By SteveJack
I was going to call this article, “What happens when Steve Jobs retires?” or “Apple after Steve Jobs,” in deference to taste, but then I decided that I wanted as many people to read it as possible, so… I succumbed. I just want you to know that I felt a pang of guilt typing that headline on a Mac.
Steve Jobs is Apple. Apple is Steve Jobs. Steve Jobs without Apple still managed to produce the foundation for what Apple became NeXT (after they paid him $400 million) while, in his spare time, heading a movie studio that only produces runaway box office hits. Apple without Steve Jobs produces Performas.
As a very minor Apple stockholder, I get the proxy statements, I check off the “yes” boxes to give Steve jets, millions of options, jet fuel, more options, whatever he wants, and I wonder what in the hell happens if Steve gets hit by a bus biking on over to the Palo Alto Apple Store some Saturday.
Steve Jobs is 48 years old. Reportedly, he is a vegan and in very good health. May he live to be one hundred! May he live forever, but that’s probably unlikely. So, I’m back to the beginning; what happens when Steve Jobs dies? Or, a bit more hopefully, when he doesn’t feel like leading Apple Computer, Inc. anymore and decides to kick back and relax? Since Jobs returned to lead Apple, every Apple shareholder, employee, and avid company watcher has asked themselves this question at some point, “whither Steve Jobs?”
Pixar has John Lasseter and a crop of young, talented directors to carry on post-Steve. But, who will lead Apple? Is Steve grooming someone, yet? Is it too early to worry about it? And what about that bus, God forbid?
I mean, come on, we all lived through the Scully, Spindler, and Amelio years; Apple barely did. On the face of it, the closest Apple has to a successor-in-grooming is Phil Schiller. No offense, Phil, but the RDF hasn’t rubbed off. Leading Apple is a very tricky proposition. Only one man so far has pulled it off successfully. Twice. The key ingredients seem to be a quest for perfection, a passion for the technology and the company, and the ability to relate Apple’s ideas to the world with style. Jobs is truly the charismatic force that propels Apple forward in the face of tremendous odds.
Right now, it looks like Apple’s best hope, and a very good one at that, is Jonathan Ive, Apple’s Vice President of Industrial Design, the London Design Museum’s “2003 Designer of the Year,” and chief designer of the original and current iMacs, iPods, iBooks, PowerBooks, Power Mac G5, and more. He seems to work well with the engineers responsible for the hardware. He is obviously a meticulous genius. And he has “that certain something” which, importantly, comes across on camera and in person. Whether he has the extremely rare “vision thing” that Jobs possesses; well, that’s still an open question.
Watch Ive in the Power Mac G5 intro video. Ive first appears about 40% in, at the 2:50 mark of the 6:33 minute video. Note that he is almost wearing a black mock turtleneck already. Contrast his presentation style and enthusiasm with the other Apple presenters. Can you sense the almost Jobsian, call it Junior Jobsian, aura? Ive has “it” while all of the other Apple employees in the video are just nice people talking about a computer. And Ive should only get better with time. Could we be watching Steve Jobs’ successor, Apple’s future CEO, in the 31-year-old Ive? Watch and see if Ive begins to join Steve on stage during keynotes soon.
Jonathan Ive, Apple Computer CEO circa 2025. It has a pretty nice ring to it, doesn’t it? You heard it here first. I think Mr. Ive could pull it off. And I think Jobs thinks so, too; in about twenty years, bus drivers willing.
SteveJack is a long-time Macintosh user, web designer, multimedia producer and a regular contributor to the MacDailyNews Opinion section.
Jake,
You’re starting to sound like an eliteist here
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Seriously, I wasn’t for one moment suggesting that Apple start producing x86 hardware, the new IBM chip seems to have massive potential. What I suggest is that Apple port their OS to x86 to give Windows and Linux users a real feel for what they’re missing.
If you’re telling me that the Golf chassis is the best thing that Audi could have used for the TT I think you are wrong and I think you know that this isn’t the case and Porsche have done exactly what you say with the low end Boxter. The thing is it still has a Porsche badge on it and with it’s lower price tag a whole new client is able to purchase.
A brit in charge of a huge american company? sounds great to me. He can give apple that touch of class and sophistication we brits have. If any.
Either that or Apple staff will become a load of p***heads like most Brits abroad seem to be these days
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Nice work on the benchmark jab.
