Jobs\' Magic Kingdom

Walt Disney's recent acquisition of Pixar is already bringing about much speculation as to the future of the "Mouse House." Some views show Jobs instilling new life into Disney, much as he did since returning to Apple nine years ago, while others envision a future filled with strife amongst Disney board members as Jobs' famous need for control clashes with the visions of other top Disney executives. According to Business Week, the reason to trust Jobs' ability to breathe life into Disney is that Jobs is a savvy businessman who knows what consumers want.

Apple's iPod has become somewhat of a status symbol, with its sleek look and ease of use; Apple can barely keep up with demand-- France saw weeks-long shortages of Nanos this Christmas season- something Dell CEO Micheal Dell would not have believed in 1997, when he said that given Jobs' position, he would "shut [Apple] down and give the money back to shareholders."

Apple's stock has soared from its $7 value three years ago, and Apple's "market cap of $62 billion is [now] just shy of Dell's."

Analysts say Jobs' success comes from knowing that quality is more important than quantity. Apple has shunned industry assumptions that producing lower-end models of its Macintosh computers would help pump sales and market share. "I'm as proud of what we don't do as I am of what we do," states Jobs.

Possibilities of Apple's future following the merger of Disney and Pixar-- which places Jobs on Disney's board of directors while simultaneously making him the largest shareholder- pose some interesting questions according to Business Week. The pristine timing of Pixar's purchase by Disney, as well as Pixar's ability to captivate today's audiences combine to spell possible success for the media giant as it seeks to reconcile its failing animation efforts.

Jobs' approach to business has proven succesful for Pixar, which has only now developed the ability to produce one film per year. "Quality is more important than quantity, and in the end, it's a better financial decision anyway," Jobs told BusinessWeek last year. "One home run is much better than two doubles," he continued, citing smaller marketing and prodcution budgets with one film versus two.

by MacNN Staff