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A Look Back At the Career of Steve Jobs

Zothecula writes with a rather extensive piece in Gizmag about Steve Jobs's various business endeavors. From the article: "Revered by many, hated by some, but respected by most, the indisputable fact remains that Steve Jobs is the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time. The numbers are impressive in themselves but the most remarkable aspect of his success is how it was achieved. Though he remains at Apple, the end of his tenure as CEO is the end of an era and an opportunity to try and grasp just exactly what it is he did and what lessons there are for all of us 'trying to make a dent in the universe.'"

324 comments

  1. iPod was a side project by Toe,+The · · Score: 1

    I like how when Apple introduced the iPod, they thought of it as practically a novelty. IIRC, I think they targeted 10,000 sales.

    1. Re:iPod was a side project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Bullshit, if that were the case then why did they build it with an intentionally obfuscated file system, and why did they develop proprietary software to act as the only means of getting data on or off of it? Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire? For a "side project" they sure went through a lot of extra effort to lock it down and keep it proprietary, especially considering that MP3 players were already common devices with established standards when it came out.

    2. Re:iPod was a side project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      It *was* Firewire, originally.

    3. Re:iPod was a side project by king+neckbeard · · Score: 0

      True, but it wasn't a standard firewire connection. It's was firewire with a unique connector, meaning you couldn't use a standard firewire cable without an adapter.

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    4. Re:iPod was a side project by king+neckbeard · · Score: 1

      Because it's Apple and that's what they do. It's not as if there aren't many cheap devices that do some or all of the above in lots of technological areas. Lots of businesses have been rather slow on picking up the open standards stuff as a means of making money.

      --
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    5. Re:iPod was a side project by fullmetal55 · · Score: 2

      originally it wasn't an obfuscated file system, originally it didn't require proprietary software, originally it was firewire. heck my old iPod was the first generation with the proprietary cable, (called a dock port at the time as the iPod shipped with a docking station) it still connected via firewire. and MP3 players weren't that common in 2001, especially in the gigabyte range. 128 mb players were shipping, but were expensive novelties. you do realize this was 10 years ago right? I had a 20 gb creative Nomad before that and that thing was huge (by today's standard, at the time it was the same size and shape as a CD player) and a piece of junk, if the original original ipods worked on PCs I would have had one of them instead.

    6. Re:iPod was a side project by xjerky · · Score: 2

      Um, NO. It was a standard firewire connector on both ends. http://media.techeblog.com/elephant//ul/23125-450x-r_5.jpg I know, because I owned one. And, at first the filesystem was NOT obfuscated, to boot. the filenames were merely truncated, not turned into random four-letter filenames like it did later on.

      --
      A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
    7. Re:iPod was a side project by Colourspace · · Score: 1

      You know what? You're right.

    8. Re:iPod was a side project by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      True, but it wasn't a standard firewire connection. It's was firewire with a unique connector, meaning you couldn't use a standard firewire cable without an adapter.

      It was a standard firewire port. It was one of those 6-pin standard jobs that can supply 12W of power (up to 48V, .25A. And yes, Macs have been known to fry Firewire hubs that way. 12V was more typical though).

      Only on the 3rd gen did Apple switch to the Dock connector which enabled USB as well, but through a proprietary cable.

      Hell, many Firewire PC cards were 6-pins (though 12V max). Many laptops came with the more common 4-pin variety which didn't supply any power. Enough that Apple supplied a 4-to-6 pin adapter.

    9. Re:iPod was a side project by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      The 6 pin connection is Firewire, the 4 pin connection is i.Link

      Both connections are in the IEEE 1394a amendment.

    10. Re:iPod was a side project by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Funny

      Um, NO. It was a standard firewire connector on both ends. http://media.techeblog.com/elephant//ul/23125-450x-r_5.jpg [techeblog.com] I know, because I owned one. And, at first the filesystem was NOT obfuscated, to boot. the filenames were merely truncated, not turned into random four-letter filenames like it did later on.

      So you mean they added the proprietary connector and obfuscated filesystem as a value-added feature later on?

      I see...

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    11. Re:iPod was a side project by xjerky · · Score: 1

      Not as a value-added feature, but they were added to the newer models as of the iPod 3G, yes.

      --
      A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
    12. Re:iPod was a side project by PopeRatzo · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Lots of businesses have been rather slow on picking up the open standards stuff as a means of making money.

      Being "slow" is one thing. How long has Apple been making iPods and other handheld devices now?

      I think after a decade of stubbornly sticking with proprietary connections, you stop saying that they're just being "rather slow on picking up the open standards stuff".

      Or maybe I'm wrong. When do you see Apple adopting "the open standards stuff"? 2013? 2018?

      I'll tell you one thing: a certain person is going to have to be safely scattered over the Pacific Ocean near Cupertino before that day ever comes.

      I would be surprised if the words, "We'll adopt open standards over my dead body" have not been uttered at least a few times in Apple HQ since 1997.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    13. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 2

      The FIrewire connector was removed because whilst contemporary Macs all had Firewire, very few PCs did. So they switched to a USB connector at the computer end of the cable. They created the dock connector at the iPod end because they wanted to add video out, and that's not possible with a standard USB connector.

      So yes, it was a value added feature. More compatible with PCs plus it supported video.

    14. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Bullshit, if that were the case then why did they build it with an intentionally obfuscated file system, and why did they develop proprietary software to act as the only means of getting data on or off of it?

      The obfuscated file system only came along when Apple were implementing the iTunes Music Store. In order to get major record labels on board, they had to convince them that they were doing everything they could to discourage casual piracy.

      The proprietary software (iTunes) came before the iPod. It was bought in as an easy way for consumers to store and play their music on a Mac. It was an obvious step to have the iPod sync to it. It made the process of getting music onto an MP3 player far easier than with the competition, and was a major component of the success of the iPod.

      Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire?

      Firewire WAS used initially, when the iPod was purely a Mac accessory. When the iPod was so successful they decided to make it PC compatible too, they dropped FIrewire as few PCs had the connector. They DO use USB - it's USB at the computer end of the cable. But it's a proprietary connector at the iPod end because it also has to support video out, which USB doesn't.

      Basically the things you mention came along AFTER the iPod had progressed from a "side project" to being an unprecedented success.

    15. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      I think after a decade of stubbornly sticking with proprietary connections, you stop saying that they're just being "rather slow on picking up the open standards stuff".

      Why the fuck would they change to what you consider to be "open standards stuff", when they are phenomenally successful picking the stuff that works best for the design? Sometimes proprietary, sometimes open standards. Whatever works best in the particular circumstances.

      I think after a decade of stubbornly sticking with proprietary connections, you stop saying that they're just being "rather slow on picking up the open standards stuff".

      Except for all the many things that they use that ARE open standards. Apparently you aren't very observant.

    16. Re:iPod was a side project by msauve · · Score: 1

      "We'll adopt open standards over my dead body"

      So, you're expecting Apple to adopt open standards soon?

      --
      "National Security is the chief cause of national insecurity." - Celine's First Law
    17. Re:iPod was a side project by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      to me that sounds like a collection of hacks, instead of a well thought out product

    18. Re:iPod was a side project by PopeRatzo · · Score: 0

      They created the dock connector at the iPod end because they wanted to add video out, and that's not possible with a standard USB connector.

      So now that the video out is at the headphone jack, what's your excuse for Apple's proprietary jack?

      Oh wait! I know, it's because there are so many 3rd party devices that use the Apple jack.

      See? It's not hard to play this game.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    19. Re:iPod was a side project by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      Yeah, they added a proprietary connector to add functionality still no other player has.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    20. Re:iPod was a side project by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      'Open Standards' at Apple are seen as avenues to pull in resources from outside the company. Then they put what they deem the proper proprietary twist on it to keep it theirs. They've been doing that for decades. No amount of fanboy spin will change this.

    21. Re:iPod was a side project by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not only is it a proprietary cable at the iPod end, they also actively and intentionally break 'non-approved' third-party video out adapters. I have one that worked fine when I first got my iPod but which was 'killed' in a subsequent firmware 'update.'

      The connector doesn't 'HAVE' to support video out. A second connector could have been added for that. The USB connector could be one of the tiny standard connectors. But then... oh my, there would be an identifiable video out port on my iPod that they would have disabled with a firmware upgrade. It's always better to push all the connections into their own proprietary fog-zone so they can do with it as they wish.

      Proprietary is as proprietary does, and if Steve Jobs will be remembered for anything, outside his circle of worshiping zealots, it will be for always putting that shiny proprietary 'twist' in anything apple produced.

    22. Re:iPod was a side project by VJmes · · Score: 1

      Apple historically has been quick to adopt standards and just as quick in dropping their support. Across all of their products Apple is really a mixed bag of supported proprietary & standards-compliant technology. It does strike a good balance between compatibility and pushing their own technology onto the market.

    23. Re:iPod was a side project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It was also a space issue. Having both firewire and USB meant more chips, which meant more space. Making a smaller unit was a goal, and eliminating fw helped towards that goal.

    24. Re:iPod was a side project by keytohwy · · Score: 1

      A second connector? Are you fucking serious? Do you really not understand Apple at all?

    25. Re:iPod was a side project by Macgrrl · · Score: 1

      In fact, iTunes as a 3rd party product (SoundJam) which they bought and rebadged originally. I was a SoundJam user for years prior to iTunes.

      From memory the product(s) which became iCal/Addressbook started out as Expresso, but I could be wrong.

      --
      Sara
      Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
    26. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 3, Funny

      The connector doesn't 'HAVE' to support video out. A second connector could have been added for that.

      Yes you're right. They could have followed your idea and made the device worse.

    27. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      The clue is in the name DOCK connector. The headphone jack isn't connected by dropping an iPod into a dock. Thus without video in the dock connector, no dockable video accessories would work.

      It's certainly not hard to work this stuff out. But you never seem able to.

    28. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      'Open Standards' at Apple are seen as avenues to pull in resources from outside the company.

      Logically, most companies using open standards are pulling in resources from outside. With the one exception of where a company invents the open standard which is "pulled in" by other companies.
      You're suggesting that open standards should be like a hair shirt? Unless using them causes pain to a company then their use isn't worthy?

      Then they put what they deem the proper proprietary twist on it to keep it theirs. They've been doing that for decades. No amount of fanboy spin will change this.

      No amount of open sores whining will make it wrong.

    29. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      Yes, I said they bought it in.

    30. Re:iPod was a side project by Karlt1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire?

      http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml

      The dock connector allows a dumb,cheap device to control the iPod (volume, next song, previous song) just by sending the correct electrical signal to the correct pins and has pins for line level sound in/sound out and video. How do you propose you cheaply make accessories that work with the iPod by using USB? It would be a lot more expensive for an accessory maker to implement the functionality through USB.

    31. Re:iPod was a side project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You're lucky. I was a SoundJam user for a few months before Apple bought it and released it for free :-/

    32. Re:iPod was a side project by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No amount of open sores whining will make it wrong.

      Obviously he is correct since though they use USB they added their own proprietary connector on the end of it. And apple does plenty of open source stuff too but i guess you didn't know that did you retard?

      ACs don't bother. You're filtered. I don't even know you're there.

      Nice one wanker, the way to fail publicly but you can still claim you didn't know you failed, loser.

    33. Re:iPod was a side project by node+3 · · Score: 1

      'Open Standards' at Apple are seen as avenues to pull in resources from outside the company. Then they put what they deem the proper proprietary twist on it to keep it theirs. They've been doing that for decades. No amount of fanboy spin will change this.

      And calling people "fanboys" doesn't make you right. It just makes you, as usual, a complete jackass.

      Your statement is wrong in just about every possible way. The *only* example of doing something to an "open standard" to "keep it theirs" is the dock connector, and even that comes with significant benefits to the end user that cannot be met with any existing standard.

      But sure, if you can't actually support your claim, I can understand why you'd just call anyone who dares disagree with you a "fanboy", but wouldn't it just be simpler (not to mention feel better) to simply be right instead?

    34. Re:iPod was a side project by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      No amount of open sores whining will make it wrong.

      Obviously he is correct since though they use USB they added their own proprietary connector on the end of it.

      Apple is one of the few companies that didn't do a proprietary USB port. The proprietary connector you are talking about is the Dock connector, and that has many more functions than just USB.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    35. Re:iPod was a side project by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire?

      http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml

      The dock connector allows a dumb,cheap device to control the iPod (volume, next song, previous song) just by sending the correct electrical signal to the correct pins and has pins for line level sound in/sound out and video. How do you propose you cheaply make accessories that work with the iPod by using USB? It would be a lot more expensive for an accessory maker to implement the functionality through USB.

      And a simple proof for that is that no media player has a USB remote interface.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    36. Re:iPod was a side project by Pieroxy · · Score: 1

      Bullshit, if that were the case then why did they build it with an intentionally obfuscated file system

      They didn't.

      , and why did they develop proprietary software to act as the only means of getting data on or off of it?

      They didn't.

      Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire?

      They didn't.

      For a "side project" they sure went through a lot of extra effort to lock it down and keep it proprietary

      They didn't.

      , especially considering that MP3 players were already common devices with established standards when it came out.

      Wrong again. In 2001, MP3 players were a niche market among computer enthusiasts.

      Wow, rarely you see a post where *everything* is wrong.

    37. Re:iPod was a side project by sglewis100 · · Score: 1

      The connector doesn't 'HAVE' to support video out. A second connector could have been added for that. The USB connector could be one of the tiny standard connectors.

      It couldn't have been "one of the tiny standard connectors", since this was a few years before Micro USB. So you mean, it could have been Mini USB, which was around at the time. But that somebody modded you up for suggesting TWO connectors... wow... I mean... wow!

      Out of curiosity, given the size of the iPod, which two connectors would have worked? I guess it'd have to be something common for video out, since you hate proprietary connectors. The 3rd gen iPod was .62" thick and just over 4" wide. We can rule out component video (too many plugs, you wanted two). Micro HDMI didn't exist yet. HDMI was unknown to most consumers. RCA wasn't going to provide much quality. I spent about 45 seconds Googling the size of an S-Video connection before getting bored, but my guess is, it wouldn't fit in .62". Coax?

      I mean, what connector(s) SHOULD they have used?

    38. Re:iPod was a side project by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Bullshit, if that were the case then why did they build it with an intentionally obfuscated file system, and why did they develop proprietary software to act as the only means of getting data on or off of it? Why develop a proprietary cable instead if using USB, or even their own Firewire? For a "side project" they sure went through a lot of extra effort to lock it down and keep it proprietary, especially considering that MP3 players were already common devices with established standards when it came out.blockquote>

      Wow... that's a load.

      First, many MP3 players of the era had PARALLEL PORT connectors. I know, I had a Rio. Later they went with USB, but with the dominant OS of the time (Windows 98) there wasn't a Mass Storage Class USB driver in it, which meant you still had to install a driver, even though Windows 2000 and onwards started coming with them. Even so, the largest device of the day, the Creative Nomad with its USB 1.1 connection was proprietary. Sure it had a standard USB port, but it didn't use standard USB classes for its interface.

      Hell, the Rio and the Nomad had their itnerfaces probed to discover the protocol so third party apps could be used with it.

      The iPod used a standard Firewire port on the original and second gen iPods. Then Apple wanted to have accessories that did more than hack into the headphone port, like Line-Out, so they introduced the dock connector on the 3rd gen iPod (which was when they sold the 1 millionth iPod - the best selling MP3 player). Heck, people used iPods as emergency boot drives for their Macs - you just install OS X on it.

      Even then an iPod used standard Mass Storage USB drivers, it was just their "database" and music filesystem was obfuscated. But nothing that a competent media player couldn't make out and extract easily based on the id3 tags. And if you've used a Nomad, it too uses a database and non-standard filesystem formats (slightly worse - if you had a bunch of similar-but-no-exact ID3 tags, it would bog down the Nomad horrendously). The database and filename obfuscation just made playback simpler for the software on the iPod.

      Oh, and I've used "standard" media players that used mass storage and accessible FAT drives. They worked, but they needed to index the media files if you wanted access other than by folders, and were often a huge PITA if you wanted a song from one album, a song from another, etc because they never did do their file explorers right.

    39. Re:iPod was a side project by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Video out on the iPod isn't at the headphone jack.

      And there are a ton of 3rd party devices that use Apple's 30 pin connector, I just bought a new Pioneer AV receiver, it came with a 30 pin to USB cable and connects to my iPod Video, iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 and iPad.

