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Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,662
5,496
Sod off
They never came around to his licensing model - that's why he killed the clones. It could have gone differently.

From what I've read, Steve Jobs did not want to get into the software licensing business like Microsoft. He has favored a more hardware-centered model, and the clone manufacturers were direct competitors in terms of hardware. In fact, the clone makers were beating Apple on price and in some cases performance too.

Had Apple continued with the clone experiment, it's likely that Apple would have been run out of their own hardware market - which, at the time, would have probably put them out of business.
 

WestonHarvey1

macrumors 68030
Jan 9, 2007
2,771
2,187
From what I've read, Steve Jobs did not want to get into the software licensing business like Microsoft. He has favored a more hardware-centered model, and the clone manufacturers were direct competitors in terms of hardware. In fact, the clone makers were beating Apple on price and in some cases performance too.

Had Apple continued with the clone experiment, it's likely that Apple would have been run out of their own hardware market - which, at the time, would have probably put them out of business.

That really doesn't jive with what Steve Jobs has said. Unless we think he was lying and there was never really an offer made to the clone vendors.

He specifically wanted to price the licenses so that cloners couldn't pick off Apple's margins at the high end of the product line. At the time, the cloners were getting Mac OS practically for free.
 

Lord Blackadder

macrumors P6
May 7, 2004
15,662
5,496
Sod off
Jobs did indeed negotiate higher royalties, but he quickly changed his mind and simply told the clone makers that he was not going to continue licensing the Mac OS.

I don't think Jobs ever seriously intended to continue allowing clones in the long-term. His philodsophy evers since has been about tight integration between hardware and software, all under Apple's strict control from concept through manufacturing, sales and support. The clone model is totally incompatible with this.
 

Slix

macrumors 65816
Mar 24, 2010
1,432
1,966
Great video. Just watched the whole thing. Steve is truly a visionary.
 

Dozer_Zaibatsu

macrumors 6502
Oct 10, 2006
327
352
North America
That video is a fantastic piece of history. Nowadays Apple is a recipient of backlashes for its media savvy, seeming hipster swagger arrogance, and cash coming out of its ears. Oh, how we nowadays may forget –or the youngbloods may never even know– about those dark days.

That video proves not only did Steve Jobs have a vision of where he wanted to go, he articulated it even amidst a flurry of panic, pessimism, and doubt.

I've always considered myself skeptical of the cult of  and Jobs. I've considered the success of Mac being about a lot of geniuses behind the scenes who never got enough credit. However, I, as a previous doubter, have to give Jobs due credit for being the keystone of Apple's success. That video is the proof that he did the right things at a time when it all could have gone away. He will truly be remembered as one of the greats.
 

MattInOz

macrumors 68030
Jan 19, 2006
2,760
0
Sydney
The interesting thing is the ideas that seem to be forming as he speaks.
There is a moment where he's talking about them controlling the whole thing the hardware the software the distribution.

Then stops corrects himself "well we don't do the distribution...."

I kind of wonder if the apple store was born at that moment.
 

Tiggs

macrumors 6502
Jul 6, 2011
268
3
Such a rarity to see someone display such clear vision and then thoroughly bring it to fruition over the next decade. Wonder what over-reaching arcs he foresees Apple doing for the next 10 years
 

DeepIn2U

macrumors G5
May 30, 2002
12,821
6,876
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Without Steve Jobs Apple would have gone away. It's his innovation and hard work that brought the company from near extinction to one of America's greatest achievements. I pray for him and his family.

It's his ability to quickly isolate new ground-breaking trends and make them part of a vision, part of a greater hole that is BETTER than the sum of the implemented parts. Next was the highlight of this announcement as they where working into the "Workstation" which is everything he sum'd up in this Q&A.

Many CEO's are lined up (for decades) to catch a cup-full of his soul-juice.
 

jaimeastin

macrumors regular
Mar 15, 2011
103
0
This was a great find! I really enjoyed it and understand SJ more than ever. I think it is really cool that so much that he/Apple wanted happened, exactly. Many, visionary is the word that I always hear and read about him, but dog-gone. He has a time machine somewhere, because he was spot on.

I think more than that, he has a true passion and i can really understand and APPRECIATE that. I am not a crazed Apple fan or Microsoft fan either, I just have a passion for technology and how it relates to me. This video sparked a lot inside of me. It is NO accident that Apple is where they are and though Steve has said NO to things I want or need, I will do like the rest have and be ok. Maybe I DO need to rethink my approach. All because I can program or do something the hardway(in some eyes) or my way because itis easy for me does not mean it should be set in stone. I am always preaching about change, and adopting something else, but I need to apply it even more. But even still, Steve just wants the best. I do to. I accept my best is different than others. DLNA is fine enough for me, lol :).
 

alabanco

macrumors member
Mar 23, 2008
58
0
Full Speech's Text

Does anyone have a link to the full text of that speech and other speeches of Steeve ? Since not everything of the speech is clear for non native speakers of English. If anyone can help with that I will really appreciate that.
 

b_scott

macrumors 6502a
Mar 31, 2008
721
108
i do think it's funny how he berates being so proprietary - but Apple is pretty much propriety in most ways even today.
 
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