Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Steve Jobs Planned to Work on Apple TV Set After Stepping Down as Apple CEO
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
First, Just so we are on the same Page, the comment I made regarding Tim Cook was to be in respect and By no means was it to be demeaning to him in any way, being I appreciate him as a person and as Apple's CEO.
I don't want to stray to far off topic, but I'm not sure how the respect factor applies to Cook, being the same could be said about Jobs, "How do you know this?" It's more of a synopsis on how I view both of these CEO's over their years with Apple. I know as much as I have invested my time into discussion and studying the differences in Apple's work patterns over the years. If your seeking validation of indefinite answers to My quote, I don't believe anyone here can explain anything to you other than Cooks exposed interviews and or publicly made comments, being what I have listed below.
I look and measure Cooks over all demeanor on how he has spent his career with Apple during interviews with Earnings Calls, Charlie Rose, Jim Cramer, MSNBC, ABC and more. Cook, to me, is an astute businessman with the drive to understand Apple's current financial situation of how they invest and spend their money. There is no doubt Apple has struggled with various aspects in the Company and Cook has had to answer tough questions in the lime light. I think it's very evident Cook is self aware of where every Penney is being spent on Apple and managed for that matter, and blatantly admits on how Apple answers for it.
I don't have a citation to provide you, but another forum member made a great point a few months back. He/she said when Tim was appointed CEO back in 2011 prior to Jobs death, "Cook would be handed the keys to a Company where he knew how to ride the financial train for Apple, but leave the engineering to Ives."
Truthfully, that's how I view Cook. And the consideration it's been discussed on Macrumors thousands of posts worth. If your looking for actual hard evidence of "How do you know this?" That's what I can provide to you in my best way of my years being a customer, Past shareholder and Overall Apple enthusiast. It seems Cook has had to answer for Apple's 'Doom and Gloom' responsibilities, more so, now with the whole tax evasion concern.
No one here can truly state already what we know about Cook other than what is exposed of Apple and Cooks work history with Apple since 1998. Also on that Note, Wasn't Cook the lead financial fulfillment director for IBM? If I recall correctly, I believe he was. So Cook has the past experience in acting in a position where he can lead or fail (Take your pick) billion dollar Corporation.
Also the point of my reference to Jobs I stated above, one can say "In respect to Steve Jobs, how do you know this?" Which would open a whole another discussion.
Thanks for your question.
Last edited:
1) Apple TV is pretty damn good. I use it every day instead of cable or satellite unlike many of the whiners here.
2) The network and cable channel world is imploding as companies like Netflix make them look like fools. HBO and Showtime are the only other progressive thinkers letting one subscribe outside of a cable or satellite service. The rest are clinging to their old model and want to force people to pay for their sadass channels even if we never find value in them. As users cut the cord in droves, increasing pressure will drive them to succumb to individual choice and sink or swim based on their own merits. It may take some time, but the channels are losing leverage like ice cubes melting in global warming. Who will be the first channel to give in? Once one good channel goes its over, and Apple will finish what Jobs started.
3) Sling TV is a sad attempt with a poor infrastructure driven by DISH satellite company. They have the idea but the bundles are far from skinny and a la carte and by the time you get the 40 channels you really want you are paying for a couple hundred and it costs more than just getting directv, not to mention you won't have the pathetic streaming problems of Sling. You'd think it was still 2001.
2) The network and cable channel world is imploding as companies like Netflix make them look like fools. HBO and Showtime are the only other progressive thinkers letting one subscribe outside of a cable or satellite service. The rest are clinging to their old model and want to force people to pay for their sadass channels even if we never find value in them. As users cut the cord in droves, increasing pressure will drive them to succumb to individual choice and sink or swim based on their own merits. It may take some time, but the channels are losing leverage like ice cubes melting in global warming. Who will be the first channel to give in? Once one good channel goes its over, and Apple will finish what Jobs started.
3) Sling TV is a sad attempt with a poor infrastructure driven by DISH satellite company. They have the idea but the bundles are far from skinny and a la carte and by the time you get the 40 channels you really want you are paying for a couple hundred and it costs more than just getting directv, not to mention you won't have the pathetic streaming problems of Sling. You'd think it was still 2001.
I also have un upgradable Samsung TV and they already abandoned it. They will never release an update of said connect box. My fault in believing Samsung would be future oriented instead of being a low margin consumables company.
He must have told lots of people what he was working on within Apple!
If the Apple TV 4 wasn't a separate box, but was integrated into a TV set, with Jobs' showmanship selling the device... I think we'd all be convinced it was insanely great.
Being able to say "Siri, I want to watch Top Gear" and it showing me iTunes and Netflix results feels seamless. Entering a password with Siri worked better than I dared hope.
Compare it to other relatively new devices like Xbox One. Scrolling to each letter to search for something. Recently, a DVD we were watching stopped playing halfway through. After a moment we realised the app was updating. We hadn't finished watching and changed disks, we hadn't paused, there was no on screen prompt to ask if now was a good time... it just stopped, halfway through a film.
The biggest problem with Apple TV is lack of content at the moment. What's there works well, but still a ton of TV stations like Channel 4 (here in the UK) who have great on demand services on the web + iOS, who don't have a tvOS app yet.
[doublepost=1472718392][/doublepost]
There's more of a difference than just adding an app store, which you must know, having used the device.
[doublepost=1472718731][/doublepost]
This, a thousand times!
My family love watching the cricket. To access it with Sky TV we need to buy the "sports" bundle, an extra £13.75 a month. We're getting a lot of content we don't need.