      Likewise I have a FM transmitter that connects to an iPod for my car.

    40. Re:iPod was a side project by Painted · · Score: 1

      Not only that, but if you read back he's actively defending his wrongness... /shakes head in mild disbelief.

      --
      http://marsandmore.com - Posters of space, spacecraft, and astronomy.
    41. Re:iPod was a side project by mug+funky · · Score: 1

      i'm not sure what the universal, standards-compliant definition of "fanboy" is, but i use the rule of thumb: "anyone that voluntarily defends a _company_ they don't work for, without any particular reason". it serves to separate the fanboys from the regular people.

      if someone were to fight tooth-and-nail for, say, BP, they'd be called a shill. and if they weren't even being paid for it, it would be very strange indeed. Apple "fanboys" tend to do this. a corporation doesn't care how we feel, why should we care if they're being put on the spot?

    42. Re:iPod was a side project by mug+funky · · Score: 1

      SCART

    43. Re:iPod was a side project by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 1

      Kumbaya.

      One connector good. Two connectors bad.

      Bleat bleat.

    44. Re:iPod was a side project by BasilBrush · · Score: 1

      You do realise that calling someone a sheep isn't actually an argument. And indeed it doesn't even make sense as an insult given that Android sales outnumber iPhone sales. And PC sales outnumber Mac sales too.

      Someone could just as easily post:

      Kumbaya.
      Open standards good. Proprietary bad.
      Bleat bleat.

      And that wouldn't be any more or less of an argument.

  2. First by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Can we hold off on all this retrospect until he's actually dead.

    1. Re:First by heptapod · · Score: 1
  3. Biggest tight wad of all time by dave562 · · Score: 0, Troll
    1. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 0

      The best thing he could do with the money (if he is not going to leave it to his heirs, and BTW, inheritance tax is real theft) is "donate" it to somebody who already has a lot of money and is running a successful company or to set up an investment fund to have the money invested into various start up businesses.

      OTOH he could just burn it, wouldn't have to pay any inheritance tax at all and it would be something different for a change.

    2. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wouldnt keeping it in stocks be investing into the economy? Huh, did you think of that?

    3. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      There are no records of public donations.
       
        Does not mean he never donates, just means if he does it's for the sake of donating, not as an action of PR.

    4. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by markjhood2003 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Perhaps Jobs just prefers to donate anonymously, as many of us do.

    5. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Wow. It's a good thing you're poor.

    6. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would imagine if Steve Jobs publicly worked towards a cause, however, it would add quite a bit more to the cause than mere money.

    7. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by macwhizkid · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I feel kind of uncomfortable judging anyone about what they may have/have not done for charity. Jobs is a relatively private person when it comes to his personal life and a pretty deep thinker. Yes, he has no public record of philanthropy. Who's to say he doesn't do it privately or hasn't set up his will for postmortem charitable contributions?

      Bill Gates and Warren Buffet bank on their reputations as front men for their charitable organizations. That's their right and they do a lot of good work. But that's not the only way to do it.

    8. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by jdavidb · · Score: 3, Insightful

      That's right â" Steve Jobs, worth $5.1 billion, has no public record of philanthropy.

      I am all for encouraging charitable giving, but this is not a respectful way to do it. This is attempting to impose a value judgment ("People should have a public record of philanthropy") rather than talking about why charitable giving is a good idea and why the potential donor might be interested.

      Regardless of whether he has given or not, Steve Jobs has served the public admirably. He has created wonderful products that people are willing to pay for, so obviously his service must have been valuable to some people. We live in a Jetsons age thanks to Steve Jobs. I haven't even bought an Apple product in eight years, but I'm still benefiting from the impact his company's designs have had on the industry.

      I think it would be spectacular if Steve's billions were now spent looking for a cure for the medical conditions that are plaguing him. Doing so might seem "selfish," but would in fact serve the public yet again. Extending Jobs' lifespan would be a wonderfully fitting reward for the valuable service he has already provided for the world.

    9. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by tlhIngan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Perhaps Jobs just prefers to donate anonymously, as many of us do.

      This.

      Steve Jobs has a publicity problem. It's basically at the point where the news goes wild everytime he breathes. His every action is scrutinized and criticized and commented and such 10 times over.

      Now imagine how it applies should he not give anonymously. If he gave to a pro-gay-rights group, he'd have half the US population cheering him, half the population jeering him (and death threats). Ditto if it was a religious organization. Or minority group. Or whatever he honestly believes in. The act of donation would basically bring on such a wrath of coverage and commentary that really, I doubt even the charity itself would want that sort of scrutiny (especially since it often takes away from whatever goal they want to accomplish).

      He gives anonymously, the charities respect that (and thankful the media doesn't go over their charity) and life goes on.

      Hell, given his Spartan lifestyle (does he have a couch yet?), he may be giving a ton away - he certainly doesn't have a need for money.

    10. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by khallow · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Oh look, parasites demanding food! Let me note that the people who run change.org would directly benefit from any money tsunamis unleashed by their challenge. And they are for-profit , making their demands unusually self-serving even by the weak standards of the charity industry.

    11. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by nomadic · · Score: 1

      Why? There is no moral advantage to more business.

    12. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Co0Ps · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Personally I don't believe in charity. You can't just throw money on social problems and have them magically disappear. History has shown that time and time again. It's feels more like an American cultural phenomenon where people expects celebrities to make shallow statements on how "world peace is great" and donate some money "to the cause". I'm not a big fan of Steve Jobs but the fact that he hasn't thrown away his money on some temporary Africa projects and rather invested them in the economy (the real eradicator of poverty) doesn't affect my view on him negatively the slightest bit.

    13. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

      Inheritance tax is not theft. It is a very progressive tax in that it serves to prevent the perpetuation of wealth, free of tax, in wealthy families and are “a certain corrective against the development of a race of idle rich”.

    14. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

      FTR, agree with most of your post.

      > Yes, he has no public record of philanthropy.
      Philanthropy is not a black or white issue. His salary at Apple was $1.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-dollar_salary

      > Who's to say he doesn't do it privately or hasn't set up his will for postmortem charitable contributions?
      Exactly.

    15. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      The best thing he could do with the money (if he is not going to leave it to his heirs, and BTW, inheritance tax is real theft) is "donate" it to somebody who already has a lot of money and is running a successful company or to set up an investment fund to have the money invested into various start up businesses.

      OTOH he could just burn it, wouldn't have to pay any inheritance tax at all and it would be something different for a change.

      I'd rather see inheritance taxes than people gaining wealth due to nothing more than an accident of birth. Especially since money = political power^w speech, why should some people inherit a greater say in the political process than others. Seems the founding fathers fought a revolution against inherited political standing.

    16. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1, Insightful

      I don't understand, what would you rather do? You are talking about actual investment capital, that is made from work of an individual, this is definitely the most moral way of saving money - working for it, as opposed to how gov't creates it - printing/borrowing (inflating and stealing from you now or borrowing - forcing deferred taxes upon those, who will pay them in the future for the spending done now.)

      What do you mean "no moral advantage to more business"?

      I can actually turn this right around and say that it is the most moral thing that can be done - investment into more business. Do you know what investment (deferred consumption) got for people? Everything you have and you use in your life is done from one form of investment or another. All products and services that market demands and market wants to buy and to pay for (when I say market, I mean individuals, who also have to work to exchange their work for yours), all of those products and services need to be produced.

      The more competition there is in every sector the better. Would Steve Jobs benefit from less government involvement into health care and insurance in terms of regulations, taxes and subsidies? Of-course he would. Who can say what the state of medical advancements would have been by now if it was not for government regulations that destroy competition? Maybe his (and other people's) problem could be actually fixed for real if government was not allowed to interfere with the medical field. Government interference with the electronics and other technology fields is less than with medical, and look what happened in 40 years with computers. Computers are more powerful than ever and cheaper than ever.

      Same applies to all technologies, as technology improves, it frees up more of the human time and reduces costs as well as it creates better, quicker, safer ways of delivering whatever the need is, so in case of cancers for example, it is possible to fight many cancers without surgery, with just certain types of drugs, which is a clear advancement in everything - from technology itself, to the difficulty of recovery, to amount of work that needs to be done, etc.

      Without government interference and with more private investment that is the outcome - more competition, more choice, better choices, lower prices.

      So I don't know what you would do with money, but the best way to spend money is to generate more business opportunities via investment AFAIC, I think it actually is the most moral thing that can be done. You cannot raise standard of living with hand outs, but if you create a business and a product, you do in fact increase standard of living for many.

    17. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I've often thought that the USA way of taxing is a lot better than the Canadian way. In the US, money that you really don't deserve (inheritance, lotteries, etc.) is taxed quite hard but the money that you earn or invest (to create jobs) is not. In Canada, it is the reverse - lottery wins and other winfalls are not taxed at all but the money you actually earn is way, way over taxed.

    18. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by whisper_jeff · · Score: 0

      How do you call a CEO with a salary of $1/ year a tightwad (especially in today's day and age of CEO's earning hundreds of times what the average person makes)? Oh, he made tons and tons of money but he drew an annual salary less than what you spend on coffee in the morning. Not to mention, as others have already pointed out, he may well be donating substantial amounts anonymously.

    19. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 0, Troll

      The correct fix to the money in political speech of-course is to stop government from dictating to the businesses, from counterfeiting fiat, setting interest rates, starting illegal wars, etc. That's the way to get money out of the political process - don't let the government do anything that deals with wealth redistribution and there will be no reason to give money to government if you just want your specific business agenda to be subsidized and competition destroyed.

      As long as government regulates/taxes/subsidizes business, basically controls outcomes in business, some of that business will be government.

    20. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by dave562 · · Score: 1

      Anyone with enough resources to pay themselves in dividends and stock options would be stupid to take a large annual salary. Capital gains taxes are significantly less than income taxes.

      It could be that Steve Jobs donates anonymously. If that is the case, it should be pretty easy for you guys to find some press releases or other PR material where Steve Jobs is at least speaking positively about groups he feels strongly about. Surely there is a lot of that information out there. Right?

      I tried to search for some and this is what I came across.

      http://www.stephenthomas.ca/steve-jobs-hates-good-it/

    21. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by postbigbang · · Score: 1, Insightful

      You could turn around and say this, and you'd still be a running dog lackey libertarian fool. Investment strategies are understood very well, and the power of cogent capitalism. It needs oversight because there are assholes out there that think nothing of the lives of others and what their product methodologies can do to fuck them up. You need oversight because you're not trustworthy, and the greed motive makes quote unquote "moral" decisions for many abberant capitalists, just like it does for abberant socialists.

      So, be careful of that high horse there, fella. We need conscience and scrutiny to prevent the assholes from taking over.

      Oh, wait....

      --
      ---- Teach Peace. It's Cheaper Than War.
    22. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by dave562 · · Score: 1

      In fact, Jobs even went so far as to eliminate corporate philanthropy programs at Apple.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs#Philanthropy

      That is not the behavior of someone who agrees with charitable giving, anonymous or otherwise.

    23. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 5, Informative

      I see you failed American History of the 20th century.

      Progressivism as a political movement emerged in reference to a more general response to the vast changes brought by industrialization: an alternative to both the traditional conservative response to social and economic issues and to the various more radical streams of socialism and anarchism which opposed them.

      Theodore Roosevelt, Wilson, FDR and LBJ are noted Progressives.

      I believe that the Estate Tax system, even if the Bush cuts are repealed, will not lead to all of an estate's wealth going to the government, at the same time with an Estate Tax, it does not create a noble class of ultra wealthy land owners. I don't see government spending and welfare as an evil.

      Reasonable tax regimes don't lead to the abolishment of private property, the 1950s saw the highest post-WW2 tax rates in the United States and also the lowest unemployment rates.

      A progressive tax is a tax by which the tax rate increases as the taxable base amount increases. Income taxes are progressive as are Estate Taxes, sales taxes are regressive in that everyone pays the same percentage, leading to the poor paying a greater share of their disposable income.

      So in no way does "progressive", either in politics or tax systems mean theft.

    24. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Some of the earnings are taxed, note I have no state income tax in Alaska, other states vary in income tax rates.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payroll_tax#In_the_United_States

      But were I to win a million dollars in Las Vegas or from a Lottery, the IRS automatically gets 25%.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lottery_jackpot_records#United_States

    25. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      Uhh, the economy is the real eradicator of poverty? Seriously? The ENTIRE concept and existence of poverty, is a DIRECT result of current capitalist economic methods.

      When has economic growth (ie. rich getting richer) EVER done ANYTHING to eradicate poverty?

      Jesus, fucking idiot Americans. Your criminal economic system will be the ruin of the modern world, jackass.

    26. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by geekoid · · Score: 2

      " BTW, inheritance tax is real theft)"

      No it isn't.

      And he would never pay any inheritance tax, sine he would be fucking dead.

      You're little unthinking excuse to rant does nothing for the conversation, fucking flamebait.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    27. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by geekoid · · Score: 3, Informative

      You call people thieves and hacks, but then tell others THEY won't be polite?
      you Hypocritical ass.

      Government spend has ALWAYS created jobs. It is the only way ever to get us out of any recession.

      "As to lowest unemployment past WWII, well of-course, government finally stopped spending after the war was over and it allowed the depression to stop and since 1947 there was growth helped by USA's virtual monopoly on labor (on production, because USA had intact infrastructure and others didn't)."

      this is factually wrong.. and stupid.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    28. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Genda · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Charity doesn't fix underlying problems any more than antibiotics fix underlying systemic failure that lead to life threatening infections. However, if you don't provide the antibiotics, the patient dies. Hundreds of millions of people are alive today because of people who were generous enough to help those who could not help themselves, and that help includes money, time, labor, and the essentials of life. To be clear, I'm not talking about cultural failures, I'm talking about disasters (some natural, many man-made.) From Catrina to the Indonesian Tsunami, from Haiti to the devastating earthquakes in China and Japan, we've helped those who were in no position to help themselves, and these are true acts of charity. This is distinct from assuaging a guilty conscience by giving a bum a buck, who will promptly drink a dollars worth of rot-gut. That buck honors neither giver nor the receiver.

      So if you are saying that saving those in need is pointless because it doesn't address the real problem, I would counter, save the people in need, then by all means, address the real problem. That doesn't mean let millions die a horrible unnecessary death. Of course you might be more of the mind "If [the poor] would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population" -- Ebenezer Scrooge.

      Steve's lack of philanthropic endeavor paints a picture of a man more interested in himself than others. Absolutely not a crime, its not even evil per se'. Its just small.

    29. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 0

      Of-course it is theft. Private property is private property, so he makes his money and decides to leave it to his family, and then gov't comes alone (in a supposedly pro-capitalist pro-liberty pro-rights pro-private property pro-law) society (of-course it's not any of that) and forces sales of the holdings, this would include sales of stock, this would mean a fire sale, Buffet will be more than happy to participate, which is his business, to buy companies during such death tax sales.

      If the money is just burned in a big bonfire no taxes can be collected but if the family gets it, it must be taxed (and business must be eliminated in many cases to do it too.)

      Also if you don't like my comment, you don't have to comment on it, do you? Since we are "Looking Back At the Career of Steve Jobs", and since the thread I am replying to is in fact about some weird deal on how his money will be spent after he is gone, I think my comment is totally appropriate, it is part of a general debate on such matters.

    30. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by geekoid · · Score: 1

      If he believes in a cause, he should be a coward about it.

      Nothing says spartan like large mansions, private jets, 100,000 dollar cars.
      Not that there is anything wrong with that, just pointing our it's laughable to call him spartan.

      He certainly is a minimalist.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    31. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 0

      You call people thieves and hacks, but then tell others THEY won't be polite?

      - I am not talking about being polite, I am talking about ad-hominem attacks.

      Government spend has ALWAYS created jobs. It is the only way ever to get us out of any recession.

      - nonsense. Government spending cannot create jobs that are needed to get out of any recession ever.

      Government spending can create WORK, but it cannot create meaningful productive jobs. Work means you are getting a paycheck for doing something, whatever it is (like building roads), but it does not help to get out of recession at all, because the products that you consume with your paycheck are not being exchanged for with real money (actual production based money), but it is only exchanged either for counterfeit money or for money that is borrowed (deferred taxes.)

      Government can make you work, no doubt about it. It can give you a paycheck, but it can never do anything to recover from any recession by creating this sort of work. The only work that is meaningful and the kind of work that increases wealth and gets economies out of recessions/depressions are jobs that are produced by the private sector as a response to a clear or a perceived need, that others are willing to exchange their work for.

