Al Gore Joins Apple's Board

[MacRumors]

Apple announced (http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2003/mar/19gore.html) that Al Gore (former Vice President) will be joining Apple's Board of Directors:

?Al brings an incredible wealth of knowledge and wisdom to Apple from having helped run the largest organization in the world?the United States government?as a Congressman, Senator and our 45th Vice President. Al is also an avid Mac user and does his own video editing in Final Cut Pro,? said Steve Jobs, Apple?s CEO. ?Al is going to be a terrific Director and we?re excited and honored that he has chosen Apple as his first private sector board to serve on.?

[SPG]

Bttm and Ovi are currently placing orders for new Dells!:p
Seriously though, it's nice to know that Al Gore is a mac user.

[rebscb]

Apple will REALLY benefit from Vice President Al Gore's membership on the board due to the fact that he invented the internet!!!

[pyrotoaster]

A good call by Apple, and by Al.
After all, he did invent the internet. :p

[Foucault]

Does this mean that Al Gore's daughters get to do new switch ads? Dude they're hot.

[dricci]

I think we'll see a lot of the more conservative Mac users jumping ship to the SS Microsoft shortly :p

[acj]

Too bad it's not Ross Perot. He's just so funny.

[estevan2737]

Sorry...couldn't resist.

:rolleyes:

[e-coli]

Nice!

Maybehe can convince the federal government not to be so anti-mac.

[agreenster]

Yep. A valuable member indeed. Nothing like having the inventor of the internet on board, huh?

--edit--

Wow. Beat to the punch twice

[cosmicsoftceo]

Someone at Apple is playing an April Fools' joke, right? Right? Someone tell me this isn't true...

Anyway, this pretty much negates the need for that troublesome politics board--conservatives are anti-Mac!

[applemacdude]

wow...so does that mean more political talk?

[NavyIntel007]

Fitting... I mean after all he invented the internet right?

[NavyIntel007]

Originally posted by dricci
I think we'll see a lot of the more conservative Mac users jumping ship to the SS Microsoft shortly :p

Be serious dude...

[imaginereno]

Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

[eyelikeart]

I'm speechless...seriously...

how interesting to go from Vice-Pres...to Apple Board Member...

:eek: :eek: :eek:

[DreaminDirector]

WTF?!?!?!?!?!

this isn't april fools!

[Jaykay]

Originally posted by CTan
1st in!

HEATHEN!!!!!!! Just Kidding

Anyways, Al Gore, Apple im sure it makes sense to somebody.

P.S. Whats this about him inventing the Internet (im not american)...

[patrick0brien]

-Aww Dammit!

Why couldn't they have gotten Dubya? Maybe then he'd understand the gravity of the rolling dog slap-on-wrist-wet noodle judgement last fall.

Can you say Microsoft Antitrust Part II Smackety?

[Billicus]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

My dog could make a better president than him. And him being on Apple's board?:confused: He's such an idiot! Why couldn't we just get Wozniak back?;)

[tliptak]

Haha thats awesome...

[Freg3000]

Pretty cool. Hope he adds something good to the board. :)

P.S. Sorry, I just realized that I created a similar thread just seconds ago. I didn't check the frontpage. :( I guess a mod should close it or something. Sorry!!!

[dswan34]

I'd rather have him on the apple board then as POTUS.

[daytona63]

I'm crying. Oh well, this is one conservative who loves Macs!

[onetime]

This news has made my day. They really should have him do some plugs or slap him on the home page or something... Can't wait to show my Mac buddy who voted Bush.

Gore, there's a reason behind everything. Go get 'em!

[elo]

This is a huge coup for Apple - wow.

I hope the posts about "inventing the internet" (funny once, not so much the fifth time) are not intended to be serious. After all, he never actually said that and he was very important in getting some pro-technology initiatives through Congress. He's also a really smart guy and a great person.

And whatever your politics (this is, after all, not a political appointment), it is huge to have a two-term Vice President of the United States on your Board of Directors.

Go Apple!

elo

[cthorp]

Maybe apple can increase product share by doing a recount. Or maybe a couple of recounts. Also I think they actually use imovie 3 to edit his speeches. They just do everything with the Ken Burnes effects.

If if is true I wish him well.

[Quark]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

Ditto!

[thabridawg]

Steve: Hey Al, the rumor sites keep on leaking our secret plans for our numerous future products. Got any ideas?

Al: I don't know... maybe keep the secrets in some sort of "lockbox."

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by dswan34
I'd rather have him on the apple board then as POTUS.

I guess I'm a little slow today, but what is "POTUS"?

Thanks!

[AllenPSU]

Originally posted by rebscb
Apple will REALLY benefit from Vice President Al Gore's membership on the board due to the fact that he invented the internet!!!

I guess that explains all the problems the internet has.

Hope he does better at Apple that he did at his last venture.

[NitzerX]

Hmmm... Don't see the fit. Judging by mac user reactions, what are the pc users going to say.

ughh. :confused:

[AllenPSU]

Originally posted by imaginereno
I guess I'm a little slow today, but what is "POTUS"?

Thanks!

POTUS is President of the United States.

[DreaminDirector]

WTF?!?!?!?!?!

this isn't april fools!

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by AllenPSU
POTUS is President of the United States.


Ahhh! Then definitely, better a board member than the POTUS!!!

[Dont Hurt Me]

I like gore, he would be our next president if not for a few mistakes in his campaign(loosing his home state) & ( Not using Clinton) Did i say that? Anyways he is a guy looking to the future so why not. Hope he aint using a P.C.

[icetraxxg5]

Seriously, how the hell is Al Gore going to help Apple? Hes a frickin idiot. All he can do is spin the truth and NOT answer peoples questions straight to the point. Atleast he is too stupid to really hurt Apple.

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by icetraxxg5
Seriously, how the hell is Al Gore going to help Apple? Hes a frickin idiot. All he can do is spin the truth and NOT answer peoples questions straight to the point. Atleast he is too stupid to really hurt Apple.

And I thought I was harsh....

[chubakka]

Al Gore never said he invented the internet.

The Bush campaign spread that lie. More evidence if you keep saying something in a campaign no matter how untrue it is... people will believe it.
Like... Bush the Education President... hehe what a JOKE!

At least AL knows how to use a computer... and reads. As opposed to Bush who couldn't name his favorite book or remember the last one he had read when asked.

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by elo
This is a huge coup for Apple - wow.

I hope the posts about "inventing the internet" (funny once, not so much the fifth time) are not intended to be serious. After all, he never actually said that and he was very important in getting some pro-technology initiatives through Congress. He's also a really smart guy and a great person.

And whatever your politics (this is, after all, not a political appointment), it is huge to have a two-term Vice President of the United States on your Board of Directors.

Go Apple!

elo

"..a really smart guy.." ???

Based on what proof????

[network23]

I really can't stand the guy either, but I see this as a good thing.

What Al can bring to the board is insight into government and how Apple can do better getting some of that (state and federal) market share. He can offer suggestions on how to sell Apple solutions to governments.

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by chubakka
Al Gore never said he invented the internet.

The Bush campaign spread that lie. More evidence if you keep saying something in a campaign no matter how untrue it is... people will believe it.
Like... Bush the Education President... hehe what a JOKE!

At least AL knows how to use a computer... and reads. As opposed to Bush who couldn't name his favorite book or remember the last one he had read when asked.

Here is the quote, from the interview with Wolf Blitzer:

"...I took the initiative in creating the Internet..."

Funny, the internet was created about 3 years before Al Gore was even in Congress.

If was going to lie, at least he could do is lie about something that was difficult to verify.

[Backtothemac]

Originally posted by SPG
Bttm and Ovi are currently placing orders for new Dells!:p
Seriously though, it's nice to know that Al Gore is a mac user.

Well, I sold my Haliburton stock when Cheney took over. I don't think that ex political officials should serve in companies that are public.

Personally, my head almost exploded, but hey, this doesn't effect Mac users one way or another. As for people who use Macs. The last three Presidents use Macs. :)

SPG, it would take a lot more than this for me to buy a Dell :)

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Dont Hurt Me
Hope he aint using a P.C.
says he is an avid mac user in the thing.

this is a tragedy of gory proportions.

I've never been freaked out by a liberal using a mac, much less being on the board. oh well, as long as he doesn't do any keynotes, i won't be ranting.

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by Backtothemac
...it would take a lot more than this for me to buy a Dell :)

Ditto!!!

[deepkid]

Originally posted by thabridawg
Steve: Hey Al, the rumor sites keep on leaking our secret plans for our numerous future products. Got any ideas?

Al: I don't know... maybe keep the secrets in some sort of "lockbox."

haha. now that was funny... reminds me of the Mad Tv election sketches...

