Hey guys, I think you need to realize that if Steve Jobs wasn't a hardass, we wouldn't be using the Macs we're using right now (unless you're on one of them pre iMac things...)
Steve Jobs doesn't take crap from anybody. He has to be a hardass to survive in the computer world. By putting on this friendly face at the MacWorld keynote, he makes people think that he is successful by being cool and happy, but behind that 'cool' appearance, he has to be a major hardass.
You also have to have almost 3 balls to do some of the things Jobs is doing today, like taking on other music downloading services, challenging microsux's IE (and soon to challenge office), planning on sueing motorola, pushing IBM to get the 970 out ahead of schedule, and continuing to be the single major innovator in silicon valley. You have to have the guts to release a bondi-blue plastic computer to the masses.
Jobs has to be sure of himself, and the people he works with. To do that, he has to be hard on himself and others. It shows loyalty, and makes people work better and harder (if you can stand Jobs...) You see, he took a gamble on the xServe because the market out there was already pretty big, and they were just starting out, and Jobs said that Apple was going to be a humble player in this massive market. Now, they're innovating like no other, making server and storage solutions available to small businesses and others.
With the Apple Music Store, Jobs had to have the support of the major lables. He had to do something radically different to make this service better than the others, and he did. Since Apple has major plans for the Apple Music Store, he can't appear to be humble to the competition. He has to be the biggest hard ass in the industry to stay on top here. He has to flat-out diss the other services to show why Apple's is just so much better. He basically said "their services suck, and we didn't like it, so we made ours better." By using strong words, he makes himself appear more confident, which intimidates competitors, and makes investors feel more secure. Apple can't afford to lose here, and they don't plan on it either.
As for Jobs firing people, I don't think that that's as big of a problem at Apple as it is at other places. Jobs himself said that Apple hasn't laid off a fraction of the amount of people that other companies have gotten rid of. Of course, it is sometimes necessary for a company such as Apple to be able to get rid of people who aren't profitable to the company. In the current economy, I'd rather see Apple lay off people than take a major hit, and risk financial stability just to save jobs. (edit: I just realized the irony in using the word 'jobs'
)
You must understand that Jobs has to be the hardass he is. When working with other businesses, you can't seem weak, or the other guys will take advantage of you. Apple probably saw this from Motorola. You can also look at the endless number of companies who have partnered with microsoft, only to be screwed in the long run. Those companies were founded on an 'idea', and backed only by that 'idea'. Apple, while founded on an 'idea', is backed by much more, such as a hardass CEO. When working with a hardass, you have to be on their good side. This ensures that Apple is less likely to be screwed by business partners, and that they will cooperate more fully, or not at all, in which case, they find someone else to work with.
I believe that Jobs has learned from experience what being a softy can do. It almost cost him Apple. I know for sure that Jobs has learned a valuable lesson, and uses it to his advantage. It also explains why Apple has such a small market share. Sure, Sculley may have been a hardass, but he didn't know where to be hard and where to be soft. Jobs understands who he has to be a hardass with, and who he has to be humble with.
Recording industry & server markets- humble
iLife, iMac, iPod, PowerBook, PowerMac, Safari, OS X, Music Store competitors- hardass
I'm sure it's more detailed than that, but you see, Apple needs to learn more about server markets, so they're humble there. Apple also needs support from the recording industry for their Music Store, so they also have to be humble. For everything else, they have to show that they have the best product. Usually, the products sell themselves, but for the really important stuff, like the Apple Music Store, Jobs has to be a hardass when comparing it to the competition. Cheesey comparisons won't work, like the PowerMac vs P4 photoshop tests, and that gateway vs iMac thing that gateway did. Those didn't do much. They were both rigged. Jobs flat out spoke about how the other music downloading services suck. It's the only way they'll get anywhere with it. They can't just advertise features and let the product go freely into the market. Apple knows they have a winner, and they want to promote it as much as possible, where as with the xServe, they have a product that they're unsure about it's success, so they push it mroe cautiously.
Of course, these are just my opinions (I'm not much of a hardass, am I?
) and you can take them how you want, but I've seen what happens to people who can't stand up for their prodcuts or beliefs. They get crushed. Just look at people who get shot down by Bill 'O Riley (I don't mean to hijack this thread into a political discussion, but just look at how many people he's shot down because he's such a hardass...)
I rest my case.