      There is nothing that government can do to stop the 53Billion/month trading deficit with any of government jobs. There is literally no type of job that a government system can produce that corresponds to a market need. YES, it is possible for a government to spend money, any amount of money in fact on any one specific thing. But any product that government could even ever bother to produce would always lose to products produced in competitive markets in terms of cost of production, final price and in quality as well. That's because government does not need to produce anything that market needs because there is no profit motive.

      The primary mover for increased efficiencies and productivity (investment and lowering of the costs) and increased quality (competition with other market players) is the profit motive.

      That's why governments are "great" at creating work building roads but it can never make an iPad.

      this is factually wrong.. and stupid.

      - no, your uninformed opinion is wrong.

    32. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 3, Informative

      "Poverty, AFAIC, is created by government spending (and regulating/taxing/subsidizing) and wealth is created by the private sector investment. Government is not (or shouldn't be) here to invest. It's here with a specific spending function - protect liberties. That's all that all of the government must be concerned with."

      Have you read the United States Constitution?

      http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html

      Article 1, Section 8
      The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

      General Welfare means social programs, they aren't theft, and the US began taxation programs during the Washington administration.

      As for the statement that no one paid income tax in the 1950s, that is just ridiculous, there were accountants, there were ledgers and people went to prison for tax evasion.
      http://ntu.org/tax-basics/history-of-federal-individual-1.html
      http://www2.census.gov/prod2/popscan/p60-018.pdf
      1952-53 - 22.2% on income above $4000.
      92% at $400,000.
      Average income was $4011
      And the bulk of US households made more than $4000 a year.

      If welfare is evil, does the US military-industrial complex strike you as evil? Lockheed Martin for example makes the vast majority of it's income from US government contracts, as does Northrop Grumman, General Dynamic Land Systems, TRW and many others.

    33. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 0

      Have you read the United States Constitution?

      - for some weird reason I read it many times.

      The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

      - correct, the function of government to protect liberties must be funded.

      As you read this, you should also realize that none of it was meant to collect income taxes. Indeed income taxes didn't exist prior to 1913. It is not a coincidence that the Federal reserve didn't exist prior to 1913 either.

      1. Income taxes were never meant to be collected, but gov't functions were to be funded by excise and sales taxes and tariffs, which they were.
      2. Read amendments 4 and 5. Income taxes violate those.
      3. Coinage act is violated by the Federal reserve counterfeiting operation.

      General Welfare means social programs, they aren't theft, and the US began taxation programs during the Washington administration.

      - absolutely not. General welfare is not about any social programs, it is about fairness of trade between separate states and maximization of liberties.

      As for the statement that no one paid income tax in the 1950s, that is just ridiculous, there were accountants, there were ledgers and people went to prison for tax evasion.

      - read what I said. I said people did not pay those high taxes but people did pay some taxes while effective taxes never went over 18%.

      This means that people minimized their payments by not paying themselves the salaries, they used corporation as a vehicle to write off their expenses and it was easy. You could write off anything at the time and there was no real way to monitor transactions anyway. That's a big ruse that anybody in their right mind and sound judgment would not avoid paying 95 cents on the dollar to the government.

      If welfare is evil, does the US military-industrial complex strike you as evil? Lockheed Martin for example makes the vast majority of it's income from US government contracts, as does Northrop Grumman, General Dynamic Land Systems, TRW and many others.

      - obviously.

      Didn't I say something about government subsidies that must be abolished? All government income taxes, all government spending that goes beyond protecting personal liberties must be stopped. This means end to all business regulations, shutting down every department except for justice (and I don't even believe they can do that right, not for the last 100 years at least) and military (same problem).

      Why does USA have 900 military bases in 135 countries around the world? Why is USA in 5 or 6 undeclared wars right now? Aren't those all good questions?

    34. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by lennier · · Score: 2

      this is definitely the most moral way of saving money - working for it, as opposed to how gov't creates it

      Right, those nasty governments which do nothing except borrow money, invest in building shared infrastructure, and then levy taxes on the users of that infrastructure, and return any excess to the public purse. They're totally different from private companies which borrow money, invest in building shared infrastructure, and then levy intellectual property rent fees on the users of that infrastructure, and return a sizeable profit to a bunch of speculators in another country who don't use or care about the products at all.

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    35. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      except borrow money, invest in building shared infrastructure

      - this is beyond federal government authority, which is only there to protect liberties, which is the role of government (used to be.)

      By the way, I did leave a lengthy comment on this, it's not worth cutting pasting if I can just reference it.

      and then levy taxes on the users of that infrastructure

      - but that's not true at all. It's not just the users who are paying for this, otherwise it would have been not a tax, but a user fee.

      return any excess to the public purse.

      - right.

      private companies which borrow money, invest in building shared infrastructure

      - of-course it is different because the risk is to the investors, not to all tax payers. If this thing does not work out why should the risk be socialized?

      levy intellectual property rent fees on the users of that infrastructure,

      - I don't know about 'intellectual property rent fees' on infrastructure, but I am against all government interference in business, which means no government issued patents or any corporate protection whatsoever. What the hell is "intellectual property" if it's not protected by government for the sake of a monopoly?

      return a sizeable profit to a bunch of speculators

      - we are all supposed to be investors into our future. When you say "speculators", well, some people invest for the long term and some invest for shorter term, but their risk is higher. As long as government stays out of bailing them out, it is purely a localized problem of those particular people. As long as government stays out of creating moral hazard, there cannot be such a monstrosity created by the free market that is "too big to fail". This concept doesn't exist except in government halls.

    36. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 3, Informative

      The 16th Amendment made Income Tax constitutional, as did Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 and Article 1, Section 8, Clause 1

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution

      If there is a Constitutional Amendment, then it's not unconstitutional.

      As for the "effective taxes", there are not historical documents or data sets to support that claim.

      Income Tax in the US dates to 1861, not 1913.

      In order to help pay for its war effort in the American Civil War, the United States government imposed its first personal income tax, on August 5, 1861, as part of the Revenue Act of 1861.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revenue_Act_of_1861

    37. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      Yes, income tax did exist temporarily and it was repealed.

      In 1913 though it was created at the same time with the Federal reserve, which made it possible to grow the government beyond its intended scope. As to the 16 amendment, that's what I meant earlier in this thread that I do not trust that government can run the justice system effectively and without corruption either. Obviously 18 amendment also existed in the Constitution. It was a mistake, just like the 16th.

    38. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CharlyFoxtrot · · Score: 1

      The "iCon" biography makes a reference to him donating to a charity for blind children. The SIVA website confirms this and puts it around 1979 which is about the time the Apple II was released, so before they were big-shots really.

      --
      If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.
    39. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by mdielmann · · Score: 1

      It's feels more like an American cultural phenomenon where people expects celebrities to make shallow statements on how "world peace is great" and donate some money "to the cause". I'm not a big fan of Steve Jobs but the fact that he hasn't thrown away his money on some temporary Africa projects and rather invested them in the economy (the real eradicator of poverty) doesn't affect my view on him negatively the slightest bit.

      Poverty has been around a lot longer than Americans, and quite likely from before civilization. The difference is, we have texts discussing alms for the poor going back thousands of years, whereas when a pre-historic hunter-gatherer tribe or individual needed the benefit of charity because of natural disaster, accidents, or conflict, no one wrote about it.

      --
      Sure I'm paranoid, but am I paranoid enough?
    40. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Sir_Sri · · Score: 1

      No, but it's up to him what to do with his money (or lack thereof). Steve's wealth is primarily in Apple stock, he could give it back to the company, thereby enriching his shareholders, he could prefer his shares go to his children or whatever. He doesn't have to give it away, and while he can't take it with him, he could split it up 4 ways amongst his children.

      He isn't a minimalist, he's an egomaniac, one tends to appear like the other but they aren't the same (he builds things he can control, which are necessarily minimal since he has to control those parts completely). If he gives up Apple stock he risks losing his hard won (back) control. When he dies almost certainly his heirs will have to pay estate tax (35% federal + state). If he gives away the money, there's no estate tax. If you believe that, on average, how the government spends it's money is good enough, then simply letting your wealth be split up with inheritance tax is just as good, if not better, than giving it away. And this way he doesn't have to micromanage what happens to it. Could you imagine a stand alone Steve Jobs charitable foundation? He'd have his little paws all over it, as would be his right. But that doesn't seem to be what he wants to do, and I think he's more the type to let any donating be done after he is dead, and can't mess with it, than before. I think he knows he's a control freak, and is sufficiently aware of his skills to think it best he not get in the business of charity. But I could be wrong.

    41. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Personally I don't believe in charity

      It is really disappointing that people think the parent comment is insightful.

      The only insight it provides is the lack of empathy and vision that CoOPs has.

      CoOPs is clearly not as bright as Gates and other philanthropists.

    42. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by misexistentialist · · Score: 1

      He pretended he didn't have a daughter and made her live on welfare when he was (only) a millionaire. He has a problem.

    43. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      OTOH he could just burn it, wouldn't have to pay any inheritance tax at all [......]

      Who do you think ends up with the money when you burn cash?

    44. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Joe+Tie. · · Score: 1

      It's obvious he doesn't do it privately because he's not stupid. You don't get to be in his position without pushing everything possible to further both your own career and your company.

      --
      Everything will be taken away from you.
    45. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by iMadeGhostzilla · · Score: 1

      You need to ask how much extra the world of charity received as a consequence of what Jobs did. Apple employees, stockholders, middlemen who made a profit -- some of them must have given money to charity, and I can guess that combined amount is quite high. Jobs created conditions where value is created and some of it inevitably passed on to less fortunate. That is far more than you or I have done.

    46. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by brusk · · Score: 1

      Who do you think ends up with the money when you burn cash?

      Lawyers. Burning money is a crime in the US.

      --
      .sig withheld by request
    47. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by WillKemp · · Score: 1

      Lawyers. Burning money is a crime in the US.

      Not a hope. If you're on your death bed and you've burnt all your money, they can't get anything out of you.

    48. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With attitudes like yours, it's a wonder we ever eradicated smallpox and polio.

    49. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Poverty didn't exist prior to 'current' capitalism?

      French peasants motivated by starvation chased down the royal....capitalist family?

      The current heads rolling all over the middle east / north Africa....are capitalist heads?

      Having lived half of my life in Africa and half in the US, I'll take being poor in the US long before being poor in Africa.

    50. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Co0Ps · · Score: 2

      I don't consider emergency relief "charity" so I think there is some mix-up in terminology here. When it comes to emergency relief there are already systems in place, if not governments then at least the UN. If you want to talk about the real problems like world poverty, lack of education, widespread disease, non functioning markets and election systems things tend to get a lot more complex than "people starving because this disaster cuts of their supply of food so we need to give them food". You need to realize that most of the world is actually not in a state of emergency but have problems just as pressing in the long term as people starving in the short term.

      What I'm criticizing here is that many charity projects just burns a pile of money for the sake of easing the consciousness of people that are better off, which helps nothing at best and is counterproductive at worst. For example building a bunch of schools so children can get education. Very heart-warming but futile when you don't have teachers and the kids needs to work anyway to provide for their family so the families are not interested in getting education for their kids. The well functioning market economy is the best tool invented so far to generate wealth - and charity is just a temporary flow of resources that could actually interfere with that mechanism. Especially when the goal of the investment is to have a huge impact in the short term just like many charity projects do, since the easiness to gather money is proportional to how seemingly pressing the issue is that being addressed by the charity is.

      What's interesting though is charities that attempts to kick start business and entrepreneurship in poor regions. There has been some interesting projects in that area that touches on micro-loans, hands-on education and getting involved with the actual people you are trying to help. I don't want to call that "charity" though since that word has another meaning to m. ("blindly giving away money to things that makes me warm and fuzzy"). If charity was more focused around those kind of projects though I would be less critical of the form it takes today.

    51. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by mjwx · · Score: 2

      Hell, given his Spartan lifestyle (does he have a couch yet?)

      A man who owns his own Gulfstream V does not live a "Spartan" lifestyle.

      he may be giving a ton away

      I find this hard to beleive. Unless the cayman islands banking association is a registered charity.

      If he was really interested in creating good will, he'd use his public persona to raise awareness of issues in need of charity in the same way Bill Gates does.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    52. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by slashqwerty · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Personally I don't believe in charity. You can't just throw money on social problems and have them magically disappear

      You seem to think charities exist only to help the poor. With that in mind, many, many people will fall upon hard times at some point in their life and need assistance from others. Apparently you would rather they die off than help them out for a while until they get back on their feet.

      Aside from helping the poor, charities also exist to:

      1. Reduce the spread of infections diseases.
      2. Help people recover from disasters (i.e. Red Cross).
      3. Provide grants to help people get an education.
      4. Operate museums to preserve history and spread knowledge.
      5. Fund medical research.
      6. Provide role models for children to help make up for poor parenting (Big Brothers, Big Sisters).
      7. Stop the government from overstepping its bounds (i.e. EFF, ACLU, NRA)
      8. and many other things...
    53. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by mjwx · · Score: 2

      Yes, he has no public record of philanthropy.
      Philanthropy is not a black or white issue. His salary at Apple was $1.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-dollar_salary

      A $1 salary is not an act of philanthropy, it's a tax dodge.

      Any high ranking businessman does not earn the majority of their income from salaries, they earn it from shares, gifts (from the company), trusts and other means that are: 1) tax deductible.
      2) non-taxable
      3) taxed at a lower rate.

      How many restricted shares in APPL (the kind that pay dividends and are not permitted to be sold openly) does Steve Jobs own. A lot more then $1 worth I'd bet. Meanwhile he compares all his expenses against his $1 salary in order to gain tax deductions on his other sources of income. Not that I'm singling out Jobs here, just pointing out that it's far from philanthropy, in fact it's getting out of paying income taxes.

      > Who's to say he doesn't do it privately or hasn't set up his will for postmortem charitable contributions?
      Exactly.

      Love how fanboys need to make up these little fantasies to justify their beliefs. It's so cute that you hold onto the threads of hope like that.

      Maybe Steve Jobs is undergoing a metamorphosis (like a butterfly) into a younger version of himself in order to complete his plans for galactic domination. That would certainly explain his absence from Apple's leadership.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    54. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by fermion · · Score: 2
      Just on note on charity and philanthropy. Charity is when one gives money to someone in need on the street, or when on gives some money to an organization that will use it for to help others. Charity is when one gives simply because others need it, without strings. Yes the charity may push the world in a certain direction, where people have enough, or the oil companies have freedom to drill, children can go to school, but the primary purpose is that of a gift.

      Philanthropy is using great wealth to live a legacy. It is not charity in the sense that it is a gift. Yes other do benefit but is like receiving socks and underwear for christmas. Someone has decided what the world needs, and they are going to make it happen. Philanthropy is about control, legacy, and fundamentally tax evasion.

      For instance it is arguable that the Gates simply took a low hanging fruit, malaria control, and used as a means to set up a foundation to launder money. Sure they do some good, but does it do net good. If that money was taxed by the relevant government, if they simply gave their money as charity to existing NOG, might there be more good. Was it necessary to set up a whole new bureaucracy to fight what many were already doing, if they only had the cash the Gates had. The problem with simply giving to charity is that they Gates would not be able to insure that even though they money was legally theirs, it would still be available to enrich them.

      Buffet is the same thing. I believe the foundations are headed by each of his three children. What a wonderful way to avoid inheritance tax while still insuring his kids have a guaranteed lifetime income and looking good in the process. He could have just given the money in trust to a charity, but he wanted to launder the money instead. Again, there is nothing wrong with philanthropy, it is just not charity.

      Many people in the US claim that christianity is the basis of this country, yet they forget the story of the poor women giving her last penny to the church. How this gift was more valuable than all the others in the pot. How the people giving publicly to show how generous they are were simply hypocrites to be pitied. I am not that extreme. I think the world has greatly benefited from philanthropists. OTOH I think we benefit greater from the true spirit of giving. Those that will give a dollar simply because someone needs it. Those that will pay taxes even though much of it funds things, and people, we do not like. Those that will give even though they do not have control over where the money goes.

      --
      "She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
    55. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by A.+Bosch · · Score: 1

      "Do not tell me of my obligation to put all poor men in good situations. Are they my poor? I tell thee, thou foolish philanthropist, that I grudge the dollar, the dime, the cent, I give to such men as do not belong to me and to whom I do not belong." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

      --
      Where there is the necessary technical skill to move mountains, there is no need for the faith that moves mountains.
    56. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Whuffo · · Score: 1

      There's another answer to the accusation: it's almost never a good idea to give gifts to charity under your name.

