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Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade

174.51.210.194
Posted on November 5, 2009 at 09:40:16
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 11766
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 As you know, many of our music servers are based on Apple Macs and iTunes.

It's pretty interesting how Jobs transformed four industries in a decade:

- Computing
- Movies
- Music
- Mobile Phones

Steve Jobs: Can Not Be An Audiophile, posted on November 6, 2009 at 13:26:26
Dynaudio_Rules
Audiophile

Posts: 5594
Location: Georgia
Joined: April 1, 2005
 Otherwise he would focus his innovation more on high end audio vs. mp3.

I bet he has a nice system at home, which he hasn't changed in the past 20+ years or only so out of necessity.

IMO, he has done more to hurt Audiophilia than any single person in history, due to the iPod and MP3.



Scrutiny Strengthens The Truth and Breaks Down Lies 音楽は天国と地球のかけ橋
He could be an audiophile who markets to non audiophiles, posted on November 8, 2009 at 18:51:34
keith_d
Audiophile

Posts: 931
Joined: June 15, 2002
 In fact this is the case. Muddled premises lead to meddled* discussions.

*That should have been "muddled," but meddled works too, in a way.

he didn't start it, posted on November 6, 2009 at 18:14:47
Joe Murphy Jr
Audiophile

Posts: 2681
Joined: February 3, 2001
 MP3 is the real culprit: it and MP3 players were around way before the iPod. Don't blame Jobs or Apple for the mistake that was already made before they joined the party.

RE: he didn't start it, posted on November 7, 2009 at 10:26:00
Phelonious Ponk
Audiophile

Posts: 557
Location: NC
Joined: September 3, 2007
 Not to mention AAC files are superior to MP3s. And didn't iTunes recently upgrade to 256kbps? A 256kbps AAC file is as good as a 320 MP3. Few will ever hear the difference between that and lossless.

P

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 22:16:46
Robert C. Schult
Manufacturer

Posts: 79
Location: Midwest / Chicago Region
Joined: August 7, 2002
 And Apple continues to forge ahead with innovation....

http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary


"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends upon the unreasonable man."
Oscar Wilde
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 22:09:51
theaudiohobby
Audiophile

Posts: 4438
Joined: January 16, 2003
 Computing
Not really, Microsoft is still dominant and IBM has regained it crown.
Movies
Dreamworks had just as much impact.
Music : OK
Mobile Phones:
Definitely not, interesting product but it did not change the game much.

Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
You guys have made a compelling argument..., posted on November 6, 2009 at 05:35:52
Phelonious Ponk
Audiophile

Posts: 557
Location: NC
Joined: September 3, 2007
 ...and I concede. The CEO of the decade wouldn't be the guy who grew his company by 700% in times when most companies were shrinking and launched it, ragingly successfully, into two unrelated industries (music retailing and cell phones) and one only tangentially-related industry (consumer electronics) by reinventing those industries' core products and integrating them with his company's core product (and the driving force of the century, the internet, right through the bursting of the .com bubble...). Surely there has to be someone out there who has done better.

Who?

I remember when Apple was being run by John Scully and a young guy who worked for me at the time walked into my office and said, "Phelonious, Apple is trading at $17 a share. Don't you think, in spite of its troubles, it's worth more than that? I told him I thought the brand was worth more than that, I thought if it re-created itself as a completely different company under that name and logo it would be worth more than that. Little did I know that's exactly what would happen -- times three. But at the time, I didn't know Jobs would come back.

By the way, a couple of days later I followed my own advice and got me some cheap Apple stock. I still have it. You'll have to excuse me if I'm a bit of a Jobs fan. I thought he was a pretty brilliant leader even through those dark years when I was personally using Windows machines.

P

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 05:05:36
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

"Mobile Phones:
Definitely not, interesting product but it did not change the game much."


Visited the 'app store' have you?

hmm... I guess some don't like having information at their fingertips, IN THEIR PHONE.

The blackberry is an email machine, and was game changing from that perspective, but the iphone is a whole 'nuther level.
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 05:43:59
theaudiohobby
Audiophile

Posts: 4438
Joined: January 16, 2003
 "hmm... I guess some don't like having information at their fingertips, IN THEIR PHONE."

rather the fact that other phone manufacturers, in addition to Blackberry, already put infomation at peoples fingertips is more to the point.

"but the iphone is a whole 'nuther level."

