http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/01/...-to-take-medical-leave-of-absence/
I hope everything turns out right.
Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
Yes, I hope so too. Some are saying no Jobs means the end of the good times for Apple. Rarely have there been CEO's to which a companies fortunes appear so tied.
I for one don't think it means "the end" for Apple but Jobs definitely has a certain cachet that helps Apple's perception in the market. If anything this might help with the "separation anxiety" that will (seems to be) occur when he leaves eventually.
I'm sure there will be tons of rumors about "what's really going on".
Tugg
I for one don't think it means "the end" for Apple but Jobs definitely has a certain cachet that helps Apple's perception in the market. If anything this might help with the "separation anxiety" that will (seems to be) occur when he leaves eventually.
I'm sure there will be tons of rumors about "what's really going on".
Tugg
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Tugger (Reply 1): Some are saying no Jobs means the end of the good times for Apple. |
I read an article in Time magazine that was saying exactly that.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1870502,00.html
I liked how they talked about Apple being more of a marketing success than a computer / electronics maker, but with the end of the Macworld Expo I wonder if that marketing success will continue to remain.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Elite (Reply 2): I liked how they talked about Apple being more of a marketing success than a computer / electronics maker, |
That is a widespread mistake. The real story which many pundits seem to miss is that Apple is primarily a software-driven company. Beginning with the first Mac, everything centered around software, with hardware primarily a necessary vehicle to match the software and make it usable in the real world. (But of course Apple tries to elevate the functionality of the hardware as well.)
Apple's marketing has been relatively sparse; Most of people's appreciation for Apple's products ultimately comes from their own experiences, not from marketing.
Jobs once said: "Design is how it works."
And "how it works" is above all determined by software with today's technology.
The other manufacturers (including, strangely, Microsoft!) massively underestimate the impact of the user experience and the main factors required for a good one. That is the main reason for Apple's recent success.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Elite (Reply 4): But you have to admit that the Macworld Expo is an example of the marketing success Apple has experienced. That is where it starts, and where people get motivated to buy the product so that they can try it. |
No. There are many other trade shows around. The reason why Apple could stay alive and again become a major success in recent years had little to do with "business as usual" as expressed in trade show participation. It primarily had to do with many users' determination to stick with a software platform they themselves had positive experiences with, and Apple's determination to expand on exactly that aspect.
This runs completely under the radar of conventional expectations where success is basically just driven by marketing and price, which explains why so many people are still scratching their heads about Apple.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
Despite the high brand loyalty, is it the price that is still stopping people from switching over to Apple, or is it because they are used to Windows? The market share for Apple still seem relatively low.
And to stick to the subject, I don't think that Steve Jobs leaving Apple will mean the end of Apple. While Jobs is undoubtedly important, I think there are still so many young, smart, bright, and creative minds in Apple and they will continue to produce the high quality products that Apple has been producing all along.
And to stick to the subject, I don't think that Steve Jobs leaving Apple will mean the end of Apple. While Jobs is undoubtedly important, I think there are still so many young, smart, bright, and creative minds in Apple and they will continue to produce the high quality products that Apple has been producing all along.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Elite (Reply 6): Despite the high brand loyalty, is it the price that is still stopping people from switching over to Apple, or is it because they are used to Windows? The market share for Apple still seem relatively low. |
In the US the market share among "self-using buyers" is reported to be in the 20-30% region... The "total market" size includes every call center terminal and every cash register using PC technology, which grossly skews the numbers but which doesn't say much if anything about people's actual preferences.
Germany is unfortunately still far behind – many people here still cling to the lowest possible price at any cost(!) as their priority. But even here it's beginning to improve.
To people's motivations: Many people know nothing but Windows and have resigned to the idea that "that is the way computers are!", which actually isn't true. And, of course, people have developed "Windows habits" and perceive it as an inconvenience to adapt to a new environment. Most people who actually do the step end up kicking themselves that they hadn't done it sooner, but people are often just conservative, even at their own disadvantage.
| Quoting Elite (Reply 6): And to stick to the subject, I don't think that Steve Jobs leaving Apple will mean the end of Apple. While Jobs is undoubtedly important, I think there are still so many young, smart, bright, and creative minds in Apple and they will continue to produce the high quality products that Apple has been producing all along. |
Probably. But the relentless drive for a certain kind of priorities definitely was due to Steve Jobs. We'd have to see how somebody else would handle things.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 7): but people are often just conservative, even at their own disadvantage. |
Sometimes not their fault though. I switched to a Mac in May, and in the process I helped switch my parents computers to Macs too. After about a month, I was very comfortable with a Mac and was getting used to all the keyboard shortcuts and such. But my parents were still confused over where the "X" was, the stupid one click Mighty Mouse (which I personally hate), and just the overall layout of everything. I guess sometimes older people - who generally spend less time in front of a computer - have a harder time adapting.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Elite (Reply 8): I guess sometimes older people - who generally spend less time in front of a computer - have a harder time adapting. |
Quite possibly, but it still varies between different individuals.
