May 24, 2013 - 04:00 PM EDT — AAPL: 445.15 (+3.01, +0.68%) | NASDAQ: 3498.965 (+33.722, +0.97%)

Where Apple is really going to miss Steve Jobs

Thursday, September 6, 2012 · 12:16 pm · 36 Comments

“The real challenge for Apple is making its gadgets worth buying,” Jay Yarow writes for The Business Insider.

“To do that it has to work with a variety of partners to fill them with good content,” Yarow writes. “To get that content Apple has to negotiate with companies that are wary of Apple. And this is where Jobs will be truly missed.”

Yarow writes, “Without Jobs’ reality distortion field, or his star power Apple has been struggling to land deals with cable companies to make Apple TV a reality. Eddy Cue, the Apple executive who is in charge of negotiations with cable companies, is no Steve Jobs. Getting a meeting with Cue is not the same as getting a meeting with Jobs, who was the arguably the most important businessman since Henry Ford.”

Read more in the full article here.

Categories: News

Tags: Apple Inc., Apple iTV, apple tv, Eddy Cue, Jonathan Ive, Jony Ive, negotiations, steve jobs, Tim Cook

Thank You for supporting MacDailyNews!

 Apple 13.3" MacBook Air dual-core Intel Core i7 2.0GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB Flash Storage, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Mac OS X Lion (Z0ND-20GHZ8GB512) only $2,159.99
 Secret Sale Exclusive for MacMall Valued Customers Only
 Apple 15.4" MacBook Pro (with Retina display) quad-core Intel Core i7 2.3GHz/16GB RAM/256GB FS/IntelHD Graphics4000/OS X Lion (Z0MK-15-2.3-16-256RT) only $2,333.99
 Apple Blowouts: Up to $649 OFF on Last Gen Macs. Prices start at $1,999.99 w/ Free Upgrade to OS X Mountain Lion & Free FedEx Overnight ends 02/08 6:15PM PST.
 Apple 13.3" MacBook Pro dual-core Intel Core i7 2.9GHz, 8GB RAM, 750GB 5400-rpm hard drive, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Ships with Mountain Lion (MD102LL/A) only $1,419.97

Comment Feed

36 Comments

Ballmer's left nut

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:23 pm · Reply

Steve brought a certain rockstar status to Apple, unattainable anywhere else. People who had to negotiate with him were in awe of him and so gave away the house relatively cheaply. Tim Cook doesn’t strike the same fear in people’s hearts. It’s the difference between dropping a 22,500 lb MOAB and a 500 lb block of cement on their heads. It doesn’t have the same feeling of shock and awe. They can just hunker down in their bunker and wait Tim Cook out whereas Steve would send a bunker buster after you.
- MacRaven
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:52 pm · Reply
  
  Yeah. I was thinking these thoughts when I read the earlier news post on the Apple TV. If Steve could have just got them past this TV hump before he left for outer galaxies unknown. …..But alas.
  I think the deal will happen but not as fast as Steve would have brokered it.
  - GM
    
    Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:16 pm · Reply
    
    I agree, Steve could probably do better. But he didn’t get it done under his watch either. So it is no easy task. But he’s dead and we should move on. Abraham Lincoln was a great man too but he’s dead. The country moved on. Never live in the past. This slug of a writer throws out Steve Jobs just to get someone to notice his article. Just move on and deal with today’s situation. Don’t depend on others to do your work. If Apple doesn’t have anyone competent enough to get this done then Apple will fail. I wish Bob Gibson still pitched for the Cardinals but he doesn’t. Move on.
    - botvinnik
      
      Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 3:30 pm · Reply
      
      Andy Griffith is dead too.
      - GM
        
        Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 6:40 pm · Reply
        
        And Barney.
        
        botvinnik
        
        Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 9:31 pm · Reply
        
        and, sniff, that ol’ yeller dog…hydrophoby got him.
        
        botvinnik
        
        Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 9:32 pm · Reply
        
        Andy, Barney and Ol’ Yeller…all daid.
        
        Weekend
        
        Friday, September 7, 2012 - 8:25 am ·
        
        You’re an idiot!
- billyjackblack
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:16 pm · Reply
  
  Steve would’ve said, “Screw you guys! You guys don’t wanna play? We’ll create our own channels, starting with Minka Kelly 24-7.”
24january1984

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:26 pm · Reply

Apple’s stick and carrot proposition has changed but it’s no less potent. Everyone wants to meet that flying puck.
Marty

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:26 pm · Reply

I don’t think the Cable companies are the ones Apple is negotiating with. I’d guess its the actual content creators.

Apple didn’t go to radio stations to get music on iTunes did they?
RevDrX

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:29 pm · Reply

How to negotiate like Steve Jobs

Step 1: Tell the party you are negotiating with what they are going to do.

Step 2: Stare at them, unblinkingly, without saying a word, until they do what they are told.

Done.
- Marty
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:37 pm · Reply
  
  Step 1 is actually to tell them their business model is dead and they don’t know what they’re doing. Maybe call them “f@ck!ng idiots” too.
  
  I liked his strategy, I liked it a lot.
- Weekend
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:26 pm · Reply
  
  Apparently Steve blinked because it didn’t work did it?
  - botvinnik
    
    Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 3:35 pm · Reply
    
    Apple beats Microsoft, sets all-time record for company value at $621 billion, Monday, August 20, 2012 · 12:08 pm.
    
