Actually, it looks like you're the one not getting it.
There are three things that I pull away from the Jobs' Washing Machine story.
1) He thinks about the equipment he buys -- whether he uses it or not.
The reason the original iMac sold so well was because of two driving things: aesthetics and functionality. People bought it because either it was a Mac or it was "purty". But people came back and bought subsequent versions as well. The fact that Jobs' thinks about how something works or how something looks is very important to me, since I purchase computers.
And, yes. They went with the more expensive model that had better functioning and better lines. Isn't that a good analogy for people buying the Macintosh line?
(An analogy is where they compare one thing to another to make it easier for people to understand. With you being in college, I figured I'd save you the trouble of looking that up.)
2) He involves his family.
I don't know what kind of person Jobs' is. I've heard he can be the nicest guy around one minute, the a royal SOB the next. But -- unlike a wide number of people -- it seems that the washing machine story says he cares about his family and their opinioins.
That gives him a silver star in my book. (He'd get a gold star, but I don't have any confirmation of that...)
3) His family enjoys being involved with him.
It wasn't "Oh, no. Dad's gonna talk washing machines again." It seems that he said that the topic of conversation somehow always got back to that. And I dont' think that he's the one who brought it up all the time.
As for why it's a big deal for a big wig like Steve Jobs to make the decision on buying his own washing machine? Well, bunky, here's the real world:
1) It helps show that he's still in touch with the "common man" -- y'know? The one he's gonna be selling these computers to?
2) He cares about the equipment in his house, how it works, how it looks, and how it lasts.
3) Money is money. Why waste it? Surely you can understand that.
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Actually, it looks like you're the one not getting it. There are three things that I pull away from the Jobs' Washing Machine story. 1) He thinks about the equipment he buys -- whether he uses it or not. The reason the original iMac sold so well was because of two driving things: aesthetics and functionality. People bought it because either it was a Mac or it was "purty". But people came back and bought subsequent versions as well. The fact that Jobs' thinks about how something works or how something looks is very important to me, since I purchase computers. And, yes. They went with the more expensive model that had better functioning and better lines. Isn't that a good analogy for people buying the Macintosh line? (An analogy is where they compare one thing to another to make it easier for people to understand. With you being in college, I figured I'd save you the trouble of looking that up.) 2) He involves his family. I don't know what kind of person Jobs' is. I've heard he can be the nicest guy around one minute, the a royal SOB the next. But -- unlike a wide number of people -- it seems that the washing machine story says he cares about his family and their opinioins. That gives him a silver star in my book. (He'd get a gold star, but I don't have any confirmation of that...) 3) His family enjoys being involved with him. It wasn't "Oh, no. Dad's gonna talk washing machines again." It seems that he said that the topic of conversation somehow always got back to that. And I dont' think that he's the one who brought it up all the time. As for why it's a big deal for a big wig like Steve Jobs to make the decision on buying his own washing machine? Well, bunky, here's the real world: 1) It helps show that he's still in touch with the "common man" -- y'know? The one he's gonna be selling these computers to? 2) He cares about the equipment in his house, how it works, how it looks, and how it lasts. 3) Money is money. Why waste it? Surely you can understand that.