“Apple unveiled a solid and desirable lineup of new products and services this week. But the whole announcement event just fell flat. Something was conspicuously missing,” Mike Elgan writes for Computerworld. “It wasn’t the products. The iPhone 5 is arguably the best phone of any kind ever built, at least for now. I’m certainly going to get my hands on one as soon as possible. The new lineup of iPods was impressive, especially the iPod Touch and Nano. (It’s surprising Apple discontinued the use of the Nano as a wristwatch; I’m still hoping it will introduce a dedicated iWatch at its October announcement.) And who can argue with Apple’s big iTunes upgrade?”
Elgan writes, “But something was missing. Something elemental. And that something was Steve Jobs… Because of his legendary status as one of the co-founders of Apple — and, later, as the savior who brought the company from the brink of catastrophe to a position of dominance — Jobs had more power within Apple than just about any major CEO anywhere ever. That power — combined with an iron will, an incredibly keen intuition and hard-won wisdom about which ideas are likely to work — is what made Jobs so valuable to Apple.”
“Apple benefited from Jobs being able to overrule anybody in the company based on nothing more than his intuition, which was often right,” Elgan writes. “Jobs gave the company an extraordinary edge by using his unique authority to prevent the company from making big mistakes or missing big opportunities… I get the feeling that so many of Apple’s wrong notes this year would have been ruthlessly vetoed by Jobs. He would have killed the bad ads, willed Siri into full functionality, and persuaded [Siri founder] Cheyer to stay on. I also believe that Jobs would have lit a few fires that only he could light, which would one day result in major new product ideas. Without Jobs, those kinds of things aren’t happening. And it’s starting to show.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We’ve already explained our fears ad nauseam. Yes, Steve Jobs was a unique, gifted, visionary leader. Shocker. It’s true that he can’t be replaced by one man, but Apple has a very capable group of people to step into his considerable shoes. Yes, we see the same issues with the advertising (blatantly – Jobs obviously oversaw the marketing and was gifted with superlative taste). Yes, we have issues with Siri remaining in beta for so long and becoming increasingly wonky over the past year (somewhat, but remember Jobs launched Ping, too). Yes, some executives have left. They may have left with Jobs alive, too. Founders of companies often end up leaving after a buyout in order to build their next company or to sail their yacht around the world or whatever.
We believe that Tim Cook is a extraordinarily bright man. If he turns out to be a caretaker CEO, he’ll be one of, if not the very best caretaker CEO in history. As we’ve said many times before, the jury is still out. We won’t really know what the post-Steve Jobs Apple can produce on pretty much on its own until next year at the earliest.
Knowing his condition, Jobs most certainly left general plans; i.e. iterate iPods, iPhone, and iPad; the overarching plan for OS X and iOS; how he believed he “cracked TV,” etc., but the details are key and Apple’s best and brightest will have to figure them out together. Beyond a few years in tech, even Jobs could not see except in very broad terms. That will be Apple’s true test. The ultimate question remains: Without Steve Jobs, will Apple produce an unending stream of beige Performas or will they be able to divine and create The Next Big Thing?
The pressure is on for Cook, Ive, Forstall, Mansfield, and Riccio, in particular. It will only intensify.
Without Steve Jobs there is only one way for this company and MDN eluded to this in the very last sentence. Downhill. The first of the never ending stream of ‘Performas’ is now available for sale. No hint of any new ‘REVOLUTIONARY’ products but rather an increasing stream of ‘EVOLUTIONARY’ and now mainstream products. This malaise is based on past success and a void which has been created and will never be filled due to the absence of ‘PASSION’ and ‘GENIUS’. I still desire and consume the ‘Apple’ brand but only because it still remains ‘better’ than anything else out there but I will always miss the character, mystique, temprament, charm, zeal and the unexpected from a man who remains irreplaceable. Steve Jobs.
Wow, here comes a rant:
@jainkg, I like your Jobs worship. But we’re talking about a gestalt known as ‘Apple’. Go read some history about Jobs. He GOT IN THE WAY and WRECKED a lot of great Apple ideas. As this thread has pointed out, Jobs was a blundering human like the rest of us. A lot of people HATED his often blind egotism and stubbornness. HE was the blithering idiot who sought out and hired Steve Sculley, portending all the Marketing-Moronic self-destructive practices that plagued Apple until that $Billion Performas-rotting-in-the-warehouse catastrophe.
So get off the downers. Nothing-at-all in this year’s version of Apple says ‘downhill’. Only the stock manipulators and TechTards spew that rant!
Nothing-At-All says ‘malaise’ in any of Apple’s products this year. Look at them evolve, indeed! How many companies actually evolve these days? Damned few! How many companies ride out a worldwide economic depression by THRIVING? Just about zero. That’s all happening WITHOUT Steve Jobs.
I’m waiting for the next ‘REVOLUTIONARY’ Apple move to be the next iteration of the Mac OS. I’ve been cheering for 3-D graphics in the OS since 1998!!! Apple have already filed the patents to get it started. Here comes one very kewl revolution.
