Behind a Steve Jobs Keynote 424
Shree writes "The Guardian has an article about what it takes to prepare that smooth Steve Jobs-style keynote. When Steve launches iPhoto and says 'here we have 5000 or so photos', he actually means here we have 5000 or so carefully picked photos ... " From the article: "Objectively, Apple Computer is a mid-sized company with a tiny share of its primary market. Apple Macintoshes are only rarely seen in corporate environments, and most software companies don't even offer Apple-compatible versions of their products. To put it another way, Apple is just bit larger than Cadbury-Schweppes and about the same size as Nike or Marks and Spencer in terms of annual sales. Such comparisons come up short in trying to describe Apple's place in the world of business, because they leave out a key factor: Steve Jobs."
Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:5, Insightful)
Apple makes great products, sometimes jumping into market segments that have other businesses with a head start, makes them slick and easy to use, then markets the hell out of them. The iPod wasn't the first portable mp3 player, but it put the product on the map. If next week's keynote unveils a media-centered Mac Mini with DVR features, it won't be the first such creature (Microsoft's been trying to break into that segment for a while, and Bill Gates just demoed similar features in Vista), but I guarantee that Jobs will unveil products that are much closer to market, and that the proportional effect on Apple's sales will be tremendous...
-JMP
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Interesting)
He's like the CEO equivalent of Paris Hilton: everyone's sure he's famous, no one's really sure what he's famous FOR. No really, there a ton of sex tapes going around the internet - that's not enough to m
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:4, Insightful)
He's the CEO that came back and saved Apple, giving us the iMac, iPod, and MacOS X.
He also presents his company's creations with a flair that Bill G. simply doesn't have, and other companies simply can't muster cause their products really don't have any style.
Paris Hilton is famous too, but honestly for reasons I cannot fathom. Is stupidity that popular?
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Informative)
It has been reported that Steve Jobs decides the order of the applications in the Dock when a new machine cold boots. Of course, someone must decide the order of these apps. The significance is that the CEO considers it important enough to have a hand in it.
Not so disconnected, I think
Re:Yes, blame Bill Gates. (Score:4, Interesting)
In my opinion, Bill Gates is to be blamed... They are the result of Bill making money the center of his whole life. They are the result of his sneaky aggressive behavior.
Money is clearly not the center of Bill Gates life. If it was, he wouldn't be the biggest philanthropist of all time. This doesn't make him a saint (he may be in it for fame and ego) but it does indicate that money isn't his only idol. You quick assertion that it is indicates to me that you - like many of us - are quick to oversimplify and lay far more blame than can really be laid at the foot of corporate figureheads.
Note that Bill Gates suffers from depression. This is exactly what you would expect of a man who has spent his entire adult life acting out sneaky aggression. It's all fun and games to paint demonic horns and a tail on Bill, but in all seriousness you continue to indicate this desire - universal to humans - to live in a universe that is neat and tidy. Things happen because they are someone's fault, people's actions can be explained by their character - which is itself simple and comprehensible.
The points I'm questioning are bigger than either Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. It has to do with the way that we manufacture celebrity for celebrity's sake - just as we manufacture notoriety for notoriety's sake.
The truth is that sometimes things happen not "just because", but for a variety of reasons that are so complex that there's really no better explanation. A multi-billion dollar business is an incredibly complex structural organization. Of course a CEO can set the tone - it's about leadership. Steve Jobs appears to be a leader. But how much do you think that leadership translates directly into "cool new products?"
I think that there's a ton of luck that goes into it as well. I imagine there are probably many people who could do what Steve is doing, but who will never be in that position (and probably suck in whatever position they are in now because they don't have the temperment for it).
-stormin
Re:Yes, blame Bill Gates. (Score:3, Insightful)
I'm also not willing to follow your logic that Steve
Moderators: I stand by what I said. (Score:3, Insightful)
I stand by what I said in my parent comment.
I sold computers that came with Microsoft's first product, Microsoft Basic, which Bill Gates had a hand in writing. The sloppiness of Windows XP is identical to the sloppiness in Microsoft Basic. Both are, in my opinion, products in which the level of sloppiness is finely tuned so tha
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:5, Insightful)
Jobs is brilliant, don't get me wrong, but I'm not sure that the credit for Mac OS X and for acquiring NeXT should be entirely his. If it hadn't been for Hancock, someone from outside the company who basically had to tell them when it was time to pull the plug, Apple might have continued along the twisted road that was Copland until finially running out of steam. And the acquisition of NeXT, along with Jobs, might never have happened.