I personally have been using a relatively conventional Kensington multi-button mouse since before the Mighty Mouse came out; Since practically any USB mouse will work, your parents might be more comfortable with a different one.
As to the "X", well, the button is still red and when touching it with the mouse pointer an "X" does in fact appear in it as well, so it's not that difficult (it's just on the other side of the window top). And I personally most of the time just use the CMD-W ("window") shortcut. After a while it shouldn't be a problem any more.
The most important thing is not to try translating your Windows habits but really replacing them with new Mac habits. Otherwise you keep dragging the old baggage along with you.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
The announcement said a 6-month leave of absence, but I would be surprised if Jobs ever returns.
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RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 3): The real story which many pundits seem to miss is that Apple is primarily a software-driven company. Beginning with the first Mac, everything centered around software, with hardware primarily a necessary vehicle to match the software and make it usable in the real world. |
I don't know, they build damn fine hardware too. The Macbook and the iPod hardware is really extraordinary. I love the aluminum shell Macbooks!
The way I would put it is that Apple focuses on user satisfaction much more effectively than many of its competitors.
For instance, compare the user experience of an iPhone with that of a Windows Mobile phone. It's so different, it's amazing.
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 7): Germany is unfortunately still far behind – many people here still cling to the lowest possible price at any cost(!) as their priority. |
Kind of hard to believe in the home land of BMW, Mercedes and many other fine products.
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 7): Many people know nothing but Windows and have resigned to the idea that "that is the way computers are!", which actually isn't true. |
Well, many "unix bigots" (like me) and other kinds of fans of other systems have been saying this for decades.
It's so sad that the world has accepted such a crap product as the default.
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 7): And, of course, people have developed "Windows habits" and perceive it as an inconvenience to adapt to a new environment. |
In my mind, the real issue is that Windows has become the target for most software developers. Luckily this is changing with time, and luckily computers now have enough resources to run Windows apps on top of MacOs, Linux, etc.
I think the end of the Windows monopoly is in sight. Vista shows MS has no more good ideas, and Vista has shown many users that there is no future with Microsoft.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Ken777 (Reply 12): The Mighty Mouse can be set up for right and left click, or you can use just about any mouse on the market. |
I already switched to a ComeMon mouse
And that wasn't the main concern - what I was annoyed with was how small the scroll ball was and how often it got clogged up, and even using a lot of the suggested methods didn't work.RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Revelation (Reply 13): I don't know, they build damn fine hardware too. The Macbook and the iPod hardware is really extraordinary. I love the aluminum shell Macbooks! The way I would put it is that Apple focuses on user satisfaction much more effectively than many of its competitors. |
Indeed. And while I agree about their hardware, the essential difference is still the software. You could actually get quite excellent PCs if you were willing to put a similar amount of money on the table as you would for a Mac - but why buy really nice hardware for a decent price and then install the grubby Windows on it? The case for such a lopsided combination is just not very compelling. Most people see a better match in Windows plus a PC that's as cheap as possible.
| Quoting Revelation (Reply 13): Quoting Klaus (Reply 7): Germany is unfortunately still far behind – many people here still cling to the lowest possible price at any cost(!) as their priority. Kind of hard to believe in the home land of BMW, Mercedes and many other fine products. |
Tell me about it. Many people have really weird priorities.
| Quoting Revelation (Reply 13): I think the end of the Windows monopoly is in sight. Vista shows MS has no more good ideas, and Vista has shown many users that there is no future with Microsoft. |
Actually, the previous versions of Windows had shown that just as much. People have just recently begun to notice that the emperor has been missing his pants all along...!
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Elite (Reply 2): Apple being more of a marketing success |
Case in point...| Quoting Klaus (Reply 15): grubby Windows |
Reguritated from the marketing campaign.
Speaking of regurgitation...
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 11): Keeping people surprised has always been a specialty of Steve Jobs, so I'm not worried all that much...! |
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 17): You'd actually argue that that was not a widespread sentiment among people who know it from experience...? |
I'm sure it is, after Apple told them what to think.
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 17): By the way, your "regurgitated" requires a link to the "marketing campaign" you're talking about - verbatim, please! |
Regurgitation necessarily implies a reproduction of ideas rather than exact repetition. Had I said, "repeated" or "plagiarized", you might have a valid request.
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting WellHung (Reply 18): I'm sure it is, after Apple told them what to think. |
That must be the only possible explanation!
| Quoting WellHung (Reply 18): Regurgitation necessarily implies a reproduction of ideas rather than exact repetition. Had I said, "repeated" or "plagiarized", you might have a valid request. |
Actually it implies unchanged reproduction. But you could just stop digging now...
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Ken777 (Reply 12): The Mighty Mouse can be set up for right and left click, or you can use just about any mouse on the market. |
You can also set it up for a centre click (which would be the same as a click with the scroll wheel on a conventional mouse). Some people may not know this, but e.g. in IE7 in Windows and in Safari (both Mac and Windows), you can make the centre click, so that a link, that would usually open in the same window, opens in a new window (or new tab in Safari). On the Mightymouse, you'd have to click with the index finger on where the scroll ball is, and on conventional two button mice with scroll wheel, just on the scroll wheel.
