Apple and Toshiba

[jocknerd]

Well there goes the big announcement at WWDC!

Damn, what's Steve going to talk about now? Surely, it can't be about computers can it? Apple got out of the computer business. Or so the rumor goes. Maybe he can just spend the time making music in GarageBand.

 

[Analog Kid]

Apple is right in this case, Toshiba is wrong. Whatever Toshiba or people on this board may think of Apple's information control doesn't give them the right to violate it.

Apple sets Apple's business strategy, not Toshiba. If Toshiba thought Apple was being childish they should have called Steve, said "stop being a baby and let us announce our deal". They had no right to announce against Apple's policies.

If Apple felt it was important to mention the word "hippopotamus" in every press release related to their products, Toshiba should honor that.

It's very clear just from reading this thread that Apple is famous for wanting to control information, so this wasn't an example of "oops, we didn't know you'd care". Someone f'd up.

People here can rail all they want about how Apple handles future product announcements but while they might have a personal interest in wanting to know things earlier, they're certainly not in a position to understand the impact of Apple's marketing strategy better than Apple is.

Anyway, that's my ¥2...

 

[flyfish29]

Teehehe, I would have to agree. I mean its not really that big of a deal. Almost anyone who reads this info, already knows that Toshiba just anounced the 60 gig HD, and that it would prob find its way into the iPod sometime soon. People were either going to wait for it, or say screw it 60 gigs is too much, and buy one now. It doesn't change much.

Realistically though Apple is making a statement by doing this. Don't reveal ANYTHING even if rumor sites would know differently...it only takes one early released rumor to mess up financial figures for a quarter. Luckily this one doesn't hurt too bad. I would guess that there are other secrets out there right now that steve doesn't want released because the competitors would get a big jump on it if they were.

 

[7on]

A lot of these posts have said something along these lines:

"This is all about Steve Jobs' ego...blah...blah...stop whining...blah...blah...mad that he didn't get to announce it...blah...blah..."

Maybe some of you are too young to be aware of the following fact: Steve Jobs IS Apple Computer. They tried existing without him once before. Anyone with a bit of historical perspective knows how THAT worked out.

Of course Steve is an egomaniac. Is there anyone who doesn't know that? He is also quite possibly the most enigmatic and persuasive salesman in the history of the planet. Apple is really a very tiny, very vulnerable company that manages to stay in the game for three reasons:

1. Design
2. Marketing
3. Steve Jobs' massive flarking ego and the showmanship and hype associated with it.

Please bear this in mind when dismissing Steve. Steve's ego and swagger, for better or worse, is in Apple's DNA. Without it, there isn't much left.

Remember this, too: Steve doesn't need Apple anymore (His fortune is made already with Pixar and in a far bigger way than even during his heyday with the Apple II), but Apple damn sure needs Steve.

Who the heck but Steve Jobs would have had the balls to release a 400 dollar MP3 player in the first place? A 400 dollar MP3 player without which we wouldn't even be having this conversation.

lol, so true. Don't forget that Steve works at Apple for $1 a year.

 

[Michael Vance]

What about the massive number of G5 sales that never happened because Steve Jobs himself stupidly told potential customers that 3Gig machines would be available by Summer 04. Has there ever been a bigger boondoggle than that?

The Fuji thing seems like a minor glitch by comparison.

 

[t300]

What about the massive number of G5 sales that never happened because Steve Jobs himself stupidly told potential customers that 3Gig machines would be available by Summer 04. Has there ever been a bigger boondoggle than that?

The Fuji thing seems like a minor glitch by comparison.

SO true...oh so true...

 

[coolfactor]

1) I assume Apple has a confidentiality agreement with Toshiba. If so, this isn't just someone in a bad mood griping, but a breach of contract.

....clipped....

A contract breach is serious stuff.

Well said.

 

[PolarbearTed]

I never realised how many sarcastic mac users there are.

I think they have every right to be concerned, I think some of you are second-guessing that Apple is being "immature" and incredibly irrate about the secret. I think you need to really be critical of the information. As it doesn't actually say that.

The issue is whether Toshiba actually made the claims, or whether the media have been putting words into the mouth of Toshiba's PR. And I'm more than certain that Apple has a confidentiality agreement that would mean a breach of contract as some members have already alluded to.

 

[frankly]

Oh grow up, Apple!

It's not like it was some big secret you were going to update the iPod in the Fall. What does this reveal about the new iPod? It has a larger capacity than current models? Wow! What a revelation! Boy, Toshiba just blew that secret right out of the hat!