See
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copland [wikipedia.org] and
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellen_Hancock [wikipedia.org]
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Insightful)
So, while he may
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:4, Informative)
No, if you want to blame Apple's problems on anyone, it should be Spindler and Sculley.
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re: (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:4, Interesting)
Amelio didn't make great product decisions, and it certainly took Jobs, the iMac, etc. to get Apple back into public favor.
But Amelio, not Jobs, was the real financial savior of the company. When he was hired, there were going to be losses as far as the eye could see -- Apple really had not got its costs under control, and seemed to have no motivation to change old losing business practices such as custom-building all components and pricing without considering the rest of the market. Amelio, not Jobs, really got Apple to move toward industry-standard components and better inventory/distribution practices; Apple, while continuing to shrink, stopped losing money on his watch. It turned from Mercedes-Benz circa 1991 into Porsche circa 2004.
Like the other guy said, no Jobs without Amelio. I wish people would give him his due.
Jobs, for his part, is successful because he's a showman. People like entertainers, pure and simple. (That's why Paris is a mystery... she's not entertaining in any way...)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2, Funny)
That explains everything! Bill Gates posed in Teen Beat magazine. No wonder he's so famous!
I know why he's famous.... (Score:5, Interesting)
Consider this example: The original iMac had no floppy drive and used USB ports instead of ADB. People *howled*, but time has proven him right...the iMac did more to jumpstart widespread adoption of USB than anything else (I had two PCs that had USB ports that went to the junkyard without ever having been used). On top of everything else, I'm sure companies did a good business for awhile selling ADB-to-USB converters and USB-based floppy drives.
Jobs is the only guy who has the cajones to risk alienating everyone to push the tech world further, and the world always catches up. *That* is why he is deservedly famous.
BTW, contrast this to Wozniak who is also decidely famous, but as the wizard who made it all work. It's too bad the two of them didn't collaborate on more things...maybe those warp drives wouldn't be so far off after all...
Yes (Score:5, Insightful)
You know, if a Linux company had half the focus of a Steve Jobs and had a clear vision they would sweep the market (k/ubuntu is getting getting better each day). So many FOSS-based companies seem very passive to me when it comes to defining their product.
Re:I know why he's famous.... (Score:4, Insightful)
Consider this example: The original iMac had no floppy drive and used USB ports instead of ADB.
An oft cited example, but I think a more crucial one was the use of 802.11b in the original iBook. That has also spread wildly.
One could argue that Jobs is good at spotting successful trends early, and directs his hardware development accordingly, rather than dictating the direction of the market, but who cares? Often technology you see in Macs today you see in PCs in 2 years.
That said, there's been a number of mis-steps, too, usually the tech that was developed in house at Apple eg FireWire. Disappointing that they don't even include it on their new iPods--does make one wonder if it's going away. Fewer and fewer peripherals bother to support it at all, now, in favor of USB 2.0. BlueTooth is another example--while widely supported on Macs, it just still kinda sucks when trying to find and use a non-Apple BT product. That trend has yet to take off.
Re:you're right (Score:2, Informative)
Re:you're right (Score:3, Insightful)
iPod and iTunes just work. iPhoto plays nice with both of them. They all integrate perfectly with OS X, which runs like a charm on my Mac Mini. The whole thing is displayed in perfect colour on a monitor which needed no configuration, and is controlled by a well designed and manufactured keyboard and mouse. This "it just works" is what you pay for. As for iPods playing more formats, some people
Re:you're right (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I know why he's famous.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Wozniak has come and gone, primarily because he made enough at Apple to live for the rest of his life in comfort. That was his motivation, and so he did it and now he's a schoolteacher. I can sympathise. Making high-tech products is a tough job. A lot of people who make their pile get sick of their tough jobs with little social interaction and go on to someone else. I'd consider JWZ [jwz.org] to be another excellent example. He made hi
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:4, Insightful)
Jobs also co-founded Pixar Animation Studios [pixar.com], the premier animation film company that has created such blockbusters as Toy Story and The Incredibles.
Then when Jobs returned to Apple, taking over from a string of lackluster bean counter executives, he inspired the company to produce some world class products such as the iPod and the iMac. The iPod is the must have product of 2005, and the Mac laptops are at the top of their class.
