Apple chief executive Steve Jobs was questioned by US investigators about stock options backdating at the company, according to several reports citing unidentified lawyers. Apple and Jobs’ attorney did not immediately return telephone calls seeking comment on Tuesday. The US Attorney’s Office in San Francisco was also not immediately available.
I’m guessing 90% of posts for this one will be based on emotion, not fact or content…
Hope I’m wrong…
I’m guessing that 50% of the comments will be the one you just made.
I don’t think anyone cares. People like Jobs regardless because “he saved Apple.”
I think that’s exactly why people care about this story. Steve Jobs is a major driving force in the strategic planning and execution of Apple’s products, more so than any other co-founder of a 25+ year-old tech company. If Jobs were ousted over this accounting fiasco, it would have a material effect on the company. He’d have left them in very good position (relative to various low-points in their history), but it wouldn’t be quite the same Apple anymore.
For comparison’s sake, if Bill Gates or some other big-name CEO (even Larry Ellison) had gotten tangled in a mess like this, I don’t think many people would be that worried. Both of their companies would do fine with a new figurehead (perhaps better).
But Jobs is a special case, and I say this as not a particularly big Apple fan. He is arguably the best tech CEO the industry has ever seen. That’s why people are interested in this story.
You are absolutely right. Yours is also, probably, the only really insightful post that will be offered here.
Check the post count, people don’t care.
“””Check the post count, people don’t care.”””
I noticed that too. And the comments that *have* been posted are more along the lines of “meta-comments”… comments about the who/why/where/how of other comments.
I’d as soon leave this kind of crap to “The Wallstreet Journal”, “Forbes”, and other rags which care about stock prices, etc.
I’d say its a *good* thing that this story tanked on OSNews. 😉
You proved my point exactly…
All I said is that most people will reply based on an emotional response, not based on what has transpired at Apple re the backdating options.
You obviously do care or 1) you wouldn’t have read the article past the title and 2) you responded to my post…
I didn’t state a position either way as I don’t have any facts on the case nor the insight to know what is going on there.
For the record, I hope nothing becomes of all this and life at Apple continues to flourish. However, if there is a case to answer, then Jobs should answer it, as should anyone…
It’s not good to let the man’s popularity cloud the issue. If there was any wrong doing on his part I hope justice is served.
Jonathan Ive is the guy who designed the iPhone, iPod, iMac, Mac mini, PowerBook, and just about every other cool/successful product at Apple.
Look him up on Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Ive
He is probably just as responsible for the “turn around” of Apple as Jobs himself.
If Jobs left they only need to hire some other guy in a turtle neck with an Ivy league degree to take credit for Jonathan Ive’s work.
The job/responsibility of the CEO is not to code (program), design, but to hire people who can. While you are right about Ivy being the real genius behind apple designs, he is a great soldier for Apple, but Jobs is the General. Great soldier aren’t always the best generals. Generals are required to come up with a game plan/ strategy thats what Jobs does, does it pretty well one might say.
The job/responsibility of the CEO is not to code (program), design, but to hire people who can.
Really? Then why I never met our CEO yet.Or better yet, I didn’t see him around when I was interviewed…
Makes you think, isn’t it?
Really? Then why I never met our CEO yet.Or better yet, I didn’t see him around when I was interviewed…
Makes you think, isn’t it?
I met ours about three or four years ago to suggest that our new mission critical databases should run on Linux and I pointed out that Oracle runs on Linux. He said “Wow I didn’t know that Oracle runs on Linux”.
A year or so later some of our new mission critical databases were running Oracle on RHEL. He wears turtle neck sweaters. I think this is because our global parent company has a dress code that effectively rules them out – only shirts with collars, tie optional. I quite like him.
Edited 2007-01-24 19:22
Well, if you are not terribly important in a company, then he gets someone he hired to hire you.
The post did say “Great Generals”. Budd, your CEO obviously has some flaws I guess if you’ve never met him. Actually, I’ve never met mine either strangely enough, and our business is going down the toilet fast than you can say “flush” 🙂
Ive is brilliant, but it was Jobs that decided what to build and had the stubborness to push Ive extremely hard to get his vision.
Both Jobs and Ive (and many others there) work hand in hand, one doesn’t function as well without the other.
Could Jobs find another designer out there, I’m sure he could. Could Ive find someone with vision and determination, most probably…
I am quite sure that, had Ive had been hired by, say, Microsoft or Hitachi, they wouldn’t have produced something as cool as the iPod there. Have you ever heard that say “the whole is bigger than the sum of the parts”? I think that’s quite apt to be used in the Apple iPod case. It was not only the work of a great designer but the whole Apple culture to create innovative products, and Job’s famous perfectionism and vision that IMO allowed the iPod to be created. Job’s “good taste” and sense of design is something rare among CEOs.
Ive is a huge responsible for Apple’s resurgence, but can’t take all the credit.
Edit: sorry, this should have been a reply to the thread above.
Edited 2007-01-24 10:48
but you are forgetting, in reality no apple products are really innovative.
its all hype, apple has really brought nothing new to the table, except some insanely crappy hardware and software.
Wow, I’d hardly call it crappy. I’ve got an iPod and an eMac and am very happy with both products.
The eMac is a great example of cheap mac hardware and is still running without a hitch. The fact that it runs with a PowerPC 1.4 GHz is no real issue, yet. I can still install Leopard without it slowing down to a crawl.
I don’t know what apple hardware or software you have had a negative experience with but would like to know. That way, I can avoid it. 🙂
So show us what’s innovative.
Really! I’d like to know your opinion.
this is a witch hunt and really is pointless!
NOW…. if apple does’nt FTFF and give us a SERIOULY RE-DESIGNED FINDER…. .
…then, Steve Jobs is going to have problems!
i am talking COREimage, COREvideo, COREanimation, mega MULTIthreaded, LightingFAST, crash PROOF, seamless networking, integrated widgets with METAdata and EYECANDY coming out da arse….
call it “chardeny”…. call it “luminous”…. call it “Finder on Viagra” i dont care…. just make the current finder GO AWAY! its OSXs Achilles Heall!
That Apple and Steve Jobs get so much attention here at OSNews for this.
http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/info-optionsscore0…
I guess no matter what, his Steveness will alwayss generate discussion.