Jobs Disses Big Retailers

Brad Gibson of MacCentral reports that Apple CEO Steve Jobs, told a crowd of independent Apple dealers last Thursday that big retail outfits such as CompUSA, Circuit City, and Sears offer a computer buying experience worse than purchasing a car.

Reportedly Jobs was colorful in expressing his views, "often uttering strong profanities to prove his point and show his anger at the problems his company faces on a consistent basis."

Jobs noted specifically that Apple had verified that sales people at Circuit City had deliberately steered customers from the Apple store-within-a-store area and toward Windows-based products. Jobs called such situations "unacceptable." I agree with him on this unreservedly.

The report says Jobs also affirmed that independent Macintosh dealers "care about their customers and know how to sell and demonstrate a product. I'm not sure major retailers know or care."

Jobs also said he would investigate Apple policy that prevents dealers from reprinting Apple ads and usibg Apple television commercials in their own advertisements -- a seeming no-brainer.

You can read Brad Gibson's report here:
http://www.maccentral.com/news/0101/15.jobs.shtml

Sony Boss Disses Microsoft

The Register's Andrew Orlowski says Sony president and co-CEO Nobuyki Idei thinks "Microsoft doesn't know what its future business model should be, and will be overwhelmed by smaller and more nimble competitors."

Orlowski notes that Idei's disdain for Gates is expressed in remarks made to author Ken Auletta, and published in Auletta's book World War 3.0: Microsoft and its Enemies (Profile Books)

Idei, who has known Bill Gates twenty years is quoted saying:

"Microsoft is very uncertain about its future business model... their future business model is totally in danger." He characterises Microsoft as an "OS dinosaur", unable to adapt to new thinking. "[Gates] mind set is very old. He would no longer be able to license Windows as he once had... He wrote a book about the road ahead, but it really is the road back."

You can read Andrew Orlowski's report here:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/7/16043.html

How To Tell Where And When Your Mac Was Built Info Posted

Moldy Creations Network has posted details on how to tell where your Mac was made, and when by decoding the serial number.

Apple put the arm on Dan Knight of Low End Mac a while back for publishing this same information, which it reportedly considers a "trade secret." Anyway, that's Moldy's lookout.

You can check it out at:
http://moldycr.net/writing/sn.html

A Lament For Rumors

Macedition 's Porruka misses the good old days when rumors thickened the air in the Mac orbit.

But of course "rumors are evil! People who should know better say so!" he ruefully observes.

"In this new world, rumor -- or more explicitly, exposure of corporate plans before public announcement -- is considered by many to be at worst vicious sabotage, and at best an annoyance to be eliminated.

Porruka relates that "Apple has chosen to be a standard bearer in it's fight against rumors,... has decided it has the sole right to determine what you think about the company and its products, and its aggressive stance on rumors and rumormongers is designed to enforce that Cone of Silence, preventing any communication not sanctioned by the mothership."

However, Porruka suggests that Apple is cutting off its proverbial nose to spite its face, arguling that in the past "reliable rumors" built a preChristmas-like anticipation while still leaving the packages wrapped.

He contends that Apple needs rumors --quality rumors, and that "would require Apple to work with the press, or at least not actively work against them. That would require the press to exercise restraint and judgement rather than simply slapping up whatever e-mail comes across the wire. That would require respect, on both sides of the fence. ...letting some well-placed information out once in a while might go a long way toward repairing the state of affairs between Apple and its customers.

Sounds like a plan to me.

You can check it out at:
http://www.macedition.com/muse/muse_20010105.shtml

UMich Mac Archive Shuts Down

Scott Damask of the UMich Mac Archive has posted the following statement:

"After 10 years of work on the UMich Mac Archive, I'm sorry to say that due to lack of support from our volunteers and lack of support from the University, the archive has closed it's doors and I will no longer be making updates to this page.

"I think that as volunteers, we were overshadowed by the big sites that had the time, staff and money to devote to such a huge venture. I wish I would have had more time for such a worthy cause!

"I hope you enjoyed UMich Mac Archive's run as the largest archive in the world (back when the net was new) and I hope that you will please visit one of the many other fine archive sites out there.

"Scott Damask"

Forbes Comments On Steve Jobs' Travails

Forbes.com's Lisa DiCarlo says that Steve Jobs is in the pressure cooker once again, and "will have to use every tool at his disposal to turn things around at his company, which will report its first quarterly loss in three years on Jan. 17."

The article is a review of the state of the Apple, and, happily, takes a positive stance, suggesting that "Odds are good that [Jobs] can restore the company to profitability, perhaps as early as the second quarter."

You can check it out at:
http://www.forbes.com

Charles W. Moore

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