I mean, I though they might get better battery life, and there's those rumblings about photo display on a TV, but higher capacities???? NO!

You are assuming that Think Secret is correct. I think the more likely scenario is that Think Secret is dead wrong on how "mad" the folks at Apple are.

It just sounds completely silly that executives at Apple would be this upset when all we have to do is look at the past iPod releases to know that a larger model will be coming out soon. It is nothing like the ATI problem they are comparing it to because ATI talked about specific models that would be released.

Stating that a new iPod using the 60GB drive will be coming out is no different than saying July is going to come after June this year. It is so obvious to actually border on ridiculous.

Later, Frank

 

[frankly]

What if Apple didn't want to go STRAIGHT to a 60GB model? What if they wanted Toshiba to keep their big mouth shut about the existance of a 60GB model so they could release a 50GB unit and customers wouldn't feel cheated about losing the the other 10GB? Or simply pass the 50GB model up entirely and wait 6 more months for the bigger drive?

This could also negatively impact Apple stock. The people here who are are gleefully enjoying this (pc trolls) or those who don't "get it" aren't really considering this as an opportunity to lose out on millions that would've been theirs if someone would've just keep his mouth shut over at Toshiba.

And what if Apple isn't Toshiba's only customer???

You do realize that they aren't, right?

 

[SLAPSHOTW]

What about the massive number of G5 sales that never happened because Steve Jobs himself stupidly told potential customers that 3Gig machines would be available by Summer 04. Has there ever been a bigger boondoggle than that?

The Fuji thing seems like a minor glitch by comparison.

Perhaps you don't realize that many people believe that the 3Ghz (possible duals) will be released at WWDC in two weeks, at the end of June, in the summer of '04, as was ORIGINALLY promised.

Also, you overlook (or maybe don't know) the fact that this promise was in fact changed to September '04.

 

[dahacouk]

3GHz G5s promise moved to September '04?!?!??!?!?

this promise was in fact changed to September '04.

Please provide the source for that information. URL?

 

[dahacouk]

Like we didn't know that Apple would release an iPod with a 60Gbyte hard drive!!!!!

Really, it's obvious that technology is going to improve so what's the big deal?

I hereby predict that Apple will release an 80 Gbyte iPod within the next year. Big deal! ;-)

Cheers Daniel

 

[Trimix]

Apple may just blow this out of proportion to extract better terms for the 80 disk scheduled in Q1-05 ?

Oiiiiiiii, there I said it, damn secrecy agreement....
😀

 

[mig]

No wonder that Apple has no time for proper and immediate service to their customers. They are too busy writing emails to other companies like Toshiba, ATI etc.

I wish they would rather react to complaint of customers quicky before they start complaining.

PS: Waiting for 1.5 month already for replacement of PBG4 AL cover, which is ****ty designed and not as stiff as aluminium should be. But Apple of course doesn't care...

 

[pjkelnhofer]

Is ThinkSecret always right?

He are all so sure that Apple is pissed off just because ThinkSecret said so.

The truth is we don't know what the deal between Apple and Toshiba is, and we don't know what Apple's reaction to the story was.

 

[itsa]

2) With everybody and their Uncle Microsoft gunning for the iPod right now, it's not reassuring to have other companies blabbing details about upcoming products to the press. What's next, Samsung releasing their new mini-colour LCD "as used in the upcoming video iPod <oops, was that my outside voice>"?

Don't you think Microsoft has the means to get whatever info they want? I mean, come on... I don't care how much Apple is paying their grunt workers.. they will all talk for the right price!

 

[seraphnyc]

It is strange that I find....

It is strange that I find that most of the people calling Apple a big baby, blah blah blah are quoting the rumor site and seem to not realize that this was released in the NEWS not just the rumor sites.

This is released to the NEWS, not a rumor, not a speculation. This is not Apple over-reacting.

DO your research, then criticize.

[edit] Whether or not we can put 2 and 2 together to get 4 is irrelevant. Of course someone could easily speculate that Apple would use the drives, but to have an affirmation can hurt sales, regardless of how you want to justify the information leak. THIS CAN HURT SALES! I am in the Multimedia and Digital Device field and leaking information about any project we are currently working on can hurt our sales with those customers as well as the customers sales, especially if an NDA is involved. That is breach of contract. Regardless of how minute a breach of contract is serious. [/edit]

S.