I'd say Steve Jobs is more than just a showman, though clearly he loves the limelight. Microsoft is the white bread, corporate standby that does the heavy lifting on corporate and consumer desktops but is otherwise an uninspired market follower, not a market leader.
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:5, Interesting)
Steve Jobs initially became famous over twenty years ago for leading the company who developed the, then, most successful microcomputer of its generation, the Apple II. He then pushed his boundaries of fame with the whole Macintosh / 1984 commercial thing and became seen as a visionary and leader of the industry. This was no accident or coincidence.
He then bankrolled and managed (in the business sense, rather than creatively) Pixar for many years, eventually engineering a clever IPO and became a centimillionaire in the process (and now a billionaire).
To compare Steve Jobs to Paris Hilton is ridiculous. Jobs has put in a lot of hard work, a lot of money, and run himself ragged on his route to success.. he was no overnight sensation.
centimillionaire? (Score:3, Funny)
I think the parent means "hectomillionaire," as being a centimillionaire isn't all that exciting.
See the list of SI prefixes here. [wikipedia.org]
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Interesting)
Steve Jobs was likely just about as brilliant, full of leadership, etc. in the 1980s as he is now. I'm sure he's grown and changed some, but for the sake of argument let's say he's roughly the same person. Yet in the 1980s very few people knew who Stever Jobs was. Now a lot of people know who he is. Clearly, then, to a large degree his fame is not a result of who he is.
So the second possibility is that the fame is a result not of who he is, but of what he has do
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Insightful)
The issue is not really success, but quality of work. NeXT did excellent work. They weren't as "successful" as Apple, but then they were in an entirely different situation. Arguably, Apple's current success is to some extent the result of giving NeXT the much larger resources and market position of Apple.
Pixar has long done excellent work. Pixar didn't take off until they started making feature films
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Interesting)
You've obviously not met the right people. I can't recall if I've actually met Jobs (he certainly wouldn't know me), but I once sat two places down from him at a lunch with a small group, and have been in some relatively small audiences when he spoke, and some relatively large audiences of course. I'm generally a v
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2)
Remind me to never ask you for directions. =)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2)
I'm willing to sell mine if you want it.
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2)
Hang on to it. It could be worth a fortune someday.
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2)
Re:Not surprising. That's what Jobs does. (Score:2, Insightful)
Title and summary (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Title and summary (Score:4, Funny)
They were trying to think different.
Bad analogy (Score:2)
Comparison with Nike and M&S is specious (Score:5, Interesting)
I also don't understand why he appears to suggest that announcements made by the CEOs of other companies are scrutinised by brokers and other analysts. It was interesting to see all the work that goes into Jobs' presentations, but I think the author of the article was over-egging the importance of these presentations by attempting to diminish the size of Apple's importance and comparing the impact of the announcements to those made by other similarly sized companies. A bit dishonest I feel
Re:Comparison with Nike and M&S is specious (Score:2)
Re:Comparison with Nike and M&S is specious (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Comparison with Nike and M&S is specious (Score:2)
Why would a British newspaper care whether 16-30 year old Americans know about a company mentioned in one of their ar
Re:Comparison with Nike and M&S is specious (Score:2)
She wouldn't let me try it on. (Score:2)
It is axiomatic that all middle class British women buy their underwear in M&S.
With regard to not having changing rooms, if you'll indulge me with a further cliche:
"I used to have a girlfriend who worked for M&S, she wouldn't let me try it on."
Re:She wouldn't let me try it on. (Score:2)
the most important part (Score:2)
Re:the most important part (Score:3, Informative)
FWIW, Steve Jobs does not shop at the GAP -- he normally wears Issey Miyake black turtlenecks. It's BIG $$$ designer wear that just happens to look like something you can much cheaper. And if you have the $$$, you can wear it without giving an air of pretension because only those in the know will have any idea that you spent that much on your clothes.
Issey Miyake is a fashion designer whose cologne for
It's the industry, folks (Score:5, Insightful)
People who use Macs picture themselves as a blend of geek and artist. A shiny, beautiful piece of equipment that is easy to use and gets the job done is like a little slice of heaven to them. So when Steve Jobs does his dog and pony show, everyone laps it up.
The difference between Macs and clothing or books is that the personal computer industry, being the interface between pop-culture and the mysterious world of high tech, gets more press and money thrown at it than most other industries. So when there's a new marketing effort it gets picked up by more of the world than similar efforts in other industries.
