Apple's Steve Jobs wasn't a fan of the name 'Siri'
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs didn't particularly like the name "Siri" when he acquired the company behind the personal assistant software, but he failed to come up with what he thought was a better option.
The new details on the late CEO came from a speech given this week by Dag Kittlaus, one of the co-founders of Siri. Yoni Heisler of NetworkWorld was in attendance for the talk, and was informed that "Siri" is Norwegian for "beautiful woman who leads you to victory."
"I worked with a lady named Siri in Norway and wanted to name my daughter Siri and the domain was available," Kittlaus explained. "And also consumer companies need to focus on the fact that the name is easy to spell, easy to say."
Apple acquired Siri in April of 2010 for a rumored $200 million. The software was originally a free item on the iPhone App Store.
After the acquisition, Jobs wasn't sold on the Siri name, but Kittlaus tried to convince the Apple co-founder otherwise. Though Jobs was apparently never fully satisfied with the product name, Kittlaus said he failed to come up with a superior option, so he stuck with "Siri."
Kittlaus also revealed that he was unexpectedly summoned by Jobs to his Cupertino, Calif., home soon after the original Siri application launched on the App Store. There, Jobs had a three-hour chat with him by the fireplace about the future.
"(Apple is) patient — they don't jump on anything until they feel they can go after something new, and he felt that we cracked it," Kittlaus explained. "So that was his attraction (to Siri)."
Kittlaus eventually left Apple last October following the launch of the iPhone 4S, having served as CEO of Siri since 2007 and head of Apple's speech recognition team since April of 2010. His departure from Apple was described as "amicable."
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Hopefully Apple sticks with the vision Steve Jobs gave them. Any deviation from it wouldn't be wise. (ie: Apple Tv UI)
The "cracked it!" remark, is more likely in reference to the APPLE TV SET that they're rumored to be developing.
Hopefully Apple sticks with the vision Steve Jobs gave them. Any deviation from it wouldn't be wise. (ie: Apple Tv UI)
It could refer to anything - there is nothing specific about the "cracked it" statement that specifically identifies anything. People are projecting a TV, but there is no evidence that is what Jobs is talking about. Plus, what if Jobs was wrong and he didn't know it and others do? What if the "solution" is something that doesn't end up practical? It may never even see the light of day.
I suggest we shouldn't look into the meaning of what is essentially a tease statement.
Regarding Siri -- I really like the name. Not only is it easy to say, but there's something about it that seems both friendly and kind of exotic (at least it's exotic for a guy who grew up in the middle of Kansas).
This is why Apple will survive and thrive without Steve. He set the boat on a great course and depended on a great crew to work it.
The crew is his living legacy.
Steve probably wanted no name.
Isn't he dead? Yet?
How long must we suffer these "Steve didn't like insert_product_name_here" stories?
no joke.
The man is dead. What he liked, didn't like etc is beside the point. Time to move on.
The only thing more annoying than these stories are folks jumping on "Steve would never have approved this" for anything that releases after his death that they don't like. Everything we see for the next 5 years is stuff that was likely in the works before he went on medical leave much less died so in fact, yes he likely did approve it.
It kind of seems that one of the defining characteristics of Steve Jobs is that he disliked everything at one time or other. In some ways, that was a great strength -- he could always see how things could be better and so never became complacent.
There may have been times even that he said he didn't like something to make the person argue their case. Why? To force them to ask themselves if it was the best that could be done and not just that they were making that claim because they liked their keen idea so much. Sometimes it wasn't and they realized it, sometimes they made a solid argument and proved it was the best. But no one was doing whatever simply because they thought it was cool etc.
A tactic other companies could do with from time to time
Maybe, just maybe, the guy did actually listen to people.
Maybe, just maybe, the guy did actually listen to people.
I've seen scant evidence that is the case.
I've seen scant evidence that is the case.
This is plain evidence that you didn't read the biography.
The "cracked it!" remark, is more likely in reference to the APPLE TV SET that they're rumored to be developing.
Or it's in reference to anything imaginable, as 'cracked it' can apply in any situation.
Hopefully Apple sticks with the vision Steve Jobs gave them. Any deviation from it wouldn't be wise. (i.e.: Apple TV UI)
Oh, good! You seem to have proof that the current UI wasn't something Steve wanted. If you'd be so kind, present that proof here and in the proper thread arguing about the design, because that keeps coming up.
And he also didn't like the name "Macintosh" and failed to come up with something better. He can be wrong.
Bicycle only wasn't better because it didn't have a ring to it that matched the company name.
I wondered why they'd stuck with "Siri" when it was rumored to be called "Assistant" but it's obvious now they needed an actual name for it.
I think they should've given it a name that was at least a backronym. Like GLaDOS, HAL, and the like.
Isn't he dead? Yet?
I don't see the problem in his post; his tense is correct.
But no one was doing whatever simply because they thought it was cool etc.
A tactic other companies could do with from time to time
You know, it does seem that that's what many of them do, doesn't it? Particularly some of the new-agey stuff that Microsoft has put out. And idiotic designs like the HP touchscreen computers and the Gateway One (remember that?).
This is plain evidence that you didn't read the biography.
Wrong again. I read the bio.
I saw scant evidence that Steve listened to others.
Professional vs Consumers
Guru's help bench
So we need to be a bit cautious on Steve's early reactions versus his having time to digest and go for walks to think about.
I have super regard for Steve's thinking and his attention to detail and user experience and aesthetics but also to the team he created, trained, and let run Apple [until his very untimely death] to be original and have similar impact.