Steve Jobs Told Employees in 2010 That Apple Would Not Release a Television

[ColdShadow]

Their "Smart TV's" are really dumb.

Yes,but there is a product called Apple TV that does the job at a reasonable price,neat and nice and small and optional....(also many others)..what is the point of going into hardship of manufacturing a whole TV set just to integrate already available technology inside it? being Apple,such TV will cost twice as much as other leading TVs..and it will have basically same exact panel etc of other Tvs because Apple doesn't make those parts..
it's just a wasteful,unnecessary and pointless idea.

 

[sshambles]

Had a choice back in 1997 or so, the internet or cable television (aka Foxtel in Australia). Wasn't even a decision. One could grant us access to an entire world of information, data, multimedia - the other could give us reruns of Whose Line, The Simpsons, Cartoons and movies we'd seen previously stating Premiere on them.

I love, that in the time that has passed since '97, that my decision was greatly justified. To be honest, there's absolutely no reason for me to get cable television, except watching AFL whenever any game is on. However even now, the AFL has got wise enough to offer a $90 pass for a year to watch it online, on a phone or on a tablet. Hands down, no reason to buy cable here.

Shows you can find online, and Apple TV helps this, along with iTunes, as well as movies and documentaries. Sure they might not have everything, but there are ways and means around this. I can't say I utilise Netflix or Hulu, but having these things, I am pretty hard pressed to find a reason to buy cable television these days.

I'd be all for an Apple Television, but like Steve said, I wouldn't be replacing it for a decent decade or so. Can't see them entering this, without a bloody good content service and reason for reinventing it, and people needing it, but if anyone can do it, Apple will.

 

[britboyj]

People keep saying Apple will release a TV set and it keeps not happening.

 

[Cmdrx3]

He said he brake the code!

They will change tvs as we know them.

I recently purchase philips Elevation TV and have to say what a peace of craB.

Apple will make the best multimedia entertaining centre.

Maybe so, but most people will not be willing to buy a new TV (myself included) unless they are a. Apple fans who will buy anything new Apple makes regardless of if they need it or not. and b. those who are in the market for a new TV and wish to pay the premium price Apple would no doubt charge. With the recent purchases of HD and 3D TV's over the last few years a lot of people will likely have bought already, the majority will not be wanting to buy another TV for quite a few years. I wouldn't mind an internet/WIFI connected TV but to be honest I'm not going to go out and spend the money for another TV just to get it, it's cheaper just to buy a set top box that comes with many of these features instead. I am actually inclined to agree that Apple will never release an Apple TV mainly because they just don't need to, they can simply keep developing the current AppleTV box. Apple likes to tie people into as regular updates as they can with all their hardware and a TV just does not fit in with that way of operating.

 

[Tiger8]

And he also intimated that a 7" iPad would be a no go. How did that end up?

The only constant is change.

It never happened, the mini is 7.9

 

[sshambles]

It never happened, the mini is 7.9

Bloody close enough though, don't you think. The point was, it was a smaller tablet.

 

[LLIBSETAG]

AppleTV-TV?

Love Apple & Love Steve Jobs…

Steve Jobs is dead, which is very sad, but very true. That said, Apple is pushing 4K Video heavily with new Mac Pro, future 4K Apple Monitor release, updating Mac OSX Mavericks OS for next Developer conference.

Given the price of a 4K Monitor ( or an "virtual 4K - Retina Monitor ) an Apple TV Box could be built into the monitor so it could be a Monitor OR a TV tuner in one…?

 

[Gravity]

Steve Jobs was fibbing

Steve Jobs talking about low turnover and margins had to be a ruse. Apple could make a BEAUTIFUL, high-end smart television set that taps into Apple's ecosystem on itunes... and create a way to stimulate tons of sales in movie downloads... so the only stumbling block would be: "Can we get the content providers on board?" and in a way that makes up for the low turnover in unit sales? Think about it. THere's low turnover in Macintosh sales, too. You buy a mac pro and you have it for six or eight years. They still sell macintoshes, despite that fact. And the margins... can come with high-end hardware, some killer interface features and content options that generate a steady stream of revenue.

Apple is most DEFINITELY going to do a television. But they got stuff to work out, first. I can imagine an improvement in Siri... so you can talk to your TV set, like Tony Stark does with JARVIS. Wouldn't everybody love a JARVIS in their living room??? OF COURSE THEY WOULD.

Apple knows this.

There will be a television set. Abso-fricking-lutely.

 

[henlipoter]

TV is a terrible business. They don't turn over and the margins suck

 

[Bayshun]

I don't think we'll ever see an actual television, either. The notion has too much going against it:

-Apple is very much a mark up kind of company. Their 27 inch display sells for $1000, far above most other, similar displays. Can you imagine how much a television, which would probably be even bigger, would cost? Most of their products are expensive, yet affordable enough that they are (and maybe more importantly, feel like) attainable. I don't think even Apple has that kind of marketing prowess.

-Let's assume that if they make a television it would be a cableless method of direct streaming (or something to that effect) since that seems to be the most popular theory. Apple very much likes to do things their own way. With broadcast, you are having to cooperate with dozens of other companies, who then have to contend with cable companies. As we've seen in the past, cablecos are VERY protective of their position. This would be yet another sector Apple would have to deal with.

-As already stated in the original article, the turn over on televisions suck (largely due to price). This, again, goes against Apple's business strategy. Other companies have to contend with it as well. Most televisions are made by large electronics companies that have tons of other products that can help offset any slow profit made by televisions -- take Samsung, for example. Apple has desktops, laptops, phones, tablets, a streaming box, and music players. Samsung has all of these as well as cameras, other home electronics, appliances, computer parts, and they also do manufacturing for other companies (including Apple).