This isn't to say Steve Jobs doesn't deserve credit for being good at what he does, but I don't think he's particularly unique in his approach or methods.
Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:5, Interesting)
Source: 500 Days at the Helm: The Rise and Fall of Gil Amelio [lowendmac.com] by Tom Hormby
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:3, Insightful)
Of course, this means you have to know what the hell you're talking about. It seems like the only serious problem was the teleprompter and lack of a stage director. There is absolutely no excuse for the lack of a physical backup for the prompter OR for a competent stage director for a coordinated presentation.
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:2)
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:2)
Good actors get into character and ad-lib, you'd be surprised at how much actors will change a script (for good or ill). Good speakers get into their presentation, feel out the audience and ad-lib.
Re:Showmanship and Attention to Detail (Score:4, Interesting)
If you are simply trying to convey information, then working from an outline is fine, since you can move sentences and phrases around and still deliver the same content.
If you are trying to elicit a specific emotional response, then you *must* script it out, down to the length of the pause between phrases and when to nod your head. In theatre, a ton of time is spent on "blocking"... establishing where to stand when saying one line, when to move to another mark for the next line, wether the emotional impact of the line is better if delivered facing stage right vs. house right, etc. All of this stage business will either enhance or detract from the emotional impact of your lines.
You simply cannot effectively manipulate the emotional response of your audience by going out there are winging it. Jobs isn't trying to simply introduce a new product - any marketroid could do that. He's trying make people fall out of their chairs with excitement at sight of the new product. A standing ovation in the room is what builds excitement, word of mouth, brand loyalty and market impact. A round of polite applause heralds a product with no lasting impact.
influence (Score:3, Insightful)
interesting... (Score:3, Insightful)
the show's worth it (Score:5, Informative)
Apple (Score:4, Insightful)
Just my 2 cents.
Re:Apple (Score:3, Insightful)
In the modern lexicon, maybe, but it's still annoying. The Discovery Channel was running promos for their King Henry VIII special, and some historian was calling him a rock star. Bleah...
It's OK if once in a while something in this universe *isn't* hip, folks.
How you deliver is important (Score:5, Insightful)
Jobs knows how to show a product to enhance the consumer's understanding. Example, I went to Sandisk's site yesterday to check out their upcoming mp3 players. The site does a horrible job letting the consumer know things like size (Apple shows the tiny Nano in someone's hand), I have to read a all the text (not that I mind reading, but the impact is not the same). Jobs, and his helpers, know how to deliver a pithy, and flashy message.
Infectious (Score:3, Insightful)
a mac-head by any other name.... (Score:5, Funny)
can't make this stuff up......
Well... yeah.. So people prepare and rehearse (Score:5, Insightful)
That all said, even non-fanboys have to admit that there is something about an apple keynote that is a bit different than what the rest of the industry has. You don't see people actually "excited" about a Microsoft event (or really, any computer related event).
The vast majority are actually quite boring and to be completely honest, I think the only "excited" people at these events are those getting free food, swag or the latest copy of vs.net and a xp pro CD.
I'm not saying that the events aren't informative, and I'm not advocating that people turn release events and conventions into E3, but it would be nice if some events tried to be a bit more like apple.
Welcome to the Corporate Meeting industry (Score:5, Interesting)
Sure, a lot of companies have Really Dull Meetings, but some others are much like the "Jobs Model." Slick, professionally-produced presentations, lots of cool videos and music, light shows, several HDTV-level projection screens, 100 kilowatt sound systems, and expensive pro talent to help entertain the crowd between product demos.
You also get stuff like Larry Ellison rappelling down from the ceiling of the ballroom, the head of a soft drink company crashing a golf cart through a frangible projection screen, rotating platforms for the audience (to turn them to different stages) for another soft drink company, or any of a hundred different Big Show stories.
You also get the Big Disasters when they don't prepare right. Like the above-mentioned rotating platforms not turning when the weight of the crowd is actually on them, or a full-sized luxury car on a raft in a lake doing a quick 180 degree roll and ending up suspended under water...
Steve Jobs spoke unto me (Score:5, Funny)
Steve Jobs is... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Steve Jobs is... (Score:2)
Not to take anything away from the bearded lady and Snake Boy, of course.
Fun Jobs (Score:2)
Sounds like a fun job.
Behind a Jobs keynote? (Score:4, Insightful)
- smoke
- mirrors
- reality distortion machine
- black mock turtle necks
- Steve practicing saying "It's insanely great!" and "...and it's available immediately!"
