By Jo Best, 21 September 2005 08:30
NEWS Apple CEO Steve Jobs has hit out at fellow tech heavyweights Dell and Microsoft, claiming they have been copying Apple, and put the company's tight-lipped strategy down to a refusal to give its rivals a roadmap ahead of time.
Speaking yesterday at Apple's annual European conference, Apple Expo in Paris, he said: "Microsoft is copying us with its operating system... Dell's trying to copy us with its hardware. That's fine but we'd like to not give them a map and show them where we're going to go. At least they can follow our taillights."
Despite bringing Windows users into the fold with an iTunes for the PC, Jobs rebuffed the idea of making all Mac apps compatible with the Redmond giant's OS. "We put iTunes on Windows and kind of helped them out there. Microsoft has to earn a living too - we'll leave some software for them to write," he said.
Jobs also touted Mac vs PC models as one of the key reasons behind the success of the iPod, despite a number of tech's highest profile companies trying to assail Apple's MP3 player lead.
"It's why we have lots of competitors for [the iPod Nano]. Some people we think got really lucky - sure, we did, but that's not why we're number one," he said. "We have world class competitors trying to kill us - like Sony, they're a good company."
According to the Apple boss, splitting technology into hardware, operating system and applications, and having three separate companies do each of the parts is not a recipe for a good piece of kit.
"It doesn't work for consumer electronics, it doesn't work for videogames - that's why Microsoft had to do the hardware," he said.
He did, however, tip his cap to the PC for being responsible for the iPod to Mac 'halo effect', saying that iPod owners "maybe on Friday they get their 30th virus of the week on their PC and they decide to go check out a Mac".
The other scourge of the Windows world - hackers - is not quite as popular with Jobs though.
Asked if he appreciated any Apple source code being hacked, he responded: "You're asking me whether I think theft is a good idea... You're asking me if people steal your software, is it OK?" he said. "We might choose to give it away, we might choose not to give it away - it's our choice as the owner."
"You don't want to burn in hell, right?," he added jokingly of hackers.
Comments
There are 17 comments. Join the discussion
1. Splorp
Just remember, for all Job's bluster, Apple's Ipod was following Creative's multitude of mp3 offerings for years. They sat back, watched what was out there and made it trendy. That's all. Even with the Ipod photo. Check the release dates.
2. TechnoGeek
Hey Splorp...what's your point? Apple has never claimed to have invented the MP3 player, but they sure have exploited it, taken it to a completely new level, and everyone is trying to catch up. I owned two mp3 players before my iPod and have never looked back. I got my iPod because everything else on the market sucked. Not sure why it's fashionable to knock Apple in some circles - perhaps a bit of jealousy that someone else didn't master the market first.
3. anonymous
"for all Job's bluster, Apple's Ipod was following Creative's multitude of mp3 offerings for years"
and just who was Creative following? you got to make a distinction between a difference in degree and a difference in kind
4. Premarupa
Well, sure the iPod wasnt the first mp3 player; but the KEY was its ability to download paid for tunes.
That required a considerable tour de force in establishing a way for the record companies to participate 'fairly' and convincing them to join.
PR
5. Ryan Bach
Obviously, Apple did not make the first mp3 player. Obviously, when they made the iPod, somebody had to be leading the market; it was Creative. Apple saw a market with great potential but lacking great products; thus, the iPod was born.
6. anonymous
Perhaps so, but where is there a Creative Music Store?
When it comes down to it, Creative simply cannot afford to take the legal action in EVERY country that the iPod sells in, along with the few they sell of course!
Apple are the only company to have lead the way in reference to online downloading where all the others can only follow with their poor at best offerings.
7. mackle
not sure i get the point. do you mean like microsoft coying mac (actually xerox)? i think stevies comments are more about copying successes to make money rather than building on an unsuccessful product (assuming success is measured by market share or creation of new markets). lots of things in hiostory were firsts. most of them were not the overwhelming success that made a company great.
ipods are successful because the made it easy to acquire and manage your music collection on your computer (itunes) and sync it to an accessory that let you talke your music collection where ever you go (ipod). neither was a first, but the combijnation of that created a new user experience. i gag at the analogy of apple killing sony, the inventor of the walkman. the walkman let you take one cd (or tape) with you. the ipod lets you take your collection (and manages it in a device you hold in one hand). a totally different function!!
also not mentioned is the ipod functionality of "dialing in" exactly the song you want out of 5000 with one hand. there is no other design that actually does that. kids only need to use one for 5 seconds before they decide there is no other alternative.
until people understand the real "zen" of the ipod-sorry creative-they will keep wondering what drives people to give them names and dress their baby's in their costumes.
i think stevie summed it up best three years ago when he said the ipod is designed for those of us who love music. i don't think that was bluster, it was prophetic.