Maybe in the US, but not here in Europe not Far East, where mobile phones already had some fairly sophisficated applications before the iphone came onto the scene.

Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 06:09:29
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

Can't quibble with your points.

The game changing aspect from my perspective is the app store and the thousands (or is it millions) of apps available (many of which are admittedly useless to me) and more importantly, the ability for any decent software developer to create and offer his/her own app.

Phone apps are no longer just provided the phone companies.

Oh, and the user interface is a game changer for me as well. Until the iPhone I always wanted the simplest phone possible.

YMMV, and apparently does.
That's cool with me.
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 07:29:56
DaveK
The game changing aspect from my perspective is the app store and the thousands (or is it millions) of apps available (many of which are admittedly useless to me) and more importantly, the ability for any decent software developer to create and offer his/her own app.

Phone apps are no longer just provided the phone companies.


That's not new or unique to the iPhone. Really Verizon was/is the only closed phone platform, at least in the US. Before the iPhone, the market was full of Blackberrys, smartphones running Windows Mobile, and Nokia phones running Symbian. You could download or write your own apps for any of these. And most of the "dumb" phones supported Java, so you could get apps like the Opera browser for them. I think you just weren't aware of what was out there before Apple started plugging the iPhone.

Apple deserves more credit for revolutionizing the touch screen interface. That's really what sold the iPhone.
Apple understands the entire user experience..., posted on November 6, 2009 at 14:20:04
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 11766
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Sure, other phones have had downloadable apps and nice icons on their screens but it's the WHOLE package and user experience that Apple truly understands.

There is nothing out there that can touch the iTunes App Store or the ease of navigating, installing, and running those apps on the iPhone. The best and most current BlackBerrys are clunkers by comparison and the BlackBerry App World store is a lame joke.... as are the sluggish and half baked apps that cost way too much. The Windows and Symbian based phones are also pretty lame.

Nope. Apple didn't invent the MP3 player. They perfected it and the WHOLE user experience around it.

Nope. Apple didn't invent the smartphone but theirs is an industry changing product that has raised the bar that no other company has yet matched.

We'll see what happens with Android based phones but Apple has a huge lead.

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 09:05:53
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

"Apple deserves more credit for revolutionizing the touch screen interface. That's really what sold the iPhone."

agreed
Come on, four industries? Maybe two., posted on November 5, 2009 at 21:55:37
DaveK
 I'll give Apple full credit for transforming the music industry. No argument there.

But only partial credit for the mobile phone market. There have been too many players making an impact, and really the Blackberry was a bigger game changer than the iPhone.

But movies? No way. He may have been the CEO of Pixar, but the real credit for Pixar's success should go to John Lasseter. Steve Jobs' vision for Pixar was as a hardware company selling high end visualization machines to the medical & defense industries. It almost folded. Lasseter's animation department was making CGI shorts to demonstrate the hardware and that's what caught people's attention and took off.

And I have a hard time understanding how Apple transformed the computing industry when they still have <10% of the market. OS X is great - I was one of the earliest adopters - but it's not revolutionary. It basically evolved from Mach + BSD + bits of NeXTStep, GNU, and the old Mac API. All late 80s to early 90s technology. And remember Apple gave up the hardware platform war and now they sell PCs in nice cases.
RE: Come on, four industries? Maybe two., posted on November 6, 2009 at 14:26:38
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 11766
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 "...and really the Blackberry was a bigger game changer than the iPhone."

In it's day perhaps, but man that is so 1990's! I guess "was" is the operative word in your comment. Just like the computer mouse "was" a game changer in it's day. ;-)

Have you seen the latest very lame BlackBerry ads on TV? They're trying to be "hip" and "cool" but they show absolutely nothing of their product itself, just fun loving people dancing around and crap. Apple shows you IN THEIR TV ADS what the iPhone is capable of. BlackBerry wouldn't dare do that because their user interface and apps are so clunky it would be embarrassing!

RE: Come on, four industries? Maybe two., posted on November 9, 2009 at 07:00:24
DaveK
 Blackberry still has bigger marketshare than iPhone, and for good reason. Until fairly recently, the iPhone was mostly a toy. A year ago when I got into my current phone contract, the iPhone still didn't have typical smartphone features like copy & paste, MMS, GPS, real push email, Exchange support, calendar & contact synching, 3rd party apps, and Office document readers. A year later, it has most of those features, and when my contract is up next year I might be ready to consider an iPhone. Still, I'm not sure I want to live without multitasking and Flash.
RE: Come on, four industries? Maybe two., posted on November 6, 2009 at 04:50:26
ackcheng
Audiophile

Posts: 312
Joined: November 14, 2003
 "sell PCs in nice cases."