    Weekend, I think it did work.
    - botvinnik
      
      Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 3:36 pm · Reply
      
      is your first name Lost?
    - Weekend
      
      Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 6:45 pm · Reply
      
      Has nothing to do with acquiring content. Read the article again. Fanboy.
      - botvinnik
        
        Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 9:30 pm · Reply
        
        oh I read it, troll.
        
        Chuckling
        
        Friday, September 7, 2012 - 2:23 am · Reply
        
        Oh I love this site.
        
        and btw Fcuk you Weekend
        
        Weekend
        
        Friday, September 7, 2012 - 8:29 am · Reply
        
        Spell much? Dick breath.
        
        Weekend
        
        Friday, September 7, 2012 - 8:35 am · Reply
        
        Troll? Hardly. I simply stated the facts. And as a fanboy,as opposed to an adult, you can’t handle the truth. Sad.
billy the Fish

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:36 pm · Reply

It takes ONE man to make change, not groups of people, not committees, not anything but ONE MAN.
Steve Jobs was and will remain, the greatest visionary ever.
Funny thing is, he didn’t seem to do too much, simply make things just work….but that is beyond 99.99999% of people.
Its not only Apple that will miss Steve – we all will.
- peterblood71
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:48 pm · Reply
  
  People often underestimate how hard it is to make something simple and “obvious.” (And once “obvious” gosh isn’t okay then for everyone else to steal just by virtue of its obviosity?) And then some people like Steve Jobs make some things look simple when they are really not. (As opposed to the Steve Ballmer’s who everyone is convinced they could do a better job than.) If it were so easy we would have Steve Jobs’s all over the place. Steve was just one rare guy who made the world reel before his good taste and business sense.
  - breeze
    
    Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:13 pm · Reply
    
    Genius is in simplicity
- Marty
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:49 pm · Reply
  
  It’s amazing what a little confidence can do, isn’t it?
  
  Many people have great ideas… But the execution/implementation gets screwed up along the way.
alanaudio

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:43 pm · Reply

It’s several days since we last had an “Apple’s doomed without Steve Jobs” story. As we’ve been a bit sort of them recently, we will probably get a bunch of them cropping up between now and the launch of iPhone 5, then a multiple dose of them on launch day saying how disappointing the new iPhone is and it wouldn’t have been like that if Steve had been around.
- NHL
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:13 pm · Reply
  
  Exactly.
- hannahjs
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:17 pm · Reply
  
  Yep, like clockwork. It’s my favorite part of the freak show that Apple “journalism” has become. Blast Apple before, during, and after a product introduction for not doing what they imagine Steve might have done instead. Then slip into silence as the product sells like hotcakes. Wait until the rumor cycle for the next product, reemerge from hiding and crank up the blather spigot again, thinking that people always seem to forget what you said previously, while not realizing that nobody paid any attention to what you said.
mrfergus

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:46 pm · Reply

Mister Yarows picture looks like a strung out junky, and a Masters in Journalism doesn’t make him qualified to write about the tech industry.
Legal II

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:47 pm · Reply

I think all the back seat drivers need to calm down and stop trying to grab the wheel. Think you could do better? Most of you would piss your pants the first day.

I wil agree there is not another Steve Jobs but unless you are member of Apple management team or part of the negotiations, stop the bashing and second guessing. Tim is extremely good at his job and has a great supporting cast. The game has changed, Apple is the big fish and no one is going to let them go easily.
Mike

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 12:49 pm · Reply

Steve never got the cable companies on board in the past, but now everyone thinks he could. Sorry but it’s another attempt to discredit the entire rest of the apple team. Steve was so awsome but not a god and Apple will continue to be insanely great.
- MacRaven
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:01 pm · Reply
  
  No one will ever know if Steve could have succeeded given a bit more time and if he was at his best form health-wise. That will be a question for the ages. Because it was in progress, I’m sure he left a lot of advice to the troops though.
  
  Time for Ghost Hunters to visit 1 Infinite Loop and do some EVP work!
- Paul B
  
  Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:38 pm · Reply
  
  +1
  
  After Steve “took over” the music industry the media companies closed their eyes and covered there ears for fear that Steve Jobs (Apple) would “take over” their industry too. Steve tried for years to open that door. The Apple TV of today is a far as he got.
  
  The media industry created Hulu as a refuge out of fear what an Apple plan might do to their industry.
  
  Tim Cook and Co. is not going to just walk in to the Media Moguls and have them suddenly accept Apple. The Moguls still fear loosing control if they accept what Apple has to offer. It’s going to be a while before we see any change of hart.
  - MacRaven
    
    Friday, September 7, 2012 - 8:16 am · Reply
    
    Good points. This is definitely a bigger nut for anybody to crack than the failing music industry was.
NCG598

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:10 pm · Reply

It is / will be hard to obtain deals with the cable and media organizations. Unlike the music industry that seen Apple as little threat and assumed to be easily rolled if the model worked. They lost control as they knew it due to integration that Apple viewed as the solution. The cable companies, even if Jobs were alive, would have great difficultly lettting Apple obtain what it wanted. Apple has a reputation for holding cards and trumping the opponent. Yes, Jobs would have brought more force to the table and Cue will have to work harder at this because the Cable and Media content owners are very leerly of losing control.
NHL

Thursday, September 6, 2012 - 1:21 pm · Reply

Clues reveal whether a story is thinly-disguised FUD:

1. Call Apple’s products “gadgets”?
Check.

2. Claim Apple’s current success is a result of Steve Jobs’ “reality distortion field”?
Check.

3. Stating doubtful conjecture about Apple’s post-Jobs future?
Check.

And I am OUTTA here …