 

[pjkelnhofer]

Don't you think Microsoft has the means to get whatever info they want? I mean, come on... I don't care how much Apple is paying their grunt workers.. they will all talk for the right price!

This would be a totally different issue. Do you really believe that MS is trying paying off Apple workers to get info about upcoming products? Talk about paranoia. I have no idea how you came up with this one.

This story is about a person a Toshiba mentioning that Apple was going to be buying the new 60GB drive there were introducing, and as I have said several times. We don't know that Apple is angry about this at all or that Toshiba was not supposed to reveal that Apple was interested in the new drives. If you read the story she never said that Apple was buying the 60GB HD's to upgrade the iPod line. All she said was that Apple is ordering them. I still don't see how it is a secret that Apple is a customer of Toshiba's.

 

[itsa]

what? the secrets out???
That's kinda like telling people... we have these new G5's, but we are coming out with much better/faster one within a year!

How will Jobs make them Dual 3gigers look good now?
Maybe he will say.. dual 4gigers are within a year!

 

[itsa]

This would be a totally different issue. Do you really believe that MS is trying paying off Apple workers to get info about upcoming products? Talk about paranoia. I have no idea how you came up with this one.

This story is about a person a Toshiba mentioning that Apple was going to be buying the new 60GB drive there were introducing, and as I have said several times. We don't know that Apple is angry about this at all or that Toshiba was not supposed to reveal that Apple was interested in the new drives. If you read the story she never said that Apple was buying the 60GB HD's to upgrade the iPod line. All she said was that Apple is ordering them. I still don't see how it is a secret that Apple is a customer of Toshiba's.

My point is.. NO ONE need Toshiba to say anything to get info...

 

[pjkelnhofer]

It is strange that I find that most of the people calling Apple a big baby, blah blah blah are quoting the rumor site and seem to not realize that this was released in the NEWS not just the rumor sites.

This is released to the NEWS, not a rumor, not a speculation. This is not Apple over-reacting.

DO your research, then criticize.

S.

What is news? Apple reaction or the quote from Toshiba.

Ahead of the launch, Toshiba has been showing the drive to customers and has already received an order from Apple, Lee said

First of all, Martyn Williams who wrote the article didn't even put this in quotes so we can assume he paraphrased what she said. Second, she said nothing about the iPods. She said Apple order the 60GB drives. The writer than made a connection between the use of the 1.8" drives and the iPod and came to the conclusion that is what they would be used for. Since Apple is not Toshiba's only customer, I can only assume they were free to announce the existence of the 60GB whenever the wanted. Apple had to expect people to then make a connection to between the drives and the iPod.

I suspect the ThinkSecret article about Apple being pissed off is a load of bull.

The only "news" article I can find about Apple being upset is on designtechnica.com and is nothing more than a repeat of what ThinkSecret wrote (in fact it suggest to "read more at ThinkSecret" at the bottom of the article.

 

[seraphnyc]

what? the secrets out???
That's kinda like telling people... we have these new G5's, but we are coming out with much better/faster one within a year!

How will Jobs make them Dual 3gigers look good now?
Maybe he will say.. dual 4gigers are within a year!

First gen G5's were like Mac OS X 10.0, it was really meant for early adopters much like the first version of any of their hardware. Most people who are not brave early adopters know to wait for the second or third revision for Apple to get the kinks out of the first gen machines. So announcing the first gen G5 and that it will be better in a year was a clear statement made for the benefit of those who are not early adopters.

The second and 3rd gen G5's are where the big sales are going to come in. Having worked out the kinks, improved the system architecture, and increased the speed from the 1st gen machines has sorta been Apple's M.O.. It happened with 1st gen G3's, G4's and iMacs, this time with the G5.


S.

 

[seraphnyc]

What is news? Apple reaction or the quote from Toshiba.

The quote from Toshiba. Should have been more clear, **Bows**


[edit] Additional clarity: I am talking about the Apple purchasing the drives quote, not what the drives will be used for. The article made no mention of that.[/edit]



S.

 

[pjkelnhofer]

The second and 3rd gen G5's are where the big sales are going to come in. Having worked out the kinks, improved the system architecture, and increased the speed from the 1st gen machines has sorta been Apple's M.O.. It happened with 1st gen G3's, G4's and iMacs, this time with the G5.


S.

This is true for everything not just Apple computers, and technically it hasn't happened with the G5's yet. There are the exact same computer that was announced just under a year ago.