Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by sambeau on Friday April 08, 2011 @04:56PM
(#2425572)
This is a very typical Woz story. A reporter asks Woz a hypothetical question. Woz gives an honest answer. Reporter ignores the statistical insignificance of the hypothetical scenario and reports result as if it has 100% probability of happening.
This happens to many great thinkers.
Obligatory made-up scenario:
Reporter: "If you were in a plane crash in the Andes and the only food you could find was bodies of dead passengers would you eat them?"
Thinker: "Hmm.. interesting hypothetical scenario. It is of course impossible to know what anyone would do in such a situation without experiencing it, but it is obvious that the logical thing to do is to eat the bodies so you can be strong enough to seek help. Whether I personally could eat a human is not yet proven."
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by bcrawford on Friday April 08, 2011 @05:52PM
(#2425742)
I've had the opportunity to meet with and talk with Woz before. The man really can't be anything but honest and he just loves talking - to anyone - about technology. He's almost the anti-Apple in that respect.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by redstripe on Friday April 08, 2011 @04:21PM
(#2425451)
"In this episode, while investigating the 75 year old wreck of a Federation transport vessel, the Starfleet starship USS Enterprise-D crew discovers the former Chief Engineer of the Constitution class starship USS Enterprise NCC-1701, Montgomery Scott (James Doohan), alive in a transporter buffer. After being cleared by Dr. Crusher, Scott is eager to see the advances in technology including a tour of the Engineering deck, but quickly finds that his old knowledge has long been surpassed and his efforts to help are instead getting in the way of normal operations..."
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by hristov on Friday April 08, 2011 @05:21PM
(#2425660)
I don't know about that. I think a good hacker like Woz can be very very useful for Apple. While Apple are very good at creating a perception of perfection around their products, some of their stuff is definitely not perfect, or not even very good. This is especially true of things that are no longer in the spotlight.
Somebody like Woz that knows technology, is very practical, has common sense and a good eye for usability can be incredibly useful for Apple if put in the correct position.
But it ain't gonna happen. Jobs does not want to share the Apple creation myth with anyone.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by pstuart on Friday April 08, 2011 @05:13PM
(#2425630)
<sarcasm>
Indeed! Tablets have been around for years and suddenly there's an Apple logo on one and the fanboys act like it's some sort of technical advance....
</sarcasm>
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by jrockway on Friday April 08, 2011 @06:07PM
(#2425791)
Well, uh, tablets have been around for years. And suddenly there's an Apple logo on one, and the fanbois did act like it was amazing. What was amazing was putting phone software on a tablet instead of Windows Tablet Edition on a tablet.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by ugh on Friday April 08, 2011 @08:35PM
(#2426116)
So you say that it is amazing but the "fanbois" are somehow wrong in finding it amazing? I have trouble understanding that.
I'm not aware of any widespread denial of the existance of tablet PCs by "fanbois", I remember them quite enjoying mocking those tablet PCs, especially by contrasting them with the iPad. Longer battery life, thinner, lighter, no keyboard, running no desktop OS, you can get one for $500 – all those features together are a genuine innovation and they touch on both hardware and software. That doesn't mean that some or all of those individual components didn't exist in other products often long prior to the iPad.
You can't build the iPad without knowing what you do. Just look at how Apple's competitors are still struggling. If making a tablet people want to buy was just a question of taking existing technology and marketing it right there would have been credible iPad competitors much earlier.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by EdwardMSmith on Friday April 08, 2011 @07:29PM
(#2425990)
hmm, despite the downvotes, you're right. They're really a lifestyle company - for a lifestyle that deeply embeds usable technology in all aspects of your life.
But, the actual technology is 2nd to the experience of the lifestyle.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by trythis on Saturday April 09, 2011 @07:28AM
(#2426975)
You're persistently and needlessly inflammatory, which is sufficient to be considered a troll. And if you actually do think that, you're making a false dichotomy.
But really I think you just get a perverse thrill from pissing people off on occasion. Grow up.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by rmason on Friday April 08, 2011 @05:26PM
(#2425675)
Where I think Woz would be a good fit for Apple would be speaking on college campuses and indirectly recruting the best talent for Apple.
But the biggest challenge would be for him to stay on message. First time he disagreed with Jobs in public as an Apple employee it would be very awkward. For that reason alone I don't think it would ever happen.
Woz is going to be the commencement speaker on May 6th at my alma mater, Michigan State University. They're planning a livestream of his commencement address and I will post the URL on here as soon as I receive it.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by totalforge on Friday April 08, 2011 @05:48PM
(#2425731)
Woz went back once before, and at one point his manager actually gave him a bad review. Good thing it was pre-internet, or the mgr would never live it down.
Re:Steve Wozniak says would consider return to Apple
by famousactress on Friday April 08, 2011 @04:03PM
(#2425389)
In a number of ways I think Woz actually seems like an interesting fit for Microsoft, in terms of compatibility of culture and bringing values to the table that could move the business forward.
I'd be quicker to buy stock in Microsoft if Woz were signing on, than I would Apple.
This happens to many great thinkers.
Obligatory made-up scenario:
Reporter: "If you were in a plane crash in the Andes and the only food you could find was bodies of dead passengers would you eat them?"
Thinker: "Hmm.. interesting hypothetical scenario. It is of course impossible to know what anyone would do in such a situation without experiencing it, but it is obvious that the logical thing to do is to eat the bodies so you can be strong enough to seek help. Whether I personally could eat a human is not yet proven."
Reporter: "Cannibal!!!"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relics_%28Star_Trek:_The_Next_G...
Somebody like Woz that knows technology, is very practical, has common sense and a good eye for usability can be incredibly useful for Apple if put in the correct position.
But it ain't gonna happen. Jobs does not want to share the Apple creation myth with anyone.
Also true for things that are it.
I'm not aware of any widespread denial of the existance of tablet PCs by "fanbois", I remember them quite enjoying mocking those tablet PCs, especially by contrasting them with the iPad. Longer battery life, thinner, lighter, no keyboard, running no desktop OS, you can get one for $500 – all those features together are a genuine innovation and they touch on both hardware and software. That doesn't mean that some or all of those individual components didn't exist in other products often long prior to the iPad.
You can't build the iPad without knowing what you do. Just look at how Apple's competitors are still struggling. If making a tablet people want to buy was just a question of taking existing technology and marketing it right there would have been credible iPad competitors much earlier.
But, the actual technology is 2nd to the experience of the lifestyle.
But really I think you just get a perverse thrill from pissing people off on occasion. Grow up.
He might be the fifth Beatle in some ways, but he was there at the start.
But the biggest challenge would be for him to stay on message. First time he disagreed with Jobs in public as an Apple employee it would be very awkward. For that reason alone I don't think it would ever happen.
Woz is going to be the commencement speaker on May 6th at my alma mater, Michigan State University. They're planning a livestream of his commencement address and I will post the URL on here as soon as I receive it.
Yea, but the illusion that celebrities are perfect is IMO ridiculous, and dates back to what I call "legacy" PR based on controlling the message.
I'd be quicker to buy stock in Microsoft if Woz were signing on, than I would Apple.
I'd be quicker to buy canned goods and ammunition in such a scenario, because the next thing coming over the mountain will be either zombies or Jesus.