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elitism:
1. The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources.
2. a. The sense of entitlement enjoyed by such a group or class.
b. Control, rule, or domination by such a group or class.
Entitlement? Deserve favored treatment? I never said or implied anything of the sort. Note carefully that elitism is not just the belief that a particular item/class is superior, but also that said group has rights given them because of the superiority. I have not suggested that Apple receive special treatment in any way. They are undeniably unique in the PC industry, and in many ways are superior (I was going to say undeniably superior, but many people deny it, so that would be wrong).
To be clear, however, I have a strong belief that Macs are superior machines in most ways. Not because they are Macs, mind you, but because they are actually better. I spend 40 hours each week with Windows XP, so don’t think I don’t know what the Wintel world has to offer. If ever my experience at work improves beyond my Mac at home, I’ll switch in a heartbeat.
The Boxster S is powered by a 3.2L flat six producing 260 horsepower. That’s no ECOTEC. Even the plain Boxster has a 2.7L flat six making 228 horsepower. Both are genuine Porsche engines that exhibit all of the characteristics expected from a Porsche engine. Even the supercharged ECOTEC (~190hp, due next year) can’t match it for power or refinement. Certainly, it doesn’t perform as well as any current 911, but it’s not “low end” by any standards. In the luxury roadster class, the Boxster is an excellent competitor.
Back to my analogy, I’d equate the Boxster to the iBook. Smaller, less powerful, but no less refined. Still gets the job done, and in style! Nothing wrong with that. Many other luxury makes do something similar. Case in point — the BMW 318, the Mercedes CLK230, the Lexus ES300. I’ve driven all three (and a Boxster too), and each is in every way deserving of the luxury marque it wears.
-Jake
Silvergun — Don’t you think that by designing the appearance of every piece of Apple hardware, he already has given Apple the touch of class and sophistication of which you speak?
I want a G10-powered superbot to do my bidding. Can I have one? Also, these energon cubes sound pretty sweet. I heard the PowerBook revisions due next week will use them, giving us about 10,000 hours of usable power between cube changes.
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-Jake
Sean,
I have no argument that, if it could be done, a pure Mac experience on x86 hardware would be a godsend for Apple’s market share.
Problem is, it just wouldn’t work. PC apps wouldn’t work on OSX-x86, because OS calls wouldn’t match up. Mac apps wouldn’t work either, because they’re compiled for PPC.
To pull it off, Apple would have to make a “Classic” environment that ran PPC apps in emulation on the x86. Performance would suck for emulated apps. I’m confident saying that none of us want to bring Classic back, especially if it ran at a fraction of the speed.
So let’s say we get that far. Apple converts OS X, and all of the software developers start converting. Meanwhile, we’re running *everything* in emulation. What happens next?
Apple discovers that, just like Microsoft, it must now support untold billions of different hardware configurations (the Win98 approach), or it must certify particular models of each type of hardware as OSX-x86 compatible, and require that all OSX-x86 users use only hardware found in that set (the WinNT approach).
In order to play nice with all the hardware, Apple has two options. Don’t optimize anything, so the entire OS is high-level, slow code that’s guaranteed to work on lots of hardware. Or, optimize for every item possible, and leave the high-level code around in case some hardware component shows up that doesn’t have optimized drivers. Option 1 gives us a slow OS. Don’t need that! Option 2 gives us an expensive OS that (a) takes forever to complete or (b) has lots of bugs in it.
Microsoft has taken Option 2b. $300 for XP? Sheesh. I don’t know a single person that bought a copy of Windows XP (unless it came bundled with their Dell).
Meanwhile, all of the Mac developers get pissed, because it really hasn’t been that long since we made the 680×0 -> PPC migration. x86 ISA was a kludge then, and it’s only gotten worse.
I think that covers everything. Apple, of sound mind, will never move to x86. It is simply not reasonable.
-Jake
Those auto analogies are flawed. A huge number of computer users and potential computer users incorrectly think that Macs cannot suit their needs. That is as if BMW’s are not bought because potential owners think that the car cannot be run on public highways, or use a rare fuel. BMW would quickly put the kibosh on those perceptions. I think John Ross is right, Apple could easily, put does not seem to want to end the misperceptions about macs.
It might be that the company is less sure about competing with frontline pc’s than the most rabid mac fans are. OS X, for all it’s fanfare, has glitches, and is just another stepping stone to a hopefully flawless OS. 99% of power users can get tasks done just as fast with M$ xp and 2000 as with OS X. I say that based on my experience with X at home and 2000 at work…….I know that is sacrilege, but any foamy mouth mac lover that disagrees, I think, has not spent enough time with the mS offerings on modern hardware.
