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Stephen Fry Profiles the iPad and Steve Jobs for Time Magazine
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Steve Jobs brings the Disney and Willy Wonka approach to the Apple ecosystem and culture.
No other CEO can create such "Magic" within an organization that inspires mere consumers to worship apple and its CEO at times. Not to mention the list of "Corporate" copycats
Though like Willy Wonka Steve is ready to pass the torch in my opinion. We just need to wait and see who he chooses in the next 3 years to run the Apple factory and keep control of the "Fanboy" ompa loopas.
No other CEO can create such "Magic" within an organization that inspires mere consumers to worship apple and its CEO at times. Not to mention the list of "Corporate" copycats
Though like Willy Wonka Steve is ready to pass the torch in my opinion. We just need to wait and see who he chooses in the next 3 years to run the Apple factory and keep control of the "Fanboy" ompa loopas.
I never thought Stephen Fry was a contentious figure, so I'm surprised at the hate he's getting here - people who don't like him probably take him more seriously than he takes himself. He's a comedic actor with a penchant for long-winded, erudite rambling. I guess people just think he's a big elitist. He's certainly done well for himself but so have lots of others.
There is a lot of hot air out there concerning discussions of reliability of Apple products, but for some reason I rarely if ever see PCs held under the same microscope. I think this situation stems from the argument that Apple's industrial design is a selling point, so people attack the build quality or design faults of Apple products as a result.
Personally, I have never seen any data that would convince me that Apple's products are well above or below average. They seem well within the rest of the industry as far as reliability goes - which means some of their products fail, and the more widgets you make the more instances of failure you get.
The only liars out there are the people claiming that Apple is exceptionally good or bad. I've been screwed by Apple hardware failures a couple times in the past (Rev. C iMac high-voltage board fragged itself, G4 PowerBook screen issues to name two), but I'm under no illusion that going with a different manufacturer would have removed the risk of failure. Millions of PC users suffer failures due to design faults or manufacturing defects every hour of every day. It's an endemic situation.
EDIT: As far as reliability goes, platforms are irrelevant. I have two Apple //e computers, three PowerBook 1xx series lappys, and used to own two IBM XTs and a Zenith Data Systems "luggable" 8088 portable. They all worked, and the ones I still own still work, and they are as old as I am. Someone else probably got lemon versions of all those machines and hates them, but I got good ones. That's mass production for you.
There is a lot of hot air out there concerning discussions of reliability of Apple products, but for some reason I rarely if ever see PCs held under the same microscope. I think this situation stems from the argument that Apple's industrial design is a selling point, so people attack the build quality or design faults of Apple products as a result.
Personally, I have never seen any data that would convince me that Apple's products are well above or below average. They seem well within the rest of the industry as far as reliability goes - which means some of their products fail, and the more widgets you make the more instances of failure you get.
The only liars out there are the people claiming that Apple is exceptionally good or bad. I've been screwed by Apple hardware failures a couple times in the past (Rev. C iMac high-voltage board fragged itself, G4 PowerBook screen issues to name two), but I'm under no illusion that going with a different manufacturer would have removed the risk of failure. Millions of PC users suffer failures due to design faults or manufacturing defects every hour of every day. It's an endemic situation.
EDIT: As far as reliability goes, platforms are irrelevant. I have two Apple //e computers, three PowerBook 1xx series lappys, and used to own two IBM XTs and a Zenith Data Systems "luggable" 8088 portable. They all worked, and the ones I still own still work, and they are as old as I am. Someone else probably got lemon versions of all those machines and hates them, but I got good ones. That's mass production for you.
"Fry closes his profile with an interesting observation that it is a shame that his good friend Douglas Adams is no longer alive to see what is the closest device yet created to his famed Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy"
well, I always maintained that the internet was the hitch hikers guide, -perhaps the protocol should have been called hhgttg
. Anyhow the ipad is an 'enabling' technology - it will allow more people to get more out of the web and that's a good thing.
well, I always maintained that the internet was the hitch hikers guide, -perhaps the protocol should have been called hhgttg
. Anyhow the ipad is an 'enabling' technology - it will allow more people to get more out of the web and that's a good thing.
I guess that's because there really aren't any "long-term" defects or "poor designs" to speak of.