8. Pants
He's right about DULL hardware, I went to the Apple Store at my local mall yesterday. DULL has set up a pathetic little kiosk right outside the Apple Store displaying their new 'trendy' looking virus boxes adorned in white and sliver, hmmm wonder how long it took DULL 'designers' to come up with such a revolutionary industrial design.
9. BV Harris
Only a PC dweeb wouldn't see the precise functionality of an ipod and call it 'trendy'. I buy macs and ipods because they work the best, most people buy PCs because they're cheap, and 'everbody else has one', not a very informed, nor savvy buying decision. Apple is clearly the leader in making computer technology accessible, Dell and Microsoft, the followers. And just because there are more followers, it doesn't make the leader wrong.
10. anonymous
trendy? sure.
better? definitely.
i had one of those rio's back in the day, and they were great.
but the ipod changed the game.
no one's disputing the timeline.
i'm just sick of people saying that the only reason the ipod took off was it's superior style.
11. anonymous
No one is claiming that Apple invented the mp3 player. They inovated it. It's not just the iPod, it's the iPod, iTunes, and the iTunes Music store working seamlessly together.
Creative, and the rest of Apple's competitors can't seem to even get close to producing something as seamless. It's pathetic and sort of depressing actually.
12. anonymous
Slorp, if you think iPod was anything like creative, etc... you are delusional.
Also, Apple invented FIREWIRE, which was the ONLY reason you have USB which all the others use (nano uses USB II as well). Even though firewire is still better (original version) than USB II, the new Apple is not suffering from 'not invented here'. They are over that. All their stuff is as open standards as possible, far more than what MS is pushing.
You ever use an iPod? It's more like a PDA than an ordinary MP3 player, well, if you have a Mac at least (and now Apple has added outlook support, etc... so you get calendard, to do lists, contacts, even in windows.
I remember when the mini hard drives came out. Apple was the only company that had a clue what to do with them.
Apple's stuff is not always the most popular, but at least it's almost always the best of class.
13. Tonio Loewald
Apple released an end-to-end solution, versus a piece of the pie.
Apple delivered: iPod + firewire + iTunes ( + iTMS). This is precisely Steve Jobs's point, I think.
Before that combination existed, MP3 players were simply a technical curiosity. It's like pointing out that there were hobby project and incredibly specialized digital imaging systems before Apple released QuickTake digital cameras. Or that you could assemble your own personal computer from various pieces before the Apple II came out.
14. anonymous
They didn't make it "trendy," they totally kicked everybody's butts feature-wise and interface-wise. You can't beat the iTunes integration. It's simply the best out there.
15. Mark Solomon
Poor deluded Splorp clinging to the calendar for comfort.
Did Creative develop a great jukebox app like iTunes? No.
Did they develop the first truly successful music store like iTMS? No.
Did they ultimately create a cross-platform fully-integrated solution with music stores available in 20 countries? No!
Does the Creative family of products boast the same eco-system of accessories, including connectivity to many of the world's leading car manufacturers? No.
So comparing Creative's clunky poorly designed MP3 and (snigger) WMA players with Apple's total solution is rather like comparing a Stone Age wheel to a Lamborghini Miura.
Also, if you're going to cling to the calendar: Apple's Macintosh was introduced in 1984, and Windows finally raised its quarter-assed head above water in 1985 with the first usable version (arguably, Windows /386) not showing up till December 1987.
Shall we carry on? You go and find the dates for Windows Media and I'll go and find the data for QuickTime. Or shall we talk about web browsers? Just so you don't feel too inadequate, I'll give you the fact that Windows has created a unique industry in viruses and malware with over 100,000 examples in the wild as opposed to the grand total of 0 in existence for Apple's Mac OS X.
16. anonymous
People have said that apple is just following what is out there and making trendy improvements. Do you have idea how long it takes to get a product from concept to retail shelves? They have thought about it for a long time.
17. anonymous
So someone else has to do their job and invent something new besides Apple, what's your point?
Apple came out with a basketfull of firsts... the first pda, the first personal computer, the first commercial OS/computer to use GUI, the first to use firewire (also invented it), the first multi-monitor capable OS/computer, the first computer to use 3.5" floppy drives and also the first to dump it and so on...