Steve Jobs Leaves Apple's Pipeline with Four Years of Products

[Franco Borgo]

Meh, no big deal. Dell has a ten-year pipeline full of products, and I have a copy. See:

Oct 2011: Introduce model with faster Intel chip
Jan 2012: Introduce model with more RAM
...
Jul 2021: Introduce model with faster Intel chip
Sep 2021: Introduce model with more RAM

See? Brilliant!

in 1997, Steve killed the Newton because Apple was close to bankruptcy, but said it will bring it back.

Apple started working on the iPad in 2000 and it was introduced in 2010. 10 years in the pipeline. So four years is not so long.

In 2000, when somebody showed Steve the spring movement at the end of a list in IOS he said he would be perfect for a phone, they stop working on a tablet and switch to iPhone. Another product that stayed 6 years in the pipeline.

4 years mean that some of those products are well advanced in the pipeline.

 

[4:20]

It's interesting to know that there are a couple of years worth of products in the pipeline, that Jobs himself put on the map. However, from now on everyone will be biased when it comes to new product introductions. It might not be the case with the iPhone 5, as I'm pretty sure they've already figured out the design, but it will be the case for a lot of upcoming products.

Obviously he had a massive infuence on all products, a very good sense for what the consumer wants and a great taste, but let's not underestimate all the other talented people at Apple (e.g. Jony Ive), who made those products as great as they are.

I'm not really worried that Apple will slip, but I do think the perception of Apple will change, no matter what.

 

[CrackedButter]

wish they could hire woz as honorary engineer just to keep the spirit alive

Steve Wozniak is still employed by Apple. He even does talks for them.

 

[Mr Bigs]

I find that very hard to believe, considering the fast-changing nature of the tech industry.

I agree,you can't possibly account for what technology changes could be in 4 years. Such hopelessly blinded Apple fanboys.

----------

It's interesting to know that there are a couple of years worth of products in the pipeline, that Jobs himself put on the map. However, from now on everyone will be biased when it comes to new product introductions. It might not be the case with the iPhone 5, as I'm pretty sure they've already figured out the design, but it will be the case for a lot of upcoming products.

Obviously he had a massive infuence on all products, a very good sense for what the consumer wants and a great taste, but let's not underestimate all the other talented people at Apple (e.g. Jony Ive), who made those products as great as they are.

I'm not really worried that Apple will slip, but I do think the perception of Apple will change, no matter what.

Steve didn't know what people wanted he convinced them on what he felt what they needed. This is the reason why their are so many choices. Steve was a good salesman.

 

[CWT1965]

Steve Wozniak is still employed by Apple. He even does talks for them.

I hope they get Woz to do the keynotes from now on, no one will ever come close to matching Steve's on stage charisma but Woz is closer to it than Cook/Schiller

 

[rdowns]

I hope they get Woz to do the keynotes from now on, no one will ever come close to matching Steve's on stage charisma but Woz is closer to it than Cook/Schiller

I hope he rides his Segway onto stage.

 

[karlwig]

So may of Apple's designs depend on waiting for chips and batteries and other things to eventually get small enough. They can design all kinds of stuff that just can't 'be built yet. Once they can be, they'll still be products people want.

This is such an amazing approach, and a good illustration of Apple's success under Jobs' perfectionist vision: "THIS is our next phone. Oh, the parts aren't invented yet? Well too bad, this is what it looks like and I'm not changing it!"

I have enormous respect to this approach, because it plays into a slow, patient waiting game that probably isn't profit-optimal at all: It's just pure vision and stubborn principle.

The iPad was like that, like Jobs has described in many interviews. They could have released it alot sooner, but it wouldn't quite be the product that perfectionist Jobs had envisioned due to tech restrictions. So they wait. And wait. And wait. Until just the right time. Then they strike and change the tech world landscape.

Amazing business approach, and so unheard of when you look at the other companies with all their fragmented "Z-155-XY"-model lineups released every week.

 

[Umbongo]

I find that very hard to believe, considering the fast-changing nature of the tech industry.

Ridiculous that you have been so heavily down-voted. The Daily Mail is a tabloid rag dressed up as a broadsheet. They constantly lie, fabricate news, manipulate reports and reprint old news (such as stories from years ago) as new. They also still retain their bigoted, racist, xenophobic culture. They have a successful online venture as they do whatever they think will get clicks. They are not a reputable source for real news, let alone technology information. They are good for animal photos and that's about it.

