Jobs: Apple goal is to make complex technology easy to use
In an interview on CNBC following his keynote address on Tuesday, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs talked up the company's latest products, while dodging questions about past iPod battery issues and commenting on Apple's direction for the future.
"There's an explosive phenomenon in iPod market place in the last year, which is people started to listen to their songs by turning on 'shuffle', and letting the iPod shuffle up the next song," Jobs said. "Well the iPod shuffle was built around that concept."
"If there is one word that categorizes the culture at Apple concerning products, its 'excellence,' Jobs said. "We didn't want to make one more flash player, we wanted to make one of the smallest and lightest and best ones in the world. And that's where iPod shuffle comes from."
In following, a CNBC reporter asked Jobs to comment on the iPod's battery, which in the past has proven not to be as strong as some had expected. "We had some issues with batteries about a year and a half to two years ago. And I think those have pretty much been resolved," he said. "But if you have a problem, let me know and we'll take care of it."
During the interview, Jobs also previewed the new Mac mini, saying it was named after smaller-sized iPod mini, which has proven to be so successful. "We think [the Mac mini is] going to remove even one more barrier for people switching, you know so they can try out a Mac for the most affordable price point ever."
Jobs said he believes the personal computer is transforming itself into the media hub of consumers digital life, but was hesitant to agree that Apple was evolving into a full digital media company. "The computer world is moving more towards media, and media is moving more towards computers with the advent of digital music," he said. "So they are kinda meeting at the middle. I think Apple's core expertise outside of phenomenally good engineering is really to figure out how to make complex technology easy to use by us mere mortals."
Jobs was also questioned in regards to an apparent $ 3 sell off of Apple stock on what is traditionally the Mac makers biggest media day. "You know I've given up a long time ago trying to predict stocks on a day to day basis," he said. "You have to look at them a little longer term and I think Apple stock has been performing pretty well for longtime stockholders."
Humbly responding to questions of whether Apple single handily had part in change music industry, Jobs said, "I think if you asked the music companies, that is what they would say. They've been super supportive of us and we're working closely with them to come up with even more innovative ways to get music discovered and get it to the market."
"There's an explosive phenomenon in iPod market place in the last year, which is people started to listen to their songs by turning on 'shuffle', and letting the iPod shuffle up the next song," Jobs said. "Well the iPod shuffle was built around that concept."
"If there is one word that categorizes the culture at Apple concerning products, its 'excellence,' Jobs said. "We didn't want to make one more flash player, we wanted to make one of the smallest and lightest and best ones in the world. And that's where iPod shuffle comes from."
In following, a CNBC reporter asked Jobs to comment on the iPod's battery, which in the past has proven not to be as strong as some had expected. "We had some issues with batteries about a year and a half to two years ago. And I think those have pretty much been resolved," he said. "But if you have a problem, let me know and we'll take care of it."
During the interview, Jobs also previewed the new Mac mini, saying it was named after smaller-sized iPod mini, which has proven to be so successful. "We think [the Mac mini is] going to remove even one more barrier for people switching, you know so they can try out a Mac for the most affordable price point ever."
Jobs said he believes the personal computer is transforming itself into the media hub of consumers digital life, but was hesitant to agree that Apple was evolving into a full digital media company. "The computer world is moving more towards media, and media is moving more towards computers with the advent of digital music," he said. "So they are kinda meeting at the middle. I think Apple's core expertise outside of phenomenally good engineering is really to figure out how to make complex technology easy to use by us mere mortals."
Jobs was also questioned in regards to an apparent $ 3 sell off of Apple stock on what is traditionally the Mac makers biggest media day. "You know I've given up a long time ago trying to predict stocks on a day to day basis," he said. "You have to look at them a little longer term and I think Apple stock has been performing pretty well for longtime stockholders."
Humbly responding to questions of whether Apple single handily had part in change music industry, Jobs said, "I think if you asked the music companies, that is what they would say. They've been super supportive of us and we're working closely with them to come up with even more innovative ways to get music discovered and get it to the market."
Comments
In following, a CNBC reporter asked Jobs to comment on the iPod's battery, which in the past has proven not to be as strong as some had expected. "We had some issues with batteries about a year and a half to two years ago. And I think those have pretty much been resolved," he said. "But if you have a problem, let me know and we'll take care of it."
You know what?
I did send an email to [email protected] about my original 5GB iPod, and he did take care of it. After a bit of dismissive replies from him regarding how Apple was just as good as Sony in the respect of taking care of their consumer products. How many other companies have such approachable heads?
Was it really him answering? Well, if it wasn't, it was somebody with his attitude using that email address...