Steve Jobs Biography: What Might Have Been

[MacRumors]

As someone who has been following Apple rumors both casually and professionally over the past couple of decades, Steve Jobs' biography reveals a number of intriguing forks in the road that may have led the entire company down a different path.

As far back as 1982, Macintosh Marketing Director Mike Murray proposed a Mac OS licensing program to Steve Jobs. Remember, the Mac didn't officially debut until 1984, so the idea was floated very early in development. Murray specifically suggested that Apple could license to Tandy since Radio Shack stores targeted a different market than Apple. Apple has been criticized over the years for not licensing their Mac operating system. Apple did briefly allow certain manufacturers to create Mac clones and license Mac OS, but Steve Jobs put an end to that shortly after his return to Apple in the late 90s.

While it seems a given that the iPod was to be made compatible with Windows, Jobs was very resistant to the idea. At one point he said that Windows users would get to use the iPod "over my dead body". After continued convincing, Jobs gave up:

"Screw it," he said at one meeting where they showed him the analysis. "I'm sick of listening to you *******s. Go do whatever the hell you want."

Apple even considered writing an iTunes music client for Android, but Jobs didn't see the point.

"We thought about whether we should do a music client for Android," Jobs told me over breakfast the next morning. "We put iTunes on Windows in order to sell more iPods. But I don't see an advantage of putting our music app on Android, except to make Android users happy. And I don't want to make Android users happy."

For those who were following Apple rumors in the late 90s, there was a lot of talk about "network computers". In particular, Oracle's Larry Ellison was a big proponent of the idea, and spoke publicly about it. Persistent rumors suggested that Apple was going to try to build such a machine. It turns out that the iMac was originally planned to be such a network computer, which was basically an inexpensive terminal that would be used to connect to the internet.

Finally, when Apple was at a crossroads in the late 90s and deciding between moving Mac OS to a new architecture, then Apple CEO Gil Amelio actually favored using Microsoft's Windows NT as the basis for the next generation Mac OS. Of course, instead, Apple purchased NeXT, bringing Steve Jobs back to Apple.

Article Link: Steve Jobs Biography: What Might Have Been

[koruki]

To be fair I don't think a single android user would be happy using iTunes on their handset lol

[finkmacunix]

Originally Posted by koruki

To be fair I don't think a single android user would be happy using iTunes on their handset lol

Why?

It's a seamless experience…

[batchtaster]

Originally Posted by koruki

To be fair I don't think a single android user would be happy using iTunes on their handset lol

My sister got an Android phone specifically to avoid iTunes. It was #1 on her list of priorities. I've never had a problem with iTunes, but whatever.

[dodgerbluetx]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Some of this stuff is just fascinating...

[lincolntran]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Apple may have lots of bright people working for them but it seems there are/were some stupid fools. Window NT based iMac? I'll buy it just so I can burn it in my backyard. Ugh....

[arn]

Originally Posted by lincolntran

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Apple may have lots of bright people working for them but it seems there are/were some stupid fools. Window NT based iMac? I'll buy it just so I can burn it in my backyard. Ugh....

I don't think you'll find many who will defend Amelio.

arn

[MartiNZ]

I only made it up to 1978 in my first session of reading. It is such a decent read - some really fascinating stuff as everyone is saying here ... and good to know it keeps at it! It is certainly interesting to think of what might (not) have been with oh so many decisions made by so many people in this story - and also interesting to think how it could not have happened in any other time period. Everything is so very time-sensitive.

Fun also is comparing bits of the story to the portrayal in Pirates of Silicon Valley .

[Intruder]

Also the other thing I remembered from Gil Amelio reign was that they were also planning to buy Be Inc. to get BeOS (which was I had high hope as being a fellow BeOS developer). Sadly or Luckily they went for NeXT in the end, which I also think was definitely a great OS.

But I always wondered what would have happen if they went with BeOS instead... or that Jobs didn't kill the clown, I mean the clones. As this was the only way for BeOS to be running on PowerPC (as they had ditch their own hardware). As after Jobs killed the clones, BeOS has to be ported on Intel, and well it went downhill from there (well against the monopoly of Window they had no hope and in a last effort they went for those elusive Internet Appliance).

Another interesting part of Jobs and Apple history is what if, the board would have side with Jobs and kick out Sculley. Would it be the same great/powerfull Apple as we know today? Maybe it would have been bigger then it's now and we would have be even further ahead with Apple product.

Who know, what if... well anyone have a Tardis handy so we can go revisit those time?

[kenypowa]

If Larry Page is like Jobs, then you won't have Google Maps, Streetview, Youtube, Google Search and all those cool Google apps on iPhone and iPads.

[dvdhsu]

Originally Posted by kenypowa

If Larry Page is like Jobs, then you won't have Google Maps, Streetview, Youtube, Google Search and all those cool Google apps on iPhone and iPads.

