This story is based on content from Yukari Iwatani Kane’s new book “Haunted Empire: Apple After Steve Jobs”.
In her book she says Jobs told his top executives before he died that he had no plan to release a television because it’s a bad business.
Every year Apple hosts a “Top 100” meeting, which gathers the top 100 executives, managers, and employees. As will all things Apple, the top 100 meeting is supposed to be secretive.
Jobs would give people a month’s notice before a top 100 happened. The Apple staff would then be bused to a resort where they would give presentations on Apple’s business. New products were often revealed. No one was to email outsiders, even Apple employees, or tweet or anything while at the meeting.
In 2010, Jobs hosted his final Top 100 meeting. Apple revealed the iPad 2 and its magnetic cover in the meeting. When Jobs did a Q&A on the new iPad, all the executives were fawning over the cover.
“Enough with the f***ing cover!” Jobs finally said. “Can we talk about the iPad?”
At the time Jobs quite sick, and it was apparent. He wasn’t chewing out employees during their presentations like he normally did. He was having trouble walking, and he looked weak.
Yukari reports on the last day of the meeting, Jobs sat in front of the room with everyone and said, “You’ve got Steve Jobs sitting right here. You’re my guys, you can ask me anything you want. I don’t care how dumb it is or how insulting it is. I want to make you all feel comfortable about whatever questions you have about the company.”
One person asked if Apple was going to release a television next. There were already rumors all over the place that it was Apple’s next conquest.
Yukari says “Jobs didn’t hesitate.” He said, “No.”
“TV is a terrible business. They don’t turn over and the margins suck,” said Jobs. (Unlike iPhones which are wildly profitable and replaced every two years, a TV gets replaced every 8 years, and isn’t all that profitable.)
Interesting.
‘Haunted Empire’ – lol
Yeah, but Gene Munster says they WILL, so suck on that, apple!
It’s hard to find anyone less credible than Kane these days, so there appears to be a 2-way tie between her and Munster for who NOT to believe.
I don’t believe it because Munster says they will. But in regards to this ‘proof’ I will say this.
Kane not really credible in my book. Everything I read makes me believe this person less and less
This only proves, perhaps, that Steve had no desire to release a real tv set. However, Steve is dead. He doesn’t run the company anymore and this was 4 years ago. IF Tim, who is running the company, decides that the numbers are there today to make a tv set or even a tv/blu-ray/computer capable display a viable project then it will happen. Regardless of what Steve felt 4 years ago.
And make note the question was ‘next’. As in ‘is releasing a tv set your next project’. Steve said no, which actually means that it wasn’t what they were launching into, NOT that they never would (if the numbers came out in favor of it)
Interesting indeed. Because Kane knows exactly what SJ told and what he really meant. There are numerous examples that describe how secret everything important was. Remember when Steve said that there would be NO video ever on iPods … and what happened? Heard that Scott Forstall (senior vice president for iOS and mac engineering) never stepped a foot in Ive’s lab … he had no permission! So, secrecy is big part of Apple’s culture AND success.
Another “outsider” (please … “Haunted Empire”) knows what happens at Apple. Pathetic.
Apple does what it has done the last decades. It is obviously doomed, haunted, whatever … and the envy of every other company in the world.
People called this a while back for these exact reasons too. No shockers here.
I’ve had several discussions/disagreements with Jim Dalrymple on my show about exactly this for exactly these reasons. I’ll ask him if he’s standing by his “Apple will make a TV” guns now. 🙂
LOL. 😀
As usual, we [the customers] expect the expected but Apple gives us something else, typically better. That’s what I expect here.
You had me until you wrote the words ‘blu-ray’. Epic facepalm.
In other words… I only know that I know nothing.
That’s pretty much how you have to take Apple announcements. Unless leaks are abundant and from credible sources, take what is expected and blog about that not being what will happen. You will look like a genius! 🙂
dmitri is being sarcastic.
however, regarding #2 — obviously if the numbers were there apple/cook would change course. but the numbers arent there — the margin on TVs gets smaller & smaller. it’s a near-commodity, volume game.
“TV is a terrible business. They don’t turn over and the margins suck,””
To say nothing about the fact that Apple would have to either get in the business of (1) delivering and (2) servicing 50+ inch HDTVs in customers’ homes. Either that or contract it out, and Apple doesn’t have a track record of putting critical customer service touch points in the hands of a 3rd party contractor.