Did Adobe save Apple?

[ChrisH3677]

Have read the latest interview with Steve Jobs in Fortune with much interest. A summary is on MacObserver

The most significant thing for me was this snippet:

Apple assumed the Microsoft deal would inspire other developers to renew their comittments to the Mac, but when Apple solicited Adobe in 1998 to develop consumer-targetted software for working with home video or digital photos, Adobe "said flat-out no," Jobs recalled. That surprise decision, given Adobe's history with the Mac, is what prompted Apple to more agressively pursue the applications space and develop its own software. "We said, 'Okay, if nobody wants to help us, we're just going to have to do this ourselves,'" Jobs said.

Did this refusal by Adobe do more to save Apple than any other event?

How many people have switched because of the iLife apps? I know I did. It was the clincher for me - especially iMovie as I'd bought a DV Cam.

And to quote from another Fortune article by Peter Lewis who refers to iLife as Apple's "secret weapon":

iTunes, iPhoto, Garageband, iMovie and iDVD, among them--are far more sophisticated and elegant than their counterparts in the Windows world...If Apple can get the Mac mini in front of Windows users and entice them to try Apple's software, the Trojan horse will be a grand success.

Adobe would never have done these apps as well, and more importantly, it would be extremely unlikely that they would have bundled them free with new Macs.

And then there's the top end - Final Cut Pro etc, which it sounds like from the Jobs interview that they may never have pursued them either if not for the Adobe refusal.


So where would Apple be today without that 'No'? Sure they'd have a hot OS - but they'd be dependent on third parties for the software.

And as Steve says, software is everything.

Thank you Adobe.

 

[wrldwzrd89]

Here's the big question: What'll happen to the other Adobe apps for Mac OS X, namely Photoshop and Adobe Reader (aka Mac OS X's built in PDF support and Preview.app)? Will Adobe give Apple the boot again?

 

[Lacero]

Microsoft saved Apple because of the Office apps. More people use Word and Excel than does anyone who uses the iLife apps. Although iTunes and iDVD are the apps I love the most.

 

[JeDiBoYTJ]

^ cant necessarly say that Office 'saved' the mac, since the office suite has been available for the mac since it was first released.... and was first designed on a mac anyway

that is an interesting snippet though, It seems like a good thing that Adobe refused, otherwise we probably wouldnt have FCP, iMovie, and other iLife app's. Pretty funny how that interview happened in 1998... cuz in 1999, FCP 1.0 was released, lol

 

[Inspector Lee]

Microsoft saved Apple because of the Office apps. More people use Word and Excel than does anyone who uses the iLife apps. Although iTunes and iDVD are the apps I love the most.

I agree about Microsoft and Office. I believe Gates was booed vehemently at MWSF that year ('97?). Using Word is very avoidable whereas Excel is what "the suits" dig. Apple getting a lot of ink these days...

 

[psycho bob]

Microsoft saved Apple because of the Office apps. More people use Word and Excel than does anyone who uses the iLife apps. Although iTunes and iDVD are the apps I love the most.

I know the fact that office was available had nothing to do with the decisions of my friends to by macs. First and formost apple sell to the creative market. Appleworks was fully Word compatible and there are plenty of cheaper third party office applications out there. If Adobe had jumped ship with Photoshop and Quark had done the same then apple would have had no where to go. As it stands Quark have been over taken by Adobe, the two main apps are probably Photoshop and Indesign, certainly the former. 3D has become another big area and this is one where the mac arena is growing. Maya is now fully supported on the mac platform and seems to be their strongest growing market.
Is there life after Adobe, I'm not sure. I see no reason why apple could not produce a Photoshop type app if they had to. Whether the industry would take it under its wing is another question. The fact apple make such good pro and consumer software means they can stand up on their own feet. It is now just a question of getting the balance right, between developing their own software and not treading on the toes of the big companies around them.

 

[ChrisH3677]

I see no reason why apple could not produce a Photoshop type app if they had to. Whether the industry would take it under its wing is another question.

The interesting thing there is CoreImage. Image filters built into the OS.

Hmmm... where might we see that pop-up? iPhoto 5.5! I'd expect revisions of all Apple apps in July to accommodate CoreImage and CoreVideo.

So Adobe will be further on the outer. Serves em right for being so narrow minded.