Jake,
I bought a dual 867 G4 last year and the noise became so incredible I decided I couldn’t live with it, so I sold it (before the fan fix). I had a 667mhz PB which was meant to put me on until the G5 appeared but that suddenly went through an incredible series of about 12 repairs it eventually came back from Apple mint so I decided to cut my losses and sell it (I never felt comforatble with the Ti book, it seemed flimsy compared to my previous Pismo PB), that left me with the childrens G4 iMac (700mhz) but I found that incredibly slow (I feel it is so slow that it maybe faulty, the PB walked all over it) for the tasks that I use it for so I decided with a heavy heart that I would buy a cheap PC until the G5 arrived. So I’m currently sat using a 2.4ghz Compaq P4 running 2000 Pro because it cost me around $1100 with a Compaq 18″ TFT display and 3 year next day on site warranty (that’s a bargain).
I hate the machine with a passion and using Windows is the most dull and tedious computing experience I have ever endured BUT boy does it fly which means I achieve everything I did on the Mac extremely quickly, I go on the iMac to keep myself sain occasionaly but it is embarrasingly slow in comparison.
My point is that if I had come from a Windows background, sold a cheap PC and bought an expensive iMac (ours cost $1650) I would have been totally disappointed, gutted even at the performance difference. As it is I’ve always used a Macintosh and I know that this is a transitional period for Apple hardware so I can excuse them because I know that things will get better.
I hope to be the proud owner of a new G5 any week soon but to perhaps help back-up you’re argument, if I could run OSX on this Compaq box perhaps I wouldn’t buy the shiny new Apple.
Anyway I think we will have to agree to disagree on this but I’ve enjoyed our discussion, it makes a change to get informed debate rather than the usual flaming that these usually degenerate into.
Chuck,
I was waiting for someone to bring this up. It is a valid point, but keep in mind that an analogy doesn’t require a perfect parallel on every point. Many BMW’s (the ones I would buy, in particular) require premium fuel. It is readily available, but more expensive. Mac software is readily available, sometimes more expensive. You just have to buy from the right outlets (pump your gas from the premium pump). Anyone with an Internet connection has access to all the latest Mac software, via the online catalogs, eBay, direct sales, etc.
There are also a lot of people (not nearly as many as those that think Macs can’t suit their needs) who have been exposed to the Mac, and would like to own one, but can’t afford it.
And there are lots of drivers who have no idea what makes a BMW better (how many times can I bring up my mother in a discussion about computers and cars?).
That said, it’s very true that many people have no idea how compatible Macs are. Going back to what the article is about, certainly an Apple ad that flaunted the compatibility factor could help.
I am a power user of both Mac and Windows, all versions in the last 8-10 years. I find myself infinitely more productive on the Mac. Not because individual tasks are completed faster, but because of superior workflow. Fewer clicks. Intuitiveness still plays a small factor, even after years on both OSs. My three-year-old G4 (Jaguar) is more stable under load (lots of apps running actively) than my one-year-old Compaq (WinXP) under half the load. By “stable”, I refer primarily to application level stability — neither OS crashes often enough for me to care. Also, running under heavy load seems to cause the Windows system’s performance to degrade relatively quickly. I restart the XP machine daily to get around the degradation.
Oh yeah. I might be the only one that cares, but the Java Virtual Machine for Windows is garbage compared to the one for Mac. Garbage!
-Jake
Sean,
Agreed, I enjoyed the discussion. Good timing, too, because I have to leave soon.
Sounds like you had an unfortunate string of faulty computers. I’ve been lucky enough never to have such a problem.
-Jake
Dominique Trempont, Next co-ceo is a man with with an equally great
vision as Steve Jobs. He won’t need a wigi board connected to SJ soul in order to implement his vision.
Dominic is a man educated in Paris and has fantastic taste to understand design at it’s highest and most refined level, at both technical and esthetic level.
He could take over right now…………
I’ve never heard of Trempont. Where did he come from?
Apple designs do have a great quality and sophistication about them, but a british spokes person could do well for international relations..unless hes chased out by a gang of angry pro american democrats
Who said the Golf is bland?
I think its a good-looking car, it just has a more working-class aesthetic. And It sells for over $15,000, so I wouldn’t call it a cheap car. It’s just not expensive either. Kind of like an eMac, not cheap, but not expensive.