 

[CWT1965]

Ridiculous that you have been so heavily down-voted. The Daily Mail is a tabloid rag dressed up as a broadsheet. They constantly lie, fabricate news, manipulate reports and reprint old news (such as stories from years ago) as new. They also still retain their bigoted, racist, xenophobic culture. They have a successful online venture as they do whatever they think will get clicks. They are not a reputable source for real news, let alone technology information. They are good for animal photos and that's about it.

They are the most viewed non American news site in the world, infact 2nd in total in the world, they are the 2nd most popular daily paper in the UK and the best selling sunday paper, the Daily Mail are great patriots and stand up for what the person in the street thinks - the majority of Britons hate Europe, hate immigrants, hate unemployed people, hate unions, hate homosexuals and the paper reflects what people are thinking and does it brilliantly, I am not saying I hate all of those groups but the DM is more in tune with British society than any news organisation hence their successful sales and website.

 

[Umbongo]

They are the most viewed non American news site in the world, infact 2nd in total in the world, they are the 2nd most popular daily paper in the UK and the best selling sunday paper, the Daily Mail are great patriots and stand up for what the person in the street thinks - the majority of Britons hate Europe, hate immigrants, hate unemployed people, hate unions, hate homosexuals and the paper reflects what people are thinking and does it brilliantly, I am not saying I hate all of those groups but the DM is more in tune with British society than any news organisation hence their successful sales and website.

What a load of nonsense. They have a circulation of 2 million in a nation of over 61 million. They do not represent a majority.

 

[Shrink]

What a selfless man. Yes, he is making an attempt to protect his legacy, but a selfless attempt to protect his baby after he is gone.

Steve Jobs knew better than to foolishly think that he could still control his company after he had gone. What he did here then is attempt to help and protect his baby, Apple, the best he could. Like it was one of his own children.

This man worked so hard through his life that even with only mere weeks left, he never wavered, lost faith, relaxed, gave up.

Not to be cheesy, but I am reminded of all of the Under Armor commercials where they say, "We will protect this house". This man will go down in history.

Steve, you truly put a dent in the Universe.

Leaving aside what might be considered the somewhat over-the-top tone of the post, I don't understand how maintaining the very successful Apple culture is a "selfless" act.

Selfless means without concern for self. I am not suggesting that maintaining his legacy is in any way selfish, but I still don't understand how it is "selfless"

 

[CWT1965]

What a load of nonsense. They have a circulation of 2 million in a nation of over 61 million. They do not represent a majority.

They sell around 1m a day less than The Sun and The Sun only sells that much so chavs and builders can stare at Page 3, even so The Mail/Sun/Express/Star all pretty much sing from the same hymnsheet in terms of hatred so Britain is by nature a very right wing country

 

[divinox]

This is such an amazing approach, and a good illustration of Apple's success under Jobs' perfectionist vision: "THIS is our next phone. Oh, the parts aren't invented yet? Well too bad, this is what it looks like and I'm not changing it!"

I have enormous respect to this approach, because it plays into a slow, patient waiting game that probably isn't profit-optimal at all: It's just pure vision and stubborn principle.

The iPad was like that, like Jobs has described in many interviews. They could have released it alot sooner, but it wouldn't quite be the product that perfectionist Jobs had envisioned due to tech restrictions. So they wait. And wait. And wait. Until just the right time. Then they strike and change the tech world landscape.

Amazing business approach, and so unheard of when you look at the other companies with all their fragmented "Z-155-XY"-model lineups released every week.

...and without Jobs there to go "HOOOOLD! HOOOOLD!" like Mel Gibson aka. William Wallace in Braveheart well... yeah. Lets just say timing is easier said than done.

Thats the thing here. I do not doubt for a second that Apple has a treasure chest full of great ideas and designs. However, in the turbulent environment that is IT, crucial choices have to be made along the line. Choices, that may not be overly important in the short-term, but that will have long-term ramifications, and that could seriously dent the corporate image that Apple has managed to build.

Surely, Apple will live on. But quite frankly, the demise of Jobs is likely to be the end of the Apple-era. It may take a decade before it becomes apparent, but unless someone can fill his shoes (which itself is very possible, if not for the fact that those who could probably would not be allowed to try) thats the future i see for this company. That said, its not like they will go bankrupt or anything.

Oh well, it was a good show at least!

 

[threemcs]

How can he predict four years into the future? I mean, Steve Jobs was totally brilliant, but who knows where technology will go in that time?

