Steve Jobs likely to spill details at 8th annual All Things Digital

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
Kara Swisher has confirmed that Apple's chief executive Steve Jobs will attend the Wall Street Journals' eight annual All Things Digital conference to be held June 1-3. His appearance will likely include interesting revelations, considering his past sessions.



The conference interviews a variety of luminaries in the tech and media industries, and Jobs has frequently attended in the past, often presenting interesting insights into what was going on within his company.



Back in 2004, Jobs rescued the event from an unprepared and flustered Carly Fiorina, who struggled to find answers to the questions she was asked. Jobs provided memorable replies to a variety of questions, including the comment that he was proud, not just of the products Apple had shipped, but also the products it had decided not to ship.



When asked pointedly what products he was proud not to have released, Jobs answered, "an Apple PDA." Later, during a public Q&A session, a user with a Palm Treo asked Jobs to produce a PDA/phone hybrid. Jobs responded that it would be best to remain happy with the Treo. It would be another three years before Apple shipped the iPhone.



Asked when Apple would support Microsoft's WMA DRM format on the iPod, Jobs replied that Apple had no plans to support it until Microsoft reached 50% market share in media playback, taunting that Microsoft could ask for Apple's support again once it had achieved that.



Jobs drops more details



Jobs also introduced the new AirPort Express base station at the 2004 event. The next year, Jobs returned and unveiled iTunes 4.9 with support for podcasts, calling the emerging technology "the Tivo for Radio for iPod."



Jobs also coyly implied that Apple would be entering the movie business within iTunes before talking about iPod enabled phones. He said that that wireless carriers retained enough power in the industry to practically dictate the specifications of each cell phone being manufactured, while hinting that Apple was not interested so much in iPod-enabled phones as something different and larger.



Jobs also defended Apple's pending efforts to sue bloggers to identify and stop internal leaks within Apple, saying that "no one has the right to publish confidential information just because they can," and insisting that he would take his case against AppleInsider and other websites "to the Supreme Court" if he had to. Apple eventually lost its case and appeal due to shield laws that protect journalists who reveal secrets without breaking the law to do so.



Jobs and Gates on stage together



In 2007, Jobs appeared on stage with Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, in their first joint session at the event and at any major event in recent memory. Microsoft's chief executive Steve Ballmer also attended, but appeared by himself in his own interview segment.



Jobs and Gates reminisced about tech history, with Jobs noting that "Bill built the first software company in the industry and I think he built the first software company before anybody really in our industry knew what a software company was, except for these guys. And that was huge. That was really huge. And the business model that they ended up pursuing turned out to be the one that worked really well, you know, for the industry. I think the biggest thing was, Bill was really focused on software before almost anybody else had a clue that it was really the software."



Gates in turn noted that Jobs had founded Apple pursuing a dream of mass market computers as "an incredible empowering phenomenon," adding that "one of the most fun things we did was the Macintosh and that was so risky. People may not remember that Apple really bet the company. Lisa hadn?t done that well, and some people were saying that general approach wasn?t good, but the team that Steve built even within the company to pursue that, even some days it felt a little ahead of its time."



Jobs concluded by noting that, "I sort of look at us as two of the luckiest guys on the planet because we found what we loved to do and we were at the right place at the right time and we?ve gotten to go to work every day with super bright people for 30 years and do what we love doing.



"And so it?s hard to be happier than that. You know, your family and that. What more can you ask for? And so I don?t think about legacy much. I just think about being able to get up every day and go in and hang around these great people and hopefully create something that other people will love as much as we do. And if we can do that, that?s great."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    mactelmactel Posts: 1,275member
    What more is there to reveal? The iPhone OS in every appliance and vehicle?
  • Reply 2 of 21
    bageljoeybageljoey Posts: 2,004member
    So... No keynote type presentation? Just interview and Q&A format?
  • Reply 3 of 21
    bigdaddypbigdaddyp Posts: 811member
    I must say that I find these discussions he has done at D very enjoyable. It's the rare time that he leaves the salesman and the top executive persona's and you can see a glimpse of Steve Jobs the iHuman.
  • Reply 4 of 21
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MacTel View Post


    What more is there to reveal? The iPhone OS in every appliance and vehicle?



