Santa Steve dishes free iPhones, next-gen iPod and Mac hints
Addressing employees in Cupertino on Thursday, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs spoke confidently about his firm's ongoing product strategy and later vowed to equip all full-time staffers with a complimentary iPhone for their service and dedication.
ArsTechnica, which compiled a thorough report from the 11:00 a.m. company-wide meeting, notes that Jobs "discussed the gravity of the iPhone on Apple's business as well as how he perceives the parts played by the rest of the company."
The Apple co-founder reportedly described the handset's impending launch as an effort "to put the third leg onto a chair with only two legs" -- the first two legs being the company's Mac and iPod businesses.
Jobs added that some of the Mac systems coming out over the next year will be "off the charts." He similarly hinted that the company was working on next-generation iPods that, like iPhone, would run an embedded version of the Mac OS X operating system.
In closing out his speech, which took place at the Apple Town Hall on the company's Cupertino campus, Jobs delighted those in attendance by announcing that all full-time Apple employees would be given a free 8GB iPhone by the end of July -- around the time Apple expects initial demand for the handset to subsided.
ArsTechnica, which compiled a thorough report from the 11:00 a.m. company-wide meeting, notes that Jobs "discussed the gravity of the iPhone on Apple's business as well as how he perceives the parts played by the rest of the company."
The Apple co-founder reportedly described the handset's impending launch as an effort "to put the third leg onto a chair with only two legs" -- the first two legs being the company's Mac and iPod businesses.
Jobs added that some of the Mac systems coming out over the next year will be "off the charts." He similarly hinted that the company was working on next-generation iPods that, like iPhone, would run an embedded version of the Mac OS X operating system.
In closing out his speech, which took place at the Apple Town Hall on the company's Cupertino campus, Jobs delighted those in attendance by announcing that all full-time Apple employees would be given a free 8GB iPhone by the end of July -- around the time Apple expects initial demand for the handset to subsided.
Comments
"Off the Charts" eh? We've heard that kind of talk many times and not much has come of it.
Please substantiate.
Suggest to take a minute to read the original article to appreciate the emphasis of his presentation. http://arstechnica.com/journals/appl...n-the-pipeline
"Off the Charts" eh? We've heard that kind of talk many times and not much has come of it.
Maybe there will be a secret feature. ;0)
It's probably nothing, but I thought it was interesting that Jobs described Mac, iPod and iPhone as the company's three legs. A few months ago, Apple described to analysts that Mac, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV would be the company's for main product areas.
I don't think the comment was intended to play down Apple TV; it's just iPhone hype.
Please substantiate.
Top secret features we can't show you...
The year of HD...
3 Ghz G5
Did Steve say Leopard was on time as well a few times before the push back?
Do we really need to make a list... He is a marketing machine at this point with good ideas.
Off the charts!
My heart's just thawed.
Mac news! MAC NEWS!!! FINALLY!
Top secret features we can't show you...
The year of HD...
3 Ghz G5
Did Steve say Leopard was on time as well a few times before the push back?
Do we really need to make a list... He is a marketing machine at this point with good ideas.
I see where you are going and you basically have some valid points, though I can't recall JObs ever stating there would be a 3GHz G5, but to say that "not much has come of it" when there are countless other successes and innovation coming from Apple is a blatant lie.
He similarly hinted that the company was working on next-generation iPods that, like iPhone, would run an embedded version of the Mac OS X operating system.
I think we all saw this coming. OS X marketshare is jumping. R&D may have gone up for porting to the iPhone but they will surely go down as a whole in the long run.
... Jobs delighted those in attendance by announcing that all full-time Apple employees would be given a free 8GB iPhone...
According to Wikipedia, Apple had 17,787 employees as of September 2006. That is a lot of $600 phones. But is it really all that generous? Apple gets free press, makes employees happy and Apple and AT&T still get the monthly dues from all those 2 year long contracts.
The first leg is the Mac business, which Steve addressed by saying that they have the "best Macs" in the new product pipeline ever right now, and that the stuff coming out in the next year is "off the charts." Wow, sounds juicy.
Of course the current Macs are the best ever right now. The next ones will be better than that and so on. Otherwise, they'd be going backwards instead of forward.
Why do people always look on the bright side when involving Jesus? I say we've had nothing for a year therefore condemnation be upon Jesus and his iphone.
