[Klaatu]

Periodically I hear about the "triumphant return" of Steve Jobs to Apple and how he revitalized the company. First with the iMac, then OS X and so forth... basically that Apple progressly becoming an inferior company before he saved the day.

But more and more I see iMac and eMac owners posting hardware problems on the Troubleshooting forum, and comments from experienced technicians that such-and-such a problem is quite common with that particular model. These owners are now talking about throwing these machines in the garbage and buying new... while I still chug-chug along trouble-free on my pre-Jobs beige G3 (now with dvd-writing capability!)

Plus, even when I tested Jaguar on a 1 Ghz machine, it was still nowhere near as zippy as OS 9 on my beige. And let's not even mention how Gawd-awful slow 10.0 was!

Yes, I love the look of OS X and use it about 99% of the time now, but it's still no speed demon. And it's still not flawless. I still have the occasionally freeze, and applications that refuse to open. In my experience I had fewer problems with OS 9.

So I wonder... as the hardware starts to fail, and the bugs in the software are still being plucked out, can we still say Jobs is a saviour?

 

[sputnik]

I just wish OS9 wasn't ugly.

It is way faster thats for sure.

 

[Chealion]

Klaatu - The original eMac was plagued with problems, and that is the nature of hardware. It just happens sometimes. Just look at the 5xxx and 6xxx series of the All in One Power PCs... Problematic? More so then the eMac. OS X isn't as fast as it could be, but 10.2 made it usable and 10.3 will (I firmly believe) make OS X just as fast as OS 9 if not faster. Remember OS 9 had a good 8 years (if not more) of code optimization. And people knew how to optimize their applications for OS 9. With OS X, the biggest reason it has been slow is that the code has not been optimized anywhere near the extent of OS 9. With each new update, code was optimized, made tighter and more effecient, and thus more speed.

Some people see Jobs as a cult icon. Having never really been involved heavily into what Apple was doing until just a week before Mr. Jobs as iCEO came in have no experience seeing the workings of the other CEOs. As with all CEOs, he has his good points and his bad points. He knows everyone on the board quite well and thus he can could get away with whatever he does. However one good/bad point is that Jobs is a known perfectionist (this can make him out to be a jerk), and hates it when things don't work properly. He believes in design, easy to use and many of the other values Apple is lauded for.

So, is Jobs a saviour? He had the vision and did great work when he came back (especially with the iMac). Now a days, I wouldn't say he is a saviour, but an icon to some, Apple's fearless leader to others, and to some critics, the worst thing Apple is keeping around.

 

[sputnik]

If 10.3 can be as zippity on my B&W and iBook as 9 is I will slap down 200$ in a heartbeat.No question.

 

[insertclevername]

I think jobs legacy can be summed up easily, if he didn't change apple there would have been no apple change in a few years.

As for hardware problems, did you forget our favorite Powerbook 5300? I thought that was pre-Jobs.

The only change I don't like is the death of happy mac. =(

 

[JAMG]

Short History of Apple.... {Sort of}

2 guys goofing in a garage have a great idea...
Start selling easy to use computer...
Sells well, Company goes public, both get rich...
One goes to do other things...
Steve Jobs gets forced out...

Successive Financial types "who don't get it" destroy any market share out side of the Print/Design/Audio industries.... Also blow it with Educational market...

Public perception is actually a bigger problem than Managerial ineptitude Stocks plummet...

Steve Jobs convinces Shareholders that He is the only one with the vision to turn things around, but he will require absolute authority.....

Figuring they have nothing left to loose, Steve come back,
Marketing calls him the Savior...

Steve lays off his enemies and anyone else he doesn't like...

Creates public excitement with sexy {but underpowered} new macs in temorary array of colours...

Uses constant change of colour and minor speed bumps to mask plans for New OS {updated Next}... People Buy it...


*** This is obviously an over simplification of a long decade or so... Steve took the job no one wanted or believed in and made it work again... That alone makes him worth it... But I don't personally believe in the Saint Steve scenario... He is a Business man like any other, well better than most, but that is probably because of lessons learned after getting kicked out of Apple and starting Next and taking over Pixar...

Steve is the guiding mind behind the Apple Philosophy...

That doesn't mean all his ideas are gold and the sunshine comes out of his butt...

 

[MasterBlaster]

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[Sander]

I believe Steve came up with the whole Digital Lifestyle stategy. I think that is the true winner.

I love OS X. I love my eMac. I love my iBooks. And of course I love my iPods. I switched back to Macs (bondi blue iMac) when Steve came back. I feel better that someone who started the company is back on top. It seems more logical to me.

Cheers.

 

[RubberGorilla]

First off, any AOI machine is going to have more problems than a desktop machine with a seperate monitor so it's not a fair comparison in that respect.

Second, you're comparing a consumer machine to your pro tower which likely cost more than an iMac new. In all facets of the technology industry better workmanship and parts tend to go in higher-end machines. This is as true in computers as in buying a $75 scanner vs. a $1200 one.

So I don't think comparing your PowerMac G3 with an iMac is fair.

Next, Jobs isn't usually called Apple's savior because he has made better machines, but because he made Apple money. The iMac was the best selling computer of all time after all.

 

[JAMG]

I can't verify if this quote is accurate or not {it came in a joke eamil}

But if it is... it proves Steve is just a guy and he has a sense of humour...

""My girlfriend always laughs during sex-no matter what she's reading."-- Steve Jobs (Founder, Apple Computers)"

 

[Kardnal]

I agree with insertclevername, if Jobs didn't come back when he did, there'd be a very good chance that Apple simply wouldn't have made it through these last 5 years. (It's been 5 years, right?)

For all of his shortfalls, he's managed to keep Apple innovating, and expanding.

Maybe it's the 'Apple-dogma' in me that I'm sure we all share a small part of, but I just can't picture an Apple without Steve Jobs at it's rudder.

As for the 'problems' with Quality Control, the last I heard Apple ranked among the highest of PC companies when it came to satisfaction, so they can't be *that* bad, or any worse then the rest of the industry.

Love him or hate him, I think when he's gone, and the dust has settled, his mark will be forever left on not just Apple but the whole computer industry...

Just my two cents

 

[MacDoc]

Having lived with and supplied Macs through all of this there is no question in my mind that Steve's vision and showmanship carried the company through lean times altho the growth from startup through to "world icon" prehaps needed skills he was lacking at that time. The story behind the Macintosh, the Pirate flags, the "separate culture" for the Mac crew apart from the then dominant Apple division is truly inspiring.

You know he's the only person in history to make a billion TWICE in different industries ( Pixar) so no question the talent is there.

There is truth to the "Stevie's fixation with all in one's" - part wanting elegance and part wanting to own the entire experience without opening it up to other companies. There are times when I wish Apple would buy a category that worked ( they did that with Samsung and the LCD line has been pretty good ) instead of reinventing the wheel . Compare LaCie's monitors to Apple's CRT series. LaCie isn't a manufacturer.
HK is a good example of Apple doing it the right way - effectively rebranding success.

But back to the topic there is no question in my mind that much of the loyalty Mac users have are both to Steve's vision and their Macs.
He is arguably the very best presenter the industry and perhaps the world has seen. Pure entertainment - the intro of the G4 and iMacs were outstanding.
Steve spin....sure but hey....we all just love it.

It's too bad Woz couldn't find a significant role because he had his own brand of genious...but Steve had the vision...still does...and the sand to go after it and make it real.