    When Apple starts buying selected biotech hardware boutiques, you'll know that they'll be starting to develop implants. Who needs a screen to watch when you can see what you want displayed on the inside of your eyelids!
  • Reply 5 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigdaddyp View Post


    I must say that I find these discussions he has done at D very enjoyable. It's the rare time that he leaves the salesman and the top executive persona's and you can see a glimpse of Steve Jobs the iHuman.



    Jobs certainly doesn't need to do this conference, but I'm also glad he's (allegedly) decided to attend again.
  • Reply 6 of 21
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    iPhone 4.0 Ready for Sale?!
  • Reply 7 of 21
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh View Post


    iPhone 4.0 Ready for Sale?!



    What better place to introduce the next iPhone. Jun 1 seems like a perfect date to unveil it, with sales to start Jun 18.



    Remember that Jobs has introduced stuff at the D conference before.
  • Reply 8 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mark2005 View Post


    What better place to introduce the next iPhone. Jun 1 seems like a perfect date to unveil it, with sales to start Jun 18.



    Remember that Jobs has introduced stuff at the D conference before.



    I bet no product will be announced at All Things D. The new iPhone will be announced at WWDC only. Steve wont take the thunder away from his own company's event in the same or next month.
  • Reply 9 of 21
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,281member
    Maybe Steve will announce that he's going to start blogging. All these e-mails that he's been sending out suggest that he's feeling more social.
  • Reply 10 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chintan100 View Post


    I bet no product will be announced at All Things D. The new iPhone will be announced at WWDC only. Steve wont take the thunder away from his own company's event in the same or next month.



    What WWDC?



    ETA: Oh that WWDC. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...francisco.html

    Figures I would make a smartass comment 2 hours before they announce the thing.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blastdoor View Post


    Maybe Steve will announce that he's going to start blogging. All these e-mails that he's been sending out suggest that he's feeling more social.



    Is answers are short he could just use Twitter.
  • Reply 11 of 21
    mark2005mark2005 Posts: 1,158member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chintan100 View Post


    I bet no product will be announced at All Things D. The new iPhone will be announced at WWDC only. Steve wont take the thunder away from his own company's event in the same or next month.



    If WWDC isn't announced by May 13th (in 2 weeks or so), I'd say it's being postponed until later, and that Apple has another "extraordinary product," and not the iPhone teed up for it.



    I think Steve would like nothing better than to showcase Apple at what is probably the premiere tech/media/comm convergence gathering of the year.



    Update: So within minutes of writing this, Apple announces WWDC. So I'll take back what I said above. Instead, Jobs will focus on the iPad.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    What would Steve "spill", exactly... chai tea?
  • Reply 13 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Blastdoor View Post


    Maybe Steve will announce that he's going to start blogging. All these e-mails that he's been sending out suggest that he's feeling more social.



  • Reply 14 of 21
    robogoborobogobo Posts: 378member
    For the record, the iPhone is NOT a PDA/phone hybrid.
  • Reply 15 of 21
    thespazthespaz Posts: 71member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by robogobo View Post


    For the record, the iPhone is NOT a PDA/phone hybrid.



    What is it then?
  • Reply 16 of 21
    smiles77smiles77 Posts: 668member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by thespaz View Post


    What is it then?



    A revolution, of course!
  • Reply 17 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by thespaz View Post


    What is it then?



    Just another 'must have device' that will simply end up in the landfill in a few years. \
  • Reply 18 of 21
    I would like to see Jobs talk about iTunes and cloud stuff:



    * how the lala/iTunes integration is going,



    * whether lala technology will mean anything for App Store and iBooks,



    * how a web-based iTunes would get along with the computer-based version,



    * how soon Apple will roll out wireless syncing of purchases and playlists to iPhones,



    * whether other products (like iPods) may get WiFi to take advantage of syncing.
  • Reply 19 of 21
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    What would Steve "spill", exactly... chai tea?



    Now that's funny!
  • Reply 20 of 21
    adamiigsadamiigs Posts: 355member
    You should have added the bit about Jobs saying "it's like giving somebody a glass of ice water in hell" ... that was classic.



    http://www.tuaw.com/2007/05/30/found...-digital-2007/
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