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Steve Jobs: “Technology Alone Is Not Enough”

64 points by mdariani 15y ago

rodolphoarruda 15y ago
...a message to HP.
- mdariani 15y ago
  and to samsung ;)
  - qxb 15y ago
    I found this Economist piece on Samsung's strategy of "swapping infotainment for lifecare" really interesting: http://www.economist.com/node/21530976 http://www.economist.com/node/21530976
6ren 15y ago
> average international gross of more than $550 million per film. Not even Apple has enjoyed that kind of streak. Apple grossed $65.23 billion last year alone.
- sjs 15y ago
  I think the streak refers to the number of consecutively successful films and not the dollar amount. Apple has released many successful iPods, iPads, Macs, and other products but there have been relative flops such as the Apple TV and the iPod Hi-Fi.
  - 6ren 15y ago
    Thanks, I now think he was making both points (see emphasis on "per year"), the dollar one obscuring the streak one for me. BTW: to be fair, Apple TV hasn't flopped yet (a media center aot a desktop computer still seems like a good idea... though the iPhone/iPad or something could yet displace it). It has low uptake but passionate users... like the first iPod. The iPod Hi-Fi flopped.
    - sjs 15y ago
      Good points, he did emphasize $/year and I still plan on buying an Apple TV (once I have a TV) so perhaps there is hope for it yet. I'd like it to succeed. Anecdotally my sister's husband bought one and also got his brother one last Christmas. Whether they use them or not is another question I'll have to ask next time I see them.
ncoats 15y ago
It's especially amazing that Steve, being a techie, was able to understand and forecast the synergies that would develop as a result of integrating a holistic environment between sectors. I find it even more impressive that Steve implemented his tactics with out the social trends and Zappos-like books that exist now to guide people in realizing the benefits of cross department relationships--> Steve Jobs = Visionary.
felixc 15y ago
A slight tangent, but the very last line makes me wonder: "The Latin crest of Pixar University says it all: Alienus Non Diutius. Alone no longer." Is it possible that would be more faithfully translated as "Lonesome no more"? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick_%28novel%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick_%28novel%29)
joezydeco 15y ago
It's curious that everyone praises Jobs for his hand in the design of the Pixar campus (rightly deserved), so why is the design of the new Apple mothership almost a complete opposite to this idea?
- Game_Ender 15y ago
  It appears his influence was in the layout of the building itself. We really don't know enough about the layout to the new Apple campus to make the same kind of judgement. From what we do know, I already see one counter example. The new campus only has one place to eat, ensuring that many people will run into each other on the way to cafeteria. This is much like Jobs placement of things like meeting rooms and bathrooms in the center of the Pixar building.
- alanfalcon 15y ago
  "As he saw it, the main challenge for Pixar was getting its different cultures to work together, forcing the computer geeks and cartoonists to collaborate." It's entirely likely that Steve sees a different set of challenges for Apple, and to the extent he had design input into the new Apple campus he made considerations based on those challenges.
- nostromo 15y ago
  Can you explain why the new Apple campus is the opposite of Pixar's? I see mostly similarities: A central courtyard open to everyone in the center, no corner offices, a shared cafeteria for all types of employees. In fact, quite often the shared atrium will be the fastest way from point A to point B, which will lead to many chance encounters across teams.
  - joezydeco 15y ago
    I don't see a central, outdoor courtyard to be the same as a central, enclosed atrium housing bathrooms, mailboxes, and food.
chrchang 15y ago
Entirely agree. Jobs was most impressive in that he was capable of translating cutting edge technology into a language that the average person could understand and appreciate. This is the greatest asset one can bring to the technology world- it is all too easy to get lost in the hype of the best new processors, the latest graphics technology, etc and forget that all of this is meaningless if society can't understand how to use it.
deleted 15y ago
[deleted]

64 points by mdariani 15y ago

rodolphoarruda 15y ago

...a message to HP.

mdariani 15y ago
and to samsung ;)
- qxb 15y ago
  I found this Economist piece on Samsung's strategy of "swapping infotainment for lifecare" really interesting: http://www.economist.com/node/21530976 http://www.economist.com/node/21530976

6ren 15y ago

> average international gross of more than $550 million per film. Not even Apple has enjoyed that kind of streak. Apple grossed $65.23 billion last year alone.

sjs 15y ago
I think the streak refers to the number of consecutively successful films and not the dollar amount. Apple has released many successful iPods, iPads, Macs, and other products but there have been relative flops such as the Apple TV and the iPod Hi-Fi.
- 6ren 15y ago
  Thanks, I now think he was making both points (see emphasis on "per year"), the dollar one obscuring the streak one for me. BTW: to be fair, Apple TV hasn't flopped yet (a media center aot a desktop computer still seems like a good idea... though the iPhone/iPad or something could yet displace it). It has low uptake but passionate users... like the first iPod. The iPod Hi-Fi flopped.
  - sjs 15y ago
    Good points, he did emphasize $/year and I still plan on buying an Apple TV (once I have a TV) so perhaps there is hope for it yet. I'd like it to succeed. Anecdotally my sister's husband bought one and also got his brother one last Christmas. Whether they use them or not is another question I'll have to ask next time I see them.

ncoats 15y ago

It's especially amazing that Steve, being a techie, was able to understand and forecast the synergies that would develop as a result of integrating a holistic environment between sectors. I find it even more impressive that Steve implemented his tactics with out the social trends and Zappos-like books that exist now to guide people in realizing the benefits of cross department relationships--> Steve Jobs = Visionary.

felixc 15y ago

A slight tangent, but the very last line makes me wonder: "The Latin crest of Pixar University says it all: Alienus Non Diutius. Alone no longer." Is it possible that would be more faithfully translated as "Lonesome no more"? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick_%28novel%29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slapstick_%28novel%29)

joezydeco 15y ago

It's curious that everyone praises Jobs for his hand in the design of the Pixar campus (rightly deserved), so why is the design of the new Apple mothership almost a complete opposite to this idea?

Game_Ender 15y ago
It appears his influence was in the layout of the building itself. We really don't know enough about the layout to the new Apple campus to make the same kind of judgement. From what we do know, I already see one counter example. The new campus only has one place to eat, ensuring that many people will run into each other on the way to cafeteria. This is much like Jobs placement of things like meeting rooms and bathrooms in the center of the Pixar building.
alanfalcon 15y ago
"As he saw it, the main challenge for Pixar was getting its different cultures to work together, forcing the computer geeks and cartoonists to collaborate." It's entirely likely that Steve sees a different set of challenges for Apple, and to the extent he had design input into the new Apple campus he made considerations based on those challenges.
nostromo 15y ago
Can you explain why the new Apple campus is the opposite of Pixar's? I see mostly similarities: A central courtyard open to everyone in the center, no corner offices, a shared cafeteria for all types of employees. In fact, quite often the shared atrium will be the fastest way from point A to point B, which will lead to many chance encounters across teams.
- joezydeco 15y ago
  I don't see a central, outdoor courtyard to be the same as a central, enclosed atrium housing bathrooms, mailboxes, and food.

chrchang 15y ago

Entirely agree. Jobs was most impressive in that he was capable of translating cutting edge technology into a language that the average person could understand and appreciate. This is the greatest asset one can bring to the technology world- it is all too easy to get lost in the hype of the best new processors, the latest graphics technology, etc and forget that all of this is meaningless if society can't understand how to use it.

deleted 15y ago

[deleted]