[chubakka]

:rolleyes:

Iniative is not the same as invent... although Bush probably has problems distinguishing the two...

And Al was on the committee the oversaw the funding that built the infrastructure that is the internet today...

some research labs and universities linked up does not a internet make.

So get off your high horse... What did Bush ever do? Oh right... Help Enron swindle billions, and get a Stadium for the Texas Rangers paid for by the tax-payers of Texas.

[reyesmac]

Nooooooooo!!! I guess this means he might use his Chinese connections to help Apple make cheaper Macs, at least thats cool.

[TEG]

1) I am a Conservative (Do Not Confuse me With a Republican)
2) The last three Presidents of the US have used Macs (Bush, Clinton, Bush Jr.).
3) A large number of conservatives use Macs, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hanity, Suzie Orman, etc.
4) Al did say he invented the internet, and he did support legislation that helped to bring the internet into the mainstreem, not just for "geeks" and Universities anymore.
5) A very small number of liberals use macs. (Makes me wonder why the even tried the Anti-Trust thin, they were cutting their nose to spite their face)
6) The Apple board has a nice mix of people, and Al seems to fit the matrix (No Pun Intended).
7) The Best thing about Al Gore being on the Apple Board..... HE IS NO LONGER GOING TO BE RUNING LIVES WITH POLITICS.

TEG

[Mal]

It's probably one of the few jobs he didn't have to run for! ;) Just don't let him handle the vote counting.

Seriously, though, his first private sector job??? How old is this guy? That's insane!!! I hope he doesn't do too much damage.

JW

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by deepkid
haha. now that was funny... reminds me of the Mad Tv election sketches...

They were SNL sketches with Will Ferrel as Bush and Darrel Hammond (i think) as Gore ;)

[Rufus]

The reason that Gore does not make a good board member is not his political party or the circus that was the last election. He polarizes people : pro-Gore, anti-Gore.

Does Larry Elison do this? Not to the same degree, and even if people don't like Elison, they don't hold it against Apple. Not so with Al Gore.

Al Gore was part of a committee (possibly the head) that recommended that the network connecting universities, government facilities and defense companies, be opened to the public, making the internet. He didn't invent the internet, and he did say it in an interview. But even Bush stammers and says things incorrectly when interviewed without a script.

[Nuc]

How much do you think they will be paying him for his supposed "expertise"? My thoughts are probably to much...... He would probably be a better sales person at the Apple stores than he would be as member of the board of directors.

[RBMaraman]

Very interesting news. I think this is a good move by Apple.

All you people who think Al Gore is an idiot need to read the book "The Prince Of Tennessee." It's a very interesting biography done by a very Republican author. Even the author admits that Gore is extermly intelligent and has great business sense. Besides, Harvard doesn't exactly let idiots in.

Sure, Gore has made some dumb statements and mistakes. But hey! We all have! And don't even say you've never said or done anything stupid. Stupidity is human nature. The only reason Gore's screwups have made it into the press is because he's a public figure. How would you like it if the New York Times started airing your dirty secrets? You wouldn't, and we shouldn't attack Gore because he's made some of the same mistakes you have.

This is a very interesting addition to one of the worst Boards in corporate history. Hopefully Gore's addition will move Apple off of "The worst boards of directors in the world" lists.

[Zion Grail]

Al Gore said he took one of the initiatives to invent the internet. And, in reality, he did. It's not a lie. He wasn't the only person, but without him the internet may not be anything close to as great as what it is today.

This is a great day for Apple.

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by chubakka
:rolleyes:

Iniative is not the same as invent... although Bush probably has problems distinguishing the two...

And Al was on the committee the oversaw the funding that built the infrastructure that is the internet today...

some research labs and universities linked up does not a internet make.

So get off your high horse... What did Bush ever do? Oh right... Help Enron swindle billions, and get a Stadium for the Texas Rangers paid for by the tax-payers of Texas.

That's odd....I thought this topic was about Al Gore???

[alset]

Originally posted by icetraxxg5
Seriously, how the hell is Al Gore going to help Apple? Hes a frickin idiot. All he can do is spin the truth and NOT answer peoples questions straight to the point. Atleast he is too stupid to really hurt Apple.

When I was a kid my family lived in TN. My father was on the board of an environmental-cleanup campaign with Al Gore. He has assured me, many times, that Gore was a very intelligent man, and quite capable of displaying strong leadership skills.

I'm not taking sides on this one until I see more info, but I do want to point out that the mac is not a fool. Apple has it's reasons.

Dan

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by RBMaraman
Very interesting news. I think this is a good move by Apple.

All you people who think Al Gore is an idiot need to read the book "The Prince Of Tennessee." It's a very interesting biography done by a very Republican author. Even the author admits that Gore is extermly intelligent and has great business sense.

Since when did someone saying something make it true???

[iJon]

guess they werent kidding when they said apple had the one of the worse board of directors.

iJon

[Sublime]

another moronic board member decision...

/boggle

[Juicy]

I am a shareholder and I received no opportunity to vote on this. What good is a politician on the board? We barely got any use out of Larry Ellison! Now we'll have another lazy has-been sucking at Apple's teats. Instead, why not hire someone who's been relentlessly successful at what they do?

Apple: please pull your head out and undo this monstrous distraction. Focus! Stick to hiring great minds to make great systems. Jeez, this is worse than making Sinbad an Apple Fellow.

I am neither a conservative nor a liberal (nor a theist for that matter). This would be just as stupid if GW, or any Libertarian candidate had been tapped. Businessmen should run businesses. They're good at it.

This is a BAD sign. This means Apple has truly given up economic entrepreneurship and is going down the dark path of political entrepreneurship. I have never doubted Apple before, through the darkest days. Now almost all my hope is lost. And they've done it themselves.

I assure you that I will be using my shares to oppose this. I encourage all fellow shareholders to join me in ousting this non-entity from Apple's bridge.

-B...

[RBMaraman]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Since when did someone saying something make it true???

I didn't say it made it true. I was simply saying that even people who don't like or support the guy acknowledge that he's an intelligent human being.

On a side note, the full statement about Gore creating the internet was incorrect. Media outlets cutoff the last few words. His actual statement was, "I took the initiative in creating the internet funding legislation."

[lmalave]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Here is the quote, from the interview with Wolf Blitzer:

"...I took the initiative in creating the Internet..."

Funny, the internet was created about 3 years before Al Gore was even in Congress.

If was going to lie, at least he could do is lie about something that was difficult to verify.

Creating is more synonymous with "building" than with "inventing". I have to say, as an electrical engineering student in the early 90's, I heard about the "Information Superhighway" first from Al Gore than from any tech source. At the time most people even in the tech field (including myself) thought the "Information Superhighway" was an intriguing idea, but kind of a weird obsession for someone to have. Well, history proved Gore right.

Al Gore was a passionate advocate of building out what we now know as the Internet (not the ARPANet that preceded it). So yes, he took the initiative in "creating the internet". The fact that something that he should have taken credit for got turned into a joke just shows how formidable the Republican spin machine is. As a liberal it pains me to say it, but the Dems are getting totally outclassed when it comes to controlling the message of a campaign. I mean it's like pros vs. amateurs at this point :(

[Dont Hurt Me]

I think this will be good for apple as long as he still has his beard! If he is clean shaven well that a whole nother matter.

[bobindashadows]

Originally posted by chubakka

And Al was on the committee the oversaw the funding that built the infrastructure that is the internet today...

Haha! Thus, he was the key player who made it happen, because he was on a committee that made sure money moved.
My father's friend's father was one of the core engineers who developed the copper transistor. Al Gore doesn't even have that much, as far as I see. He made sure money was appropriated so that another entirely separate group of people could have their idea of the Internet network made widespread. If that means he made an initiative to invent (in the strict, common sense of the word) the internet, then I made an initiative to invent the copper transistor. Simply being on a committee to make sure a budget was well-defined does not make you the inventor. I've gotta run, but somebody may want to grab a Merriam-Webster definition of invent.

I thought I remembered the quote saying "I made an initiative in inventing the internet..." so much of that is irrelevant.

Frankly, I think this is a bad move by Apple... I'm not going to say that Al Gore is stupid because he isn't. In reality, he is intelligent, as is George W. Bush. As somebody said, Harvard doesn't let morons in. GWB has a MBA from Harvard. I don't remember the exact credentials, but I think the article said Al Gore got his B.A. from Harvard. I don't think Al Gore is right for Apple, i mean when I read that this is the first private board he's been on, that doesn't make me feel flattered, it makes me think he doesn't know what he'll be doing! The appointment is a show job... he's there for his name.

