The author makes some good points (Jobs is a tool for snubbing the interview, the price cut was well planned, and the reasoning behind the price cut, etc)... But, I think he's off the mark on some things:
"In the mind of Steve Jobs the entire incident had no downside, none at all, which is yet another reason why he is not like you or me."
"So Apple still comes out $75 million ahead, which is important to Steve Jobs."
Jobs is a CEO. Making money for the company and the company's stakeholders is what he does. Its his job, if you will. So yes, coming out ahead is important to Jobs... and every other competent CEO.
And as for the Gates comment, "He has to know he can never win"... Define 'win'. The way I see it, Apple is indeed winning... they're just not playing the same game as Microsoft anymore.
Well, you've got to take the Gates quote in context. This was about two years after Michael Dell said that he'd shut the company down and give the money back to the shareholders. Back then you'd have needed some serious crystal ball mojo to see forward to the Apple of today.
Definitely. I'm not bashing Gates for saying it. In the context he was dead on. But the author of the article seems to still push it as truth. Could just be my perception though, because he doesn't explicitly say it.
Comments
The author makes some good points (Jobs is a tool for snubbing the interview, the price cut was well planned, and the reasoning behind the price cut, etc)... But, I think he's off the mark on some things:
"In the mind of Steve Jobs the entire incident had no downside, none at all, which is yet another reason why he is not like you or me." "So Apple still comes out $75 million ahead, which is important to Steve Jobs."
Jobs is a CEO. Making money for the company and the company's stakeholders is what he does. Its his job, if you will. So yes, coming out ahead is important to Jobs... and every other competent CEO.
And as for the Gates comment, "He has to know he can never win"... Define 'win'. The way I see it, Apple is indeed winning... they're just not playing the same game as Microsoft anymore.
Well, you've got to take the Gates quote in context. This was about two years after Michael Dell said that he'd shut the company down and give the money back to the shareholders. Back then you'd have needed some serious crystal ball mojo to see forward to the Apple of today.
Definitely. I'm not bashing Gates for saying it. In the context he was dead on. But the author of the article seems to still push it as truth. Could just be my perception though, because he doesn't explicitly say it.