Hey, hey, hey, I love Apple as much as the next guy, but you have to admit Steve is quite the showman (salesperson).At least it wasn't Steve Ballmer being the saleman (Score:2)
not seen in corporate environments? (Score:2)
Starting to change? (Score:3, Informative)
I wonder if that is starting to shift at all? I know from my own experience, our company is about 32 people or so, and I can count 10 or 11 Mac users. Not one of them is involved whatsoever in graphics or design. Most are developers, but the Sysadmin, CEO, COO, and VP of Product Development all use Macs, and the VP of Sales is a Mac user at home, but chooses a Win laptop just for compatibility sake when she's onsite @ client's offices.
Roughly 30% of our company is Mac. And barely any support is ever needed for any of them.
It's Not "Tiny" Marketshare: Here's why (Score:5, Insightful)
At the time Apple was #1 by a good margin in laptops and in the top-5 for desktops. Yet their market share was always referred to as "miniscule."
I still don't understand why no one's bothered to mention this from the media side.
Re:It's Not "Tiny" Marketshare: Here's why (Score:3, Interesting)
http://www.systemshootouts.org/mac_sales.html [systemshootouts.org]
(scroll down past the 2 charts at the top)
Now, when it comes to installed base, I believe Macs are much higher, something like 8-10% or so, though I don't have solid proof of this (I think PC Mag did a study a couple of years ago whic
Re: only a 2.3% market share (Score:3, Interesting)
Roughly 6th is about right and I'd guess they are within a few percentage points of being 4th. So when claims about top-ten PC shipments are made by the media and research firms, Apple should be in the top-ten. They are not because they specifically exclude Apple. Intention is impossible to establish. (Where's my tinfoil hat?)
The picture for Apple is only getting better. Now, with Longwait coming the fanboy hype is going to drown out the good wor
Re: only a 2.3% market share (Score:3, Funny)
Again, you're technically correct (4th place is Acer, with 4.7% vs. Apple's 2.3%), but in this case "a few percentage points" actually means that Apple would have to double their sales in order to make up that difference. I'm a major Mac advocate, and Apple is certainly kicking ass lately, but their actual market share is only just now starting to rise from it's all-time low (which was actually 2004, believe it or not). Again, however, market
Re: only a 2.3% market share (Score:3, Insightful)
1. My figures are based on ACTUAL SALES FIGURES from 2005. They are not 2 years old, nor are they limited to the United States (which people commonly get confused about--Apple's U.S. market share is higher than it's overall worldwide share).
2. Your figures are based on INTERNET TRAFFIC. That tells you what percentage of people browsing the internet are using a particular operating system, not what percentage of computers sold that quarter were made
It's all about Steve (Score:3, Interesting)
And it works. Whatever is announced, the Apple Store will be swamped with pre-orders for it, and I will again be amazed at his ability to tempt me to pull my credit card out of my wallet and click on store.apple.com.
(Fortunately, I'm poor enough to resist, but I sure feel the tug!)
Geoff
I've seen the show live...and in color (Score:3, Interesting)
Steve, at the time, had a real hard-on for stuff that WASN'T another spreadsheet, word processor, etc. (although everyone loved the hell out of Lotus Improv and that was definitely Steve's baby) so we were one of the companies selected to show our stuff in San Francisco in Septmember of 1990.
This was the event where the NeXT Dimension color card for the Cubes was introduced, along with the NeXTStation pizza-box, and of course, NeXTStep 2.0.
We were in the building for 3 or 4 days before the big show getting our stuff working on almost hourly new builds of the OS.
So, more than a few of us took breaks and watched Steve rehearse his presentation. Trust me, he leaves nothing to chance...nothing. His air of casualness is the result of lots or preparation and practice.
He absolutely IS a showman, but he's also unquestionably, undeniably brilliant.
People remember the Apple IIe and the first (1984) Mac, but forget the Lisa. That "girl" was one of the greased skids for showing Steve the door. Not because it failed, but because Steve wanted about 500 million to 1 billion to build a better machine like it...the NeXT. No, that wasn't its name...but the idea was already there. The board balked, he got the bum rush from his own company.
NeXTStep was/is Mac OS/X. Avi Tevanian was at NeXT, he's Chief Scientist or something at Apple now. Testified at the Microsoft anti-trust trial, etc.
Steve didn't write the MACH kernel or bolt on BSD primitives and Display PostScript to NeXTStep, but damn sure knew what people to recruit and hire to get it done. And then took them back to Apple.