That's how I set up my wireless mouse on the Macbook. On my windows computer, I have an older optical mouse which so far, hasn't let me down.
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RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
Running a Service center in Mexico gives me the perfect place to measure how Apple is doing and how people sees Apple quality in the HARDWARE_SOFTWARE experience.
I am constantly amazed on how bad people talk about vista, from old time wintel users to young people, they changed and they may never come back.
In fact two MAJOR executives of a super huge seller of PC hardware HAVE macbooks pros and they secretly use them as personal computers... go figure and both hate vista, but they have to use it!
I cant write the percentage of failing equipment and Ipods and warranties but I can tell you is WAY lower than industry average.
I hope Steve Jobs is Back and there is a Macworld San francisco in 2010, Id hate to think this was my last MWSF after 18 consecutive ones attending.
I am constantly amazed on how bad people talk about vista, from old time wintel users to young people, they changed and they may never come back.
In fact two MAJOR executives of a super huge seller of PC hardware HAVE macbooks pros and they secretly use them as personal computers... go figure and both hate vista, but they have to use it!
I cant write the percentage of failing equipment and Ipods and warranties but I can tell you is WAY lower than industry average.
I hope Steve Jobs is Back and there is a Macworld San francisco in 2010, Id hate to think this was my last MWSF after 18 consecutive ones attending.
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RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 3): Apple's marketing has been relatively sparse; Most of people's appreciation for Apple's products ultimately comes from their own experiences, not from marketing. |
Not really. Apple market like crazy here. In fact the ads for iPhone and the new iPod touch were all over the TV a few months ago. Also seen several ads of the new MacBook Pros on bus shelters. I've never seen a Windows ad like that anywhere...except in a few computer stores. Dell occasionally advertise on the TV but haven't seen their ads lately. BTW..an interesting development at our local mall...the Apple store closed and a Dell direct store opened in its place..hmmm wonder whats happening there.
As has been discussed many many times before, the main problem is the price. I bet if Apple products were equal (in price) to Dell or HP, many people would prefer Apple.
| Quoting Theredbaron (Reply 22): |
Windows XP is still around. I never made the switch to Vista, still happy with XP, and I've never had any problems with it in the last 4 years. And Windows 7 is already being released as a Beta trial, hope they get it right this time.
All said and done...I hope the iTunes store still remains open!
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Springbok747 (Reply 23): Apple market like crazy here. |
Not here... and most users' appreciation for their Macs is still there. Which makes the idea that they were just being brainwashed by aggressive marketing extremely unlikely. It's got to do with the actual products – customer satisfaction surveys usually confirm that quite clearly.
| Quoting Springbok747 (Reply 23): BTW..an interesting development at our local mall...the Apple store closed and a Dell direct store opened in its place..hmmm wonder whats happening there. |
The first and to my knowledge only Apple Store on the australian continent in Sydney (367 George Street) has shut its doors again after just a few months? That is news to me – and to Apple as well, I would guess.
| Quoting Springbok747 (Reply 23): As has been discussed many many times before, the main problem is the price. I bet if Apple products were equal (in price) to Dell or HP, many people would prefer Apple. |
They are. Most people just buy the cheapo Dell machines and never bother with the higher quality stuff which Dell also offers. And Apple just doesn't bother with that low- or no-margin segment which allows for little or no support or quality assurance. So Dell and the others have the bargain-basement bin all to themselves. Isn't that great for them? They must be making fortunes with all the cheap stuff they're selling to stingy customers, right...?
| Quoting Springbok747 (Reply 23): All said and done...I hope the iTunes store still remains open! |
That's a rather safe bet. Apple is probably the most healthy IT manufacturer worldwide at this point (debt-free, over $20 billion on the bank in cash).
RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 19): Actually it implies unchanged reproduction. But you could just stop digging now... |
Did Apple tell you that, too?
If Steve Jobs ate five Big Macs before his body rejected and regurgitated them, would they reassemble in his stomach and fly forth as five individual full Big Macs, or as a disgusting mess of food and stomach fluids?
Anyone who has witnessed or experienced the act of regurgitation (vomiting, throwing up) knows first hand that while all the "stuff" may be there in some form, it is certainly not "unchanged".
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RE: Steve Jobs To Take Medical Leave Of Absence
| Quoting Klaus (Reply 24): The first and to my knowledge only Apple Store on the australian continent in Sydney (367 George Street) has shut its doors again after just a few months? |
Well..its not an official Apple store, but a local version called Next Byte. They were one of two exclusive stores selling only Apple products here in Adelaide, and they closed shop in the local mall. Guess it has nothing to do with Apple, but more with Next Byte, but still sad to see it go. Now I'll have to get anything Apple off the online store.