[Greenlightboi]

Awwww here it goes.....

Its hard to be concervative AND defend te Mac at the same time.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by Rufus

Al Gore was part of a committee (possibly the head) that recommended that the network connecting universities, government facilities and defense companies, be opened to the public, making the internet. He didn't invent the internet, and he did say it in an interview. But even Bush stammers and says things incorrectly when interviewed without a script.

The exact words Gore used were "creating the internet". The words you used above were "making the internet". Uh, aren't "creating" and "making" more ore less the same thing? It's the Republican spin machine that make a joke out of it, as part of their admittedly brilliantly executed "Gore is a fibber" disinformation campaign.

[Hemingray]

Uh.... say WHAT? :eek:

I'll sum this up in one word: lock-box. ;)

[mattevil]

i use a mac and final cut pro can i be on the board too?

[Dont Hurt Me]

Well at least he is a mac user, maybe he will clear up the g4 fiasco

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Greenlightboi
Awwww here it goes.....

Its hard to be concervative AND defend te Mac at the same time.

what? not even remotely. why do you have to politicize computer usage? the fact that a liberal is on the board of directors has not one bit to do with the quality or usability of this work of art that is the mac, and anyone who thinks so deserves to be stuck on their windows box, 'cos lord knows only conservatives use windows :rolleyes:.

were you trying to suggest that, or did i totally misread you? i'm not trying to flame too bad ;)

[alex_ant]

It looks like Apple is proof that dope-smoking leftist hippies (Steve Jobs), dope-smoking ex- leftist hippies (Al Gore), and rabid conservatives (a good deal of Mac users) can all live together in harmony.

[shadowhillway]

Seriously, though, his first private sector job??? How old is this guy? That's insane!!! JW

That's the problem with Al Gore. Having been born in Washington DC (not Tennessee) as the son of a senator, he has lived pretty much all of his life outside the real world.

[iwantanewmac]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

Well in any way it's obvious that your dog even outsmarts you. judging by this comment.

[simX]

Originally posted by Juicy
I am a shareholder and I received no opportunity to vote on this. What good is a politician on the board? We barely got any use out of Larry Ellison! Now we'll have another lazy has-been sucking at Apple's teats. Instead, why not hire someone who's been relentlessly successful at what they do?

Apple: please pull your head out and undo this monstrous distraction. Focus! Stick to hiring great minds to make great systems. Jeez, this is worse than making Sinbad an Apple Fellow.

I am neither a conservative nor a liberal (nor a theist for that matter). This would be just as stupid if GW, or any Libertarian candidate had been tapped. Businessmen should run businesses. They're good at it.

This is a BAD sign. This means Apple has truly given up economic entrepreneurship and is going down the dark path of political entrepreneurship. I have never doubted Apple before, through the darkest days. Now almost all my hope is lost. And they've done it themselves.

I assure you that I will be using my shares to oppose this. I encourage all fellow shareholders to join me in ousting this non-entity from Apple's bridge.

-B...

Let me first start off by saying, no, Gore did not lose the election. Gore got over half a million more votes than Bush did, yet our "democracy" dictates that Bush becomes the president. Furthermore, if Republicans HAD NOT DENIED MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN FLORIDA FROM VOTING, Gore would have won the election because of those votes. Last but not least, Gore actually DID get the majority of the votes in Florida, except the Supreme Court (in their infinite wisdom) blocked the recounts. The election was tainted because of these many issues, and our current "President" of the United States was not a "democratically" elected one.

Now for the quote above: give me a big fat freakin' break. You have not even given Al Gore one day on Apple's board of directors, and yet somehow you reach a conclusion based on mythical evidence that Gore will not be good for Apple's board. I'm not taking sides on this issue just yet, but don't we owe it to any human being to give them a chance before making judgment?

This is in stark contrast to our current "President" of the United States, who has been given two years in office and he's ignoring what the people want by going to war. He's been given a chance, and so we have the right to make a judgment.

I don't care if you're a republican, democrat, a member of the Green party, or that mythical race called "compassionate conservatives". Sorry, I will not be convinced by your little whining rant on Al Gore that he is not a suitable director for Apple. Thanks, I'll let Gore have a chance.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
Haha! Thus, he was the key player who made it happen, because he was on a committee that made sure money moved.
My father's friend's father was one of the core engineers who developed the copper transistor. Al Gore doesn't even have that much, as far as I see. He made sure money was appropriated so that another entirely separate group of people could have their idea of the Internet network made widespread. If that means he made an initiative to invent (in the strict, common sense of the word) the internet, then I made an initiative to invent the copper transistor. Simply being on a committee to make sure a budget was well-defined does not make you the inventor. I've gotta run, but somebody may want to grab a Merriam-Webster definition of invent.

I thought I remembered the quote saying "I made an initiative in inventing the internet..." so much of that is irrelevant.



I just looked up the exact quote, it was:

"During my service in the
United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."

I think if you do your own research instead of relying on Republican commentators, you will find Gore's statement to be accurate. He was the only government official I ever saw focusing on this issue as early as he did. Pop quiz: when was the first time you heard the words "Information Superhighway"? Well, Al Gore invented that term in the late 80's to sell the concept to non-tech people.

You have to remember the Gore legacy. His father took the initiative in creating the Interstate Highway system. And Gore Jr. though that the Internet would transform commerce and shorten the distance between Americans just as his father's pet project did.

So give Gore some credit will ya? His leadership was indeed important in this field, and I happen to think he is a visionary leader.

[Dj Kioto]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Since when did someone saying something make it true???

a republican would be less likley to say something like that about Gore if it were true...
why dont you take a leap of logic, and read something in the context of the statement...

[Dazzler]

As an Australian with only a minor to moderate interest in American politics (but lately that interest is growing) my knowledge of Al Gore is limited - but judging by some of the posts above, he seemed to do some good things - passing legislation that put the internet into the mainstream, for one thing - and some bad - we all know about the "I invented the internet" thing.

So he's on Apple's Board - Steve Jobs obviously knows his stuff, and a link into the consciousness of government and politics can only be a good thing.

And hey - I caught Gore on a rerun of Leno last night - and he seems to be someone who isn't afraid to poke a bit of fun at himself, take other humour directed at him good naturedly, and really care about the family unit and family values.

Based on what I've seen, a few more companies could use a few more people on their Boards like Al Gore.

[chubakka]

So Bush lived outside the real world too, under that theory...
both are sons of Senators.

[JBytes]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Is this a joke?
...
Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!
...

Yeah, but is your dog more intelligent than Gore's bitch?

--JBytes

[ennerseed]

Originally posted by acj
Too bad it's not Ross Perot. He's just so funny.

He was actually NEXT's biggest backers.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by iwantanewmac
Well in any way it's obvious that your dog even outsmarts you. judging by this comment.

wow, that was below the belt!

but i wouldn't mind a dog on the Apple board. that could be cool. maybe it would be better to have a candy apple on the board though.

i guess i hate to admit, but the comment has no thought put into it. but i wouldn't make too big a deal of it. saying something senseless doesn't make you so :p

[lmalave]

Originally posted by Dazzler
and some bad - we all know about the "I invented the internet" thing.


Don't believe everything you hear in the American media! Gore did NOT claim to "invent" the internet. He claimed to take "the initiative in creating the Internet", which he called the "Information Superhighway." You have to realize that his father, also a Senator, took the initiative in creating the interstate highway system in the U.S., and Gore felt that his legacy would be to help create the internet.

This doesn't mean that Gore knew any technical details about networks, any more than his Father might be expected to know technical details about road construction. But leadership is leadership.

[lmalave]

Originally posted by JBytes
Yeah, but is your dog more intelligent than Gore's bitch?

--JBytes

Who? Tipper? :p

[Sublime]

Originally posted by Shadowfax
wow, that was below the belt!

but i wouldn't mind a dog on the Apple board. that could be cool.


Maybe Cyberdog?

:D

[Booga]

Originally posted by imaginereno
Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

You can understand his confusion, having been the candidate that received the most votes.

While he never claimed to have invented the internet, and obviously in fact didn't, I honestly believe that the internet wouldn't be what it is today if Al Gore hadn't been around. My understanding is that he was one of the key players in Washington who got the funding secured to move the internet from ARPA to NSF, paving the way for what we know today. He also championed networking to business and economic leaders, and while they may have gone a little off the deep end with it in the late 90's, I think he is a visionary who will bring great benefit to Apple.

(It was, what, 5-10 years ago that everyone was calling him a freak for predicting that the internal combustion engine would be phased out in his lifetime. Now people can't talk enough about fuel cells and hybrid cars that are beginning the process.)