Steve and Apple started designing the original iPhone in 2002. Case closed!!

 

[divinox]

Steve and Apple started designing the original iPhone in 2002. Case closed!!

Which is irrelevant, as Jobs was there along the way and could make the necessary changes as events unfolded.

Once again i feel obliged to bring up the wisdom of Lucy Suchman:

Simply, situated action is how people act in a situation.

Suchman (1987) explains it in more detail by signifying what it is and what it is not,

Rather than attempting to abstract action away from its circumstances and represent it as a rational plan, the approach is to study how people use their circumstances to achieve intelligent action. Rather than build a theory of action out of a theory of plans, the aim is to investigate how people produce and find evidence for plans in the course of situated action. More generally, rather than subsume the details of action under the study of plans, plans are subsumed by the larger problem of situated action.
People often have plans of action mapped out in their heads, but may need to change that plan depending on what is actually happening in a specific situation. They use their embodied skills or past experiences to get them through the situation. Suchman (1987) gives an example of going over the falls in a canoe:

in planning to run a series of rapids in a canoe, one is very likely to sit for a while above the falls and plan one's decent. The plan might go something like "I'll get as far over to the left as possible, try to make it between those two large rocks, then backferry hard to the right to make it around that next bunch." A great deal of deliberation, discussion, simulation, and reconstruction may go into such a plan. But, however detailed, the plan stops short of the actual business of getting your canoe through the falls. When it really comes down to the details of responding to currents and handling a canoe, you effectively abandon the plan and fall back on whatever embodied skills are available to you.

This situation is significant to situated action because it shows how people build detailed plans of action before performing a task. This also shows how the plan ends up changing once the person is actually performing the task. Suchman believes that people construct their plan as they go along in the situation, creating and altering their next move based on what has just happened. People can attempt to make a plan, but their situation will ultimately determine what actual plan of action they make.​

In short, Jobs was a heck of a Canoer.

Fun fact: Suchman worked at Xerox PARC.

 

[iPhoney:)]

I've lost all interest in the tech industry, seriously, I just don't care anymore, the visionary is gone, and so is his vision, I'm just going to go purchase a cheap Windows notebook and forget I ever gave a damn...RIP Mr. Jobs, a part of me died right along with you.

 

[Mr Bigs]

I've lost all interest in the tech industry, seriously, I just don't care anymore, the visionary is gone, and so is his vision, I'm just going to go purchase a cheap Windows notebook and forget I ever gave a damn...RIP Mr. Jobs, a part of me died right along with you.

This is the most pitiful post ever !!!!!! And if you truly feel that way then bring it to an end so we don't have to read your crap anymore.

 

[abz1981]

You need to believe in Apple

I've lost all interest in the tech industry, seriously, I just don't care anymore, the visionary is gone, and so is his vision, I'm just going to go purchase a cheap Windows notebook and forget I ever gave a damn...RIP Mr. Jobs, a part of me died right along with you.

Don't give up As I said in another thread you need to stop worrying:

The reason I say this is that, don't you think Steve would have spoken about this when he was alive with everyone at Apple, in how the company should go on and what they should concentrate on, such as the next OS X and next iPhone products and the next Mac's?

I am sure he has already discussed this and set out a road map for the future, and this Iuniversity he set up is all for the future for his dream for the company to proceed as he see's best. Also in relation to Tim Cook, I am glad he chose him when he was alive at Apple, as he has his faith in him and he chose him for a reason and we should all accept his choice and let him lead Apple forward.

Plus Apple have a great team, designers and people behind them. As long as Apple has us the followers of Apple, Apple will continue to be stronger and stronger. I am sure the next version of Mac OS X and iPhones and Macs are already being discussed and worked on. So lets relax and look towards the great future Apple has.

Oh and top of that I am sure Apple will continue to see what Walt Mossberg's advice is on new products and make sure he is always on board and happy before bringing out future products.

Remember Apple is here also because of Apple's fans all of us who love Apple. As long as the fans of Apple are here, Apple will be great.
) for life

 

[brewcitywi]

Beautiful

What is so beautiful is that design and innovation went all the way to the top.

Any company where you can see through the CEO's eyes into to the product they create is an extremely rare and amazing phenomena. It's exciting.

Whether it completely works or not is not the point. It's the culture of product innovation that is thorough, complete and beautiful, and that the top leaders have those traits.

