“‘True to his prediction, Apple Chief Executive and co-founder Steve Jobs returned to work a little more than a month after his surgery for pancreatic cancer in August 2004,” Cecil Johnson writes for Knight Ridder. “Jeffrey S. Young and William L. Simon, co-authors of ‘iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business,’ describe the recuperating Jobs as exuding enthusiasm and being closed-mouthed about the ordeal, ‘The reason for Steve’s returning to work so quickly after surgery became clear in a few months: Apple was building a collection of new products that was designed to play off the success of the iPod, chasing after an outlandish Stevian dream: to take back the computer business from Microsoft.'”
Johnson writes, “Reflecting on Jobs’ achievements, the authors point out that 11 years after being forced out of Apple, Jobs returned and rescued it from a downward spiral, led Pixar to produce a string of animated movies that captivated parents and children, and revitalized the music industry and catapulted it into a digital future. ‘Yet there’s one more battle he wants to win. It has nothing to do with money, fame, or glory. Like all the best fights, this one is personal. Steve Jobs is going to best Bill Gates. This fight is Shakespearean, elemental, and emotional; watching it unfold should be the most fascinating business story of this young millennium,’ Young and Simon write.”
Full article here.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Michael Dell say’s he’d be happy to sell Apple’s Mac OS X if Steve Jobs decides to license – June 16, 2005
If Intel-based Macs can run Mac OS X and Windows, buying a Mac will be a no-brainer – June 15, 2005
Apple “Switch” ad director Errol Morris producing new Apple Computer TV ad campaign – June 14, 2005
The OS Wars heat up: Apple paves way to release Mac OS X for off-the-shelf x86 hardware – June 14, 2005
Apple Computer is the fastest growing brand in the world – June 14, 2005
Apple may be prepping for attack on Microsoft in late 2006 – June 12, 2005
The sooner the better.
And may the best OS win.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”cool smirk” style=”border:0;” />
This will never happen. Apple is a joke of a computer company. It does not have the will to win.
Bill Gates has proved he is a winner.
Steve Jobs has proved he can make you all believe that the PPC is the core and future of the Mac platform one day and the next day tell you its an Intel x86.
Next he will tell you that for your own good Apple will abandon AAC so he can sell his iPod to all of Napster’s customers.
:~p
…I just can’t wait…
…This is going to be a fun ride
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”LOL” style=”border:0;” />
Mac always
Is it time to require an account to post so that certain [B]Trolls[/B] can be banned?
Why don’t you go post somewhere else – We don’t need those kind of jokes around here
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
PC kid needs to go back to school…”proved”… come on…
I love Windows XP. It is so stable, beautiful and free of viruses, unlike Mac OS X.
Noobody uses iTunes. I mean, it’s only 82% of the market. Take that Apple! BOO-YA!
I think his dream might be attainable because MS has so many problems. MS is good at stealing other people’s ideas and using brutal business practices to get a near monopoly. Problem is – I don’t know who they can copy to fix all the security problems in Windows.
I think MS is still king becuase most businesses use MS – and people like to use the same OS at home that they have grown used to using at work. Businesses use MS because they want cheap computers, and they like the MS office suite with Word and Access. However, most of these businesses are going to have to start thinking about security too. And Apple has Pages to compete with Word. If Apple could start making cheaper computers, maybe scaled down without iLife, etc., maybe these businesses would switch. If the business world switches – then MS is doomed.
FYI, don’t waste your time on iCon
I read it last week and it was a real page turner – trying to find some interesting insight not previously known. Other than taking relentless shot after reletness shot at Jobs’ character as a business person and friend, there is not a great deal of ‘insider’ info that someone who knows the history of the Personal Computer wouldn’t know. The most interesting part of the book for me was discussing the Pixar/Disney healings which I didn’t know much about and getting a foundation of Michael Eisner (former Disney CEO) whom I didn’t know a thing about.
Unless you want to donate $20 to the relentless Steve bashers that are the co-authors, leave iCon on the shelves.
