As a lifelong innovator, I recall every word from Steve's interviews, including on "Pirates of Silicon Valley"—it captured the spirit, though exaggerated, far better than diluted modern films about Silicon Valley and Steve Jobs.
At Apple's core is a philosophy many resist: reject fast, buggy iterative development—the Epicurean chase of quick consumer fixes breeding fragile, subscription-dependent junk. Instead, embrace perfection, like Platonist ideals: products refined over years for 10-year durability, no manuals, timeless productivity, independent of updates, polished beyond improvement.
Jony Ive drew this from Dieter Rams, the master designer; Steve embraced and applied it to computers and smartphones. Difficulty didn't matter; what did was enhancing user productivity without tweaks or troubleshooting. A product should be rigid, useful, simple—like a wrench: durable, efficient, self-explanatory, versatile.
Here's how Apple would thrive under Steve's lead today:
1. One iPhone: Perfect form—no camera bulge, 7-day battery, large screen in small body, indestructible. Apps via Apple's kit only—no web shells. Apps as instruments, not services (Safari handles those). Music app? Yes. Restaurant menu? No.
2. One iPad: Artist's tool and ultimate reader—no rear camera, 4K front at 60fps, month-long battery, indestructible. Screen as daylight-readable coloured digital ink doubling as LCD (tech I'd pioneer). No censorship; owned content downloadable, exportable. Apple standard for digital ownership balances rights—piracy signals opportunity, as iTunes' 99p one-click buys ended music theft. Same for affordable books, honest news, productive apps over ad-infested freebies. Users aren't cheap; prices fail the value test. Charge internet per use to reward creators, not flat ISP fees.
3. One MacBook: Exactly 1kg, performs like a 15" Pro. Tech exists—if you need it, afford it; else, you don't.
4. One iMac: Powerhouse unit, best display, speakers, experience. No Mac Pro or slim nonsense—handles astrophysics sims to 8K CGI renders. Diversifying dilutes purpose.
Diluting products for niches erodes trust. Today's base iPhone SE? Junk—Steve would never make that. iPad's base models are glitchy, accessory-dependent, and violating the no-tweaks rule. while iMac is underpowered for creativity, priced for profit over benefit.
Apple's rich enough to go private and focus on excellence, but they don't because they're in the business of milking the company into the ground.