Arguably no CEO will reach the level of steve jobs. There is no equivalent. It's not possible! But, if all the key managers at Apple have that dynamic together...wow, it could actually work.

My guess is that if steve created a long-term plan...it would be a series of trends and evolving technologies, each with split out plans of what happens if they come to fruition...then...possible products which harness it.

You can't predict something like social media. But you can create a culture with plans for mature decisions.

The more I think about it, steve was incredible at dealing and negotiating with creative people...music industry, movie industry...to create cross-over products. That might be the most unique trait to replicate into the future. Would Google or Facebook have been trusted and respected by the creative industry to get all those movie, music, tv content rights? Hmmmm.

It might be Apple's B2B (non-manufacturing) negotiating skills that is the challenge, way before product generation and product design. Could steve have created a small plan for that? I'm not sure you can, but maybe it's there.

To me, what steve illustrates is the building of a new American corporation. Corporations are built like ships to float. They get profits, they all float. Thats not steve. He wanted the ship to sail somewhere. If American corporations can begin to sail and move and create and evolve...that would take us into the next century for sure.

I think it's incredible and beautiful if Steve tried to think as far into the future as possible, as hard as that is.

 

[brewcitywi]

Relate

Leaving aside what might be considered the somewhat over-the-top tone of the post, I don't understand how maintaining the very successful Apple culture is a "selfless" act.

Selfless means without concern for self. I am not suggesting that maintaining his legacy is in any way selfish, but I still don't understand how it is "selfless"

Totally relate to the term "selfless." However, I would think he just meant that Steve knew he wouldn't be there to see it. He could have left a lot more things to chance. He had a family and could have easily checked out of Apple sooner. Resigning on August 24 and passing on October 5 shows how far he pushed it.

I don't think selfless is that far off.

 

[arcite]

...and without Jobs there to go "HOOOOLD! HOOOOLD!" like Mel Gibson aka. William Wallace in Braveheart well... yeah. Lets just say timing is easier said than done.

Thats the thing here. I do not doubt for a second that Apple has a treasure chest full of great ideas and designs. However, in the turbulent environment that is IT, crucial choices have to be made along the line. Choices, that may not be overly important in the short-term, but that will have long-term ramifications, and that could seriously dent the corporate image that Apple has managed to build.

Surely, Apple will live on. But quite frankly, the demise of Jobs is likely to be the end of the Apple-era. It may take a decade before it becomes apparent, but unless someone can fill his shoes (which itself is very possible, if not for the fact that those who could probably would not be allowed to try) thats the future i see for this company. That said, its not like they will go bankrupt or anything.

Oh well, it was a good show at least!

Image

S. Jobs injected his DNA into Apple. They are setting up the Apple university, they are building the new billion dollar Apple campus. Apple is the largest tech company on the planet and they have close to $100 billion in cash. They could scew up for the next 20 years and still be around. However, most likely they are entering a new phase in the lifetime of a corporation.

 

[frankjl]

Hmm maybe is the incremental updates that apple usually do?

I mean apple sits on designs for 4-8 years and just update internals.

The real test for apple is when this designs are starting to feel old in 3-4 years and a new re-design is needed.

But this 4 years I'm sure are incremental updates.

 

[wovel]

Hmm maybe is the incremental updates that apple usually do?

I mean apple sits on designs for 4-8 years and just update internals.

The real test for apple is when this designs are starting to feel old in 3-4 years and a new re-design is needed.

But this 4 years I'm sure are incremental updates.

Why? You don't think they have a roadmap for new products at least 4 years out? Th iPad and iphone were both in development more than 4 years when they launched. Apple's major plans are rarely impacted by the rest of the industry. Over the past 5 years in computers/mobile Apple has driven nearly all the change.

I believe Apple's only design close to 8 years old is the classic, there is some debat if they even manufacturer it still.

 

[Abazigal]

I agree,you can't possibly account for what technology changes could be in 4 years. Such hopelessly blinded Apple fanboys.

----------


Steve didn't know what people wanted he convinced them on what he felt what they needed. This is the reason why their are so many choices. Steve was a good salesman.

Technology can change, but ideas and concepts would still remain the same. And besides, that's the job of all the people working in apple, to ensure the device incorporates the latest tech when appropriate.

 

[Dammit Cubs]

I wish I worked for apple. To have a CEO/Leader like him and to work for a company like that. Putting in long hours and pulling your hair for a product shows that the end result was worth it. And what's the point of having a career if you aren't fulfilling your heart.