[Dj Kioto]

It's so funny, Apple has gone a long time with it's G4, and we've almost come to the point where we've stopped playing chicken little and stopped running around saying the sky is falling... it isn't, this does not mean the end of Apple anymore than the absence of the "G5" does... Apple will keep on ticking...

oh, and I'm curious, when jobs came back, and helped bring apple back to profitability, since the iMac, how many of the board members we've had then do we have now, and how much has it hurt them, I'm also curious... what changes have been made to apple's doard of directors since circa '96-'98... I'm jsut curious, I'm not trying to imply... much...

[imaginereno]

Originally posted by simX
Let me first start off by saying, no, Gore did not lose the election. Gore got over half a million more votes than Bush did, yet our "democracy" dictates that Bush becomes the president. Furthermore, if Republicans HAD NOT DENIED MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN FLORIDA FROM VOTING, Gore would have won the election because of those votes. Last but not least, Gore actually DID get the majority of the votes in Florida, except the Supreme Court (in their infinite wisdom) blocked the recounts. The election was tainted because of these many issues, and our current "President" of the United States was not a "democratically" elected one.

Now for the quote above: give me a big fat freakin' break. You have not even given Al Gore one day on Apple's board of directors, and yet somehow you reach a conclusion based on mythical evidence that Gore will not be good for Apple's board. I'm not taking sides on this issue just yet, but don't we owe it to any human being to give them a chance before making judgment?

This is in stark contrast to our current "President" of the United States, who has been given two years in office and he's ignoring what the people want by going to war. He's been given a chance, and so we have the right to make a judgment.

I don't care if you're a republican, democrat, a member of the Green party, or that mythical race called "compassionate conservatives". Sorry, I will not be convinced by your little whining rant on Al Gore that he is not a suitable director for Apple. Thanks, I'll let Gore have a chance.


HOW ODD...I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABOUT AL GORE?????

Also, please don't make accusations that you can't substantiate.

One more thing....This is about Apple and Apple Computers, not politics. So, let's keep it ON TOPIC.

Thank you!

[Les Kern]

Originally posted by rebscb
Apple will REALLY benefit from Vice President Al Gore's membership on the board due to the fact that he invented the internet!!!

Perpetuating stupidity in the form of a meme?

[Dont Hurt Me]

Dont get me started . bush denied votes? come on if you vote for more then 1 candidate your screwing up. Bush won the electoral college did he not? Maybe we should go to a system of majority votes period, but i dont think the little states were in favor of this.

[neutrino23]

Originally posted by Shadowfax

but i wouldn't mind a dog on the Apple board

Moof!!!


I suggest everyone just take a chill pill.

Al Gore is not being named CEO. He is being named as a director. Aside from his native abilities he can help Apple with the influence he may have.

Also, according to the press release he is already a Senior Advisor to Google so this is at least his second private sector endeavor after Washington (apart from several teaching posts).

[mcs37]

I'm a conservative who is very interested in the 15.4" or 17" PB. I think the idea of Al Gore on the board is pretty cool. I've always liked him; he's the best robot I've ever seen, and that includes Data! But seriously, I've been a fan of Gore for his backing of manned missions to Mars.

Mike
------------------
soon-to-be switcher (waiting for the 17" PB)

[Dj Kioto]

they tell us in the office meetings that subjects to stay away from are sex politics and religion, when we are idly chatting away in our cubicles... now maybe... mmaaaaayyyybbbe.... since we're in a MAC RUMORS forum, political talk is kinda out of place... maybe it should be in a current affairs thread...

how (w/specific examples) would Gore hurt, or help apple... let me ask that question...
jobs and apple obviously think gore will help, otherwise he wouldn't be there...

also, this kind of arguing isn't really becoming of a mac user when the other person is using a mac and not a win PC... given if they WERE using a win PC, let the arguing commence... but the politics just dont belong here...

heh, I'm imagining now two political analysts who have kids in the same kindergarden, and when one of the kids points to a picture of a bush, then the parents burst into a huge political debate when in fact the kid was just pointing at a picture of a bush, NOT G.W.B.

[jgracia]

Does this means Apple will lost all their Republican users?

[BigJayhawk]

"I invented the internet!" -- Al Gore

That's just as LUDICROUS as if Apple's current CEO came out and said "I invented the Apple Computer!" Oh wait, ummm, errr, he did!?!

[DakotaGuy]

As far as sales are concerned this move really does not matter. People buy products no matter who is on the board as long as they are good products. I don't think Gore will cause much to change either way, Apple will stay a strong company. During the Clinton adminstration real movement was going on with the M$ lawsuit which seems to be stalled under Ashcroft, but that could change.

I think there may be a few people who will think negatively about this and will refuse to buy Macs, but they are the same people who were never able to think different in the past. As quiet as it has been kept over the years, the truth is the most conservative people have wanted Apple to fail. Do a lot of looking through webpages and you will see the religious right have made claims about Apple being linked to the Devil. There have also been claims about the OSX name Darwin as Apple being anti-Christian.

I have no idea why so many conservatives see Apple as a threat and at the same time gloat how great Microsoft is, but that is the way it is. I can't say all, but many very conservative people think Apple is evil and Apple users are "weird" They despise the whole idea of being "different."

[copperpipe]

I mean this thread will carry us through this week and next for our macrumors fix. I mean, how many times can we talk about wether or not the 970 is gonna be 10% faster or slower than the latest PIV or not?

Yeha, this is the ticket.

Anyway, for everyone saying Gore is dumb, blah blah blah. You are all idiots. I want to ask everyone of you what the heck you've done with your life to be soooooo condescending to our ex vice president, and someone who won the popular vote to be the PRESIDENT OF THE USA. C'mon, did you win the Nobel prize or something?

I mean, I don't like president Bush, but I give him credit for having managed to become the president of the USA. I don't think he's nearly as "dumb" as thousands of quotes out there that make him look really dumb. It's easy to discredit someone, but think about it - could you manage to go through that rat maze without just completely flipping out? Just the running to be president would take its toll on me...

[copperpipe]

The idea of conservatives jumping ship because of this is weird, but maybe a little interesting. I doubt anyone would do that, except maybe the most extreme. But hey, imagine if the decisions were made that way - Apple's marketshare rises 45%!!!

[MacVault]

Al doesn't even know the difference between Micheal Jackson and Micheal Jordan, he thinks he invented the internet, and he was part of the most corrupt presidency in American history! Steve Jobs must have been smoking some shrooms or something when he decided to take on Gore.

Although this is my immediate and overall reaction, I will say there could be some benifit, and perhaps some major benifit by having a board member experienced in such a high position of government, as long as his influence in the company is critically examined, and hopefully Steve Jobs will have the mind to do this, and not just let Al take over the company. I know Steve is on the left, and a buddy of Billy Clinton.

This news does seem kinda like a joke. We'll just have to see what happens.

-Z :eek:

[Dont Hurt Me]

Presidents dont get paid squat compared to Jobs and thousands of other business ceo's. etc. I like Gore and i like Bush and thank this will be good for apple. After all they are still using the g4 so they need all the help they can get.

[DakotaGuy]

I have to agree with Copperpipe, no one is that "dumb" if they make it to a position like Vice President or President of the United States. Most times we call them "dumb" because we don't like them personally or politically, but are they really that "dumb" as in actually mentally retarded?

[copperpipe]

Mr. Gore received his B.A. in Government with honors from Harvard University.

We're screwed. We have a Harvard honors student working for our company. I knew he was dumb.

[reyesmac]

Will buhdist monks switch to Macs now?

[steeleclipse]

Originally posted by Foucault
Does this mean that Al Gore's daughters get to do new switch ads? Dude they're hot.

You got any pics? Unless of course you are one of Gore's people, which in that case.. pics? what pics? (you can't be too careful with the feds these days) :D

[Hemingray]

Originally posted by jgracia
Does this means Apple will lost all their Republican users?

Nope. Some people are mature enough to separate computers from politics. Others... evidently... aren't. :rolleyes:

[Doctor Q]

Originally posted by Booga
It was, what, 5-10 years ago that everyone was calling him a freak for predicting that the internal combustion engine would be phased out in his lifetime. Now people can't talk enough about fuel cells and hybrid cars that are beginning the process.So how soon can I order a fuel cell Mac? Or the solar iPod?

Al Gore has long been interested in technology (he's already a Google Inc. advisor) and he certainly has business connections. It will be interesting to see what he does for Apple. Steve Jobs is known as a control freak (have you heard the Woz knock-knock joke about it?), so I don't think Gore is going to become any kind of spokesperson for Apple.

[StealthRider]

you have got to be kidding me...this has to be a bad joke. What does HE have to offer Apple other than half a dozen recounts of their profits. Just imagine..."This can't be true. This isn't good enough. I wan't a recount." Poor Steve...