      Once you're identified as someone who gives to the less fortunate, you'll have fundraisers and grifters of all kinds crawling out of the woodwork looking to get some for themselves.

      By giving anonymously, you can do good deeds and move on to doing other good deeds without interference.

      Try this educational experiment: give $5 each to three or four famous charities; United Way, Salvation Army, etc. Give them your name, address and phone number and see what happens. After a year you'll be much wiser and you'll be able to imagine what it'd be like if you were known to be super rich.

      Heck, don't give them your address or phone number and they'll still find you. Of course, you'd probably already know this if you're someone who gives to those less fortunate than yourself.

    57. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by syousef · · Score: 1

      Inheritance tax is not theft. It is a very progressive tax in that it serves to prevent the perpetuation of wealth, free of tax, in wealthy families and are “a certain corrective against the development of a race of idle rich”.

      That money has already been taxed when the deceased earnt it (except for "old money").

      Any money earnt from it is also taxed as earnings or capital gains.

      It is not technically theft since that has very specific meaning, but it does mean the government is saying a portion of what you have earnt is theirs once you die.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    58. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Co0Ps · · Score: 1

      Yes, and here I also have another outlook. It's also pretty typical American to expect emergency relief (see http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2405282&cid=37260276) and institutions in society to be funded by charity. I, however think this is the governments obligation, and also UNs in case the government cannot help its own people. I don't refer to emergency relief when I talk about charity. See my other post.

    59. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by harlows_monkeys · · Score: 1

      Jobs is a Buddhist. Any money he gives to charity or for other good works is likely to be given anonymously.

    60. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by ynp7 · · Score: 1

      It's "theft" to tax income? Especially income that isn't earned?

      Congratulations on your ultimate triumph of stupidity. Your mother must be very proud to have raised such a complete moron.

    61. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by ynp7 · · Score: 1

      No, moron. The tax is levied against the recipient of the inheritance, not the deceased. The person inheriting the money is receiving it as income, for which they did no work and produced no value, and are being taxed accordingly.

      If you ever gain the intelligence to understand the concepts in play, feel free to come back and discuss them. Until then, piss off.

    62. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by ynp7 · · Score: 1

      If you burn the money then no one is receiving it, so there's nothing to tax. You argue against taxes but don't understand even the first thing about taxation.

      Your comments aren't appropriate anywhere because they're ignorant beyond salvation.

    63. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by ynp7 · · Score: 1

      Not if he donates to a charity that is clothing the homeless. How are they supposed to stay warm in the winter when the coats Steve bought them only have one button?!?

    64. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by felipekk · · Score: 1

      (I'm not American and I don't live in the USA)

      I agree with your post up until you make an uncalled judgment, use it to support a stereotype and then go on to offend a nation. How can you be sure the poster is American, and why do you generalize like that? There are some great examples of wealthy Americans doing great things for social causes (Bill Gates, Buffet, etc).

    65. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by improfane · · Score: 0

      Don't mind the trolls. It seems you have been targeted by lots of assholes.

      Why anyone would moderate Wyatt up is beyond me.

      --
      Slashdot needs Geekcode | Can anyone recommend any good SCIFI? My tastes: Foundation, Startide Rising, CITY, Ringworld,
    66. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by toruonu · · Score: 1

      I have never understood the need to push people to donate. If they want to donate they will. If they don't then I see absolutely no need to ask it of them. He's earned the money so he's free to do what ever he wants with it. People who claim he MUST donate because he's a successful enterpreneur and should share the wealth are just plain stupid idiots. If he really wanted to get improve stuff he'd finance some startups or found more companies that earn people income, but just giving the money away to charity is plain stupid. Most charities have such huge overheads that only a small fraction of the money makes it to those in need and even then the need is not always best served by just throwing money and goods at it.

      The good old saying that give a man fish and you've fed him for a day, teach him to fish and you've fed him for years to come still hold true. I've created a successful small company and live off quite nicely, but I wouldn't just go out and donate stuff to people just to feel better etc. There are rare cases where a helpful hand really helps, but investing the money in something that makes life in general better and allows you to reap the benefits of this R&D is a way better method. So if someone wants to invest in R&D of some cure and then get a % of the royalties I'd say that's a heck better spent money even if some of the time the R&D leads to nothing. Remember, 80% or so of money given to the red cross is spent on overhead so if one out of four R&D ventures comes back successful you've already beaten the charity market...

    67. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      Not if he donates to a charity that is clothing the homeless. How are they supposed to stay warm in the winter when the coats Steve bought them only have one button?!?

      Steve's coats would have zippers, not the three buttons that traditionalists say makes them a real coat.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    68. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      If he was really interested in creating good will, he'd use his public persona to raise awareness of issues in need of charity in the same way Bill Gates does.

      If he did that, you would be the first to attack him for using charity as PR for Apple.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    69. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      If he was really interested in creating good will, he'd use his public persona to raise awareness of issues in need of charity in the same way Bill Gates does.

      The Gates foundation does evil, and does nothing to hide it save for releasing press, and most people lick it up. Jobs did not have a PR problem so he didn't have to kick out any of those press releases.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    70. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      In fact, Jobs even went so far as to eliminate corporate philanthropy programs at Apple.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs#Philanthropy

      That is not the behavior of someone who agrees with charitable giving, anonymous or otherwise.

      You attack Steve Jobs for cutting corporate philanthropy programs at Apple at a time they were supposedly dying any second now? Really? Let me guess, you are working for a bank that received a bailout.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    71. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1
      http://www.ssireview.org/opinion/entry/the_least_philanthropic_companies/

      I work for a non-profit organization and we have received several contributions from Apple of equipment and software - they don’t have an established, formal program but there are many ways in which they have supported non-profit organizations. Just because (1) they don’t talk about it (2) you haven’t heard about it, and (3) there is no formal program they have for people to apply—it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen!

      An obvious one: http://www.apple.com/ipod/red/ Choose (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod models and iTunes Gift Cards, and Apple gives a portion of the purchase price to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    72. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      And just because I've never actually seen the Tooth Fairy doesn't mean she doesn't exist.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    73. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      Perhaps Jobs just prefers to donate anonymously, as many of us do.

      And perhaps unicorns are just really good at hiding.

      There's just as much evidence for that supposition as yours.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    74. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by goarilla · · Score: 1

      Government spend has ALWAYS created jobs. It is the only way ever to get us out of any recession. - nonsense. Government spending cannot create jobs that are needed to get out of any recession ever.

      So the new deal was a waste of time and money ?
      In my humble foreign opinion it's what made you ready to reap the spoils of victory
      which made you the nr 1 economic power.

    75. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      If the 16th Amendment is a mistake, it is a mistake made by 42 of the 48 states in existence at that time.

      Three states rejected it Connecticut, Rhode Island and Utah, while three didn't even consider it.

      Unlike the 18th Amendment, the 16th Amendment has never been repealed.

      The Federal Reserve Act and the 16th Amendment are not linked. Ratification of the 16th Amendment started in 1909, the National Monetary Commission report wasn't submitted to Congress until January 9, 1912. By January 9, 1912 31 states had already ratified the 16th Amendment.

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteenth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution#Adoption
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Reserve_Act

    76. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      And just because we've never seen any sign of intelligence from you doesn't mean that you don't have any...

    77. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      And perhaps you're intelligent. There's just as much evidence for that supposition as yours.

    78. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1
      http://www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2011/08/31/steve-jobs-1985-response-to-andrew-ross-sorkin/

      One reader pointed out that Jobs had really directly responded to these points in a 1985 Playboy Interview: [1985 Interview] ...

      So what do you do?

      Jobs: That’s a part of my life that I like to keep private. When I have some time, I’m going to start a public foundation. I do some things privately now.

      You could spend all of your time disbursing your money.

      Jobs: Oh, you have to. I’m convinced that to give away a dollar effectively is harder than to make a dollar.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    79. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      So the new deal was a waste of time and money ?

      - not only that. It was not just a waste of time and money, the new deal is what allowed the depression to last for more than a decade. If government took the page out of 1921 book on depression, it would have cut spending dramatically instead of increasing it and would have allowed the recession to take course and restructure the bad debt and bad investments, would have eliminated the wrong businesses and would have allowed credit and other investments to be freed to be used for more useful purposes, re-creating businesses to build products that market needed.

      In my humble foreign opinion it's what made you ready to reap the spoils of victory

      - this is wrong reading of history and economics, which of-course dominates today simply because this is the reading that is convenient for the government, that wants to spend and wants to hear nothing of stopping that.

      which made you the nr 1 economic power.

      - USA became #1 economic power in 19 century, when it invested into manufacturing capacity, had no regulations and no income taxes or any other types of taxes that punished work. It didn't have any labor regulations, etc. This allowed USA to became the dominant manufacturer/exporter of high quality cheap consumer goods and it invited talent, that could produce without any government hindrance. People came to USA for liberties, not for any specific government regulation or handouts.

      Once WWII ended, 1947 became the year that US saw a huge rise in productivity, which followed huge decline in government spending. The reason USA was able to come out of depression was the end of war and end of government spending and of-course for a while it was very useful that all competition had massive infrastructure problems after war and US dollar became the "reserve currency", which allowed USA to export inflation to the world once gold dollar was defaulted upon by Nixon in 1971.

    80. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      Hey, idiot, would you say that a family member using the pool of cash that is earned by all family members must pay income taxes on that money if he/she buys something for himself/herself?

      Aren't you an idiot for calling the other guy a moron while being completely wrong on all points yourself and him being completely correct?

    81. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by fishboy · · Score: 1

      I've often thought that the USA way of taxing is a lot better than the Canadian way. In the US, money that you really don't deserve (inheritance, lotteries, etc.) is taxed quite hard but the money that you earn or invest (to create jobs) is not. In Canada, it is the reverse - lottery wins and other winfalls are not taxed at all but the money you actually earn is way, way over taxed.

      first off you should do some research on the canadian taxation system. you will note that canadian income taxes are not much higher (and are lower in many brackets) unless you are making over $100,000; that corporate taxes are significantly (more than 10 points) lower; and that universal healthcare is included in the deal. the pension plan is also fully funded and the banking system is the strongest in the world. lottery wins, estates, and other windfalls are taxed quite heavily in canada as well. however, the size of the US debt, deficit, income disparity, and unemployment rate certainly point to an enlightened taxation system south of the border.

    82. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by mug+funky · · Score: 1

      i wonder how this gets a troll mod?

      WE MUST NOT HAVE DISSENT AGAINST OUR LEADAAAR!

      i suppose he can't defend himself, with his billions and lawyers. we must defend him from the internet trolls on his behalf.

    83. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by mug+funky · · Score: 1

      - of-course it is different because the risk is to the investors, not to all tax payers. If this thing does not work out why should the risk be socialized?

      sometimes you need to build something that is quite likely to run at a loss, or at least not return an immediate profit this generation.

      it is a sad state of affairs that a business is more likely to think long term than one of the current crop of western governments. but that is not the fault of governments, or regulation. it is more to do with the lack of long term thinking that comes with (relatively) short terms, and term limits. for "the leader of the free world" to never think beyond at most 8 years is unbelievable folly, and the USA is paying dearly for it.

      the other great folly in policy is that so much is driven by personal interests (usually business related). conflicts of interest abound, and the pork flows free where it could be used for useful things.

      take an example of a government that thinks long term: China. the USA is running scared from China. their government doesn't need to worry about next term, and doesn't even have to worry about what the voters think. that's a double-edged sword right there, but one advantage is that policy can be formulated without worrying about how it'll look on Fox news to laymen that have no understanding of how things work, and the policy can pass without care for which congressmen don't have a personal cut of the spoils of it.

      of course, i'm not saying either model makes sense. just encouraging you to run a few though experiments in your head, and see how your worldview works with them. you might find that as soon as you run the "arsehole" scenario, the libertarian worldview turns to shit, just like every other worldview. what's needed is a system that works in the presence of arseholes, and you'll get the closest to utopia that humanity can give.

    84. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by syousef · · Score: 1

      Your childish abuse and lack of manners in your post say it all really.

      Have you paid tax on every cent of pocket money your parents gave you? You clearly don't understand the the meaning of the word "income" in this context. Something that is given to you by your parents posthumously is not taxable income - hence the need for a separate inheritance tax. Your confusion doesn't make me a moron, unintelligent or mean I don't understand the concepts in play. That means you're an abusive uneducated troll.

      --
      These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    85. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      I sure hope everybody is an self centered asshole. Self centered assholes are easy to understand and when they are doing something you know they are doing it for their own profit. Self centered assholes, working for their own profit - this the best possible hope for a stable sound wealthy economy.

      I want any concerned busy body to go immediately fuck themselves the moment they decide that yet another thing needs to be done for the 'public good'. There is no such thing as public good, what you think is good for everybody always ends up being good for nobody, but more precisely it ends up being good for very few who profit from that 'public good' and everybody else loses even more liberties.

      Socialism is cancer and it needs to be eradicated.

    86. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by unixisc · · Score: 1

      The best thing he could do with the money (if he is not going to leave it to his heirs, and BTW, inheritance tax is real theft) is "donate" it to somebody who already has a lot of money and is running a successful company or to set up an investment fund to have the money invested into various start up businesses.

      OTOH he could just burn it, wouldn't have to pay any inheritance tax at all and it would be something different for a change.

      I agree w/ this one. He should just start a VC fund, and let them focus on funding all sorts of new businesses that fascinate him. Last thing I want him to be is another Bill Gates - who funds weird causes in Africa that haven't really improved things there b'cos of the levels of corruption involved. I'm glad that he doesn't make a public spectacle of his charity, if any!

      Incidentally, does Steve have any heirs to inherit this? One thing he could do - have everything cashed after he's gone, and cremated w/ him. You can take it w/ you, Steve!

      Another question - is Larry any less of a tight wad than Steve?

    87. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Inheritance tax is not theft. It is a very progressive tax in that it serves to prevent the perpetuation of wealth, free of tax, in wealthy families and are “a certain corrective against the development of a race of idle rich”.

      X dies, and 40% of his estate has to go to the IRS from his heirs. Only difference b/w that, and somebody shooting X and departing w/ 40% of what he owned is...?

    88. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by unixisc · · Score: 1

      It's not income - it's just a transfer of ownership from a person who's no longer around to a person of his choice who is.

      So if A one time signs off ownership of a part or all of his assets to B, then that is B's income?

    89. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Not only that, burning money - especially the amount probably under discussion - would reduce the total number of dollars in the world, and thereby increase its value. The reverse of what happens when the feds, or any counterfeiters, print it. So if Steve burns the money, he'd be doing quite a patriotic thing.

    90. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      Be careful with your opinions here. /. is no place for any free type of thinking. They catch you - you'll have to go for "reeducation" somewhere.

    91. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      you are a jack ass - that's an appropriate comment for any place.

      Inheritance tax is theft.

      Any amount of money earned by a family is a pool of money anybody in the family can use and they don't have to pay income taxes when they use it. Your kid spends your money? Income tax time, right? Fucking waste of skin flakes you are.

    92. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by unixisc · · Score: 1

      Except that Steve is no conservative - he's consistently supported the Democrats, whether it was Clinton, Obama... So ironically, the same people he's supported @ political levels would be indirectly responsible for his heirs being robbed, whenever he passes on...

    93. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by roman_mir · · Score: 1

      It doesn't matter what he is, his private liberties must be protected regardless of his political convictions. Just because he is wrong, doesn't mean he forgoes his liberties.

    94. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by dave562 · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the support. I took the down modding (after having been at +5 initially) to mean that it hit a little too close to home for the Apple brigade. There were not any good counter arguments presented, so they had to mod it to 0 to remove that point of view from the discussion.

      My favorite claim made in this thread was, "Steve Jobs created a large company that employs a lot of people, and some those people probably gave to charity." That probably is true given that in a large enough sample of people, there will be a few charitable members. Yet just because other people hired by Steve Jobs give to charity does not make Steve Jobs charitable.

      The guy has a net worth of about 8.3 BILLION dollars. He will never spend all of that money. He could give his family that money and they would never spend. There is no reason to have that much wealth concentrated in the hands of a single individual. If I had that kind of money, there would be community gardens all over the place. There would be art and music and concerts for the neighborhood. Not a single one of my friends would have any debt.

      Of course I say that now. Who knows what earning that many zeros does to a man's mind. Maybe Steve needs to sit on it all of it, to make his life worth something in his own head.

