If you could ask Steve Jobs one question...
Another thread (about Apple-branded merchandise: hats, shirts, keychains, etc.) triggered this thought for me:
If you could sit down across from Steve Jobs in his office and ask him ONE (only one!) question, what would it be.
It can be a multi-part question (keep it reasonable), but only regarding one topic/issue. You know what I mean.
It can be about anything regarding Apple and Macs (policies, future products, pricing, blunders, financial stuff, marketing...or lack of, etc.). And he would have to answer it with a serious, from-the-heart/non-canned answer.
Okay, here's mine (pretty simple, actually):
"Steve, how come you guys don't sell Apple-branded merchandise and souvenirs at both the Apple retail stores AND online at the Apple web store? You sell this stuff in Cupertino at the company store, right? Do you not know that you have one of the most loyal and passionate user/fan bases in all of the world? We would happily plunk down gobs of money for nice, AUTHORIZED Apple shirts, hats, mugs, keychains, calendars, datebooks, pens, apparel, etc. Doesn't have to be cheesy and overdone, I know you wouldn't want that. But do you not realize the revenue potential and the free advertising and goodwill? You're sitting on an untapped goldmine. Do you have an honest, legitimate reason as to why we can't go to our local Apple store and buy cool Apple stuff?"
There. Kinda long-winded, but you get the point.
Next...?
(Actually, I've always wanted to see a kick-ass calendar from Apple...especially these days, not so much in the beige era, but can you imagine a cool 12 month calendar, all glossy and 4-color, with beautifully lit "beauty shots" of their various hardware, one for each month? Next to the photo, little tidbits and cool facts/trivia about the particular product could be written...I'd LOVE to have a cool Apple calendar!!!)
If you could sit down across from Steve Jobs in his office and ask him ONE (only one!) question, what would it be.
It can be a multi-part question (keep it reasonable), but only regarding one topic/issue. You know what I mean.
It can be about anything regarding Apple and Macs (policies, future products, pricing, blunders, financial stuff, marketing...or lack of, etc.). And he would have to answer it with a serious, from-the-heart/non-canned answer.
Okay, here's mine (pretty simple, actually):
"Steve, how come you guys don't sell Apple-branded merchandise and souvenirs at both the Apple retail stores AND online at the Apple web store? You sell this stuff in Cupertino at the company store, right? Do you not know that you have one of the most loyal and passionate user/fan bases in all of the world? We would happily plunk down gobs of money for nice, AUTHORIZED Apple shirts, hats, mugs, keychains, calendars, datebooks, pens, apparel, etc. Doesn't have to be cheesy and overdone, I know you wouldn't want that. But do you not realize the revenue potential and the free advertising and goodwill? You're sitting on an untapped goldmine. Do you have an honest, legitimate reason as to why we can't go to our local Apple store and buy cool Apple stuff?"
There. Kinda long-winded, but you get the point.
Next...?
(Actually, I've always wanted to see a kick-ass calendar from Apple...especially these days, not so much in the beige era, but can you imagine a cool 12 month calendar, all glossy and 4-color, with beautifully lit "beauty shots" of their various hardware, one for each month? Next to the photo, little tidbits and cool facts/trivia about the particular product could be written...I'd LOVE to have a cool Apple calendar!!!)
Comments
[edit]
"Did you really sleep with that 16-year-old girl in the 80s?"
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: groverat ]</p>
Steve isn't human enough for me. A question like that might make me feel like he's just a regular guy like me.
I read it in some book Eskimo gave me. Apparently his sister wrote a book and one of the characters did and that character was based on Steviekins. People in the know apparently insinuated that particular incident was based on Steve.
or how about:
What the hell were you thinking with the escaped killer look:
or what the hell was wrong with you and the bow ties and the comb overs in the 80s?
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: applenut ]</p>
<strong>
I read it in some book Eskimo gave me. Apparently his sister wrote a book and one of the characters did and that character was based on Steviekins. People in the know apparently insinuated that particular incident was based on Steve.</strong><hr></blockquote>
The book you're talking about is
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0679772715/qid=1024677909/sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/002-6149459-9460843" target="_blank">A Regular Guy</a> by Mona Simpson.
According to another book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0767904338/qid=1024677969/sr=2-1/002-6149459-9460843" target="_blank">The 2nd Coming of Steve Jobs</a>, Steve was rather upset with her writing the story and they sort of had a falling out because of it.
A Regular Guy is a great book, even if its not about Steve its still a good read. There are a lot of other similarities between the character in the book and Steve. So I wouldn't be surprised if it were true.
How do you feel about the fact that your old Apple could have been soley yours for all of these years? Do you realize that if you had not brought in John Sculley that you may have been the CEO since 1983? Do you realize that you may in fact be where Bill Gates is today if it had not been for one mistake? Do you realize that with the kind of person you are and the kind of people you surround yourself with and hire that you could still be the innovative company you are today? You would be the same company except with more money and no worries about market share. Well, how do you feel and what would you have done differently?
[ 06-21-2002: Message edited by: HurtCobain ]</p>
"How many black mock turtlenecks do you own?"
Then I'd say, " I have an idea. Why don't you launch your own line of turtlenecks with a simple small black on black Apple logo on the neck portion of the turtleneck.
Or it could be a monogrammed S.J. instead.
then, b4 he could say no, i'd grab it and run out.
Why can't people under 18 work at the Apple Stores if they know more than some of the idiots working there?
"How the heck do you keep that Reality Distortion Field working so long?"
<strong>"Have you heard of a guy named Paul Scates? You need to hire this guy."</strong><hr></blockquote>
Okay I'll bite. Who's Paul Scates?
Sorry dude, thought everyone here knew that...
Oops, I don't THINK he'll mind me saying that... he did come and tell us about his Wired interview after all.
<strong>
Okay I'll bite. Who's Paul Scates?</strong><hr></blockquote>
That would be pscates.
I've always just known him as pscates.
<strong>Are you a virgin?</strong><hr></blockquote>Huh? I thought he had a daughter named Lisa.
<strong>Huh? I thought he had a daughter named Lisa.</strong><hr></blockquote>
bit of a joke based on the infamous story of him walking in on the interview for a potential employee and asking the prospect that