But better than all PCs out there including laptop!

RE: Come on, four industries? Maybe two., posted on November 6, 2009 at 07:52:55
GCrouser@hvc.rr.com
Audiophile

Posts: 215
Location: NY
Joined: January 18, 2006
 Better for Grandma. In most applications, anyone with half a brain can get what they want out of a PC for significantly less money.

This half-witted Mac flag waving BS is really getting tiring.

G

RE: tiring?, posted on November 6, 2009 at 09:10:00
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

"This half-witted Mac flag waving BS is really getting tiring."


Ditto for those who grouse because some people want more from their computer than cheap PCs provide.

have a great day!

RE: tiring?, posted on November 6, 2009 at 10:29:49
GCrouser@hvc.rr.com
Audiophile

Posts: 215
Location: NY
Joined: January 18, 2006
 I'm not complaining because you want "more from your computer" than what cheap PC's provide. I've got nothing against Mac's. I occasionally use them professionally. For many people, they're the right tool for the job. That's fine.

I'm complaining because you people won't shut up about them. It's behavior equatable to the Rush Limbaugh or Fox News propaganda machine, or the loony ravings & rabid behavior of of a Die-hard sports fan.

In a word: immature.

For you too suggest that I have a problem with your private/personal computer needs is very,...well, once again, immature.

Maybe there should be age restrictions on these forums. I'd hate to find out that I was wasting time responding to a teenager.

G
RE: tiring?, posted on November 7, 2009 at 08:08:38
Phelonious Ponk
Audiophile

Posts: 557
Location: NC
Joined: September 3, 2007
 Tired of Apple talk? Yet you're reading and responding, multiple times, to a thread about Steve Jobs? Doesn't seem like you're tired of it at all. Looks as if you're seeking it out so you can engage in it.

P

RE: tiring?, posted on November 6, 2009 at 10:14:42
GCrouser@hvc.rr.com
Audiophile

Posts: 215
Location: NY
Joined: January 18, 2006
 Like I said before: "for those with half a brain"...

G

I want to buy a MacBook Pro, but they're too compromised by aesthetics, posted on November 6, 2009 at 07:07:13
DaveK
 My current laptop is a 13" Sony S560. Before that I had a 12" iBook. I liked OS X, but had to switch because some of the apps I need are Windows only. Now that you can boot Windows on a Mac, I'd like to replace the Sony with a 13" MacBook Pro, but it's just too compromised: glossy screen only, mushy keyboard, unswappable battery, limited ports, no dock, average screen, kinda heavy, etc. I guess what I'm really looking for is something like a Thinkpad X301 or Sony Z that runs OS X.

The last Apple computer I really lusted for was the Aluminum PowerBook G4, particularly the 2005 15" model with the 1440x960 screen. Those old PowerBooks had nice keyboards, decent matte screens, and good connectivity. Their battery life wasn't so great, but at least you could swap batteries. From a design standpoint, I think Apple has been going in the wrong direction with the MacBooks.
Computing, posted on November 6, 2009 at 04:50:26
b.l.zeebub
Audiophile

Posts: 810
Location: 52deg 28'N,1deg56'W
Joined: April 17, 2006
 Bill Gates wrote MS-Dos on a Mac.

RE: Computing, posted on November 6, 2009 at 05:08:24
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006
LOL

now that's funny!

Actually Bill 'bought' DOS from another company, sold the idea to IBM, and then modified it.

Gates is a brilliant businessman, but not even close to Jobs when it comes to game-changing innovation.
RE: Computing, posted on November 7, 2009 at 09:51:13
b.l.zeebub
Audiophile

Posts: 810
Location: 52deg 28'N,1deg56'W
Joined: April 17, 2006
 That was according to Bill Gates then girl friend (not his current wife). Bill himself never denied that statement.
It came out when there were rumours that Apple might use Intel processors. There always was a Windows version running on the PowerPC platform. The developers kit that Microsoft handed out when they were entering the games market with their own console was an Apple Mac G5 running Windows. Funny to think that the only piece of hardware Microsoft ever sold was and is based (like all computer games consoles) on PowerPC processors.

Gates is certainly not a brilliant business man, he was just very, very lucky indeed and benefitted enormously from IBMs fear of Apple.