Let's say Sky divide up costs per household like this:
£5.00 funds football content / £3.00 funds cricket content / £2.00 funds rugby content / £3.75 funds everything else.
They could sell us cricket-only for £5.00 a month and make more money from us, while at the same time we saved money. And if it was over the internet and was possible to watch matches later on demand, they wouldn't need to broadcast 8 digital channels 24/7.
Last edited:
Thing is Jobs must have known he was weeks away from death, anyone looking at him could have seen this so its seems peculiar to take this claim at face value.
The recurring expenditure/replacement cycle is also extremely valid re TV hardware, hence Apple sensibly concentrating on small modestly priced bits of kit such as the Apple TV. The missing link really is a TV and film equivalent of Apple Music but given that Netflix etc offer something broadly similar the gap in the market for Apple to provide a distinctive service is more limited.
The recurring expenditure/replacement cycle is also extremely valid re TV hardware, hence Apple sensibly concentrating on small modestly priced bits of kit such as the Apple TV. The missing link really is a TV and film equivalent of Apple Music but given that Netflix etc offer something broadly similar the gap in the market for Apple to provide a distinctive service is more limited.
I've heard "The iPhone 5 was a small update... See, no innovation without Steve Jobs" and "The iPhone 6 only sold so well because it was the last in the bag of tricks left over from Steve". People have no idea!
There was recently a report about Eddy Cue acting arrogantly in meetings with TV networks - the comments on the article were along the lines of "He's out of control without Steve!" "He's causing problems for Apple and needs to retire!" ... For a laugh, MacRumors should have published the article claiming it was what Steve had done before he died - my guess is people would have been defending the behaviour.
Short of the second coming or government intervention (which is just as unlikely)nthebUK sports market is stitched up between sky and BT. It would take a sporting body with vision and dare I say balls to bypass these broadcasters and launch their own app. I'd love to be able to subscribe purely for Manchester United games but given the commitment to collective selling by the PL it just isn't going to happen.
The television industry needed it... it still needs it... Apple and technology in general are a lot poorer without him 
True. Did a quick Google search and found this: http://www.nowtv.com/devices/appletv which I guess teaches me I should Google before you complain on MacRumours
Let's face it, for the past 5 years since Jobs died, Apple has been riding his coattails. newer revisions of iPhone, iPad and Mac is all they can do. Sure Apple Watch is "new" but Android wear actually came out before it so it can't really be considered innovative in any way. Apple lost their edge when Jobs died
Samsung seem to have something going with the external connect box except they have failed to upgrade it. The only advantage mine offers is that the TV is wall mounted and I need just one cable between the box and the TV with all the HDMI and network cables connecting to the box.
The sad thing is even if this new thing exist and you can choose subscriptions, we both know that we may never get that as long as we're in Canada ... legally, that is.
if anyone can do that, it would be Steve.
Just re-watch his speeches and presentations around 1997~2000 (and of course the iPhone intro) - pure Genius, passion about products, Eagle-like vision, impeccable salesmanship and irresistible charisma.
Now we have.... you know...
I agree. Watching the keynotes with Steve was a bit exciting. He really had a flare for creating the anticipation of the event and what he was going to say and present.And boy, waiting for a keynote he's about to present was so exciting every single time
The keynotes these days are still good and packed with new and arguably somewhat exciting stuff, but they're not the same without him. The keynotes of old when Steve was here had something more added to them that was more than just product or service.
It's no secret that the tv industry, whether broadcast, cable companies, or hardware manufacturers are in massive trouble these days. You hear every day about networks losing viewers and providers losing subscribers every day. I wonder how sales of new televisions are doing....probably not great since like buying a car, you only need one once every few years.
It would have been so very interesting to see how Jobs would have impacted things and how differently things might have shaped up today had Apple gone through with their own TV set and/or channel bundles.
It would have been so very interesting to see how Jobs would have impacted things and how differently things might have shaped up today had Apple gone through with their own TV set and/or channel bundles.
Needed what? We don't even know what Steve supposedly cracked.The television industry needed it... it still needs it... Apple and technology in general are a lot poorer without him
You'll actually pay far more for ESPN and there's still a decent chance it will go out of business too.
While ESPN may be the most in demand channel in the current bundle, that doesn't mean enough people want to see it to buy subscriptions to keep it going. If you unbundle that means they receive money from far far less subscribers as many don't care about their channel just as many don't like Outdoor Network. They'll be forced to raise their price far above what they get in the current bundled service and there's a high chance they'll go under as they can't get enough subscribers.
You're hugely over simplifying the intricacies of an incredibly complex design process. Jony Ive and the immensely talented IDg are the people who created & create these stunning tangible forms, not Steve Jobs - he had ideas - they were often very, very poor ideas, and IDg had to reign him in and get the train back on the tracks. Without IDg you'd be lost, not Steve Jobs - as is evidenced by the fact that Apple are still producing immensely great product NOW, without Steve Jobs.
Yes, he'll never be forgotten, but this legacy of sentiment is harmful if overly dwelled upon.
This is really going to be hard to do anyways. Many cable subscribers are on promotion plans, which could be a lot cheaper than the regular price.
Would you want solid numbers of their promotion prices? Or what they would be paying once the promotion expire?
Also, some lucky people like me have a few options to what ISP/cable provider they use. So, once one promotion is up, they are able to either negotiate a good deal, or switch to another ISP and get a new customer promotion.
Many people have little choice in their ISP and so their prices are probably relatively stable/predictable.
One other thing to think about is the fact that if Apple ever did come out with some TV service, their subscription charge would be pretty static. But, the ISP companies' prices will change from promotions ending, and from their yearly price changes/increases.