One box that does everything is much more likely, and would be much more welcome for me.

 

[poppasketti]

Where Apple can innovate (and profit) is on the devices that feed images to those displays. They have the technology and content leverage to do something different in that part of the market, and that's where they're going to keep focusing. Let people buy their dumb displays from Magnabox, Hibachi, Suny, and Samesong ... and their content and content-management system from Apple.

Exceptionally lame jokes. You make me tired.

 

[dec.]

I think a TV would be a mistake as well.

There are so many different variables that make people decide for / against a TV - features, size, design - wallmount or base, matching existing room furniture? I still think that Apple should put a ton of effort into an Apple TV concept. With a good set top box system you'd be able to entirely get rid of all TV controls except for the on/off button. IMHO that's the perfect way to simplify the TV experience - it's a huge market with existing front end displays, get right in between there.

 

[Tech198]

ok... but step dwelling on the past...

A few good people at Apple need to bang heads together...

Its what Apple wants *NOW*, not what Steve said. That was then, this is now.

Its like saying Apple employees will be haunted for the rest of their lives if they decide to veer off at tangent. Oh No....

Apple's making a Television..... Apple's Not making a Television....

Steve was great, but Tim is now in charge.. so .. why keep saying what "Steve didn't want us to do"..... it doesn't matter anymore, or it shouldn't matter.

which is it ?

Having said that, Apple have bough channels and Bluetooth to the Apple TV (hockey puck), so maybe they decided to go with this instead, built it up, and they didn't really think otherwise before, or maybe it could also be content creators. (or lack of them)..

I too agree. Instead of starting from scratch, build on what is current. But that's just me.

 

[sanook997]

Jobs would be correct if one is referring to a TV as we currently understand it, but what if going forward it is not a TV but an entertainment device that is in a whole other category?

I sure hope Apple does not release a "TV" as we currently know it

 

[Tech198]

Jobs would be correct if one is referring to a TV as we currently understand it, but what if going forward it is not a TV but an entertainment device that is in a whole other category?

I sure hope Apple does not release a "TV" as we currently know it

Like an Apple console ?

A competitor to the XBox One and PS4 ?

 

[sanook997]

Like an Apple console ?

A competitor to the XBox One and PS4 ?

Yes, an all inclusive device, gaming, movies, applications and television fully integrated with IOs and OSX. The screen is a piece of generic hardware added by others.

The interface still puzzles me because the Apple TV interface is nothing to brag about.....

 

[preyan]

Jobs also said...

3.5" screens are the perfect size! Then we went up to 4", and speculation is rife that we're headed towards the 5" arena

----------

Times have changed, consumer demands have changed.
You snooze, you lose. Perfection never existing but investing money in marketing can make sand in the desert appear like gold

 

[LLIBSETAG]

Spellinbe

Some individuals in this thread could benefit from a spelling and grammar class...

That thar prez bush told us to not leaf no chil bhind. I b edgimicated.

 

[Ljohnson72]

Steve has been known to change his mind many many times in the past. Also, no offense to him, but he's not in charge anymore. It's Tim Cook's call now.

I highly doubt he "changed his mind" about such major decisions in only a couple years. Obviously he fibbed about certain product lines (ie. iPad Mini) to keep competitors at bay.

I guarantee you when he said that small tablets were a bad idea that Apple already had the iPad Mini under design.

 

[downpour]

Yes, an all inclusive device, gaming, movies, applications and television fully integrated with IOs and OSX. The screen is a piece of generic hardware added by others.

The interface still puzzles me because the Apple TV interface is nothing to brag about.....

They should make it capable of running games from the 'Mac' app store, combined with the iOS app store. Current Apple TV features could be handled by a dedicated app/apps. The hardware could be something approaching the power of a mac mini, but with a price point slightly lower than current consoles. Screens could be made as separate units in various sizes and could also be used with macs to maximise sales and give everyone what they want.

Something like this could be huge. Maybe not iPhone/iPad huge but certainly worth doing.

 

[unplugme71]

I agree that Apple won't come out with a physical TV.

Instead, they will manage the content in a box similar to the Apple TV.

 

[Count Blah]

Bloody close enough though, don't you think. The point was, it was a smaller tablet.

Thank you, the folks who can't wait to point out that a 7" and 7.9" are missing the point. The point was always to say the tablet experience, smaller than the iPad of the time, was a no-go in Steve's world at the time.

I guess they only way they can justify Steve's statement, and apple's eventual release of a 7"ish iPad is to say "welllllll, Steve said 7, bit it's really a 7.9. Steve wasn't wrong - ever!!!!!!" *pout* *pound fist*

 

[AppleFan1984]

I would like to see Apple TV and boxes like it (Roku, Chromecast) replace cable television as the world's primary television source. The nut to crack is going to be Internet. Right now cable companies have a strong lock on it which needs to be broken.

The inevitable change from the fixed schedules of broadcasters to on-demand via streaming is happening, even if the cable companies continue to mislead their shareholders by pretending it isn't:

Watch Out, Cable Companies: More Avid TV Viewers Planning on Cutting the Cord
http://www.thewrap.com/cord-cutting-morgan-stanley-streaming-netflix-amazon-prime

In just another few years the momentum will be undeniable, and only those cable companies who correctly foresaw their future as ISPs will survive the change.

 

[mdelvecchio]

Is just yet another slap in the face example to all those on here that apparently believe Apple only does what's best for the worlds problems... rather than face the reality that it actually only ever does what is most profitable to them, pure and simple.

huh? who says apple is here to solve the world's problems? citations, please.

apple exists to build the best products it possibly can, and profits from doing so. quality first, profit will follow. thats their mantra and theyve stated it numerous times.