Sorry, but I'll take a bunch of surveys done by various sources over your anecdotes any day. Funny how every time there are surveys conducted about Apple and related companies, Apple always comes out on top somehow.
But the very methodology is flawed. You can't ask Apple users whether they're satisfied with Apple and get x% yes, ask Dell users whether they're satisfied with Dell and get y% yes, then assume that Apple is better than Dell just because x>y. Consider:
(1) If you're dissatisfied with Apple, you simply move to Windows - but there are far more reasons why moving to Apple from Windows isn't possible;
(2) There's no such thing as a Dell fanboy or a Dell RDF or Dell culture - you just get people satisfied with tools from Dell and people not satisfied with tools from Dell. You can't compare a culture with a screwdriver;
(3) Expectation is important. For example, an enterprise user accustomed to enterprise PC support will never be impressed by Dell consumer service; a student with an Apple laptop will have no notion of such service. What do you mean Apple don't do on-site repair?
This is especially significant when we're talking about the order of 15% dissatisfaction for Apple vs 25% for other firms. There are so many ways of accounting for that 10% difference, and misinterpreting of statistics just reduces Apple's credibility.
If you think a President can "flip over a switch" to "destroy the world" then you are probably watching too much hollywood movies.
I know plenty about him and I was commenting on the author of the article gushing over SJ like he's the second coming.
Step out of the US/first world bubble once in awhile.
I did not worship anyone, not politicos, not CEOs nor anyone else for that matter. And we're talking about someones importance to the world, whether or not the correct decision are made is secondary to that.
Figure of speech with respect to how much influence someone has.
Is LTD linking all those customer service results again? I have him on ignore, it's much simpler than reading his ********. But if he is linking those as evidence of actual reliability of Apple's products he's as usual guilty of poor logic. Customer service is not the same thing as reliability.
Uh huh. When Apple comes out on top it's obvious these research/poll companies have no idea what they're doing.
It's not Apple's fault Dell has no products that merit the enthusiasm of their customers.
Dell - Creating computers no one loves since 1994. (TM) Now there's a legacy to be proud of.
A great description of a Dell computer. "It's a screwdriver." (A plastic screwdriver.)
And I'm sure these research/poll companies with decades of experience have no idea how to account for response variables or interpret the statistics in a valid manner.
This conversation reminds me of my Ford-fanatical uncle, who swears the only reason domestic cars have gotten such a bad rap over the years (decades) is because the car mags (and Consumer Reports) hate America.
Yep, I'm sure it's all just a vast Apple-wing conspiracy. Have another swig of Apple-free koolaid.
Just something that struck me as funny...
I noticed that HP is coming out with the Slate, and there was something that tickled me when I looked at the presentations.
When Apple did their presentation, one of the VPs came out and played a first person motorcycle racing game with players doing flips on the bikes and just awesome graphics. When Balmer demoed the Slate, he played Frogger. I don't know why I LOL'd at that so much, but it just seemed so Microsoft "out of it."
"Here we are, introducing the cool new gadget that's going to change the world. We're going to demo it by playing a game you could get on the Atari 2600 in 1981."
I noticed that HP is coming out with the Slate, and there was something that tickled me when I looked at the presentations.
When Apple did their presentation, one of the VPs came out and played a first person motorcycle racing game with players doing flips on the bikes and just awesome graphics. When Balmer demoed the Slate, he played Frogger. I don't know why I LOL'd at that so much, but it just seemed so Microsoft "out of it."
"Here we are, introducing the cool new gadget that's going to change the world. We're going to demo it by playing a game you could get on the Atari 2600 in 1981."
Well then, you'll be (un)happy to know that Apple sits atop the list in the reliability department too.
CURSE YOU ACTUAL FACTS!!!! *Shakes fist in an Apple hate-fueled rage!*
Oh, and thank you for helping me continue to build the troll collection on my own Ignore list.
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/asus-apple-lenovo-rescuecom-reliability,9720.html
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/02/22/apple-is-no-1-in-reliability-survey/
Why not just call *yourself* a troll this time and save everyone the trouble . . .
http://img1.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/c/0//44/266/44266966_unsuccessful_troll.jpg
It's just amazing how quiet it has gotten in the past few weeks on MacRumors.I'm having a fit.