    95. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by ynp7 · · Score: 1

      Since I'm completely correct, no. You're just proving that you're as much of a moron as the other guy. Move along now, son.

    96. Re:Biggest tight wad of all time by goarilla · · Score: 1

      I should have expected this from a ron paul fan :D
      but at least he's consistent.

  4. Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Bill Gates, was never fired, Microsoft has better market, more value and far more in people's lives. Now that Bill doesn't direct MS we all known what happened. I like Jobs but the phrase "the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time." is a fallacy. Thomas Edison, Henry Ford come first easily.

    1. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by CongealedSalad · · Score: 1

      Uhh, Ford and Edison are not of his generation.

      --
      In theory I am an agnostic, but pending the appearance of radical evidence I must be classed as an Atheist.
    2. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by treeves · · Score: 1

      Uhh, he was referring to the "possibly of all time" bit?

      --
      ...the future crusty old bastards are already drinking the Kool-Aid.
    3. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Dipshit, you obviously missed the "and quite possibly of all time ." part of the quote.

      At least read what was written before you reply to it.

    4. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We won't forgive you for your negligence in this matter. You have made a mistake, and now you must apologize to everybody here.

    5. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      I like Jobs but the phrase "the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time." is a fallacy.

      Agreed. For one, there are 42 people in the United States alone worth more than he is. The statement about Jobs is obviously from a fanboy, due to the fact it was claimed as an "indisputable fact". I didn't see a comparison with Carlos Slim, or Sam Walton, or Larry Ellison, or even Bill Gates for that matter. Just a claimed "indisputable fact".

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    6. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Karlt1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Agreed. For one, there are 42 people in the United States alone worth more than he is. The statement about Jobs is obviously from a fanboy, due to the fact it was claimed as an "indisputable fact". I didn't see a comparison with Carlos Slim, or Sam Walton, or Larry Ellison, or even Bill Gates for that matter. Just a claimed "indisputable fact".

      A business leader should be judged by how well he led his business (shocking I know). What other CEO brought a company from the brink of bankruptcy to being the most valuable company in the world (based on market cap)?

    7. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by khallow · · Score: 4, Funny

      Wow, you should really get laid or something.

      Are you offering to help? Else it's something like telling a burning man, "You really ought to put that out."

    8. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by UnknowingFool · · Score: 1

      Also one could argue that before the sale to Disney, Pixar was the undisputed leader of CGI film animation.

      --
      Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
    9. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      What other CEO brought a company from the brink of bankruptcy to being the most valuable company in the world (based on market cap)?

      That's just the thing - I have no clue, because I'm a programmer, not a business student. I don't know what Carlos Slim started with. I don't know what Sam Walton started with. I don't know what Ellison started with. And I also don't think the author of the article knows any of that either, he's just presenting his opinion as an "indisputable fact". I do know that Gates started with very little and built Microsoft up through a series of very good business deals (with IBM and others).

      Jobs is no doubt a visionary, which is the reason he was fired from Apple, but "the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time?" Seriously? If you walk into any business school in the country and ask them who the most successful businessman of all time is, you think 100% of the students will immediately respond with "Steve Jobs"? Because if not, then it's not indisputable.

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    10. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Karlt1 · · Score: 2

      And I also don't think the author of the article knows any of that either, he's just presenting his opinion as an "indisputable fact".

      If the purpose of a publicly traded corporation is to "increase shareholder value", that can be easily measured objectively by looking at stock prices and market cap (the total value of all outstanding shares). So, the CEO who has generated the most shareholder value would be the most successful.

      Now whether that is SJ in the last 30 years (a generation), I don't know. But I can't think of any other CEO who has taken a company from almost bankrupt to being the most valuable.

    11. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and who put it there in the first place? nah it could not be the trifecta of shit products apple released after the II while this clown is undermining his own company and teams acting a fool pissing off what little userbase they still had

    12. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Locutus · · Score: 1

      there was this little company called IBM which gave Microsoft their position and brand recognition and when the impossible happened( as far as IBM was concerned ) and the IBM PC BIOS was cloned and IBM PC clones hit the market, Microsoft's position with IBM made Microsoft the obvious OS choice for the clones. So Microsoft never had to build their brand and never had to build their market or market position. How they used their position to shut down both ISVs and OS competitors using their position in the market is legendary.

      So Bill Gates would be nowhere near where he is now had he not ridden on the coat tail of IBM and if you look at all the failures in the markets where they could not leverage their position with the Windows OS you should see Bill Gates is nothing near Thomas Edison, Henry Ford or yes, even Steve Jobs. IMO

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    13. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by brusk · · Score: 1

      So, the CEO who has generated the most shareholder value would be the most successful.

      But how do you measure whether the CEO is responsible for that? The company could just get lucky (e.g., a mining company that happened to have a rich find), and prosper despite mediocre management.

      --
      .sig withheld by request
    14. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They wrote basic for like every 8 bit computer years before IBM... IBM did not just wake up one day and pick a random guy in the USA genius. You want coat tails? fine "hey woz let me have your computer cause I want a porche and to be a deadbeat dad to my baby"

    15. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by mikael · · Score: 1

      From "The Micro Revolution Revisited" (1984), p103

      Steve Jobs was twenty one when he formed Apple with his fellow inventor Stephen Wozniak who was twenty-six. They sold a Volkswagen minibus and a programmable calculator to raise $1,300 dollars. They built their first computer in the Jobs garage in Cupertino. Six months was spent designing the prototype, which was sold to a computer store. The store promptly ordered fifty."

      From the Wikipedia entry, it was the strategic decision of Apple to "create a portfolio of professional and consumer digital production software" that got the media people hooked on Apple products.

      That was the time SGI bought Alias|Wavefront and Microsoft bought Softimage.

      --
      Vintage computer adverts: http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/computers-and-software-ads
    16. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by strength_of_10_men · · Score: 2

      I do know that Gates started with very little...

      Wait, what?

      His family was upper middle class; his father was a prominent lawyer, his mother served on the board of directors for First Interstate BancSystem and the United Way, and her father, J. W. Maxwell, was a national bank president

    17. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Andrew Carnegie

    18. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Market cap is not a real indication of how "valuable" a company is. Apple has FAR less real money and revenue than, say, Microsoft.

    19. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by dudpixel · · Score: 1

      Further, Apple is a successful company, but Microsoft is an Empire.

      --
      This seemed like a reasonable sig at the time.
    20. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Locutus · · Score: 1

      forgive me, I had no idea that writing a BASIC interpreter for 8 bit computers was so difficult as to put them on the same platform as the real innovators listed.

      LoB

      --
      "Anyone who stands out in the middle of a road looks like roadkill to me." --Linus
    21. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Market cap is not a real indication of how "valuable" a company is. Apple has FAR less real money and revenue than, say, Microsoft.

      Hmmm...

      Apple's 10-Q says net income of $7.3b on revenues of $28.5b in the most recent quarter and $76b in cash and marketable securities on hand.
      Microsoft's 10-Q says net income of $5.2b on revenues of $16.4b in the most recent quarter and $50.1b in cash and marketable securities on hand.

      So... what were you saying again?

    22. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by mad-seumas · · Score: 1

      Yes, of course, because in this day and age its not how well you manage the business, its about how much you scam out of it on the way. Straight out of "CEO Monthly".

    23. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, Jobs doesn't even deserve honorable mention. This is just more Apple fan-boy speak. There are way too many examples of better business leaders from his generation and throughout history. There are way too many examples of absolutely piss poor leadership on Jobs' part. Yes, I'm posting as anonymous coward because I know that the slashdot comments are ruled by Apple fanboys. Say one bad but truthful thing about Apple or Jobs and they label your post as troll or flamebait without actually thinking about it.

      Jobs was responsible for running Apple into the ground in the '70s until the 3rd party product "Visicalc" saved them from complete destruction. Right before Visicalc came out, Apple was trying to find a buyer to save them from going bankrupt. No one would buy because, You Know Who refused to sell the company without a contract bringing him and Woz along for the ride to the tune of millions. He never considered protecting his employees. He almost sank his own ship despite the fact his employees were doing their jobs very well. When he thought it was finally doomed, he looked only for a way to save himself and his first mate. Everyone else was on their own. Is this a leader you'd want to follow?

      He chopped 300 out of 540 jobs at NeXT. Yeah, he was so good of a leader that he led 56% of his employees to the chopping block because he couldn't figure out how to compete in his own company's primary market. Of course, this is despite having experience in the same market and from the same position in a previous company in the same era. Holy crap!!

      Jobs is simply not a good business leader. He just happened to get lucky a few times and take advantage of most of the right people at some of the right times.

    24. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah sure, if you judge business leaders on how far they taken a company in terms on market cap from the brink of bankruptcy you could probably easily claim Jobs as the best. But I don't really see why brink of bankruptcy would be a more impressive starting point than from scratch. And market cap is not an indisputable measuring stick for business leadership.
      If you however have some other criteria he might not be seen as the best business leader.

      I'm not saying that he isn't a great business leader, I'm just chiming in against him being the indisputable best one.

    25. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > More value

      Nope. Apple is the most valuable tech company by market cap and 2nd largest in the world behind only Exxon-Mobil. Also, let's be real, Bill Gates quit because he knew Microsoft's dominance was coming to an end and he wanted to get out while he was ahead. Ford is ok but his hatred of Jewish trade unionists and support for Hitler are a pretty big black mark that basically ruins his legacy.

    26. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Fjandr · · Score: 1

      My nomination, at least for the current generation, would be Richard Branson. Jobs doesn't hold a candle to him for visionary. Consumer crap doesn't mean anything but money, and that's not really all that admirable.

      I'd say that if he was as egomaniacal as Jobs, Branson would've been the world's corporate overlord long ago.

    27. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by mvdwege · · Score: 1

      And Apple would have been nowhere without VisiOn.

      Just like the myth of the lone genius, business success does not come alone, it is built on deals. Without partners to build good deals with, no business will succeed.

      Mart

      --
      "I know I will be modded down for this": where's the option '-1, Asking for it'?
    28. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by JasterBobaMereel · · Score: 1

      Steve Jobs - Got Lucky and capitalised on it ...
      Bill Gates - Got lucky, and capitalised on it ..

      This is true of most business leaders, the hard part is getting your timing right (most do this through luck more than judgement), and then capitalising on this... this is the hard part that even they do not know how to quantify

      --
      Puteulanus fenestra mortis
    29. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by rolfwind · · Score: 1

      Sorry, I don't know "what happened" after Bill doesn't direct MS anymore. From my POV, Microsoft's malaise already began in the mid-90s, way before he left.

      Microsoft was and still is a 2 trick pony. It's OS and Office. From everything I read, I'd say Bill Gates got lucky and was at the right place at the right time to supply IBM with DOS, which he bought from someone else. Had he missed his DOS opportunity, he'd have a midsize software business. Successful but not memorable. Everything MS was and is just built on that foundation.

      Steve Jobs, otoh, started Pixar after Apple. And he made Apple successful TWICE. (Not to mention NeXT, which was not so much a success itself but instrumental in OS X). He made opportunities, and wasn't just there at the right place and right time. I'd say whatever he chose to get into, he'd be at the top.

    30. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If we are talking "successful business leader", this fellow has them all beat: John D. Rockefeller.

    31. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by gtall · · Score: 1

      Just for the record, from wikipedia: Pixar began in 1979 as the Graphics Group, part of the Computer Division of Lucasfilm before it was acquired by Apple co-founder Steve Jobs in 1986. The Walt Disney Company bought Pixar in 2006 at a valuation of $7.4 billion; the transaction made Jobs the largest shareholder in Disney.

      What Job's did was help run it and somehow failed to screw it up like so many CEOs do with new companies. In other words, he didn't buy it to rape it, he bought it because he thought he could make it successful according to his standards. Disney bought it after And the result is possibly THE best animation organization out there. My guess is that sooner or later, Disney will screw it up.

    32. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

      Where's the part about Gates taking over as CEO of an existing successful software company?

      --
      "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
    33. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by mattack2 · · Score: 1

      There was an "and" there. One could believe he is "the most successful business leader of his generation" and not "[quite possibly] of all time" (e.g. using the previous examples of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford).

    34. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I very much agree w/ this. Microsoft was successful in hunting down WordPerfect, Apple, IBM (on OS/2), later Unix, Netscape, and had only a few unsuccessful runs - like against Quicken. It wasn't until Google that they hit a roadblock.

      Obviously, they realize that they need a post-PC platform that will be as successful as Windows and Office, but they've not got that as yet - both Google & Apple do. And when I read about Ballmer talking about how they need to attract developers, I know it's a lost cause, when the bulk of them are on Android or Apple.

      The day either Apple gets iOS or Google gets Android on the PC, it's over for Microsoft!

    35. Re:Nah. Let's be serious by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But as the "Star Trek" project at Apple under a forgotten CEO showed us iOS could be put on a proper PC.

  5. "The Life and Career of Steve Jobs" by Animats · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The Life and Career of Steve Jobs, from Next Media Animation in Tapei. Enjoy.

    1. Re:"The Life and Career of Steve Jobs" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      MOD PARENT UP !

    2. Re:"The Life and Career of Steve Jobs" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's got to be better than the article.

      I refuse to read it with a line like ""Revered by many, hated by some, but respected by most, the indisputable fact remains that Steve Jobs is the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time."

      Really, of all time? More successful than Rockefeller or Carnegie? More successful than Henry Ford? Hell how about Crassus, the Roman financier of Julius Caesar?

  6. Vision by macwhizkid · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Regardless of what you think of Mr. Jobs' company's products, you must admit the man had an almost unparalleled vision for the future.

    In a hyper-connected world of ethics-free corporate drones apathetic about anything past this quarter's profits and stock price, Jobs stood apart by having a 5, 10, perhaps even 20 year plan for Apple that he ruthlessly pursued at the expense of anything standing in the way (be it under-performing employees or products). As a commenter last week put it, he set out to make a dent in the universe, and actually did it.

    Enjoy your retirement, Mr. Jobs, you've bloody well earned it.

    1. Re:Vision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      he ruthlessly pursued at the expense of anything standing in the way (be it under-performing employees or products)

      or users or developers...

    2. Re:Vision by nomadic · · Score: 0

      In a hyper-connected world of ethics-free corporate drones apathetic about anything past this quarter's profits and stock price, Jobs stood apart by having a 5, 10, perhaps even 20 year plan for Apple that he ruthlessly pursued at the expense of anything standing in the way (be it under-performing employees or products). As a commenter last week put it, he set out to make a dent in the universe, and actually did it.

      Do you really think Jobs has some sort of moral code? He's a narcissist; everything he does is for his own self-aggrandizement.

    3. Re:Vision by hey! · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Do you really think Jobs has some sort of moral code? He's a narcissist; everything he does is for his own self-aggrandizement.

      Asking whether Jobs is a rock star CEO or just another self-aggrandizing sociopath is like asking whether Coke is a beverage or just another soft drink.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    4. Re:Vision by lennier · · Score: 3, Funny

      As a commenter last week put it, he set out to make a dent in the universe, and actually did it.

      And now we have to pay the LHC folks to get the universe repaired. Seriously, Steve, you couldn't even back it out of the local manifold coordinate chart without scraping the Magellenic Cloud on a superstring?

      --
      You are not a brain: http://books.google.com/books?id=2oV61CeDx-YC
    5. Re:Vision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      what made Apple succeed again was the lower price point of their products when they switch their platform to Intel, Mobile phones which are sold with monthly paid contracts, etc and their products are suddenly more affordable.
        Otherwise they would have failed again against the like of Google, Samsung, and Microsoft.

    6. Re:Vision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This post is a total troll. While there are few personalities in the tech business that are more recognizable than Jobs, surely someone like Andrew Carnegie or J.P. Morgan or Henry Ford would be a better candidate for "the most successful business leader of all time." As far as boomer leaders, I really think Bill Gates takes the cake. Jobs is certainly on top of Apple, which is the second largest company at the moment, but if you look at the absolute mastery of running a business over the last 30 years, culminating in the largest private foundation ever to exist (Gates Foundation), Gates clearly has some greatness. Certainly Larry Ellison's 20 year stint at #3(ish) is nothing to sneeze at either.

      So Jobs.. great technology visionary, yes. Most successful business leader, no.

    7. Re:Vision by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As a commenter last week put it, he set out to make a dent in the universe, and actually did it.

