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Death knells for Mac 'completely wrong,' says Jobs

updated 01:10 pm EDT, Thu June 10, 2010

Promises better future ahead


Claims that Apple is de-emphasizing the Mac in favor of the iPhone and iPad are "completely wrong," says CEO Steve Jobs. The executive was recently forwarded a link to a Newsweek editorial by Dan Lyons, who argues in the piece that Apple is no longer concerned with the Mac. The company has deliberately put the focus on iOS devices during this year's WWDC event, to the point of omitting an IT track, and excluding Mac software from this year's Design Awards handed to developers.

"Completely wrong. Just wait," the full response reads, sent from Jobs' iPhone. The CEO has denied sidelining the Mac multiple times in recent weeks. In reference to the Design Awards, Jobs has said that there is "no hidden meaning" in the lack of Mac categories, and that Apple is just "primarily" concentrating on iOS for WWDC 2010. The Mac may be emphasized next year, he suggests.

Apple's long-term goals for Mac and iOS development remain known only to company executives. Some observers have speculated that the two platforms might eventually merge. Alternately, features could simply continue to cross over from one device to another. Rumors have circulated, for instance, that Apple is interested in producing touchscreen iMacs. Such technology could require major changes to the Mac OS.




by MacNN Staff

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 computers, Steve Jobs, Apple, iOS

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  1. SierraDragon

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Mar 2004

    -6
    06/10, 01:37pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Touchscreen iMac

    There are lots of us who would develop apps for the market a touchscreen iMac would create in a heartbeat!

  1. eldarkus

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Feb 2004

    +13
    06/10, 01:38pm | report spam | Reply |

    seriously...

    I read this article yesterday and thought it was complete BS. Apple is going to focus on the lates and greatest it has to offer. Right now, that happened to be the iPad, iPhones and the underlying OS. They are simply trying to grow these markets on top of what they have already.

    May as well say when a car company focuses on mini vans or SUV's that it's the "death of the car as we know it"..

    God forbid a company try to grow beyond it base products.

  1. Jonathan-Tanya

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2004

    +2
    06/10, 01:46pm | report spam | (2 replies) Reply |

    it's not completely wrong

    WWDC used to feature such things as Mac OS X releases, Mac hardware announcements.

    He says 'just wait'...that's the point, we are waiting.

    They certainly de-emphasized Mac, and replaced it with an exclusive focus on the iPhone. To say that means they are dropping Mac's or dont' think Mac's are important - is probably not correct, but at the same time 'completely' in the phrase 'completely wrong' kind of suggests that Jobs is missing the point.

    The point is, people's feelings are their real feelings, and at this point there is not an alternative WWDC scheduled at another date with a focus for Mac developers, with design awards for Mac software, one with Mac hardware announcements.

    I don't necessarily go into a panic by this, but I am waiting on the next Mac, I would prefer a low-cost upgradeable tower, but since that won't happen, I'm waiting on the next Mac mini refresh.



    Comment buried. Show
  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -15
    06/10, 01:58pm | report spam | (2 replies) Reply |

    just wait...

    for what, steve?

    How about some actual public statements, a roadmap, something, so that both developers and users of your products actually have a sense of where you're going? Instead of stupid-assed "Just wait" statements to try to excite and tease some unknown product.

    And it doesn't help with statements like 'WWDC MAY discuss OS X in 2011".

  1. Bobfozz

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2008

    +8
    06/10, 02:01pm | report spam | Reply |

    Jobs must think...

    that so many of these people are "complete" fools. They do not know what is inside Apple's Labs (for a reason) nor what he is thinking. And virtually every time these "writers" are confounded and thrilled and wonder "Why didn't I think of that?" For the same reason Jobs and Co. would never hire them in the first place. Lack of vision.

    In fact, almost all of these speculators and writers have NO vision and probably never did. This is why Jobs and Co. is successful almost unilaterally. And it only takes a low-brow to remind us of "The Cube." Does that take any vision to make that remark?

    And every time some nitwit comes up with a suggestion, what is it? A low-priced Mac (well... how low IS that?) and a run to the Mac mini if they don't get it... certain people here come immediately to mind when I read that one.

    Go to Ballmer & Co. if you want to be thrilled. Of course, you won't be... you just want to bend Steve to your will. Like "forgetting" the Mac, his baby, it ain't gonna happen.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -2
    06/10, 02:01pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Re: Touchscreen iMac

    There are lots of us who would develop apps for the market a touchscreen iMac would create in a heartbeat!

    Who would want a touch-screen iMac? Haven't we beaten that horse to death when HP or Dell or some PC manufacturer released such a thing? Who wants to be pointing at their screen all day, hoping that the damn thing will understand to click where you want it to click, not where it thinks some piece of your finger is?

    And what market is there, anyway? The iMac market is small as it is, and the desktop market overall is shrinking, not growing.

  1. starwarrior

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Mar 2006

    0
    06/10, 02:52pm | report spam | Reply |

    Minutes of Glory

    Lyons is a jerk that had his 15 minutes of fame, but only with us fanboys.

    He is a mean foul mouthed person. He even threw away his iPhone. My only concern is that my

    hero is responding these types.

  1. LenE

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: May 2004

    +1
    06/10, 03:08pm | report spam | Reply |

    RE: Testudo's Touchscreen...

    Against every fiber of rationality that I could muster, I just bought a HP TouchSmart, which is the HP touch iMac. Why would I do such a thing?

    Well, I have one daughter who is visually impaired, and another who will be crawling soon. The touch interface on a big screen works for either of them, as neither can currently focus on a cursor or drive a mouse.

    I figure this machine will last a few years, and then I can transition to a touchscreen iMac. I would have gotten a touchscreen iMac instead, except there isn't one.

    -- Len

  1. TheSnarkmeister

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2007

    -2
    06/10, 03:30pm | report spam | Reply |

    Nothing New

    Those of us who truly pay attention to Apple started noting this some time ago. Given Job's historic tendency toward compulsive fixation, its not wholly surprising. To a large degree that proclivity is why Jobs was let go from Apple by Scully. In short, Macs are likely not being ignored strategically, but rather because Steve Jobs has merely lost interest in them, at least for the time being.

    It is perhaps time that Apple grew up, diversified its management structure, and stopped relying on executive personality to drive its product cycle.

  1. eponym

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jun 2010

    -1
    06/10, 03:36pm | report spam | Reply |

    re: just wait...

    "And it doesn't help with statements like 'WWDC MAY discuss OS X in 2011"."


    It doesn't help when people misread a statement and then propagate misinformation.

    He said WWDC may be _entirely focused_ on OS X next year. As in the inverse of this year...

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