[runningman]

He did this so that at the next election he'll be using macs to count the votes.

[praetorian_x]

Originally posted by cosmicsoftceo
Someone at Apple is playing an April Fools' joke, right? Right? Someone tell me this isn't true...

Anyway, this pretty much negates the need for that troublesome politics board--conservatives are anti-Mac!

Rush uses a mac:

http://www.macobserver.com/editorial/2002/01/16.1.shtml

I'm a damned-near fascist (well, at least by San Francisco standards, which is to say, I'm a classical liberal), and I really like the mac. I'm not doctrinare about it like some people, but then, conservatism has been defined as the negation of ideology.

Cheers,
prat

[Boffo Dennis]

Way back when Mr. Gore was running for President - possibly during the primary - someone asked him about why he was using Windows (I believe he was using a ThinkPad) instead of a Mac. He stated something to the effect that Macs were no longer relevant and were out of date. Granted this was pre-OS X, but not a flattering comment. If I were cynical I'd think this was a flip-flop. If I were even more, I'd say it could have been caused by the money or prestige granted for sitting on the board.

My .02.

I DO think AlGore is a positive addition to the BOD. He's the first quasi-geek VP and he seems to have a vision for technology.

Another .02.

[iThink]

This is pretty pathetic.

Al Gore is confabulator, plain and simple. Apple seems to be doing the same lately about expenses and other such related matters. So, it kind of makes sense to me.

Who can forget the "I owned a chicken farm," fiasco? Remember that? Al Gore said that he owned a chicken farm. When a reporter did some digging and research and confronted Al Gore as a liar, Gore had to admit that it was his father actually owned chickens -- and only about 20 at that, not the "10,000" that Gore claimed.

Then there is the issue of "inventing the internet." I guess now that he's with Apple he can legally state that he's associated with inventing the internet.

I think that Steve bringing Gore on is just a desperate measure to bring some money, Democratic deep pockets, into 1 Infinite Loop.

Personally, I got fed up with the peeling paint Titaniums-cracking hinge Titaniums-warping 12-inch Powerbooks (from heat)-raster shift eMacs-cracking case Cubes-'Wind Tunnel' Power Macs-Apple computers and just turned to Sony systems instead. That was topped off by the revelation that my money is jetting Jobs around on a 140 MILLION dollar jet and giving his executives 1.5 MILLION dollar loans. Meanwhile, YOU SUCKERS are fighting with Apple to pay for petty issues like your peeling paint issues.

Now your money can feed and house Gore and his confabulators in addition to Jobs' "largesse living." While he's jetsetting around the globe you Apple consumers and the poor laid-off Apple employees can think about how Apple and Jobs treats all of you.

This is the same as if Bill Gates was so desperate that he brought George Bush (Jr. or Sr.) onto the board of directors at Microsoft. It's so partisan it's pathetic.

Apple must be desperate.

One more thing?

I thought that Steve-O really was losing his grip as a CEO who was able to make good and objective decisions.

Now this only confirms my belief of the same.

Now I'm convinced that Steve is past his "sell date" at this point.

Steve, STEP DOWN!

[dricci]

Originally posted by Boffo Dennis
[B]Way back when Mr. Gore was running for President - possibly during the primary - someone asked him about why he was using Windows (I believe he was using a ThinkPad) instead of a Mac. He stated something to the effect that Macs were no longer relevant and were out of date.

No, he said he had to switch because the software he needed wasn't Mac-native and he couldn't wait any longer. It was a business decision that he had to make. I believe I read that he also said that Apple was coming back around with the iMac around the same time he had to reverse switch.

[wsteineker]

Does anyone else think that iThink's above post sounds a little like flamebait? Please moderate!

More to the point, Gore has a pretty interesting resume that might very well suit a company like Apple. He's had an interesting and broad career, serving as a journalist, politician, and educator. His educational pedigree is indisputable (Harvard and Vanderbilt). I also think it's unfair to argue against him as one of the true forward thinkers in modern politics. Sure, the election was a debacle. Get over it. Here in the present the addition of Gore to Apple's board of directors lends Apple some publicity, insight into tech trends, higher education, and government policy, and most importantly the board gains a real political insider who still carries a great degree of clout in Washington. Smart move, Apple! Keep up the good work.

[Fall]

For someone with such a firm and solid gripe against Apple, why do you waste your time reading articles and posting in discussion groups.

Surely someone who seemed to have bought every product in the Apple universe and thrown every one of them out the window, would be ticked off to an extent of which you would never want to hear of Apple again?

Why don't you go join your Sony funboys and stopp wasting your own "precious" time here reading this?

Oh, and bolding your whole story only makes it harder to read.

[iThink]

Want to know why I'm angry?

We have a WAR going on.

For Steve to announce a decision like this on the day that we may have Americans DYING in a war is pretty pathetic.

It is, literally, 2 minutes until the time that the countdown to war is over and here Steve goes and announces this kind of thing.

Have a LITTLE respect is what I say.

It's disgusting.

[FelixDerKater]

:eek: :mad: :o :( :eek: :mad: :( :o

WHY? What is Apple thinking?

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by iThink
Want to know why I'm angry?

We have a WAR going on.

For Steve to announce a decision like this on the day that we may have Americans DYING in a war is pretty pathetic.

It is, literally, 2 minutes until the time that the countdown to war is over and here Steve goes and announces this kind of thing.

Have a LITTLE respect is what I say.

It's disgusting.

Not to be rude, but WHAT IN THE SWEET HELL DOES ANY OF THIS HAVE TO DO WITH APPLE? Didn't you get that memo about life as usual going on here in the real world even while global events unfold. Christ, if Apple ceased operation every time a global crisis occured they'd be shutting down every other Tuesday. Moreover, no Americans died in Iraq today because THERE IS NO WAR YET. Where are the moderators to stop garbage like this? Get a clue, man.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Steve is a demo if iam not mistaken, this makes him not better not worse just food for thought. Apple is still the best computer company and Gore will be a fine addition for the Board.

[yumpin yiminy]

become familiar with Snopes. com and other watchdog organizations, like, FAIR.ORG.
you'll find that urban legends aren't something which hold up like those raggity teddy bears you likely sleep with, folks.

http://www.snopes.com/quotes/internet.htm

Al Gore and Rush Limbaugh use Macs. alot of people use Macs. The one thing you should all hope is that more people end up using Macs.
For Apple to restructure their boards with well-connected people who just so happen to NOT be vendors or technilogical partners is a good thing. They, and all corporations, need board diversity (though not entirely, or exclusively like J. Jackson wanted. though that would be cool, too)
Having Gore on their can't hurt anymore or less than having Steve Jobs as CEO can hurt or help. You should all just hope Apple can expand their market share and keep making desirable products that people want to put in their homes and in their offices so they can be more productive.
end rant.

[Boffo Dennis]

No, he said he had to switch because the software he needed wasn't Mac-native and he couldn't wait any longer. It was a business decision that he had to make. I believe I read that he also said that Apple was coming back around with the iMac around the same time he had to reverse switch.
?

You are correct about the reason he was using the ThinkPad. Thanks for the correction. I don't remember him saying Apple was coming back, but hey... I was wrong before.

As for some of the other opinions expressed here... iThink not. I don't agree with AlGore's politics, but I don't agree with Steve Jobs' either. I don't pay money for hardware because of politics, I pay money for a quality product.

DW

[MetallicPenguin]

I have mixed feelings about this Al Gore thing. I don't know, its like when your lying. I think I'm gonna email Aple about this.....somehow.

[Fukui]

Will buhdist monks switch to Macs now?

They allready should have: Steve is Buddhist....:cool:

[jeffberg]

Oh please let this not be true, Gore is so stupid. Why couldn't they do Bush?!?!? I hope Gore doesn't push away conservatives like me, because I really hate Windows.

[simX]

Originally posted by imaginereno
HOW ODD...I THOUGHT THIS WAS ABOUT AL GORE?????

Also, please don't make accusations that you can't substantiate.

One more thing....This is about Apple and Apple Computers, not politics. So, let's keep it ON TOPIC.

Thank you!

Hahahaha. Wait, let's see: go back to YOUR post in this thread:

Is this a joke?

Mr. Al "I invented the internet" Gore?

The idiot that took him over a month to realize and accept that he LOST the election?

Why don't you just have my dog serve as a board member? My dog would have just as much to offer in terms of intelligence!!!!

Was Steve smoking a joint when he typed up this press release????

Geeezzz!!!!!

Wow, see, I was responding to what you said. What an interesting concept!

This issue IS about politics because many people on this board think that this was a wrong decision, based on the fact that Al Gore was/is highly involved in politics.