      Seriously? He a good businessman sure but selling phones computers and movie tickets hardly constitutes "a dent in the universe" - in a couple of hundred years no one's going to remember him (name a Governor of the East India Company off the top of your head? - they had a hell of a lot bigger impact on the world that Apple has).

    8. Re:Vision by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      In a hyper-connected world of ethics-free corporate drones apathetic about anything past this quarter's profits and stock price

      Google too. Like Apple they realised that if you make a good product then people will gladly become part of your revenue stream. The difference is that Apple tries hard to lock people in and doesn't shy away from making moral judgements, where as Google mostly tries to stay neutral.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    9. Re:Vision by tlhIngan · · Score: 2

      Google too. Like Apple they realised that if you make a good product then people will gladly become part of your revenue stream. The difference is that Apple tries hard to lock people in and doesn't shy away from making moral judgements, where as Google mostly tries to stay neutral.

      That's because Google's revenue comes from selling YOU. Google has to be neutral in order to get more "you" to sell. If they alienate 10% of the internet population, that's 10% less people they can sell to advertisers.

      Apple doesn't need to sell information about you - they just need to sell stuff people will buy. If more people will buy stuff where porn isn't so easy to get, that's what Apple will do.

      Two different business models. One relies on people giving Google information to sell and thus having more information and more people in the tracking database means more ad sales, while the other seeks to find a market of people who can afford the latest iGadget.

      And yes, it's what makes Google even worse than Facebook - at least the only information Facebook has is stuff I put up. With Google, they have web sites I visit (not just through Google Search, but through Analytics as well as Google Ads, nevermind their 1e100.net CDN), the apps I use on my Android device (AdMob powers most "free" apps), my location (if I want to use GPS), email (GMail), documents (Google Apps), videos (YouTube), etc.

      Even worse - you can extricate yourself from Facebook relatively easy and all Facebook would have is the data you left behind. I think Google's got their hands pretty much entangled everywhere - heck, I don't think it's possible to browse the web without hitting a Google something or other - enough sites also rely on googleapis javascript and such.

    10. Re:Vision by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      That's because Google's revenue comes from selling YOU.

      Sure, but Apple didn't miss that trick either. They charge app developers for access to their customers, for example.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
  7. He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Lucky by NeverVotedBush · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He did what he wanted and he had good ideas. He didn't compromise. He was kind of a dick at times but he was generally right and he knew it, and stuck to his ideals.

    He had the luxury of being in a position to do that. It was only when he lost that ability that he got fired. He left. Apple sank. When he went back it was on his terms.

    I think he was in the right place at the right time with some damn good ideas about how to build computers and products. But without the initial products to launch everything, courtesy of Steve Wozniak, Jobs would have been all dressed up with nowhere to go without getting even luckier.

  8. Pre-deceased by Dutchmaan · · Score: 2

    All the articles I've read have an *obituary* feel to them. It's like he's already dead except his body hasn't read the news yet.

    1. Re:Pre-deceased by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nah we havent had the iXpire product recall on him yet. Conclusive proof why engineers not designers should make things afterall if he user changable batteries there wouldnt be a problem!

  9. Legacy: greatest hypocrite of our generation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    I will always remember Jobs as the greatest hypocrite technology has ever known. Yet somehow worshiped as an innovation loving, creativity coddling, God among artists. For some odd reason all of these people think the i in i products stands for them.

    1984 commercial, iPhone.

    "We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas."
    "They are shamelessly copying us." (Re: Microsoft)
    "Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal"

  10. Re:This just in - iCloud DOESN'T stream music by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Apple never said it streamed music, they made that quite clear at WWDC.

  11. Photoshopped... by Space+cowboy · · Score: 0
    --
    Physicists get Hadrons!
  12. Obligatory...(sorry couldn't resist) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    He's just pining for the fjords.

  13. Re:Ten Times by Billly+Gates · · Score: 1

    Bill Gates has saved more lives than any man this century. I do not see Steve Jobs fighting malaria or donating to charity. He is not trying to have people like him. They already do as his reputation as CEO when he quit. True Steve Jobs is a better CEO in my opinion, but I would respect him more if he felt that having all that money meant he should put it to good use. I respect Warren Buffet too for donating half his money to the Gates Foundation and promising to give away the rest of his fortune to other events when he retires.

  14. Re:Ten Times by yodleboy · · Score: 1

    yeah because an endless parade of shiny gadgets that billions of people will never see is SOOO much more worthy than spending your own money to fight disease, poverty and illiteracy on a global scale. Bill isn't trying to buy his way to anything. Hey, maybe Steve gives privately, but the fact that Bill Gates gives publicly doesn't give Steve some moral high ground.

  15. Re:Ten Times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I beg to differ.

  16. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It was only when he lost that ability that he got fired. He left. Apple share price rose such that Jobs sold out all but one share for $70.5 million which would have been worth $120 million under the Sculley peak. When he went back it was on his terms.

    I think he was in the right place at the right time with some damn good ideas about how to build computers and products. But without the initial products to launch everything, courtesy of Steve Wozniak, Jobs would have been all dressed up with nowhere to go without getting even luckier.

    Fixed that for you.
    Apple was a basket case because of him. Sculley fixed it for a time then the 20th century caught up with Apple and they only had a crap OS to sell on machines that were dearer and worse than those they allowed to be built under license.

  17. "Steve Jobs remains Disney's largest shareholder" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That fact says everything one needs to know about Steve Jobs.

  18. Cool story, bro! by Xaedalus · · Score: 1

    It's so awesome that reading it makes me feel like a koala farted a rainbow in my brain.

    --
    Here's to hot beer, cold women, and Glaswegian kisses for all.
  19. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by somersault · · Score: 0

    Didn't sell out? I've felt like they sold out ever since the iPod. I spent the 90s hoping Apple would go somewhere, but I didn't want that somewhere to be based on MP3 players, locked into an amazingly shitty media player. I'm still happy for Apple, and am glad they're helping to erode MS' monopoly on the desktop, but I don't much respect their products these days. OSX is okay, but not great.

    --
    which is totally what she said
  20. Re:Why do we care to memorialize a thief and a lia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Mac OS X is built on stolen GPL and Open Source projects where Jobs is paying the developers to be silent about it and never releases their changes
    back into the community. Jobs is a liar and a thief and if he is remembered at all, this is how he should be remembered.

    No it is not and Apple gives back: http://www.opensource.apple.com/

    Every OS X installation is a stolen Linux installation. We must not forget or forgive this treachery.
    Apple must be destroyed for the sake of the Open Source world. and I will not rest until justice is done!

    OS X is not based on Linux it is based on NeXTSTEP which in turn is based the Carnegie Mellon Mach kernel with elements of BSD thrown in.

  21. relocate men from afghanistan+pakistan to somalia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    to help with the worlds' biggest body count, & to help a few million (mostly children) survive.

    that would help the mideastern etc... countries in seeing we're not just all about us all the time. plus, they would gladly trade some of the natural resources we crave, to see our goodwill side expand, while our life0cidal tendencies deflate.

    most of us have at least one uncle omar, or are one. if we can allow for that (our faults), why not also act in kind, in spite of business & religious neogod holycostal depopulation persuasions. the next 'election' could be an easy bet, or not be held at all?

    disarm. tell the truth. feed the hungry. get off the oil & weapons binges. those are the mathematically & spiritually correct options now. one would not need to be an under informed geopolitical scientist theologian to deduce those figures. reading the teepeeleaks etchings also helps. for each of the creators' innocents harmed in any way.... see you there.

  22. Re:Ten Times by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 2

    More than Jonas Salk? More than Charles Drew? More than Alexander Fleming?

  23. Re:Ten Times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    >Bill Gates is now trying to buy his way to people liking him

    Who gives a shit. His money is saving lives. Do I like him more? No. But I love where his money is going.

    And really, his money is ours, so in a way is us who are saving the lives. Pat yourself on the back. I did that when I couldn't be bothered to try to get the microsoft tax back on my laptop when I installed linux on it.

  24. Re:Why do we care to memorialize a thief and a lia by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OS X is based on FreeBSD. FreeBSD ain't Linux, and it ain't GPL.

  25. Re:hooray! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As do I yours. Some of us in sales and marketing have the same ideals as you, having come from hardware and software design backgrounds. You cunt.

  26. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    but I didn't want that somewhere to be based on MP3 players, locked into an amazingly shitty media player.

    Apple has moved past that. Why can't you? All the newest stuff is way past the iPod era.

    Going forward with iCloud, you almost never even have to use iTunes...

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  27. Re:hooray! by Colourspace · · Score: 0

    Actually fuck posting AC, here I am again, cunty. Grow up.

  28. Poor streaming fool by SuperKendall · · Score: 2

    When the network gets choppy you are going to wish you bought devices that actually aimed at storing data locally instead of relying ONLY on the "cloud".

    With iCloud you get the best of both worlds - any media you want on-demand, but stored away so you can really access it any time you want.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  29. Re:misdirected by khallow · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Our society it predicated on making a mark on the universe. We are obsessed with painting the scenery with our big fat egos. Its kind of sad and pathetic.

    I don't see your concern here. Humans are, among other things, capable of changing the universe profoundly, not merely making a mark on it. It's not magical. Any intelligent, self-reproducing machine could do the same.

    You don't see astronomers with ego issues for the most part, because they have a fair sense of man's importance in the big picture.

    They don't. Ask them where humanity will be in a billion years. The question is unanswerable.

    Until we get over ourselves (as individual selves), our focus won't be contributing to a future worth living in for human beings, and with 7,000,000,000 on the planet now, perhaps its a good time to make this shift while there still is a future left for human beings.

    What shift? To a humbler, unambitious useless creature which will die off in time, leaving no trace? What reason is there for you to issue this call to seven billion people, if you're intent on being so humble? Maybe you should practice what you preach? Or maybe you should eat your words.

  30. No I don't by ubergeek65536 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I don't have to admire the man in any way, shape, or form. IMHO, Making obscene amounts of money doesn't make a man great. Apple certainly hasn't made my life any better, I don't own a single Apple product and most likely never will.

    1. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ummm... I think it kind of goes without saying that you would have to actually own an apple product in order for them to have made your life any better. And who said making obscene amounts of money was what made him great? He's great because he's visionary, regardless of whether you agree with his vision.

    2. Re:No I don't by ubergeek65536 · · Score: 0

      He's great because he's visionary, regardless of whether you agree with his vision.

      Hitler was a visionary too; I don't admire him either.

    3. Re:No I don't by xjerky · · Score: 3, Insightful

      If you use a smartphone or tablet with anything better than PalmOS5, then yes, Apple HAS made your life better....indirectly, at least. Competition with Apple's progress spurred other manufacturers to up the ante in the products you probably enjoy today.

      --
      A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
    4. Re:No I don't by Black.Shuck · · Score: 2

      I don't own a single Apple product and most likely never will.

      And yet Apple has still made your life better.

    5. Re:No I don't by ubergeek65536 · · Score: 0

      How so? I don't think there is a single Apple product that has made my life better, directly or indirectly.

    6. Re:No I don't by geekoid · · Score: 1

      Ah yes, wild speculation based on the lying bitch known as hindsight.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    7. Re:No I don't by xjerky · · Score: 1

      Ok then I guess I stand corrected. You're on the fringe that may not have benefited. Though tell me, by which operating system and desktop environment are you posting, now?

      --
      A sentence you'll never see on an Internet discussion board: "You know what? You're right."
    8. Re:No I don't by Comrade+Ogilvy · · Score: 1

      If you own a smart phone, then, yes, Jobs has made your life better. Regardless of your choice in phone, Jobs has directly or indirectly made your phone smarter, cheaper, and easier to use.

    9. Re:No I don't by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      I have owned many apple products, they are just products

    10. Re:No I don't by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      I have a flip open phone that is dumb as a brick. My life would not improve by paying 4x more to have youtube and facebook with me 24/7

      as far as OS in my house you have the choice tween windows and linux

    11. Re:No I don't by gmhowell · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, this is the web we are talking about, invented by Tim Berners-Lee on a NeXT machine...

      --
      Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
    12. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, I'm sure someone who uses the moniker 'ubergeek' and hates Apple products so viciously is one I should trust on achievements. Hows $80k a year and bitter doin' for ya?

    13. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The amount of money he has made was not even mentioned. His money isn't what made him great.

    14. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      disagree. Crapple CREATED markets that didn't exist. For useless products that they tightly controlled to make more revenue. Great business sense, to be sure, but only if your someone who doesn't know a bit from a byte. Effectively, they controlled their products flexibility to serve their money schemes. And that is the greatest argument I have against the Zealots (who by the way have no idea what I'm trying to point out). They think their products make them smarter, and better. Thats a trap. They've simply gotten the gullible people to believe they need the crap they sell. Because it makes you 'cooler' and 'smarter' and just damn sexy 'www.cupidtino.com' That is soooo funny. And I surely can't say those products that were created in response to the Apple regime machine really 'serve' me. They are just the same. Restriction of your imagination, and definitely money pits. I'm moving on from Android. You sell me a phone I can put a full 'nix distro on I'll prolly buy it. OOooh. Say, you know what is really funny? My bosses family runs around with Ipods. Each one of them has one. I casually point out, "Why don't you just use your cell phone?". "What do you mean, my cell phone doesn't play music." Hahaha. It's even better when you show them it does. And usually has better playlist management. OMG.. Hehehe.. Apple.. Heheheh.... Oh, and one more thing, that really irks me. IPod functionality BUILT IN?!?! I don't wanna pay for that shit! But its in almost every bookshelf unit, or car stereo you buy that has any decent level of functionality. I wanna rebate.

    15. Re:No I don't by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      I don't have to admire the man in any way, shape, or form. IMHO, Making obscene amounts of money doesn't make a man great. Apple certainly hasn't made my life any better, I don't own a single Apple product and most likely never will.

      Errm, if Jobs is making "obscene amounts of money", what about other people like the guys at Goldman Sachs? Jobs doesn't even make it into the Forbes Top 100 as far as total wealth goes. As for "I don't own a single Apple product" - that hardly proves that Apple hasn't made you life any better.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    16. Re:No I don't by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      I have a flip open phone that is dumb as a brick.

      And yet it is still a smartphone - compared to you.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    17. Re:No I don't by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      ok why am I dumb for not wanting to pay 80+ dollars a fucking month for a smartphone I would never user you fucking dickless, pointless troll?

    18. Re:No I don't by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      If you own a smart phone, then, yes, Jobs has made your life better. Regardless of your choice in phone, Jobs has directly or indirectly made your phone smarter, cheaper, and easier to use.

      Jobs actually inspired the current Android UI. If you look at the state of Android in 2007 (before the iPhone was released - I think it was CES 2007) Android was more like a Blackberry - it had a chicklet keyboard, you used the "ball" or navigator to slide through apps on the non-touchscreen, etc. It basically looked like a Blackberry UI or a keyboard featurephone.

      Then the G1 comes out in 2008, with touch screen, apps and everything. Indirectly, Jobs had a hand in defining Android.

    19. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wrong. The technology that I use today was influenced by the companies that Apple stole from.

    20. Re:No I don't by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

      ok why am I dumb for not wanting to pay 80+ dollars a fucking month for a smartphone I would never user you fucking dickless, pointless troll?

      Wow, must have hit a nerve, you idiot. Note that I didn't claim buying a smartphone would make you any smarter.

      --
      Fandroids hate facts.
    21. Re:No I don't by Osgeld · · Score: 1

      no you claimed I was dumb for not owning a smarphone

      and yes you did strike a nerve, did you have a fucking point or are you a retarded child getting LOLZ over a statement that doesnt even make fucking since

      GTFO Trollboy

      oh I see your a mac fan, no fucking wonder. you are retarded to pay 3x market value for a pc in a pretty box

    22. Re:No I don't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The onus would be on you to prove that apple has made his life better. I know they haven't made my life any better. I try searching for a clock radio that plays MP3 and/or Vorbis and all I can find is junk that has an ipod dock instead. FU apple.

    23. Re:No I don't by ubergeek65536 · · Score: 1

      Sometimes I don't understand the reaction to posts. I get marked as flamebait for saying that I don't like Apple's computers? Here's a couple examples of why I don't like iTunes. 1. You can't just load music onto your iPod by dragging a folder onto your device, you need to do it through iTunes. 2. If I want to sort my music by mood I can't, iTunes just reorders everything by artist/album. I hate the fact that Apple tries to dumb everything down. I want control over my devices and Apple doesn't seem to give me that choice.

