7 ms·

Steve’s Final “One More Thing…”

26 points by Bartlet 15y ago

chugger 15y ago
Jobs was out-innovating everyone when he was heathy. Jobs was out-innovating everyone when he was sick. Jobs is still out-innovating everyone even when he's already dead.
unfed 15y ago
"There's no money in ebooks cause nobody reads" Yet getting excited for textbooks on ipad? Strange.
- extension 15y ago
  People don't buy textbooks because they like to read. They buy them because they are required for their classes. And they can cost thousands of dollars per year. Typically there is one specific text approved for a course, so there is a serious lack of competition. And the publishers will release new editions every year, with trivial changes, to prevent reuse of old books. It's definitely a sketchy industry, in many ways, and there is plenty of opportunity for disruption.
  - unfed 15y ago
    So you can make more money by focusing solely on textbooks instead of all the books in the world?
mcantelon 15y ago
Should be interesting seeing Apple's version of Google TV.
- extension 15y ago
  No, they already have that. The new thing is a complete physical TV, with likely every component and service from end-to-end reimagined and controlled by Apple.
  - mcantelon 15y ago
    Google and Sony worked together to create integrated "Internet TVs" (which hit the market a year ago) although I don't think they sold well.
    - lparry 15y ago
      well if someone else already tried, I guess there's no point. It's not like Apple has ever entered into a market segment already entered by rivals who are doing poorly and shown them how it's done. Oh wait, they did that with the iPod. And iPhone. And the iPad. But you're right, there's no way they do make a successful tv if Google and Sony already tried it and it didnt go well </sarcasm>
      - deleted 15y ago
        [deleted]
      - mcantelon 15y ago
        I was responding to indicate that it has been done before, not saying that it can't ever be done successfully.
- chugger 15y ago
  you mean the Google TV that had terrible user interface and a remote control that looked like a keyboard? no wonder they only sold about 5 of those. they suck.
- grkhetan 15y ago
  Google TV was an unsuccessful imitation of Apple TV. Google has made its profession to just copy existing products. Anything that meets their eye.
vph 15y ago
>Revolutionizing textbooks may seem a bit ho-hum by Jobs’ standards, but it’s pretty clear that Jobs was passionate about the U.S. education system, and felt this country was falling behind. Oh please, Steve Job showed very little -- if not zero -- passion about the US education system. He was an inventor and entrepreneur. If these guys want to talk about someone who is passionate about the US education system, talk about Bill Gates. It's time to end the Steve Job's love fest.
- SkyMarshal 15y ago
  They might be juxtaposing Jobs and his wife, who apparently does have a strong interest in education. http://duckduckgo.com/?q=laurene+jobs+education http://duckduckgo.com/?q=laurene+jobs+education
- chugger 15y ago
  Steve Jobs was passionate about education. You need to read more about him.
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
- samstave 15y ago
  Jobs was an amazing capitalist. He was the epitome of an exploitrepreneur. We are happy with what he achieved - but lets have no delusions about how he operated and built his position and fame. Take 5K for building something he paid Woz $375 for (breakout)...
  - grkhetan 15y ago
    He was young that time -- that does not mean he was dishonest for the rest of his life. And secondly, Woz loves him. Who are you dislike him, based on what Steve did to Woz, who knows what their relationship was...Since Woz loves him, I think this resolves the matter. Remember Steve made Woz a multi-millionaire by creating Apple, by providing his vision, entrepreneurial, marketing, business skills to his technical skills. Similarly, people criticize him for bad behavior to his employees, but I see all apple employees love him (and love him much more than employees in most other companies love their leader) -- since I am an apple employee myself, I know. So I am not sure other people should dislike him for that when the actual employees that he talked to liked him (obviously there would be exceptions, some people obviously did not like him, but most did)
ecito 15y ago
I'm probably being short-sighted, but I fail to see what else could you add to a TV that you couldn't already by attaching some device to it.. it's like saying Jobs will revolutionize the computer monitor. It's just a display.
- pedalpete 15y ago
  You're right, the 'television' is just a display, but the concept of 'TV' which most of us consider is the entire ecosystem of content, delivery and consumption. To try to give you some context, think back to 2005, and question 'how can you revolutionize a phone? It's just a speaker and a microphone'. Of course, there had already been inroads into making your phone much more than a phone, just as set-top boxes and other connected devices have added capabilities to your television. I don't think we'll see a 'rebirth' of television so much as we'll see television joining mobile, tablets and computers in the middle. Really, the revolution of the phone was making it more like a computer, but more portable. The revolution of the television I suspect will be the same, but less portable. Just like the portability of the phone expanded the things we used our phones for, a less portable large screen product could expose similar capabilities.
  - glenra 15y ago
    The latest generation of microprojectors would make more sense than really big displays. Imagine buying something roughly the size of an AppleTV or Mac Mini which also is the television - you just point it at a white wall or sheet or screen for a nearly arbitrarily-sized screen. I use a projector tv at home now but it's a pain to configure because it's designed to work with too many kinds of input. Integrate a more compact and elegantly designed projector with iTV, make iPad and iPhone your control surfaces but download content from the cloud - it could work. And unlike the big flatscreen, it'd be easy to take to the Apple Store for service/diagnostic if need be.
- extension 15y ago
  But Apple did revolutionize the computer monitor, by permanently attaching it to a computer and thus effectvely making it not exist. Whatever they have in mind for the television will similarly be not about adding things, but about taking things away. They will simplify it in a way that geeks will consider a downgrade while opening up a world of possibilities for mere mortals.
suking 15y ago
I wish MG would just stick to the crunchfund - that little guy is the most annoying writer.
- grkhetan 15y ago
  I know he loves Apple, but that does not mean his articles are junk. In fact, they are quite the opposite. I love his article writing style, his logical approach to thinking, his ability to dig information (like his frequent articles on things going on in the google chrome project, Facebook insider info, apple insider info, etc), his ability to make articles interesting, etc. One needs to read his articles with an open mind, enjoy the content/news, but assuming he will be slightly biased towards Apple and/or more excited about Apple than a typical geek would be, but that does not mean his articles will be crap.
  - suking 15y ago
    I strongly disagree - Apple could never do wrong in his eyes - he is way too biased.
Zephyrial 15y ago
I think, of course, the problem he 'cracked' that will make the interface easier is that instead of a conventional remote, you use your iPhone/iPod Touch or something similar that would come with the TV. Touch screen, context-sensitive menus, voice commands... that would simplify a lot, no? (I also wonder if he was imagining removing the layer of "channels" and just have something like the iTunes Store where you search for shows?) Just pondering...

