jobs, who rubs his eyes, and then "adjusts his glasses." Then they immediately cut back to the questioner, who is still asking the quesiton.

    I have read a lot about Jobs and have seen that a lot of times he takes things personally. I can only guess that he did not want to answer the question, had decided what he was goign to say, and the guy was still asking the "idiotic" question.

  • As my wife put it ... (Score:4, Informative)

    by sg3000 ( 87992 ) <<sg_public> <at> <mac.com>> on Monday May 27, 2002 @10:21PM (#3593231)
    I showed the footage to my wife, and her response was, "No, he's just scratching his eye -- oh, wait ...", so I think he probably did mean it.

    I have to so speak to press and analysts a lot because of my job, and before one does anything like that, there's an incredible amount of preparation where you practice questions for any contingency.

    Apple (and specifically, whoever the Xserve product manager is) is understandably very concerned about Xserve failing because of bad connotations with Apple's earlier server efforts, as sort of guilty by association. There's another example of this: if you watch the beginning, Jobs is talking about Jaguar, and when he mentions the handwriting recognition part called InkWell, he said it was from a well-known product, but he wouldn't mention the Newton by name. They don't want any "Eat up, Martha" jokes before the product is out.

    So I think Jobs had been anticipating the question, but he wasn't happy it came up, particularly from that annoying guy who took 10 minutes to spit out his question. He could have asked his question without specifically mentioning Apple's failed earlier server effort.

    Even if Jobs didn't mean it, I'm pretty sure the person who edited together the QuickTime footage did mean it. Something like that usually doesn't happen by accident. We're just lucky they didn't superimpose a "Moron" label above geekboy's head as he asked the question!
  • Just tried it, got to see it and it's looks like a genuine flip-off to me.

    Unfortunately the video has been removed.

    Anybody have a copy for everybody else?

  • The finger is the sign. Let us follow His example.

    This reminds me of Life Of Brian. Fanatical devotees of obscure causes and people tend to take anything for a sign. Sure, Steve is flipping off a rabid Apple fan. Whatever.
  • Ahhh, the famously petulant Steve. He is much more interesting thing Billy G, No?
  • I believe Steve is serving the querent the bird.

    I think a better case could be made if someone could show that Jobs usually uses a different finger to adjust his glasses. Pulling a frame out of context isn't enough to, well, point fingers.

    Then again, Jobs has been known to get his feathers ruffled..
  • The word is bird!

    Bird bird bird, bird's the word...

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