      And I don't have a phone. I can't stand the interruptions, if I need to turn it off I may as well not have one or pay for it.

    24. Re:No I don't by Xest · · Score: 1

      Yes, but by that logic, if it weren't for Hitler's persecution of the jews the international community might never have acted to overthrow him and Britain may never have created the post-war NHS built on the idea of helping your neighbour and it might never have existed to plaster my arm when I fractured it. Thus, Hitler made my life better.

      Unfortunately you can find a positive resultant effect from almost any scenario and make the claim that it hence indirectly made your life better, but it's a bit meaningless.

      Fundamentally the issue is broader than that though, it's whether the knock on effects of a companies actions made my life better than if that company hadn't existed. If Apple hadn't had an effective media player and digital media store monopoly then there's a fair argument that digital content would be cheaper, less restrictive, and the jump from media players to smartphones would've happened far earlier due to increase competition speeding up the evolution of that market.

      So yes you may be right- Apple might have indirectly made my life better, but it may also have made it worse. Who knows?

  31. Not the most successful businessman of all time. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Rockefeller easily beats him for that (who most people would think of), but the slightly more obscure, though overwhelmingly beat-the-piss-out-of-Jobs-in-business-hands-down, fellow is Anton Fugger who was estimated to be worth about $1.3 trillion in modern dollars.

  32. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    you almost never even have to use iTunes...

    Almost?

    Let me know when they finally vanquished it for good and I'll jump on board.

  33. I know what's Bill been really doing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Guys, every know and then there's an anonymous linux kernel contribution... got it? :)

  34. Re:Ten Times by amicusNYCL · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Ten Times the man Bill Gates is. Bill Gates is now trying to buy his way to people liking him.

    You realize Steve Jobs isn't going to sleep with you, right? I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Bill Gates never fathered an illegitimate child and then refused to acknowledge it was his. People already like Bill Gates for the fact that he was essentially responsible for bringing personal computers into homes, regardless of how you may feel about his business practices.

    If you want to talk about "likability", talk to people like Wozniak, John Sculley, or anyone else that worked directly with Jobs.

    That's not to suggest that he ever became easy to work for. Jobs is even known to yell at company directors. Asked how she dealt with her boss, former Apple PR chief Laurence Clavere once told a colleague that before heading into a meeting with Jobs, she embraced the mindset of a bullfighter entering the ring: "I pretend I'm already dead." (Clavere says today that she doesn't recall making the comparison but notes that "working with Steve is incredibly challenging, incredibly interesting. It was also sometimes incredibly difficult.")

    Often Jobs would suddenly "flip," taking an idea that he'd mocked (maybe your idea) and embracing it passionately - and as his own - without ever acknowledging that his view had changed. "He has this ability to change his mind and completely forget his old opinion about something," says a former close colleague who asked not to be named. "It's weird. He can say, 'I love white; white is the best.' And then three months later say, 'Black is the best; white is not the best.'"

    I challenge you to find a single account from someone who personally knows Bill Gates who claims that the man is unlikeable.

    --
    "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
  35. Re:misdirected by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...You don't see astronomers with ego issues...

    Well, if you include astrophysicists as well as astronomers, history is littered with big egos from from Galileo to Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawkings,... There are big egos in most fields don't think any field is immune. Once you get the bright lights shining, there are many who leap into the spotlight and linger there far beyond their area of expertise and competence because of their egos...

  36. Re:Why do we care to memorialize a thief and a lia by Beelzebud · · Score: 2

    ROFL. "Jobs contributed nothing to NeXT, he MERELY BANKROLLED IT."

    Please tell me this was snark! LOL I'm sure there are a lot of cool ideas out there that we'll never see because they were never "merely" bankrolled.

  37. Re:Not the most successful businessman of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Summary says "Of his Generation" - neither Rockefeller or Anton Fugger are really in the same generation as Mr. Jobs.

  38. You have no idea what you are talking about. by Brannon · · Score: 1, Informative

    There is no standard connector that could have replaced the iPod dock connector, at least not at the time. Can you name one? (which supports video out, audio both ways, lightweight interface to USB/Firewire)

    Apple has generally been a good corporate citizen in terms of supporting open standards where they have no value-added differentiation--that's about all you could hope for out of a business, frankly. Firewire is a standard, so is Thunderbolt, they have one of the most standards compliant web browsers out there and they put it on every product they make.

    Is it possible you just don't understand technology, but you've adopted some sort of anti-Apple stance out of pure dogma?

    1. Re:You have no idea what you are talking about. by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      There is no standard connector that could have replaced the iPod dock connector, at least not at the time. Can you name one? (which supports video out, audio both ways, lightweight interface to USB/Firewire)

      Uh, firewire will do ALL of that. Of course, it's not the cheapest way to do ANY of it, but then, I didn't force Apple to put it on the device to begin with.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  39. Re:Ten Times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Overpopulation is the big problem of these times but we dare not talk about it rationally. Saving lives isn't exactly a good thing; sorry to break from your traditionally ingrained ideals.

  40. Re:Ten Times by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think this guy deserves some consideration.

  41. Or not. by mosb1000 · · Score: 2

    Most charities are essentially scams. Giving to them accomplishes almost nothing.

  42. Re:misdirected by geekoid · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Astronomers sent a probe out into the universe with a gold disk because they feel aliens would want to know about are species. How is that not a big fat ego?

    And you know what? it's that big fat ego that builds huge bridge, building covered in glass that touch the sky., It's that ego that put us on the moon, and sent rovers to mars, it's that ego that allows us to make better vaccines, and better cars.

    Ar ego is awesome, inspiring and makes us the greatest species on this rock.

    The problem is the few psychopaths that run large corporation, or any large body of people.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
  43. Re:hooray! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hahaha, you're in sales and marketing and you don't regret it. Kill yourself.

  44. Re:Not the most successful businessman of all time by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Summary says "Of his Generation" - neither Rockefeller or Anton Fugger are really in the same generation as Mr. Jobs.

    Steve Jobs is the most successful business leader of his generation and quite possibly of all time.

  45. Re:Ten Times by Yvan256 · · Score: 0

    People already like Bill Gates for the fact that he was essentially responsible for bringing personal computers into homes

    Because, of course, things like the Color Computer, the Commodore 64, the Apple II, the Atari ST and the Amiga never existed.

    Oh wait.

  46. Of his generation? Of All Time? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I think the idea that Steve Jobs was the most successful businessman of "all time" is stretching it a bit. Sam Walton and John D. Rockefeller are just two names that come to mind that have had a bigger impact on the world, and made more money while doing it.

  47. And So Say All Of Us by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's a few months old, but worth posting:

    http://pragmocracy.wordpress.com/2011/01/21/just-briefly-steve-jobs/

  48. No, genius - iCloud is not the best of both... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Google music lets you stream a song and/or store it locally.

    iCloud only lets you download a song to your local device and you can never stream it, even over wifi.

    It's really sad to see the way people excuse the absence of music streaming, which is the most basic feature of any credible cloud music system.

  49. You forgot "Feared" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It is a fact that his management style involved harassing, intimidating, being belligerent and threatening employees if they did not meet hi standards. And most famously threatening ex employees that if they spoke ill of him or Apple they would have their careers ruined. No one says bad things about Steve because they fear his wrath. Sadly the real truth of Steve will either be buried with him because Apple PR always rewrites their history to praise Steve and leave out the bad parts or it will come out when people know they won't be harassed by Steve. Yes he was a great leader but it came at a huge price. Face it Steve is not a nice guy and he was never into making the world a better place - he was only into making himself richer. I am posting as Anonymous for a reason.

  50. Co0Ps, this is your boss by l00sr · · Score: 1

    Co0Ps, Jim here. Look, we've been on a hiring spree recently, and you know as well as I that unemployment rates have been at an all-time high for years. Therefore, I'm afraid we're going to have to let you go. I know, employing you probably resulted in some net good in some abstract sense, but the fact remains that employing you has basically had zero effect on unemployment overall. I men, it's not like you can just hire people and make unemployment magically disappear. I'm sure you'll therefore understand why this company just doesn't believe in employment anymore. Sorry!

  51. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    Going forward with iCloud, you almost never even have to use iTunes...

    you cant even turn on your phone or tablet without being strongarmed into an iTunes account. I dont want to pay 600$+ for a toy and instantly be forced into signing up for a service I will never use

  52. 'Most Respected Leader of His Generation??' by Bing+Tsher+E · · Score: 2

    Come back with assertions like that when they are published in Fortune, Forbes, or the Wall Street Journal.

    Some blog called Gizmag? Why do I scent a whift of fanboy spirit?

  53. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by Osgeld · · Score: 1

    I would love to hear steve job's ideas. so far all he has left us was work from his talented pool of engineers

  54. Steve Jobs set back voice control by decades by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Save for the Apple II, I don't really admire any of Steve Jobs's supposedly visionary "inventions" (which he himself of course didn't invent). If anything the products Jobs was most identified with, the Macs and the iGadgets, sidetracked us from the vision of the future that Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick had for 2001 (A Space Odyssey). We haven't come around to developing reliable voice controlled computers because we're so damn happy clicking or swiping the screens of computers. In 2001, we ordered computers about, which is the natural extension of the command prompts beloved by users of true operating systems like Unix and, hell, even DOS. Right now, to get something done with our computers we have to hug them like a pesky lover or dog.

  55. Steve Jobs set back voice control by decades by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Save for the Apple II, I don't really admire any of Steve Jobs's supposedly visionary "inventions" (which he himself of course didn't invent). If anything the products Jobs was most identified with, the Macs and the iGadgets, sidetracked us from the vision of the future that Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick had for 2001 (A Space Odyssey). We haven't come around to developing reliable voice controlled computers (like HAL;) because we're so damn happy clicking or swiping the screens of computers. In 2001, we ordered computers about, which is the natural extension of the command prompts beloved by users of true operating systems like Unix and, hell, even DOS. Right now, to get something done with our computers we have to hug them like a pesky lover or dog.

  56. You really have no idea what you are talking about by mjwx · · Score: 0, Troll
    Apple has generally been a good corporate citizen in terms of supporting open standards where they have no value-added differentiation--that's about all you could hope for out of a business

    That's an odd way of writing "Apple have generally tried to push their proprietary standards above open standards and even when they used the same standards as everyone else they made proprietary plugs so they would not work with off the shelf components from other manufacturers without having to buy an expensive converter".

    For years they pushed AppleTalk over TCP/IP, even after OS X.
    Firewire over USB.
    They have a custom Dport connector (proprietary connector on open standard)
    iWhatever has a proprietary USB connector.

    Apple's been actively rejecting the standards other people use, open or otherwise. There is no HDMI on Mac products, No VGA ports (every projector has a VGA port, mac users just couldn't connect to them without headaches), tried forcing ZipDisks when everyone was using floppy disks, 2007 Macs still did not have +/- DVD writers (they choked on -R blank DVD's) and just this year, Apple have made the hard drives in 2011 Imacs non-upgradable.

    Firewire is a standard, so is Thunderbolt

    Firewire and Thunderbolt are not open standards, they are proprietary and Apple charge a fee for their use. That's why everyone uses USB and the laptop I just bought does not have a IEEE 1394 connector. If you want to legally sell something with an Ipod connector (I.E. a car stereo or Ipod dock), you need to pay Apple a licensing fee. So not open, in fact, that's almost as far from open as you can get.

    I think you need to start taking your medication again, you're clearly seeing things that aren't there.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  57. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You might be right that OSX is just okay. However I don't know of a better desktop O/S on the market.

  58. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by level380 · · Score: 1

    The iCloud is USA only.... So everyone else in the world is stuck with the iTunes! That and oh btw the iCloud isn't OUT YET!!

  59. Re:Not the most successful businessman of all time by the_other_chewey · · Score: 1

    The Summary says "Of his Generation" - neither Rockefeller or Anton Fugger are really in the same generation as Mr. Jobs.

    "...and quite possibly of all time."

    Anton Fugger (and even more his uncle, Jakob) pretty much controlled the fate of
    several kingdoms. Today's Murdochs pale in comparison.

    And let's not forget Marcus Licinius Crassus, who personally owned a big
    part of the Roman Empire at his peak. Seriously.

  60. Jobs hagiography is beyond ridiculous by massysett · · Score: 1

    "most successful business leader of all time"? More successful than Rockefeller, who controlled a key commodity (oil) and who was worth over $600 billion in today's money? More successful than Gates whose company, no matter how unfashionable, still has an absolute hammerlock on computer desktop operating systems?

    Jobs is a great business leader, but give me a break. He gets this fame because he knew how to give presentations in black turtlenecks. All these "Jobs came down from Mount Olympus to bless us with his awesome talent and leadership" stories are just ridiculous.

    1. Re:Jobs hagiography is beyond ridiculous by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Always was and always will be. He had to be kicked out of Apple in the eighties to save the company. The share price rose because they finally had some semblance of management despite fanbois only seeing the company near bankrupt long after Sculley left so that could not be his fault. Jobs learned at NeXT (through failure) and Pixar (It does not help to be changing your ming every 2 minutes or when you see something shiny) what it took to run a company.

      (tantrum? You have got to be joking!)

  61. Wrong again by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    you cant even turn on your phone or tablet without being strongarmed into an iTunes account.

    Did I not JUST FREAKING TELL YOU ABOUT THE FORWARD THING?

    With iOS5, devices activate without iTunes.

    Sheesh!

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:Wrong again by somersault · · Score: 1

      I don't know why you expect people who've already tried and dislike Apple products to keep up with the latest Apple news. It looks like iOS5 isn't even out yet, and I've never looked into iCloud. I looked briefly at Amazon and Google's cloud offerings, but ended up switching to Spotify instead, and am very happy with it.

      From what you're saying, it does sound like the Apple "experience" is improving to the stage where things will feel less locked down, and I do try to be open minded about my prejudices. I hate MS less than I used to - I even bought an Xbox last year. I bought an MBP in 2007 for the sake of nostalgia as much as anything else, but unfortunately it was the worst laptop I've ever had.. really awful design in terms of cooling.

      Ah, just noticed someone below say iCloud is US only. I live in the UK, so guess that's me out. Once LoveFilm starts doing HD streaming, my digital media needs will all have been met anyway! Now that they've been bought by Amazon, I'm expecting good things.

      --
      which is totally what she said
  62. You are there by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    Let me know when they finally vanquished it for good and I'll jump on board.

    Ok, in practical reality if you were dead-set against it would never have to use iTunes. You can activate directly on device with iOS5, all music/video purchases would be available from the cloud, app data should backup on iCloud.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
  63. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by Karlt1 · · Score: 5, Informative

    For years they pushed AppleTalk over TCP/IP, even after OS X. Apple supported Windows networking and Samba

    SMB support has been built in since 10.3

    Firewire over USB.

    I have firewire ports on both my Dell and Sony. Firewire is not "Apple's" standard, it is an IEEE standard and Apple is part of the licensing pool. Just as there is a licensing pool for USB.

    They have a custom Dport connector (proprietary connector on open standard)

    What is a DPort? Do you mean DisplayPort? The mini-DisplayPort that Apple uses was accepted by VESA.

    iWhatever has a proprietary USB connector.

    So what "standard" is there that is able to duplicate this functionality cheaply?

    http://pinouts.ru/PortableDevices/ipod_pinout.shtml

    Or do you expect a $20 boom box to implement a USB host controller?

    Apple's been actively rejecting the standards other people use, open or otherwise. There is no HDMI on Mac products,

    The Mac Mini has an HDMI port. All other Macs have DisplayPort. DisplayPort is not an Apple proprietary connector. Dell and other manufacturrers have been selling monitors with DisplayPorts for years.

    No VGA ports (every projector has a VGA port, mac users just couldn't connect to them without headaches),

    You mean "headaches" such as using a DVI to VGA connector? In fact it has just been recently that at least Mac Minis didn't come bundled with DVI to DisplayPort adapters.

    tried forcing ZipDisks when everyone was using floppy disks,

    Only a few Macs had optional Zip Disk support. All Macs came with 3.5" disk drives up until the iMacs.

    2007 Macs still did not have +/- DVD writers (they choked on -R blank DVD's)

    According to this site:
    http://apple-history.com/

    Every Mac introduced in 2007 had built in DVD +/- drives

    Firewire and Thunderbolt are not open standards, they are proprietary and Apple charge a fee for their use.

    Apple is part of the licensing pool for Firewire. The licensing pool and operates under FRAND. Just like most other standards (mpeg, mp3, H.264, etc,).