Now, watch me "substantiate" my claims:

http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/29/election.naacp.reut/

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2001/apr2001/flor-a09_prn.shtml

http://www.globalexchange.org/democracy/news2001/washpost053101.html

http://www.arc.org/C_Lines/CLArchive/story4_1_04.html

Yes, blacks were harassed at the polls, and they were denied the right to vote. Don't tell me you're one of those ignorant Americans who doesn't know about this.

So, yes, this is on topic.

[iThink]

Wait!

Apple said that there were "one or two positions" available, remember?

I bet they put Bill Clinton on the board also. Oh, that's right. Guess they wouldn't -- the sexual harrassment suits wouldn't be good spin for Apple.

But, there's still "Senator" Hillary Clinton.

[iThink]

(Good substantiation, simX)

[MrMacMan]

Well now we all know steve is dem.

I don't want a political discussion here people.

I want to know, what ideas does he bring to the board. And no 'the internet' is not an option.

He funded groups that made TCP/IP... yada yada yada gore invented the internet. No he funded the makers of the basic internet.

Whatever, I want to know since he is a mac user what he wants, sure its gonna be some features here or there that he wants but what else?

I mean, what do I want to see him do? Nothing really. I want him to take his shares and his coushy job and stay there are give some advice to apple.

[Dont Hurt Me]

Hey macman he wants a 970 like all of us.

[freemidnight]

Disgusting!!!

If Apple needs some push from the politics guys, it's a pitty.

Do they need to go so low?

Apple is in such a trouble?

Historically Apple is (was) against anything called Big Brother. Hope this was not only IBM:D :D :D

As I said Disgusting:mad: :mad: :mad:

[Darby]

I wonder, will there will be a new line of products called iGore?

Or perhaps rename eMac as eGore?

:)
Just kidding...
Darby

[freemidnight]

And in theese times a Politic association is a is not really a good move!

Apple has a disrespect to his custommers.

This is maybe another reason to switch to Wintel (another Big Brother?):(

[copperpipe]

this thread has exposed how unbeleivably immature some of the people are over here. Are these people like 6 years old and retarded?

whaaaa! gore's dumb! whaaaaa!

*sucking thumb*
*thinking*
*taking thumb out of mouth*

whaaaa! gore's mom wears combat boots! whaaaa!

*sucking thumb*
*thinking really hard*
*taking thumb out of mouth*

whaaa! there's a war on! waaaaaa! this is unpatriotic! waaaaaaaa!

*accidentally sticking thumb in nose instead of mouth*

whaaaaaaaa!

[erik1975]

To bring this back to the real subject of the thread, and not a political battle.

MAYBE Apple has hired Al Gore to be the TV spokesperson for the release of the new 15 inch Al books?

It all makes perfect sense!!!

(Come on, someone had to think of this bad joke before me!)

[mcrain]

There are a lot of people who may scoff at the idea of Al Gore on the board, but consider one thing...

Only a very, very, very few living people have the ability to get access to some of the most powerful people in this country, including GWB, without a very important reason, and Gore is one of them.

I wouldn't care if it was GWB Sr. or Gore or even Dan Quail, having an ex-VP on the board will be good for business.

[vniow]

For any more political talk that is not related to the discussion, please see the Official Macrumors Political Forums. (http://forums.macrumors.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=47)

Thank you.

[iThink]

Al for AlBooks?

Brilliant!

:cool:

[macfreak]

What the??? Al Gore...at Apple? It seems like some kind of joke...how could Jobs have picked someone so out of touch with America? Geez...:confused:

[kas95125]

Originally posted by Nuc
How much do you think they will be paying him for his supposed "expertise"? My thoughts are probably to much...... He would probably be a better sales person at the Apple stores than he would be as member of the board of directors.

Unlike corporate officers (CEO, CFO, etc.), corporate board members (a.k.a. directors) generally don't receive a salary, or any other form of monetary compensation for their service, apart from travel expenses and such. :)

That's not to say that there aren't significant benefits that accompany the position (e.g. CONNECTIONS).

[alset]

It seems most of us would rather act like children and bicker than see what actually comes of this.

In response to a note above: I am also a shareholder who had no chance to vote on this matter. SO WHAT? A move like this is partially successful as a result of surprise. I see much room for improvement in Apple's business, but I don't complain and belittle their decisions without seeing the consequences first.

Everyone here would do well to keep politics and perceived media image out of their posts. You know as little about this man's ability to work with Apple as I know about kangaroos.

BTW - How much you wanna bet that 95% of the posts in this thread were premature to reading the press release on Apple's site? After seeing that Gore uses FinalCut, appreciates X and sees the importance of open-source, my respect for him has grown ten-fold.

Dan

[iThink]

OOOOOOOooooh! He uses "Final Cut Pro." Now THAT makes him qualified for the job?

No, the only thing that "qualifies" him for the job is the fact that he's an out-of-work, used-up, chad-counting has-been and Jobs is going to use him every way that he can to suck up to politicos.

[Kid Red]

Firstly, I don't see how this is bad. It's good. A high profile man with a lot of connections.

Republicn mac users, why the cynicism? Do you not realize Steve is democrat?

And to all the idiots who keep fretting 'he invented the internet, blah, blah, educate yourselves before showing your lack of:

Gore never claimed that he "invented" the Internet, which implies that he engineered the technology. The invention occurred in the seventies and allowed scientists in the Defense Department to communicate with each other. In a March 1999 interview with Wolf Blitzer, Gore said, "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet."

Taken in context, the sentence, despite some initial ambiguity, means that as a congressman Gore promoted the system we enjoy today, not that he could patent the science, though that's how the quotation has been manipulated. Hence the disingenuous substitution of "inventing" for the actual language.

But the real question is what, if anything, did Gore actually do to create the modern Internet? According to Vincent Cerf, a senior vice president with MCI Worldcom who's been called the Father of the Internet, "The Internet would not be where it is in the United States without the strong support given to it and related research areas by the Vice President in his current role and in his earlier role as Senator."

The inventor of the Mosaic Browser, Marc Andreesen, credits Gore with making his work possible. He received a federal grant through Gore's High Performance Computing Act. The University of Pennsylvania's Dave Ferber says that without Gore the Internet "would not be where it is today."

Joseph E. Traub, a computer science professor at Columbia University, claims that Gore "was perhaps the first political leader to grasp the importance of networking the country. Could we perhaps see an end to cheap shots from politicians and pundits about inventing the Internet?"

[chewbaccapits]

Originally posted by macfreak
What the??? Al Gore...at Apple? It seems like some kind of joke...how could Jobs have picked someone so out of touch with America? Geez...:confused:

You would do good to share points as to why you think he's out of touch with America...Did he not lead in helping to fund this very outlet your typing thru? If anything, "Legislating Different" got him here...Don't you think? :o

[iThink]

Well, I've said all I have to say on the matter. I'm not going to continue ranting and raving.

All I can say is that on every single Mac BBS site that I look at, an overwhelming 9 to 1 HATE the idea that Apple put Bore -- er, I mean, Gore -- on the board.

I will not buy another Apple product, period. I'm done. And a lot of other people won't either. It's not just this decision, it's because EVERY single Apple product I've owned for the past 18 months has had SERIOUS flaws and problems. Every single one of them. eMacs with raster shift problems that required multiple CRT replacements. Titaniums with chipping and peeling paint and cracking hinges. Power Macs with bad power supplies. Power Macs that sounded like jet engines. Cubes with cracking cases. And then Apple has the gall to charge for iTools just so that Steve can have a new 140 MILLION dollar jet or so he can lend his buddy at Apple 1.5 million to buy a new house.

Now I hear that the new 12-inch Powerbooks warp when they get hot and that people buying the 17-inch Powerbooks can't stand the smell (macintouch.com for those who want to check it out).

Steve Jobs is making bad decisions and I'm not paying for it anymore.

Good luck.

[Kid Red]

Bye.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by Kid Red
Republicn mac users, why the cynicism? Do you not realize Steve is democrat?
haha! nice! it'd be hilarious to see a guy who was like, yeah, i am a republican, but my mac here's a Yellow Dog Democrat now that Al is here! it was ever since the mac was invented, but i'm just going to disregard that!

[bignumbers]

Hell, if I had that choice I'd take the free Macs too!

I think it's great to have someone so high-profile on the board. Good press. From a constructive point of view, I've always seen him as a very by-the-book guy. I suspect he'll work hard towards change in some structure and other issues the board have been criticized for (like Steve's jet). The risky part is if he sees something he doesn't like and resigns as a result, that's bad press.