Jobs added that some of the Mac systems coming out over the next year will be "off the charts."
Over the next year as in next year?? Why aren't they off the charts this year?
Still we wait. (I should make that my signature)
3 Ghz G5
PPC IS DEAD!! Also, you couldn't have picked a higher clock speed?
We already have 3 GHz Intel chips. 5 GHz would have been better. Even so, PPC IS DEAD, Apple like being able to run Windows too much hence all the speak of bootcamp, Parallels, VMWare. The compilers are better, the chips are cheaper, the software support is better, the temperatures and power consumption is lower, no way are they going to go backwards. It'll be quad cores all round and good graphics cards.
what does "Off the charts" mean?
Anywhere between amazing products and saying something to get off his back.
It's probably nothing, but I thought it was interesting that Jobs described Mac, iPod and iPhone as the company's three legs. A few months ago, Apple described to analysts that Mac, iPod, iPhone and Apple TV would be the company's for main product areas. I don't think the comment was intended to play down Apple TV; it's just iPhone hype.
He mentioned the AppleTV but obviously it's not as important as the Mac, the iPod, or the iPhone.
The first leg is the Mac business [?] He said that the second leg is the iPod and iTunes. [?] The third leg of the chair, Steve hopes, will be the iPhone business. [?] He added that he hopes for the fourth leg to become the Apple TV, but focus is on the iPhone for now.
Top secret features we can't show you...
The year of HD...
3 Ghz G5
Did Steve say Leopard was on time as well a few times before the push back?
Do we really need to make a list... He is a marketing machine at this point with good ideas.
The 3 Ghz G5 is probably the best known of your 3 points. Steve J did say 3 gigs in a year during the WWDC and very shortly after that a senior VP from IBM walked on stage and said the same thing. It doesn't take a very high IQ to realize that Apple was dependent on IBM to deliver the chip so Apple could deliver the 3 gig Mac. So who blew it? Steve J for believing IBM could deliver, or IBM for failing to deliver, creating the greatest FUBAR since Moto?
Leopard delays? It did happen and the reason was made very clear - the need to shift resources to the iPhone. Again, we have a situation where Apple is dependent on a critical 3rd party - this time ATT. It will be years before we get the real story of the final few months developing the integration of the iPhone and ATTs infrastructure, but I have a feeling that Apple was responding to the need to work with ATT to get it right. Again, even a person with a below average IQ can work out which product had the highest priority for technical talent.
If you don't believe that much will come of the iPhone you are actually part of a fairly large group of people. The consumer market will let everyone know in 6 to 12 months who is right, but I wouldn't want to bet against Apple on this one.
though I can't recall JObs ever stating there would be a 3GHz G5
PPC IS DEAD!! Also, you couldn't have picked a higher clock speed?
I swear I'm not trying to flame anyone, but some of you seem to have short memories! The whole 3Ghz G5 thing was a rather infamous chapter in Apple history a few years back and arguably was a if not the major motivating factor for the whole Intel switch.
Here's an article link (first time posting a link, so I hope this works as intended) found from a quick Google search:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/06...le_g5_promise/
Top secret features we can't show you...
The year of HD...
3 Ghz G5
Did Steve say Leopard was on time as well a few times before the push back?
Do we really need to make a list... He is a marketing machine at this point with good ideas.
The 3 Ghz G5 is probably the best known of your 3 points. Steve J did say 3 gigs in a year during the WWDC and very shortly after that a senior VP from IBM walked on stage and said the same thing. It doesn't take a very high IQ to realize that Apple was dependent on IBM to deliver the chip so Apple could deliver the 3 gig Mac. So who blew it? Steve J for believing IBM could deliver, or IBM for failing to deliver, creating the greatest FUBAR since Moto?
Leopard delays? It did happen and the reason was made very clear - the need to shift resources to the iPhone. Again, we have a situation where Apple is dependent on a critical 3rd party - this time ATT. It will be years before we get the real story of the final few months developing the integration of the iPhone and ATTs infrastructure, but I have a feeling that Apple was responding to the need to work with ATT to get it right. Again, even a person with a below average IQ can work out which product had the highest priority for technical talent.
If you don't believe that much will come of the iPhone you are actually part of a fairly large group of people. The consumer market will let everyone know in 6 to 12 months who is right, but I wouldn't want to bet against Apple on this one.