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I'm really happy with the grilling Steve got. Sure, he won't come and do another UK press conference any time soon. But I would rather this approach, where the questions that should be asked get asked, rather than the US approach - ie. fill an auditorium with smiling sycophantic baboons that whoop and cheer at every opportunity. I wonder if the Americans would like us to add "Peace Be Upon Him" after every mention of Le Jobs.

The British press are renowned for their challenging, impartial approach. Shame they haven't applied this quite so rigourously to the Madeleine McCann story over recent months! ;)
 
Mods note: Please don't sully this fine thread with off-topic political ranting, no matter how justified you feel in your views. Any more of it will be deleted upon sight. Many thanks, your pre-coffee moderator... ;)

Thank you for not censoring the thread. It was a comment on the style of questioning used by the press in questioning Steve Jobs, compared with the regular Jobs-worshipping U.S. press. Anyway....
 
UK Specific TV Ads?...

I read in one of the live feeds of the events that there were some UK specific iPhone adverts shown... Does anyone know what these were of? or if any of the invited guests got videos / images?....

Also, I have to agree with what a lot of the other people are saying about the British press, they aren't shy of asking direct questions - and then demanding they get a direct answer... Hence the badgering of Jobs on the issue of why Apple have gone with multiple partnerships across Europe.

On a side note - the o2 tariffs are awful! It's not going to be very hard for Orange, Voda etc to retain customers looking to break contracts or jump ship by simply saying 'we'll give you more for your money - and a free upgrade to our latest handsets...'
 
I agree with Steve about the Camera in terms of quality, however, the lack of a Digital Zoom or Video is embarrassing. The picture quality on my phone is great with good lighting as he stated, but it is very easy to make the picture blurry if the camera is not held steady enough. Probably the biggest part of the phone that needs improvement (and the speakers volumes are too low as well).
 
I agree with Steve about the Camera in terms of quality, however, the lack of a Digital Zoom or Video is embarrassing. The picture quality on my phone is great with good lighting as he stated, but it is very easy to make the picture blurry if the camera is not held steady enough. Probably the biggest part of the phone that needs improvement (and the speakers volumes are too low as well).

The lack of autofocus is another joke. This camera isn't worth using...

On a side note - the o2 tariffs are awful! It's not going to be very hard for Orange, Voda etc to retain customers looking to break contracts or jump ship by simply saying 'we'll give you more for your money - and a free upgrade to our latest handsets...'

If Vodafone give me a free phone that retails at over £200 like last time, I will sell it straight away - then I'll pay for more than my entire contract for that year. Awesome. In fact, I sold my last phone for £230. My contract is £15 a month. That's £180 for year - so Vodafone have essentially paid me to use a phone. £50. Let's go buy a shuffle!
 
I did not find the questions particularly rude or tough. It seemed like business as usual to me. Both sides seemed to follow the script pretty closely. I am not sure when the word greed changed definition, but the way it is tossed around these days is humorous.

The British press are renowned for their challenging, impartial approach. Shame they haven't applied this quite so rigourously to the Madeleine McCann story over recent months!

So, the British press are renowned for their challenging, impartial approach - except when they are not? ;)

Personally I find the press from most western countries to be virtually the same (style aside). Controversy and "buzz" is their product and they are in the business of generating as much as possible to maximize their profit potential (or personal notoriety).
 
If Vodafone give me a free phone that retails at over £200 like last time, I will sell it straight away - then I'll pay for more than my entire contract for that year. Awesome. In fact, I sold my last phone for £230. My contract is £15 a month. That's £180 for year - so Vodafone have essentially paid me to use a phone. £50. Let's go buy a shuffle!

That's almost exactly the same situation I was recently in with Orange - they upgraded my phone for free when I actually didn't need it upgrading - so I sold it! Instant profit!
 
That video is hilarious. The audience asks him such rude questions, he doesn't know how to respond. He resorts to saying things like "All I can tell you is that we were faced with a lot of decisions, and we think we've made the best ones."
This is europe, we have been screwed by politicians, manufacturers, etc etc all too often, and the audience/press has become increasingly critical, and aware of their rights, and rightfully asks questions that reflect that. I don't think they were rude, they were just direct and frank, and rightfully so. I think Steve did a good job in answering these, as honest and open as he could, given Apple's "we do not disclose anything we haven't released or annouced yet" policy.
:apple:
 
Rude? How are they in the least bit rude? They asked pertinent questions. Putting SJ on the spot does not equate with rudeness.

Yes. It depends on what you're used to.

An example: American journalism drives me crazy. So much of that one-newsman-asking-the-other "What do you make of that, Bob?" thing. Over here, we're used to reporters asking tough questions without needing to obtain clearance from the P.R. department.

No offense meant.

Edit: We surely learn something about Steve Jobs that we don't learn from typical keynote video streams. He's not the cool patient deliberate guy that he likes to be perceived as. He's got temper, and you don't want to meet him when he's in a bad mood. That makes him very human. I actually like him better after this video.
 