I think some will buy Macs as a result, and some won't. Both are bad decisions. Buy Macs because it's the best computer, or buy Wintel cuz you're a weenie. If you're making a decision like that because of one employee (even a Director) you deserve a 286.

[chewbaccapits]

Originally posted by iThink


I will not buy another Apple product, period. I'm done.



Don't let the door slam you in the ass then...

[fuge]

he's just a figurehead who's on the board. he can't really do any harm.

no problems with this conservative.

:D

[Mr. MacPhisto]

Originally posted by chubakka
:rolleyes:

Iniative is not the same as invent... although Bush probably has problems distinguishing the two...

And Al was on the committee the oversaw the funding that built the infrastructure that is the internet today...

some research labs and universities linked up does not a internet make.

So get off your high horse... What did Bush ever do? Oh right... Help Enron swindle billions, and get a Stadium for the Texas Rangers paid for by the tax-payers of Texas.

So Bush is no worse than almost all professional sports owner - big whoop.

And Gore did say he too initiative in "creating" the internet. That actually isn't a claim of invention, BUT it does imply that he, personally, installed the backbones, etc and ordered it all into place, which is not true. The infrastructure was built earlier. The problem with that statement is that he did not qualify it at all, it was made to improve image - and was a bad move to make.

While proof can be conjured up for Gore and the Rangers stadium, please do provide proof for Bush helping Enron swindle billions of dollars. Oh wait, you can't - you've made an unproven assertion there. No matter how you or I feel about Gore or Bush, it is best to argue about things we know instead of making unprovable claims about others. If you want to provide evidence to back that assertion, other than dislike or distrust for Bush, than do so.

As to Gore on the board, it doesn't bother me at all. I agree with other statements, that getting a VP on there can give connections that weren't there before. Plus, it's a good way to get on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc for free when he's brought on board. I wish him luck.

And I'm not a fan of Gore at all. Didn't vote for him, and never would BUT I would never let a move like this deter me from a product. I love Apples, plain and simple. I believe the Mac is a superior product and find it silly if anyone lets their political views switch them over because of this. Getting Gore is not a political move, at least not one that makes a statement. And now I can actually root for Gore, hoping he can make the company better in some way. Heck, I would've rooted for him if he was President too, because I support the country and the office - doesn't mean I'd approve of everything done, but I hate partisan politics with a passion. End rant.

[Sonofhaig]

Uh... How about Bob Dole instead?
At least Bob has that pencil in his hand. Might be advantagous when Apple comes out with the "Tablet" Mac. Gee Wiz Steve..... Gore?

Well on the other hand, he must have a talent for something. It certainly wasn't in politics.......

[iTurd]

Just heard the news.

How completely inane the initial reactions were by posters, "...he DID invent the internet." How tiresome. How completely devoid of any understanding of the context that statement was made.

Shall we start a string about all the dumb romper room $h;t Bush ever said?

What's with the hostility toward Gore? After all, he did win the popular vote. Somebody out there must like him.

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by iThink
Well, I've said all I have to say on the matter. I'm not going to continue ranting and raving.

All I can say is that on every single Mac BBS site that I look at, an overwhelming 9 to 1 HATE the idea that Apple put Bore -- er, I mean, Gore -- on the board.

I will not buy another Apple product, period. I'm done. And a lot of other people won't either. It's not just this decision, it's because EVERY single Apple product I've owned for the past 18 months has had SERIOUS flaws and problems. Every single one of them. eMacs with raster shift problems that required multiple CRT replacements. Titaniums with chipping and peeling paint and cracking hinges. Power Macs with bad power supplies. Power Macs that sounded like jet engines. Cubes with cracking cases. And then Apple has the gall to charge for iTools just so that Steve can have a new 140 MILLION dollar jet or so he can lend his buddy at Apple 1.5 million to buy a new house.

Now I hear that the new 12-inch Powerbooks warp when they get hot and that people buying the 17-inch Powerbooks can't stand the smell (macintouch.com for those who want to check it out).

Steve Jobs is making bad decisions and I'm not paying for it anymore.

Good luck.

iThink if that's your last post then you won't be missed in the least. iThink that you're a mouthy child who can barely put together a coherent sentence. iThink you wouldn't know an informed opinion if one took a dump on your chest. iThink you're one of the louder morons I've ever encountered. Finally, iThink these forums will be better off withough people like you.

[pope]

I want a recount from the Apple board of directors, I think that someone was counting a hanging chad as a vote for Gore. I want it in Florida with the some outcome as before.

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by pope
I want a recount from the board of directors and I want it in Florida.

with jeb there and all?

[pope]

Read the Constitution for the first time. People dont vote for president, States do. Your vote is the direction your state should vote. Popular votes mean diddly-squat.
Maybe they should give Gore a Plaque stating most populas votes by a candidate runnin in the 2000 election, and then he'd have that going for him.

[scorpion]

Several points:

1) I'm a lifelong conservative and Mac owner. Whether Al Gore is on the board or not has nothing to do with whether conservatives will use Macs. After all, Bill Gates' dad is pushing for an inheritance tax! He's a lot more dangerous to my way of thinking than Al Gore.

2) Here's a quote worth pondering: "Gore played no positive role in the decisions that led to the creation of the Internet as it now exists -- that is, in the opening of the Internet to commercial traffic," said Steve Allen, vice president for communications at the conservative Progress and Freedom Foundation.

3) Conservatives like me love competition; ergo we love the Mac.

4) Conservatives are smarter; therefore we use Macs. :)

5) I think everybody understands he didn't literally say "I invented the Internet". What he did do was weasel-word an answer that he thought he could get away with that would leave the average watcher with the impression he did invent the Internet.

6) Isn't it cool the last three presidents use Macs?

7) And isn't it cool that Apple has a former Vice President on their boad, even if you don't like his politics?

8) I think most Mac zealots (like me) are Mac zealots because we're free thinkers and question authority (1984). Remember, Big Brother wasn't exactly a Republican, although a lot of people would like to paint him that way.

9) OT: So should I get a SCSI card, or a SCSI adapter?

[SPG]

Originally posted by iThink
I will not buy another Apple product, period. I'm done.
Go back to eating your freedom fries and lobbying to give back the statue of liberty on your PC. You won't be missed.

All I can say is that on every single Mac BBS site that I look at, an overwhelming 9 to 1 HATE the idea that Apple put Bore -- er, I mean, Gore -- on the board.

That's because most normal people go "hmm, that's nice." While the conservatives get into a tizzy because something of note happened with someone who doesn't subscribe to their idealogy.
Here, let me piss off the republicans some more...
Hilary! Hilary! Hilary!

[alset]

Originally posted by iThink
OOOOOOOooooh! He uses "Final Cut Pro." Now THAT makes him qualified for the job?

No, the only thing that "qualifies" him for the job is the fact that he's an out-of-work, used-up, chad-counting has-been and Jobs is going to use him every way that he can to suck up to politicos.

I think you are intentionally missing my point, which does you no credit at all. I am trying to emphasize that the man cares about the platform and recognizes strong tech when he sees it. It shows that he's not just a name, but that he understands why the platform is important.

I suppose you are one of the 95% who still hasn't read the press release. The man is knee-deep in tech, making moves to bring the Net to classrooms. But I guess we can let North Korea remain at the head of the race for national connectivity. I think it was something like half of their population, when I was reading about their last election.

By the way, I really love the great, persuasive (read childish, thoughtless, inane BS) arguments that the majority of users have posted. Now I see why some of the people who have been here longer than me are so annoyed with some aspects of the community and it's users.

PS - So what if Steve uses Al's name to push Apple forward? He uses EVERYONE. If Steve can gain the support of more users through Al's reputation than what's your damn problem?

Dan

[GeneR]

I want to see what SNL is going to do with this! This is great! I'm sure we're going to get a good joke out of this one.

Bush is waging war.
Gore is minding the store.
What is Life for?


:D

[scorpion]

Yeah, the Mac products really suck -- so bad, that I've never had a significant problem with any of them (nothing that ever had to be shipped, in other words).

Does it strike any one else here there are a lot of Windows users jumping on as newbies who really want to do nothing but badmouth Macs? And actually don't want to take an even-handed look at anything?

Just a thought. :p

[alset]

Originally posted by iThink
Well, I've said all I have to say on the matter. I'm not going to continue ranting and raving.

I will not buy another Apple product, period. I'm done.

Good. Go away.

[GeneR]

By the way, I thought the Internet was around forever and a day before Gore took an active interest. Wasn't it under DARPA's control before they declassified it and allowed it to become what it is today?

So, in that case, Gore may be correct in that he "helped" to create the move that made the internet. But then again, who really cares?