RE: Computing, posted on November 9, 2009 at 05:44:31
DaveK
 The original XBox ran on a variant of the Pentium 3. It's the XBox 360 that runs on an IBM PowerPC based processor.
Agreed..., posted on November 5, 2009 at 18:29:26
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 15929
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
Contributor
  Since: December 28, 2003
 ...the iPod is the greatest invention of the 21st Century.

For those who use them, the iPhone is even greater.

My daughter loves her MacBook at college.

Steve Jobs is retty incredible.

I read an article in Newsweek last night about Microsoft and Steve Ballmer and how during the past 10 years his company has been eclipsed by companies like Apple and Google.

In the last 10 years Microsoft stock has dropped 50% while Apple stock has gone up 700%.

I give credit to Jobs.

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 14:35:13
StateRadioFan
Audiophile

Posts: 10
Location: Portland, OR
Joined: August 24, 2009
 - Computing : No (Aluminum cases do not transform an industry)
- Movies: No (are you serious?)
- Music: Sorta (distribution only)
- Mobile Phone: Yes


Id give him 1.5 out of 4

So who would you rate as CEO of the decade and why? (nt), posted on November 5, 2009 at 18:30:20
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 15929
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
Contributor
  Since: December 28, 2003
 (nt)

RE: So who would you rate as CEO of the decade and why? (nt), posted on November 9, 2009 at 17:35:47
barondla
Audiophile

Posts: 310
Location: midwest usa
Joined: May 26, 2007
 Don't own an Ipod, Iphone or Apple computer. Apple hasn't affected my life much.

My nomination would go to the ceo of Ford motor company. He didn't take money out of my pocket. Didn't file bankruptcy. Made a profit in a tough industry during difficult economic times. Will likely be the only surviving American automobile company.
thanks
barondla

RE: So who would you rate as CEO of the decade and why? (nt), posted on November 5, 2009 at 22:12:34
DaveK
 I won't argue with calling him CEO of the decade. But giving him credit for transforming four industries is ridiculous.

I also wonder how significant Apple's accomplishments will seem ten years from now when we're looking back. After all, Shawn Fanning started Napster ten years ago. It's long since forgotten now, but Napster arguably changed the music business more than Apple did.

Perhaps in ten years, MBA students will be looking back at the present recession and lauding Alan Mulally as the real business genius of the day.
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 15:20:57
Phelonious Ponk
Audiophile

Posts: 557
Location: NC
Joined: September 3, 2007
 I believe Apple has exceeded 300% growth in something like 4 of the last 5 years. They became the #1 music retailer in the world and brought piracy to its knees for a profit while the major labels were still trying to sue highs school kids with mp3s. If you think the thing that differentiates Apple hardware is aluminum cases you're somewhere between uninformed and simply trying to fake it. But it's not about the hardware, it's about OSX. Still, the iTouch screen and interface, now spread to Apple trackpads and the exceedingly cool new Magic Mouse are enough to earn two of the above titles.

Movies. Probably not. Though the combination of a huge TV/movie library in iTunes and Apple TV precludes such things and Netflicks/Blockbuster streaming through network Blu Ray players by a few years (I assume you know about these developments?). It's just one of those ideas Apple comes up with from time to time that was a bit too far ahead of its time.

P

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 18:47:23
StateRadioFan
Audiophile

Posts: 10
Location: Portland, OR
Joined: August 24, 2009
 I guess my definition of "Transform" is much different than yours. I do give credit to Steve and Apple for the iPhone and its huge impact on mobile devices. I also believe that iTunes & its music store transformed music distribution and movies to a much lesser extent. Those two accomplishments are impressive to say the least.

I do not buy into the fact that Macs (hardware or software) have ever transformed the computer world like the iPhone & iTunes. In my opinion USB & the GPU have transformed the computer world far more than OSX & the Magic Mouse. I like Macs & I like PCs but I get so F'in tired of Mac fans and their unhealthy worship of Jobs & Apple.

Would the world really be any different if Mac computers never existed? Maybe a little different but not like a world without the iPhone, USB or the GPU.

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 5, 2009 at 19:24:54
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006
we'd still be typing in commands at the DOS prompt, if Apple hadn't stolen the mouse/GUI from Xerox PARC.

Microsoft never invented anything worthwhile, as far as I can tell.





RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 19:27:55
rick_m
Audiophile

Posts: 2529
Location: Oregon
Joined: August 11, 2005
 "Microsoft never invented anything worthwhile, as far as I can tell. "

Aren't you forgetting Bob?

R.

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: CEO of the decade, posted on November 6, 2009 at 19:34:11
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

LOL!

Yes, Indeed.

Where do you think Microsoft got the first Windows dashboard?, posted on November 5, 2009 at 19:02:30
mkuller
Audiophile

Posts: 15929
Location: SF Bay Area
Joined: April 22, 2003
Contributor
  Since: December 28, 2003
 ...they stole it from Apple even though Apple lost the lawsuit.

RE: Where do you think Microsoft got the first Windows dashboard?, posted on November 6, 2009 at 10:44:26
Tony Lauck
Audiophile

Posts: 3048
Location: Vermont
Joined: November 12, 2007
Contributor
  Since: February 24, 2009
 "...they stole it from Apple even though Apple lost the lawsuit."

Apple stole it from Xerox PARC. (It's possible to go further back than that, but that's where I came in to the GUI "movie".)

Tony Lauck

"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar

RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: Pixar - computer animation, posted on November 5, 2009 at 16:22:55
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006
 "Movies. Probably not."

The reference to movies should be to Pixar and computer animation, NOT itunes movie downloads.

clay
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: Pixar - computer animation, posted on November 5, 2009 at 17:57:35
Phelonious Ponk
Audiophile

Posts: 557
Location: NC
Joined: September 3, 2007
 I didn't even think about Pixar. Yep. Major accomplishment. But watch. Movie downloads are going to be huge. It will happen through networked TVs and Blu Ray players, but in the end it will be a lot bigger than Pixar. And Apple TV was a couple of years ahead of them all.

P

ha ha, posted on November 5, 2009 at 12:53:21
drrd
Audiophile

Posts: 80
Joined: January 5, 2007
 Packaging. Pretty, expensive, restrictive and boring.

RE: boring, posted on November 5, 2009 at 16:27:43
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006

good point, windows computing is never boring. ;)
RE: boring, posted on November 6, 2009 at 01:21:26
drrd
Audiophile

Posts: 80
Joined: January 5, 2007
 True :) and I think those things apply to Apple and their various competitors across the board. I'll take diversity and quirkiness, even frustration over stiflingly boring 'product' in the very worst sense of the word.

Apple computers are still overpriced aren't they?, posted on November 5, 2009 at 14:02:24
dave c
Audiophile

Posts: 28377
Location: Ferny Hills
Joined: April 17, 2000
 Cute and white but...
iPhones? Still expensive and after all... it's a phone....
iPod... neither the best nor the cheapest but absolutely the best marketing...
Maybe he is CEO od the decade.
Wasn't that the 90s though?
;-)
Image Hosted by ImageShack.us
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: 4 for 5, posted on November 5, 2009 at 11:11:15
cfmsp
Audiophile

Posts: 353
Joined: October 21, 2006
Agreed.

As far as I know, Jobs is four for five.

He bombed trying to re-invent computing with NeXT - between Apple and Pixar.

clay
RE: Apple's Steve Jobs: 4 for 5, posted on November 5, 2009 at 17:20:21
DrChaos
Audiophile

Posts: 49
Location: San Diego
Joined: July 13, 2009
NeXT didn't fail completely.

MacOS X is NeXTSTEP, the operating system. (which happened to be utterly wonderful and much better than any competitors during its time, 89-94 or so).

The codebase of the older MacOS is gone.

Our California water resource induces innovation in California natives., posted on November 5, 2009 at 10:40:20
Vic D
Audiophile

Posts: 749
Joined: August 15, 2002
 Unfortunately the waters affect on some non Californians such as Charles Ng, Charley Manson, and Sirhan Sirhan is disastrous. Orange Counties supply is from the desert aquifer made popular in the film Chinatown and is found to be compatible with outsiders who come to visit Disneyland and decide to stay. This accounts for Orange Counties contrary political persuasion.

I'm from older northern part of O.C. early 1970's era., posted on November 5, 2009 at 10:47:11
AbeCollins
Audiophile

Posts: 11766
Joined: June 22, 2001
Contributor
  Since: February 2, 2002
 Grew up in Westminster, H.B., Costa Mesa, area.... Post orange groves and about the time Irvine and S. OC in general started to boom. Yes, I'm somewhat familiar with the political landscape there. ;-)

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