Considering that the Lisa and the seminal ideas for NeXTStep came about around 1985-86...about the time OS/2 and Windows were being created, I'd say the current state of the Mac OS and Windows shows the man ain't too stupid.
No, I am not a Mac fanatic. I have more PC hardware than NeXT and Mac hardware. I'm pretty much agnostic on this stuff...been doing it too long to be religious about any of it these days.
The point is that there's a whole lot to the guy doing the keynotes at MacWorld.
Steve is cool.
More on Jobs' style. (Score:3, Informative)
Regardless of what you think of the products they are selling, or the cult of personality around Steve Jobs, I would recommend this article to anyone that ever has or ever will sit in front of PowerPoint or Keynote or Impress or who will give any presentation of any kind. The contrast is so sharp that I think everyone can learn something from it.
Re:and what a job he does... (Score:4, Interesting)
*Buying opportunity!
Re:Great Story (Score:5, Funny)
Yes it has hasn't it? And I am going to demonstrate the reason why most of us don't give a shit for your Digg advocacy by reposting some of the intelligent and insightful comments from the discussion :
Nick says, "lets not forget, He is a sociel engineing king, he knows how to say anything and wont say it unless he knows it will stick"
Matthew says, "I posted this yesterday: http://digg.com/apple/Behind_the_magic_curtain [digg.com]"
Dickyducky says, "God!"
Fudgebrown says, ":-("
The rest of them are variation on Digg or No Digg. And the thing is I'm not even trying to make the users look retarded. Those were pretty much the best comments.
So yeah, Digg may well have posted this before. But how long did you spend reading the discussion? I am assuming it wasn't long because personally spending more than 5 minutes on Digg makes me want to exterminate the entire human race.
Re:Great Story (Score:2, Insightful)
Don't get me wrong
But there's room for improvement too. My earlier comment basicaly was to indicate that
Digg has good points and bad points, just like
Slashdots REALLY strong point is the discussion attached to the stories.
Diggs strong point is there story submission and (effectively) story moderation sy
Re:Great Story (Score:5, Insightful)
You can only get 'scooped' on a story if you're a reporter, i.e. you're writing your own stories. Otherwise, you see, we'd have to say that the Guardian scooped everyone. They had the story first. But that's because they actually had a writer write the thing, and Slashdot/Fark/Digg/whoever are just news aggregators (and discussion groups) that provide links to the story.
News aggregators, however, can only be accused of being "too slow". Is Slashdot "too slow"? Well, the story is dates yesterday, and the story isn't so old as to be irrelevant or out-of-date, so I'd say no. Insofar as it's a news aggregator, since I got the story in a timely fashion, I don't see room for complaints. That someone else got to the story slightly faster is far less important to me than a) whether I got the story, and b) quality of the user-experience of the news aggregator.
Re:Great Story (Score:3, Insightful)
Imagine if digg's comments worked the way
What's the
Re:At least he's visible (Score:3, Funny)
You bet your ass he works hard for that $1 a year salary [wikipedia.org].
Peons like us can only dream of that sort of thing
Re:Really (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Really (Score:3, Funny)
In the end, I don't know what stranglehold or blackmail Steve Jobs has against other Apple execs, but if the rest of them were smart, they would drop Steve Jobs like a lead balloon. The only problem is, Apple execs have never shown one drop of intelligence in their entire history of the company.
Oh my fucking god, you have GOT to be joking. Apple is having (a) record growth (b) record profits and (c) a stock price that keeps going up and up and up. What in the holy hell are you talking about? They are resp
Re:Really (Score:3, Insightful)
Along with your Steve Jobs profile, you paint a picture of an elitist, which is presicely where I believe he wants Apple Computer at. I think he perceives an Apple Computer to be an experience worthy of the cost, any cost; better than anything else by leaps and bounds, and worth the time and effort to make it so. He wants an Apple computer to equate to a Bent
Yes, Really (Score:3, Informative)
Dumbass.
Re:Non-techie running a tech company (Score:3, Interesting)
"Ultimately it comes down to taste. It comes down to trying to expose yourself to the best things that humans have done and then try to bring those things in to what you're doing." -- Steve Jobs
"The only problem with Microsoft is they just have no taste, they have absolutely no taste, and what that means is - I don't mean that in a small way I mean that in a big way. In the sense that they they don't think of original ideas and