    Thunderbolt was created by Intel.

    That's why everyone uses USB and the laptop I just bought does not have a IEEE 1394 connector.

    Well both my Dell and Sony have firewire. There is also a fee to use USB.

    If you want to legally sell something with an Ipod connector (I.E. a car stereo or Ipod dock), you need to pay Apple a licensing fee. So not open, in fact, that's almost as far from open as you can get.

    If you want to legally use a DVD Player there is a licensing fee....

    I think you need to start taking your medication again, you're clearly seeing things that aren't there.

    You're not exactly batting a hundred....

  64. Re:misdirected by Macgrrl · · Score: 1
    --
    Sara
    Designer, Gamer, Macgrrl in an XP World
  65. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by Alrescha · · Score: 2

    "Apple's been actively rejecting the standards other people use, open or otherwise. There is no HDMI on Mac products, No VGA ports "

    You must look at different Apple products than I do... These products support HDMI either directly or with a cheap adapter:

    "Products Affected
    iMac (21.5-inch, Mid 2010), iMac (21.5-inch, Late 2009), iMac (27-inch, Mid 2010), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010), MacBook Air (Late 2010), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010), Mac Pro (Mid 2010), iMac (27-inch, Late 2009), Mac Pro (Early 2009), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010), MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011), MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011), Mac mini (Mid 2010), MacBook (13-inch, Mid 2010)"

    Practically every Mac made in the past decade supports VGA with a cheap adapter (usually from a high grade standard DVI connection).

    If you're going to be an irrational hater, at least try to get some of your facts right.

    A.

    --
    ...bringing you cynical quips since 1998
  66. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by BasilBrush · · Score: 3, Informative

    For years they pushed AppleTalk over TCP/IP, even after OS X.

    No, the primary networking for OS X always was TCP/IP. AppleTalk was there for compatibility.

    Firewire is an open standard, developed by a few companies, but mainly Apple.

    Apple contributed their mini-display port connector to the display port standard, and it was adopted. That's contributing to a standard, not proprietary.

    iWhatever doesn't have a proprietary USB connector. It has a proprietary dock connector which carries USB signals along with other signals that USB, and no other connector of the time supported. If USB supported video signals, then they would have used it. Apple quite rightly creates their own thing when there isn't anything currently out there that provides the features they want in their products. That's one of the reasons they stay ahead of the rest of the industry.

    MacBooks don't need HDMI and VGA ports when they have a DisplayPort connector. Having multiple obsolete ports is a PC laptop thing. It's one of the reasons PCs are bigger and heavier. But that's nothing to do with rejecting open standards. HDMI is supported on the Mac Mini. And of course DisplayPort itself is an open standard.

    You mention ZipDisks as if bundling some third party large removable storage is a crime. Again there was no open standard with high capacity at the time. You say "when everyone else was using floppy disks", neglecting to mention the fact that Apple pioneered the use of 3.5" disks and the rest of the industry followed. And they were the first to dispense with floppies as standard, which again the rest of the industry followed. Apple tends to lead with technologies, others often follow.

    If you check out definitions of "open standard", you'll discover that there is no consensus that there must be no cost for licensing. Only that such costs should be reasonable and non-discriminatory.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_standard

  67. Re:Ten Times by Tarsir · · Score: 1

    I challenge you to find a single account from someone who personally knows Bill Gates who claims that the man is unlikeable.

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/paul-allen-compares-working-with-bill-gates-to-being-in-hell/ :

    But the memoir's most intriguing (and controversial) revelations revolve around Allen's personal and professional relationship with Gates, whom he described to Stahl as a gifted businessman with a penchant for being a total jerk.

  68. This is a tech site by Brannon · · Score: 1

    if you don't understand tech, as evidenced by your irrational post, then you shouldn't be here.

    1. Re:This is a tech site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Apple is a fashion company, not a tech company and therefore shouldn't be talked about here.

  69. Re:Ten Times by syousef · · Score: 2

    When all of you are done arguing whether Bill Gates or Steve Jobs is the true Messiah, will you please wake up and join us adults in the real world? Both men are wildly successful because they knew how best to exploit others, were driven and hard working in doing that, and were lucky. Both men set aside morals and decorum throughout their career to behave badly. Both have a reputation for abusing staff who didn't perform. Both are happy to take credit and earn money from the work others have done. Both are happy to place restrictions on what their products can do and how useful they are to their customers in order to further their own goals.

    Charity contributed by Bill Gates is a good thing - he did not have to do it, though obviously it serves his purposes. It doesn't change how he earnt his money in the first place.

    Arguing who can walk on water best is purile.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
  70. Re:Why do we respond to an AC liar? by wsxyz · · Score: 1

    Steve Jobs contributed nothing to Apple's early success, merely being present with money when Woz developed the technology.

    So you think Steve Jobs (and not Mike Markkula) was the bankroll for Apple?

    The truth is that Steve Jobs made the Apple II a consumer product. Woz designed all of the electronics (except the power supply), but he would have sold a bare board if it had been up to him. Jobs was responsible for the all-in-one plastic case, keyboard, etc. that made the Apple II a product that could be successful at retail.

  71. Feel free to go any time you like. by mjwx · · Score: 1

    if you don't understand tech, as evidenced by your rational and well reasoned post, then you shouldn't be here.

    I understand the tech, You were the one who called proprietary standards open, so feel free to leave any time you like.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    1. Re:Feel free to go any time you like. by Dog-Cow · · Score: 1

      I call you a hater because you make up lies to support your statements.

      You are a hater. Not only that, you hate for no reason, which is the worst kind of hatred there can be.

  72. USB by kolbusa · · Score: 1
    From the article:

    The iMac was also noteworthy for introducing the mass market to USB, a connection technology invented by Intel that was frankly dying.

    Does anybody know how well does this correspond to the actual history?

    1. Re:USB by NoMaster · · Score: 1

      It might be a bit of a reach, but it's certainly inside arguable territory. USB was Intel's baby, a low-speed & simpler to implement alternative to Firewire, and had been around since '95 or '96. There were a few PCs with USB prior to the iMac in '98; what was really missing was general OS support (Windows didn't get that until Win98; USB was only vaguely supported by device-specific OEM drivers or 3rd-party USB stacks in Win95 OSR2.1) and general retail availability of USB devices to connect to.

      Win98 went on sale in June '98; the iMac G3 went on sale in August the same year. While Wintel hardware may have been the first to adopt & start the move to USB, the iMac certainly drove the rapid adoption of USB by dropping Apple-standard ADB / serial ports and the standard inbuilt floppy. You wanted to read your old floppys or connect to a printer? You had to buy a USB floppy or adaptor. Pretty soon, you could buy floppys and serial / parallel interfaces in matching Bondi Blue everywhere...

      --
      What part of "a well regulated militia" do you not understand?
    2. Re:USB by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From the article:

      The iMac was also noteworthy for introducing the mass market to USB, a connection technology invented by Intel that was frankly dying.

      Does anybody know how well does this correspond to the actual history?

      "So, to put this in perspective, Steve Jobs brings on John Sculley, who eventually comes to blows with Steve Jobs, who then leaves Apple when the board of directors and some of Apple's top execs back John Sculley. John Sculley then backs the Newton project, which was a big disaster at first, and leads, in part, to John Sculley's own ouster; but, just a couple of years after that, Steve Jobs returns to Apple, kills the Newton, and sells all those shares of ARM that Mr. Sculley had acquired, making the company more than a quarter billion dollars in profit above and beyond the cost of the Newton itself, but all on Mr. Jobs' watch."

      John Sculley saved Apple left in 1993 and Jobs returned in 1997 yet somehow Jobs saved Apple from Sculley in FanboiLore.

  73. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by mjwx · · Score: 2

    SMB support has been built in since 10.3

    SMB is a file sharing protocol (Server Message Block) not an transmission protocol like TCP or AppleTalk. I remember getting Macs in 2006, they had Apple talk on by default but not TCP/IP

    I have firewire ports on both my Dell and Sony. Firewire is not "Apple's" standard, it is an IEEE standard and Apple is part of the licensing pool. Just as there is a licensing pool for USB.

    I used to have IEEE 1394, the laptop I bought last week doesn't have them. Every device I have uses USB and none use Firewire.

    Also use of USB is royalty free, unlike Firewire.

    You mean "headaches" such as using a DVI to VGA connector?

    Then having it not work.

    The headache comes when you dont have the converter handy, or having to carry around 30 connectors because your laptop doesn't have a port everyone else uses.

    During my years of tech support, every time someone brings a Mac into a meeting I get called and asked "do you have a converter" when they find out we dont they roll their eyes and ask everyone to huddle around their laptop screen. There's your headaches, not just for you but for everyone else.

    Well both my Dell and Sony have firewire. There is also a fee to use USB.

    Fee to use the USB logo, the hardware is royalty free.

    You're not exactly batting a hundred.

    But you're out for a duck.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  74. Not dead by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "I'm not quite dead yet!"

                                                                      - Dead body

  75. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by node+3 · · Score: 1

    I remember getting Macs in 2006, they had Apple talk on by default but not TCP/IP

    Unless you are referring to OS 9, your memory is flawed. OS X has supported TCP/IP since day one, and has always been enabled by default.

    As for OS 9, it's possible you might have had to enable TCP/IP in the Control Panel. It's been so long, I'm not sure if that was the cast at the time.

  76. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by somersault · · Score: 1

    Try looking off the market then.

    --
    which is totally what she said
  77. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by somersault · · Score: 1

    Actually I'm quite happy, thanks, but good failed attempt at pop-psychology there. Maybe try turning it around on yourself?

    --
    which is totally what she said
  78. Dnnnt... cmmm... clsrrr.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's like hes brain is dead, but the body still walks the earth.

  79. Consistent business plan... by beachdog · · Score: 1

    I send my sympathy to Steve Jobs, as with understatement he reveals he is in mortal straits.

    The business started by Steve Jobs you can look at as a very pure business strategy play. They sell a computer hardware and software package that is primarily marketed to individuals.

    At the onset, I mean the computer club and wire wrap era, there was this giddy excitement at having a CPU, some memory and a way of executing a programmable instruction set that could do any logic in software.

    There have been a couple really big forks in the intellectual road since then: The IBM open bus and motherboard, the BSD software release license, the GNU and open source software system, TCP/IP, the Web, the CPU size and speed increase, the memory density increase, the plague of music copyright, the rise of software and business patents as an instrument of oligopoly, and the blocking of web sites by government administrative demand.

    You can look at the company Apple and the products it has made and see how the company handled each of these computer developments. For each of these computer developments, Apple has stayed within a very careful framework: Every year Apple has avoided doing anything that allowed their customers to make non-Apple products the central part of their computer use.

    An illustration of how Apple has been practising business strategy (as beyond simple design or programming) is the recent appearance of touch screen devices. Part of the strategy was waiting for key surface acoustic wave touch sensor patents to expire and at the same time developing and patenting software that worked with the patent expired technology. Remember Apple briefly included a USB wand touch pad with IMac laptops around 2004 ? (I guess) They added these gadgets to facilitate development of patentable display software.

    So I look at Apple as having played a consistent business chess game. Their customer has been the individual and the business activity has been to recapture the customer over and over. Now those incredible stock prices, that is because Apple succeeds in charging a $40 to $200 per unit retail premium.

    The real revolution is still open source software running on generic hardware using an open Web and serving peaceful human needs. It is interesting and elegant, that as closed as Apple computer hardware may be, their machinery still does many of the things one might wish of an ethically and socially ideal computer.

  80. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by beelsebob · · Score: 1

    SMB is a file sharing protocol (Server Message Block) not an transmission protocol like TCP or AppleTalk. I remember getting Macs in 2006, they had Apple talk on by default but not TCP/IP

    Your memory is flawed, TCP/IP has been the default connection protocol since Mac OS 9, which was released in 1999. It has never been the default on OS X, and is in fact not even supported by OS X any more.

    I used to have IEEE 1394, the laptop I bought last week doesn't have them. Every device I have uses USB and none use Firewire.

    So?
    1) It's not like apple wasn't shipping USB on their machines as *well*.
    2) While you may not own them there are many devices out there that not only had firewire, but needed it because USB simply didn't have enough bandwidth (see DV cameras for example). Given that one of apple's primary target audiences is video editors, that's a major market segment that they needed to address.

    The headache comes when you dont have the converter handy, or having to carry around 30 connectors because your laptop doesn't have a port everyone else uses.

    Except that VGA is actually incredibly rare these days. Yes many projectors use it, but actually the vast majority of monitors use DVI, and a good number use display port.

  81. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

    SMB support has been built in since 10.3

    SMB is a file sharing protocol (Server Message Block) not an transmission protocol like TCP or AppleTalk.

    AppleTalk isn't an transmission protocol. "AppleTalk" is a set of protocols including a file sharing protocol. "AppleTalk Transaction Protocol" and "AppleTalk Data Stream Protocol" are transmission protocols.

    --
    Fandroids hate facts.
  82. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by teh+kurisu · · Score: 1

    It's only the parts of iCloud that relate to music that don't work outwith the USA. If you only use iTunes to back up your phone, then you can replace iTunes with iCloud no matter where you are.

  83. Re:He Didn't Sell Out Had Great Ideas And Was Luck by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

    He didn't sell out because he never had a position of integrity from which he COULD sell out; he was the business/money guy from the beginning, and the intent was always to make as much money from the customers as possible.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  84. Re:This just in - iCloud DOESN'T stream music by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

    LOL - all the iDrones assumed that iCloud was going to let them stream their music but they forgot that Apple products are always limited toys.

    If Apple was as good at writing good software as they are at deputizing homosexuals iCloud would stream music instead of just sucking dick.

    Despite Apple's semantically pedantic explanation that iTunes Match does not "stream" songs but instead "plays as it downloads," further investigation suggests that is not actually the case. Songs that are played by clicking on the title are effectively cached in full on iOS devices, then deleted automatically when navigating away from the song. These songs are not added to the library as they are when clicking the iCloud "download" icon.

    --
    Fandroids hate facts.
  85. Re:Ten Times by CheerfulMacFanboy · · Score: 1

    I challenge you to find a single account from someone who personally knows Bill Gates who claims that the man is unlikeable.

    Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/18/paul-allen-compares-working-with-bill-gates-to-being-in-hell/ :

    But the memoir's most intriguing (and controversial) revelations revolve around Allen's personal and professional relationship with Gates, whom he described to Stahl as a gifted businessman with a penchant for being a total jerk.

    Gee, that's much stronger than any of the quotes he could find on Jobs.

    --
    Fandroids hate facts.
  86. USB has a licensing cost by Brannon · · Score: 1

    Most things do.

    http://www.usb.org/developers/vendor/

    You are either technically incompetent or a liar if you got a new Mac in 2006 and couldn't get TCP/IP to work on it. It's been standard on every new Mac sold for the last 12 years.

  87. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

    TCP/IP was on by default in System 7.5 and later.

    I worked in a mixed network of 7.1.x, 7.5.x and later OS 8 machines, it was the 7.1.x machines that required TCP/IP be toggled off.

    TCP/IP going off on those was the first warning sign the PRAM battery was failing.

  88. Re:Ten Times by amicusNYCL · · Score: 1

    Right, that's why everyone and their grandmother knows how to navigate around AmigaOS. It must have been Atari that made the deal with IBM to write an OS for their machines and machines like them. Remember when Commodore '95 came out and had that huge advertising blitz? I remember thinking how weird it was to see a commercial on mainstream TV for software, an operating system no less. Apple was good about getting placed into schools, at least. Oregon Trail and Number Munchers really catapulted Apple machines into people's living rooms. It's why Apple has the market share they have today.

    --
    "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
  89. Re:You really have no idea what you are talking ab by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I remember getting Macs in 2006, they had Apple talk on by default but not TCP/IP

    Unless you are referring to OS 9, your memory is flawed. OS X has supported TCP/IP since day one, and has always been enabled by default.

    I suspect that numpty is confusing AppleTalk with AppleShare Filing Protocol. AFP is still fully supported, but these days it runs over TCP/IP.

    AppleTalk, on the other hand, has had a fork sticking out of its back for something like 15 years now. AFP over TCP isn't a new development; it was first supported in MacOS 8 or 9 or so, and Apple was encouraging everyone to switch to TCP/IP back then. Apple's support for AppleTalk in OS X always felt like "this is legacy, it's going away, don't depend on it" to me. And what do you know, it went away a few years back and outside of graybeard Mac users and businesses, it wasn't missed.