It looks like he hates going round doing the introductions and getting the same flipping questions all the time. He looks sort of uncomfortable, as if being forced to play the shopkeeper introducing a new range of pork sausages or something, over and over again. The press in the UK (most of them a bunch of morons) haven't been very kind to say the least. But the beauty of the iPhone should eventually convince the cynics.
 
Just watched the video. Really surprised how nervous he was with some of the questions. He actually looks surprised that people are asking certain things.

Anyone entering that sort of situation should make a list of the toughest questions one could possibly be asked and then from there formulate some answers if they should come up. Hope for the best, plan for the worst so nothing phases you.

Prepare for battle next time Steve instead of sitting around eating organic celery on your private jet.

Cheers, T
 

Edit: We surely learn something about Steve Jobs that we don't learn from typical keynote video streams. He's not the cool patient deliberate guy that he likes to be perceived as. He's got temper, and you don't want to meet him when he's in a bad mood. That makes him very human. I actually like him better after this video.

Agree with you there. It was nice to see him in a more intimate environment and I think he handled the press very well. Made him look like a real CEO rather than just an idolised figurehead of the world's hippest technology company.

I'm definitely going to try and get my grubby little hands on one and unlock it until the 2G arrives here.
 
The press weren't rude, they asked things that people want to know. Why sugarcoat questions and be 'polite', it doesn't serve anyone's interest.

I totally agree. I find many people today are very apathetic. They don't want to bring anything up because it's "too rude" or "wouldn't do enough." But there are enough things in life where it may be rude to bring it up, but even ruder not to IMO. I work in an elementary school & the kindergarten teacher said that sometimes the only way to get something done is to throw a tantrum. Unfortunately, that's very true. Plus, many people are more concerned w/ how things look & the image they have than actually making it work & be accessible. Example: the school district I work for just brought in a faster internet connection (but when your old one is a T1 line feeding 9 schools & an admin building, anything is faster). There was a big thing in the local newspapers saying "aren't the district wide techs great! Hooray for them!" Yet, it isn't operating at full capacity. Plus, the wireless network in one of the wings of my school doesn't even work so the iBooks we have in those rooms wouldn't even be able to connect to the internet.

So basically, sometimes it's a good thing to be rude so that things get better.
 

Edit: We surely learn something about Steve Jobs that we don't learn from typical keynote video streams. He's not the cool patient deliberate guy that he likes to be perceived as. He's got temper, and you don't want to meet him when he's in a bad mood. That makes him very human. I actually like him better after this video.


did you seriously thought that he was a "cool patient deliberate" guy?;):D:D
I've seen and heard him quite a few times loosing his "cool-patient-deliberateness" vibe... :eek::D
 
I didn't find anything about any of the questions rude? :confused:

However, the video did make me want an iPhone even more so than I did before watching it. It just looks so bloody lovely!
 
...But the beauty of the iPhone should eventually convince the cynics.

???

What? :eek:

Anyway...

did you seriously thought that he was a "cool patient deliberate" guy?;):D:D
I've seen and heard him quite a few times loosing his "cool-patient-deliberateness" vibe... :eek::D

Yeh, there are a few cases when he's lost his rag during keynotes that have gone badly.

It is interesting to see him not be the epitome of presentations. I watch his keynotes and wish I could make a presentation that good (I am not selling something though). Having said that, I don't say "boom" a million times either.

I watch this, and realise that he is indeed human. Agreed. I don't 'like him more' though.
 
I think Steve did a nice job at answering. Q&As can be rather intimidating because you never know what will come up. I think he stayed calm and composed and never once did it look like Apple made a bad decision or aren't looking towards the future.

I've sat in on a few Q&As when grad students are defending their research for a masters or doctorate. If you wanna see a scared bunny surrounded by a pack of wolves, head on over to your nearest research institute for one of those.
 
Yes, but at least the newspapers are up front about their political orientation! In the U.S. newspapers still, on the surface, claim to provide fair and balanced news when in fact they are incredibly political and biased. To the average, uncritical reader this is much more dangerous.

The way U.S. journalists and media has failed the American people with regard to the Iraq war is perhaps the biggest let-down of all times. There is virtually no news about the conditions in Iraq, except for the occasional weep story about some poor little Iraqi child who was alsmost blown up but then was given a chance to a better life in the U.S.. Truth is, hundred of little children are killed every month. millions are displaced AND the U.S. is one of the worst in accepting Iraqi refugees with only a 3-400 since the beginning of the war. Contrast that with tiny Sweden, where around 30,000 iraqis have been given residency as a result of the war. U.S. media is superficial, sensationalist, corrupted from corporate sponsoship, fearful of private interest retaliation if they ask tough unfavorable questions, and individual journalists so career-ambitious that they're fearful of stepping out of rank and doing their job. There are a few exceptions, like public tv and radio, but they have to beg every year for viewers to donate money so they can keep going - it always makes me sad to see them forced to do that.

Anyway...my morning rant. I'm turning on the BBC through my amazing Squeezebox device (if you haven't seen one yet, check it out! Couldn't live without it)

I agree 100% (and I'll probably have this deleted by BlueVelvet, she's gotten me before lol).
 
to me he seemed nervous-maybe because it wasn't on his on turf. The questions that were asked seemed logical questions that any good reporter would ask.
 
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