“Apple is a joke of a computer company. It does not have the will to win.”
Wrong! Among many other attributes, a will to win is one of the greatest things Jobs and Apple have going for them.
That is right feebee “proved” as in established the truth of by argument or evidence…to show to be correct, valid, or genuine.
My education was more than adequate. How was yours? Was it a freebee?
:~p
re: pc kid..
“Next he will tell you that for your own good Apple will abandon AAC so he can sell his iPod to all of Napster’s customers.”
yeah…because they are so plentiful..
no, i know you were kidding.
re: me
thank you for sharing this info…i never thought about reading it but now i know to steer clear, and not recommend it.
howdy there…
i’ve been reading the posts here since tiger’s debut… the mdn widget brought me here. i am a recent mac convert… driven to the mac largely from a design standpoint. there is a gravity about apple that just sucks me in.
having confessed to my superficial initial reasons for buying an apple, let me say that the affair has grown far deeper and more substantial in nature. the machines/os just make sense. i have to laugh at how irritating that basic fact is to the windows community. i must confess i don’t even remotely understand the argument from people like pc kid. what passion is there in the windows os?
when i think apple, even as a newbie, i think of three things.
1. elegant design, inside and out.
2. thoughtful. it seems like someone at apple gives a rip about how a computer is used.
3. quality. the overall experience screams attention to detail.
i can’t ascribe any of those attributes to my old compaq, hp, or sony.
for what it’s worth.
“If I were running Apple, I would milk the Macintosh for all it’s worth—and get busy on the next great thing. The PC wars are over. Done. Microsoft won a long time ago”
Apparently he changed his mind.
PLease , how are you going to take back marketshare from a software company who owns 90% of the world when you are stuck in your own ppc world pushing old hardware that owns 3% ? Just market Marklar and stop the Horseplay Apple. This constant crap of pushing hardware makes me sick when its the OS thats saved their dumbass all these marketsharing loosing years.
@ Spock: First Apple took the profit share, then, just last year, they took the market share as well.
?w=1024&h=0
At 2011 MS was at its peak with 3.5MU/y, since then it has consistently contracted to 2.7MU/y in 2015 and falling. Apple’s shipments continue to explode, reaching 3MU/y last year.
Another few years of continuation of these trends and we will know for certain whether Apple has won the “PC-wars” and taken the computer business from MS.
I also just grew my first pube yesterday. Rock on!
MW: children! Hah!
MDN, this is stupid. Your headline makes it look like Jobs reported that statement himself. This came out of a book that’s nothing more than speculation.
I just heard somebody say that Steve-o wants to turn all Americans into vegetarians! You better report it!
I love Windows XP. It is so stable, beautiful and free of viruses, unlike Mac OS X.
Today is opposite day!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
If anything, I think Jobs/Apple wants to change the perception that computing doesn’t have to suck after all — a perception that M$ cultivated with its Frankenware.
Hey PC kid, are you an abused victim or are you Sammy, aka Sputnik and NMFY?
OK. That came out wrong. I’ll try again.
If anything, I think Jobs/Apple wants to change the perception that computing is tricky, difficult, full of hassles and has to suck — a perception that M$ cultivated with its Frankenware.
Ghettoware. hehe.
Bill Gates has proved he is a winner. — PC Kid
Usage Note: Prove has two past participles: proved and proven. Proved is the older form. Proven is a variant. The Middle English spellings of prove included preven, a form that died out in England but survived in Scotland, and the past participle proven, a form that probably rose by analogy with verbs like weave, woven and cleave, cloven. Proven was originally used in Scottish legal contexts, such as The jury ruled that the charges were not proven. In the 20th century, proven has made inroads into the territory once dominated by proved, so that now the two forms compete on equal footing as participles. However, when used as an adjective before a noun, proven is now the more common word: a proven talent.
BTW, here’s the source that came from:
Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
[Of course, the only thing actually proven about Bill Gates is he’s a convicted monopolist. Whether he is a winner or not depends on your point of view.]