Robb needs to check the meaning of the word “infinitely”. It is hyperbole like that which makes some mac users sound like they are 3 bricks short of a load.
And, about analogies: They are by definition similar, not exact. However, nearly anyone who drives (Robb’s mom excluded) appreciates bmw’s or at least is impressed by their pricetag. The percentage of computer users similarly excited about macs is “infinitely” small.
Finally, Robb, do a search for “xp slowdown” and you will find quite a discussion of it, and several fixes for possible causes. Or, you can continue to complain about it, works for me either way.
IF STEVE BLOBS dies who cares. Their are plenty of guys that can run Apple better than that egomaniac, the problem is the Apple board always wants to get som stuffed shirt. If Blobs is a visionary I’m Jesus Christ, read the back ground of this psycho! All you apple faithful that haven’t done your homework on Blobs.
At least he doesn’t F**** his customers with garbage unlike Bill “We need to copy that Apple idea” Gates.
To P. Sorenson,
1. My name is Jake.
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2. Thanks for repeating what I said about analogies.
3. I know quite well the meaning of “infinitely”; after all, I minored in math. I used it once, to describe my productivity on the Mac as compared to Windows. True, it was hyperbole, and by the very definition of the word was extreme hyperbole. However, my meaning was clear. No need to nitpick my choice of words.
4. Lots of people appreciate that BMWs are nice, expensive cars. Most people do not appreciate the superiority of the driving experience itself. Every BMW I’ve encountered exhibits excellent shifts, throttle response. handling, tractability, driver position, and everything else that’s so important to a driving enthusiast, but that escapes the notice of most drivers. BMW calls themselves the Ultimate Driving Machine. I wouldn’t call them ultimate (I nominate Ferrari), but they are definitely excellent in this regard. It is of that aspect that I claim most people are unaware.
I’ll look into this XP Slowdown thing. I use enough memory in my daily routine that I had always assumed that it was just a poor virtual memory implementation — something Windows has never been good at. Thanks for the tip!
-Jake
Jonathan is a great designer. He is not a Steve Jobs replacement. If Apple were Prada, then possibly. But they’re not.
He features in videos because he is a literate individual with an English accent – as you may be aware, North Americans perceive English accents as authoritative and adding gravitas, which is why they’re used pervasively in television and radio advertising.
Hey guys, don’t care about this problem. I’m gonna be the neXt one.
Thanx Steve.
besides that Ive is a pretty face to look at ?
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perseus
Saint Jobs
What? Gil just a fall guy with ties to Jobs when he started? No way. Gil was pissed when jobs threw him out. Gil had no clue how to deal with a computer company with creative people. Jobs understood that. Jobs cleaned house when he came to Apple. He destroyed everything his nemesis started (Sculley) because he could not believe that anything sculley started could be of use at all. It was out of spite. Jobs hated Gil’s elitism so much he refused to use the office that Gil was having made for him on the top floor of Building 1 (Infinite Loop has 6 buildings). Instead, Jobs made an office of what was going to be Gil’s dressing room and bathroom. Sheesh! A dressing room! Gil was shepherding Apple into oblivion, not cleaning house.
Jobs is very tough on everyone– there used to be a saying (and probably still is) that people wanted to stay under the Steve radar else they may attract too much attention. if you want a good idea of how Jobs works, pick up that book on the creating of the Segway (Code Name Ginger), where there is a big meeting in SF which included Jobs and Jeff Bezos. Jobs has brilliant insight and does not pull his punches.
When he came to Apple he made a lot of changes– but readjusted readily when things were not working out. He focused the company and made it work again.
Who could replace him? Not a geek. Jobs never has been one of those and it won’t fit. Not a traditional business CEO. The CEO types just do not have the insight and intution to do something great. The space that Jobs is in is a eclectic one that contains a whole lot of ego and marketing savvy. Do not discount Ive because he works on industrial design– I have no idea if he has anything like what it would take– but he does have a creative spark that Apple has bet their farm on more than a few times.
Can’t you find something better to write about? Look pal when I die
be it tomorrow “walking to the Palo Alto store” and getting hit by a truck crossing the street – or in 60 years. Apple and the Mac community will live on – just as the light bulb and telephone did after Edisons demise. Now please – go write an article on one of our many great products.
Ah, fraud. The Internet’s #1 felony.
Sweet.
-Jake