Google Search is on the iPhone because Google makes money through the ads.

Putting iTunes on Android would do nothing. Apple does not gain any sales from doing so.

[Bernard SG]

This is insanely hilarious:

Originally Posted by Steve Jobs

I don't see an advantage of putting our music app on Android, except to make Android users happy. And I don't want to make Android users happy.

----------

Originally Posted by dvdhsu

Google Search is on the iPhone because Google makes money through the ads.

Putting iTunes on Android would do nothing. Apple does not gain any sales from doing so.

Apple could gain sales of music; but clearly a drop in the ocean of Apple's revenue.

[mrgraff]

Originally Posted by MartiNZ

Fun also is comparing bits of the story to the portrayal in Pirates of Silicon Valley .

Yeah, I've been doing that with nearly every page.

[MrSmith]

I'll save money on the book and just read the best bits here.

[koruki]

Originally Posted by finkmacunix

Why?

It's a seamless experience…

I've known quite a few iPhone to Android users who claim the iPhone is better but they love being free of iTunes, so no, I don't think Android users would enjoy iTunes.

[TMar]

Originally Posted by dvdhsu

Google Search is on the iPhone because Google makes money through the ads.

Putting iTunes on Android would do nothing. Apple does not gain any sales from doing so.

I could have sworn that Apple sold music, movies and more through itunes, damn...

[dethmaShine]

Originally Posted by finkmacunix

Why?

It's a seamless experience…

Exactly the reason why. They are not used to seamless things.

[MacFan23]

Originally Posted by TMar

I could have sworn that Apple sold music, movies and more through itunes, damn...

But then that detracts from their hardware sales which have much larger margins.

[Eric Best]

Originally Posted by lincolntran

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Apple may have lots of bright people working for them but it seems there are/were some stupid fools. Window NT based iMac? I'll buy it just so I can burn it in my backyard. Ugh....

I'm not sure of the truth of this, but I read somewhere that Apple was interested in the DEC Alpha architecture, which was very advanced, and was associated with Open VMS, which, I have been told, was a more powerful OS than Unix. I also understand that it was the underlying framework of WNT, which might be behind the mention of WNT. If this is the case, then Apple's actions may not have been so silly. I also understand the the main reason Apple went for the PowerPC processor was that they were fobbed off by the CEO of DEC.

I am happy to stand corrected on any of this.

[Skream]

Originally Posted by MacFan23

But then that detracts from their hardware sales which have much larger margins.

Exactly, if people were able to use everything they bought on itunes on their android it could ruin their whole ecosystem.

[Peace]

Windows NT 4.0 was a very solid operating system. I would have bought an iMac with NT on it.

[rman726]

Originally Posted by koruki

To be fair I don't think a single android user would be happy using iTunes on their handset lol

They would love having it. They will insult it until the end of time, but in the end they would use it because it really does provide the most seamless integration of music onto portable devices.

----------

Originally Posted by Bernard SG

----------



Apple could gain sales of music; but clearly a drop in the ocean of Apple's revenue.

Yeah, I can't imagine with the music industry that they make too much money from the actual music sales. It's all about people in their ecosystem.

[sennekuyl]

Originally Posted by Intruder

Also the other thing I remembered from Gil Amelio reign was that they were also planning to buy Be Inc. to get BeOS (which was I had high hope as being a fellow BeOS developer). Sadly or Luckily they went for NeXT in the end, which I also think was definitely a great OS.

But I always wondered what would have happen if they went with BeOS instead... or that Jobs didn't kill the clown, I mean the clones. As this was the only way for BeOS to be running on PowerPC (as they had ditch their own hardware). As after Jobs killed the clones, BeOS has to be ported on Intel, and well it went downhill from there (well against the monopoly of Window they had no hope and in a last effort they went for those elusive Internet Appliance).

Another interesting part of Jobs and Apple history is what if, the board would have side with Jobs and kick out Sculley. Would it be the same great/powerfull Apple as we know today? Maybe it would have been bigger then it's now and we would have be even further ahead with Apple product.

Who know, what if... well anyone have a Tardis handy so we can go revisit those time?

If y'find one, I want to go fund the Amiga before it gets crippled.

[lunarworks]

Wow, I actually remember the rumours of Apple considering using NT for a next-gen Mac OS. That was the kind of idea that made your stomach turn at the time. Imagine the bizarre alternate universe where that happened...

[TMar]

Originally Posted by MacFan23

But then that detracts from their hardware sales which have much larger margins.

How's that? Millions of people choose an Android device over and Apple all the time. Say Timmy over here for whatever reason will never spend his money on Apple hardware but that's not to say he wouldn't use itunes for Android. Apple was never going to get his money from hardware sales or media sales through itunes because of this.