26 points by Bartlet 15y ago

Jobs was out-innovating everyone when he was heathy. Jobs was out-innovating everyone when he was sick. Jobs is still out-innovating everyone even when he's already dead.

unfed 15y ago

"There's no money in ebooks cause nobody reads" Yet getting excited for textbooks on ipad? Strange.

extension 15y ago
People don't buy textbooks because they like to read. They buy them because they are required for their classes. And they can cost thousands of dollars per year. Typically there is one specific text approved for a course, so there is a serious lack of competition. And the publishers will release new editions every year, with trivial changes, to prevent reuse of old books. It's definitely a sketchy industry, in many ways, and there is plenty of opportunity for disruption.
- unfed 15y ago
  So you can make more money by focusing solely on textbooks instead of all the books in the world?

mcantelon 15y ago

Should be interesting seeing Apple's version of Google TV.

extension 15y ago
No, they already have that. The new thing is a complete physical TV, with likely every component and service from end-to-end reimagined and controlled by Apple.
- mcantelon 15y ago
  Google and Sony worked together to create integrated "Internet TVs" (which hit the market a year ago) although I don't think they sold well.
  - lparry 15y ago
    well if someone else already tried, I guess there's no point. It's not like Apple has ever entered into a market segment already entered by rivals who are doing poorly and shown them how it's done. Oh wait, they did that with the iPod. And iPhone. And the iPad. But you're right, there's no way they do make a successful tv if Google and Sony already tried it and it didnt go well </sarcasm>
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - mcantelon 15y ago
      I was responding to indicate that it has been done before, not saying that it can't ever be done successfully.
chugger 15y ago
you mean the Google TV that had terrible user interface and a remote control that looked like a keyboard? no wonder they only sold about 5 of those. they suck.
grkhetan 15y ago
Google TV was an unsuccessful imitation of Apple TV. Google has made its profession to just copy existing products. Anything that meets their eye.

vph 15y ago

>Revolutionizing textbooks may seem a bit ho-hum by Jobs’ standards, but it’s pretty clear that Jobs was passionate about the U.S. education system, and felt this country was falling behind. Oh please, Steve Job showed very little -- if not zero -- passion about the US education system. He was an inventor and entrepreneur. If these guys want to talk about someone who is passionate about the US education system, talk about Bill Gates. It's time to end the Steve Job's love fest.