And insomnia.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_3 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7E18 Safari/528.16)
There is not a single company in history that has done so many different things so well and then somehow made them all part of one true vision.
We've all acted as pundits and we've always been wrong. These guys at Apple (and especially Steve Jobs) are smarter than us. We've gone along with everyone else complaining about the "i" prefix. We've complained about the simplicity of the iMac, the design of iPods, the closed nature of iTunes, the features of the iPhone, and the iPad.
Apple moves more people and takes more **** than anyone. How much do people talk about Sony's rolling mp3 player? Who raged on HP for that horrible touch screen desktop. The haters hold Apple to higher stanards than their favourite companies. I genuinely think less of people who don't appreciate the way a MacBook opens without rocking the base or the way iPod headphones click in. What about the breathing sleep light, MagSafe chargers, multi-touch track pads?
The iPad IS a game changing computer and you might not ever get it. The kids on Engadget don't. Cheers to Mr Jobs. He should get ****ing statues.
There is not a single company in history that has done so many different things so well and then somehow made them all part of one true vision.
We've all acted as pundits and we've always been wrong. These guys at Apple (and especially Steve Jobs) are smarter than us. We've gone along with everyone else complaining about the "i" prefix. We've complained about the simplicity of the iMac, the design of iPods, the closed nature of iTunes, the features of the iPhone, and the iPad.
Apple moves more people and takes more **** than anyone. How much do people talk about Sony's rolling mp3 player? Who raged on HP for that horrible touch screen desktop. The haters hold Apple to higher stanards than their favourite companies. I genuinely think less of people who don't appreciate the way a MacBook opens without rocking the base or the way iPod headphones click in. What about the breathing sleep light, MagSafe chargers, multi-touch track pads?
The iPad IS a game changing computer and you might not ever get it. The kids on Engadget don't. Cheers to Mr Jobs. He should get ****ing statues.
Stephen Fry - Apple- Time Magazine
As a brit I have followed Stephen Fry's work for many years.
I can assure anybody that Stephen Fry is totally genuine and if he believes in something he will do his very best to ensure the word gets out.
Have a look at his blog and you will immediately sense the genuine persona not involved with his own ego. A unique quality and very refreshing in these times.
http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/
As a brit I have followed Stephen Fry's work for many years.
I can assure anybody that Stephen Fry is totally genuine and if he believes in something he will do his very best to ensure the word gets out.
Have a look at his blog and you will immediately sense the genuine persona not involved with his own ego. A unique quality and very refreshing in these times.
http://www.stephenfry.com/forum/
I noticed it too. I also noticed that some threads have a few or a few dozens posts and over a thousand views.
The iPad hype brought in a lot of viewers, but now it's wearing off, I think. Everybody's getting tired, ideas get repeated and statements recycled. Finally, people get a life! Actually, that sounds pretty good: Don't get an iPad - Get a life!
About Sony... they have done a much wider range with significantly more products. They can keep their head up.
About Fry... so he's got a website... very genuine... how un-self... oh, God, I JUST HATE THE MAN!
Viewers sadly aren't posters either.
Even with the iPad discussion filters taken off there's still a dramatic drop in posts compared to the activity I've seen in the past.
He's not at all. There are just some very negative people who would attack pretty much anyone or anything, it's like a hobby for them. Good use for the Ignore List.
No you don't, or you wouldn't think he was a marketer.
Inappropriate.
Actually it means everything. Also, your entire premise is flawed since the man is giving his own opinion (who HE was most nervous about meeting) --- you can't apply your own psuedo-objective standard to that.
I like Fry and I like Jobs but can we get back down to earth please, this is simply a launch of a fairly low specification new product. It's not revolutionary, yes it may have a nice interface but it's a large iPod touch and not much different to a cross between that and an entry level laptop without the keyboard. I plan to eventually get an iPad (because I do love Apple), but only when they release one with good specification and features that at least compare with a laptop. One thing about Apple that has always annoyed me is the way they dress up the removal or lack of features on a new product, they took away floppy drives when they were still in use, firewire more recently and now the iPad is basically no more than a toy with great marketing. When the novelty of the lovely interface has worn off after an hour, what is the actual use for the device?