RE: Apple's BOD
Who cares? Just give us the next chip, pretty please (with sugar on top!) and soon!

Thanks fer yer support!

:D

[shadowfax]

Originally posted by SPG
That's because most normal people go "hmm, that's nice." While the conservatives get into a tizzy because something of note happened with someone who doesn't subscribe to their idealogy.
Here, let me piss off the republicans some more...
Hilary! Hilary! Hilary!

good that you have an ideological ass on the republican side to pick on, but your generalization about conservatives is class A1 STUPID. there are zealots in every party. did you see the democrats in the house tonight? they freaking called bush a terrorist! the democrats are just as out of their minds, by the rules you're laying out.

[iThink]

Now isn't that the truth, Shadowfax?

I think that anyone who compares Bush to a terrorist is pathetic and should find another country to live in.

You people who oppose doing something to HELP the poor people of Iraq defend against a dictator like Saddam are pathetic.

Go to Salon.com and read the featured article there tonight, please. It's written by a democrat. It's extremely enlightening and it's titled, "See no evil." It's about people who would rather ignore the despicable atrocities happening and blame any action to prevent them on the person who is interceding in an attempt to help: President Bush.

Go to the Amnesty International site and see what terrible horrible things that Saddam Hussein has done to people. He is evil personified.

Really, please do enlighten yourselves and read that article before you do anything else because it is indeed eye-opening.

[Kethoticus]

Well now I have a better reason for abandoning the Mac platform than slow processors and expensive machines.

Just being facetious. But I think it makes rather clear Steve Jobs' political leanings (not that he hasn't done this already).

[bobindashadows]

Originally posted by simX
Let me first start off by saying, no, Gore did not lose the election. Gore got over half a million more votes than Bush did, yet our "democracy" dictates that Bush becomes the president. Furthermore, if Republicans HAD NOT DENIED MANY AFRICAN-AMERICANS IN FLORIDA FROM VOTING, Gore would have won the election because of those votes. Last but not least, Gore actually DID get the majority of the votes in Florida, except the Supreme Court (in their infinite wisdom) blocked the recounts. The election was tainted because of these many issues, and our current "President" of the United States was not a "democratically" elected one.

Now for the quote above: give me a big fat freakin' break. You have not even given Al Gore one day on Apple's board of directors, and yet somehow you reach a conclusion based on mythical evidence that Gore will not be good for Apple's board. I'm not taking sides on this issue just yet, but don't we owe it to any human being to give them a chance before making judgment?

I don't care if you're a republican, democrat, a member of the Green party, or that mythical race called "compassionate conservatives". Sorry, I will not be convinced by your little whining rant on Al Gore that he is not a suitable director for Apple. Thanks, I'll let Gore have a chance.
now first of all let us remember that this thread is about al gore's appointment to the board of directors, and not about whether or not he was the rightful victor of the presidential election of 2000. I would, however, like to remind you that well after the Supreme Court blocked those hand recounts, the people were so sure that Gore had won that they continued to count them. They finished the re-re-hand count well into President Bush's term, and it remained that Bush was still thousands of votes ahead of Gore in that state.



This is in stark contrast to our current "President" of the United States, who has been given two years in office and he's ignoring what the people want by going to war. He's been given a chance, and so we have the right to make a judgment.


Poll after poll have shown that 60% of the American people support the war, 30% are against, and 10% are undecided. This was the same number before the second world war. The "against" number fell to 15% immediately after Pearl Harbor, but a year into the war it rose to 30% again. The entire country is not represented by the minority that disagrees.

I personally do not know how well Al Gore will do as a member of the Apple board. Personally, I'm conservative, but my political affiliations have nothing to do with whether Al Gore will lead Apple or not. Hopefully he'll do well - from what ThinkSecret reports, Apple put a lot into this decision. When it comes to a company's board of directors, if you told me that Stalin, Slobodon Malosovich (sp - its late), and Gerhard Schroeder (I know that's spelled wrong, right?) would be great for the board, I'd say haul them on over/dig them up from the grave, because I'd like to see Apple grow.

ah crap, i shouldn't trust the "view first unread post" deal... it put me straight to this post and i didn't realize that 4 pages had arisen after it...

[iTurd]

yeah pope spare me the 7th grade civics lesson.

Here, let me spell it out for you:

The point is that Bush didn't exactly win in a landslide, and the fact that Gore won the popular vote it can be surmised that there at least as many Gore voters as there are Bush ones regardless of what the electoral college may tell you.

[robguz]

Give me a break all you whiners. Virtually every corporate board for every company in the US is stacked with right wing Republican extremists and you can't handle that Apple appoints 1 very moderate democrat (who 30 years ago would have been considered a mainstream republican) to a relatively powerless position.

And people here are saying they won't buy any more Macs. Please! If I refrained from purchasing products from companies that had republicans on their boards I could never buy anything except maybe some fruit at the local farmers market. You rich right wing pigs run the world, and you're upset about this. You even got your insane war today and you're still upset.

go fsck yourselves!

[wsteineker]

Hey iThink, I thought you were leaving. Hadn't you best be getting along now?

Well if you simply must stay, I would request that you reserve posts like your last one for relevant threads in the political discussion forum only.

That said, I would really prefer it if you just left like you said you would. :rolleyes:

[robguz]

Originally posted by bobindashadows
now first of all let us remember that this thread is about al gore's appointment to the board of directors, and not about whether or not he was the rightful victor of the presidential election of 2000. I would, however, like to remind you that well after the Supreme Court blocked those hand recounts, the people were so sure that Gore had won that they continued to count them. They finished the re-re-hand count well into President Bush's term, and it remained that Bush was still thousands of votes ahead of Gore in that state.

Uh no, they actually found that if all the votes statewide had been recounted, including the optical ballots that were discarded because people wrote in Gore on top of circling the bubble, Gore won by a bit. That's not even taking into account the Palm Beach ballot fiasco, blacks being harassed, and thousands of illegal military ballots with no signatures and no indication they were filled out prior to the end of election day. Among the people who turned out to vote and tried to vote, Gore won Florida by several thousand votes. A few million more went to Nader, who was further to the left, indicating that a left of center landslide took place in 2000, but Bush was appointed anyway by a court where several of the justices had family members who were directly involved in the Bush campaign.

It was the con of the century!

[pope]

Well we at least know that you made it to 7th grade. A loss in overtime is still a loss. Stop your whining and support your President which ever party he's from.

[edenwaith]

No, no, no. Get it right. Al Gore didn't invent the internet. He invented Algoreithms! Hey, it would make more sense. Al Gore. Algorithms. Okay, bad joke, but one comes up with some silly stuff when bored off your a$$ in a theory of computation or algorithms class.

However, if I had known he was a Mac user, I would have voted for him (no, I didn't vote for Bush, either! So don't blame me that he's an idiot!). But not like it would have mattered since America is screwed up and has a screwed up system of voting. Go figure...Al Gore had the majority of votes, YET he lost. Now look what has happened. Maybe if Al Gore had become President, Microsoft would have been broken up, gas prices wouldn't be at an all-time high in the States, and America wouldn't look like some evil, warmongering country which is trying to take over the world.

[pope]

Are you on crack? Someday when you move out of your parents house and get a job and pay taxes, you'll feel ashamed of the misguided views of your youth. And NO, protesting infront of the G8 summit in Seattle, or sitting is a tree in a California for a year to stop it from getting hurt by a chain saw is not a job.

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by pope
Are you on crack? Someday when you move out of your parents house and get a job and pay taxes, you'll feel ashamed of the misguided views of your youth. And NO, protesting infront of the G8 summit in Seattle, or sitting is a tree in a California for a year to stop it from getting hurt by a chain saw is not a job.

Not trying to pick a fight here, pope, so please spare me the venom. I'm just wondering what any of the things you just said had to do with the claims robguz made. Maybe you shouldn't have attacked him personally when he presented what he believed to be facts. I'd save that sort of flame for an uninformed opinion. You know, something like one of iThink's posts. You can disagree with him all you like, but you'd be better served by simply refuting his claims. Again, just some friendly advice. :)

[wsteineker]

Originally posted by iTurd
Yeah pope you're right about one thing, I did make it at least to 7th grade...and didn't stop until I earned two advanced degrees.

The only thing I'm whining about is why your parents didn't abort your Christian Coalition a$$ when they had the chance.

PLEASE moderate as abusive flamebait.

[shadowfax]

guys, guys! front page macrumors! tone it down, seriously. this is not the place at all. try the political discussion subforum.

i sure miss arn right now.

[pope]

First Pope is a nickname not a religious statement. And please tone it down. That was uncalled for.

[arn]

Thanks for interupting my vacation...

Thread close.

Accounts deactivated.

arn