Watch the other patents Apple has been filing this year. They’re as STUNNING and ENVIABLE as ever. This is the single most entrepreneurial technology business going AT THIS VERY SECOND! I see no reason for that to stop.
I will point out that Tim Cook hired a TERRIBLE DUMMY to head up Apple Retail, John Browett. His ideas are retrograde, negative and demoralizing. The bum should be thrown out ASAP. Tim Cook has heard the word!
Apple has NEVER been perfect and never will be. But Apple does have US. We are the most vibrant and vigilant of customers. We know Apple history and all their self-inflicted wounds. Many of us have lived within the rest of the technology community and know from experience how it is done WRONG. We loudly and fervently KICK APPLE’S BUTT when they go off track! Like no other company I know of, WE ARE PART OF THE COMPANY. Don’t count us out or consider us headed downhill!
(enough caffeine for me today).
I agree. Steve Jobs brought the edge of your seat enthusiasm for the new profits. Apple now uses its formula but misses the mark in believably.
Apple will ride the wave for a while no doubt. Other companies will catch up with Apple in the quality of the software and newness of the experience. Apples feel is now staring to grow mundane. That’s just what I feel. Elimating the fixablity of Apple products is the biggest mistake because it will eliminate its largest group of cheerleaders. The techs that live and breath apple and would die for the next big thing. Siri is still bearly reliable. The control that Apple is now moving into will begin to drive people away. All depends on how long you have been using Apple products. It’s a curve and where people fall in it as to the experience.
Yes Steve Jobs was a Great salesman, but he had the shit to back it up with. Tim Cook lacks the charisma but is a great manager for running the pipeline. Maybe to good. Total control and lack of revolutionary ideas are the the biggest treats to apple.
Time will tell but I enjoyed watching the evolution of an underdog to the top. Time will tell. There are many people who can replace Steve Jobs but corporate greed for ladder climbing probably won’t allow that personality to live. For now I watch my business fade cause Apples need to please its share holders. Needs to get an ever increasing market share. Wants all the money. Oh well such is life in today’s world. Bullshit media dominance replaces substance. Peace
MDN said: Knowing his condition, Jobs most certainly left general plans; i.e. iterate iPods, iPhone, and iPad; the overarching plan for OS X and iOS
In particular, we can plan on the, ahem, next (as opposed to NeXT) version of the Mac OS, potentially called OS XI, to have plenty of Jobs fingerprints all over it. It will be 3-D graphics. It will be revolutionary. It will be insanely-great.
(yeah, I know. but it’s fun to pretend to be prophetic!)
I think the next Steve Jobs is Elon Musk. He should come to Apple
Elon Musk is the new Steve Jobs and Apple needs to bring him in
Steve Jobs is a one of a kind. But I think one thing people fail to consider is that perhaps, just perhaps, Apple can spread its wings in ways that it couldn’t under Jobs. Parents see this with children. One day the kids need to grow up, leave the nest and move one. But for 18 years, the parents nurtured the children and put them on the right path so they can fly on their own. Steve Jobs built a world class company with world class people and world class products. As long as no one at Apple forgets their roots, I think Apple will be just fine if not even more successful.
The thing that was missing is the same thing that has been missing for several keynotes: the surprise secret thing.
Apple’s supply chain leaks too much info to make the product introductions have the usual drama.
Put the yarn to rest! Coulda, woulda, shoulda WTF cares? This is stupid, pointless, get-a-click opinionating. Ok, you to me to click but this If-Only-Steve BS has got to stop. Steve can’t, Steve didn’t, Steve won’t. Jony, Tim, Phil, etc. are doing a great job.
When Jobs returned to Apple, his salesmanship helped the company regain its footing. Those first iMacs weren’t very good machines, but Jobs realized that be creating unique packaging, he could put the Mac back into contention among consumers who were tired of the bland, beige boxes. Since then, Apple has developed better quality products, demanding a higher premium, and again, Jobs’ salesmanship was essential. He also had to sell people on buying music and the iPod. But with the iOS, the dynamics changed. The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad practically sell themselves. Almost anyone who uses one of the iOS devices for any period of time is hooked.
Isn’t Mike Elgan one of the Bozos who hated the iPhone five because he had to wait for it?
Mike Elgan called the iPhone 4S a fail because he thought the battery sucked, the screen sucked, the camera sucked and iCloud sucked all in November of 2011. Looked like the only thing that sucked was Mikes opinion. Why not listen to him now as he declares Apple rudderless following one home run after another. If I remember correctly MDN iCaled a few of Mike’s stunning bits of punditry.
OMG, Apple may disintegrate into nothingness by week’s end, taking the entire planet’s ecosystem, economy and population with it – News at eleven!
Jeepers. Is it the 90’s again, where it’s only by some unknown luck of a draw that Apple survives from day to day? Some unfathomable mystery? I really wish the media would grow up with regard to POVs on Apple.
OMG, Apple may disintegrate into nothingness by week’s end, taking the entire planet’s ecosystem, economy and population with it – News at eleven!
Jeepers. Is it the 90’s again, where it’s only by some unknown luck of a draw that Apple survives from day to day? I really wish the media would grow up with regard to POVs in Apple.