SkyMarshal 15y ago
They might be juxtaposing Jobs and his wife, who apparently does have a strong interest in education. http://duckduckgo.com/?q=laurene+jobs+education http://duckduckgo.com/?q=laurene+jobs+education
chugger 15y ago
Steve Jobs was passionate about education. You need to read more about him.
- deleted 15y ago
  [deleted]
samstave 15y ago
Jobs was an amazing capitalist. He was the epitome of an exploitrepreneur. We are happy with what he achieved - but lets have no delusions about how he operated and built his position and fame. Take 5K for building something he paid Woz $375 for (breakout)...
- grkhetan 15y ago
  He was young that time -- that does not mean he was dishonest for the rest of his life. And secondly, Woz loves him. Who are you dislike him, based on what Steve did to Woz, who knows what their relationship was...Since Woz loves him, I think this resolves the matter. Remember Steve made Woz a multi-millionaire by creating Apple, by providing his vision, entrepreneurial, marketing, business skills to his technical skills. Similarly, people criticize him for bad behavior to his employees, but I see all apple employees love him (and love him much more than employees in most other companies love their leader) -- since I am an apple employee myself, I know. So I am not sure other people should dislike him for that when the actual employees that he talked to liked him (obviously there would be exceptions, some people obviously did not like him, but most did)

ecito 15y ago

I'm probably being short-sighted, but I fail to see what else could you add to a TV that you couldn't already by attaching some device to it.. it's like saying Jobs will revolutionize the computer monitor. It's just a display.

pedalpete 15y ago
You're right, the 'television' is just a display, but the concept of 'TV' which most of us consider is the entire ecosystem of content, delivery and consumption. To try to give you some context, think back to 2005, and question 'how can you revolutionize a phone? It's just a speaker and a microphone'. Of course, there had already been inroads into making your phone much more than a phone, just as set-top boxes and other connected devices have added capabilities to your television. I don't think we'll see a 'rebirth' of television so much as we'll see television joining mobile, tablets and computers in the middle. Really, the revolution of the phone was making it more like a computer, but more portable. The revolution of the television I suspect will be the same, but less portable. Just like the portability of the phone expanded the things we used our phones for, a less portable large screen product could expose similar capabilities.
- glenra 15y ago
  The latest generation of microprojectors would make more sense than really big displays. Imagine buying something roughly the size of an AppleTV or Mac Mini which also is the television - you just point it at a white wall or sheet or screen for a nearly arbitrarily-sized screen. I use a projector tv at home now but it's a pain to configure because it's designed to work with too many kinds of input. Integrate a more compact and elegantly designed projector with iTV, make iPad and iPhone your control surfaces but download content from the cloud - it could work. And unlike the big flatscreen, it'd be easy to take to the Apple Store for service/diagnostic if need be.
extension 15y ago
But Apple did revolutionize the computer monitor, by permanently attaching it to a computer and thus effectvely making it not exist. Whatever they have in mind for the television will similarly be not about adding things, but about taking things away. They will simplify it in a way that geeks will consider a downgrade while opening up a world of possibilities for mere mortals.

suking 15y ago

I wish MG would just stick to the crunchfund - that little guy is the most annoying writer.

grkhetan 15y ago
I know he loves Apple, but that does not mean his articles are junk. In fact, they are quite the opposite. I love his article writing style, his logical approach to thinking, his ability to dig information (like his frequent articles on things going on in the google chrome project, Facebook insider info, apple insider info, etc), his ability to make articles interesting, etc. One needs to read his articles with an open mind, enjoy the content/news, but assuming he will be slightly biased towards Apple and/or more excited about Apple than a typical geek would be, but that does not mean his articles will be crap.
- suking 15y ago
  I strongly disagree - Apple could never do wrong in his eyes - he is way too biased.

Zephyrial 15y ago

I think, of course, the problem he 'cracked' that will make the interface easier is that instead of a conventional remote, you use your iPhone/iPod Touch or something similar that would come with the TV. Touch screen, context-sensitive menus, voice commands... that would simplify a lot, no? (I also wonder if he was imagining removing the layer of "channels" and just have something like the iTunes Store where you search for shows?) Just pondering...