Without Steve Jobs, is Apple Sony?
Updated at 5:20 a.m. PDT with Phil Schiller keynote info.
When it was first announced that Steve Jobs was taking a leave of absence I was interviewed for an ABC affiliate about the prospects of Apple without Jobs. What would happen? Would he be missed? Was Apple vulnerable?
Sadly, I can't say that I came up with any earth-shattering sound bites. I said Apple would be fine in the short run; it had a roster full of talented executives, including a rock-star head designer (Jonathan Ive), and that the company's product road map was planned out into the future--presumably with Jobs' stamp of approval.
That said, no one could replace Steve Jobs, pitcher extraordinaire, a Sandy Koufax on the marketing mound, if there ever was one.
Reality distortion field: To Air is human.
(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)The fact is, no one can create a reality distortion field like Jobs. And ultimately, I said, that's what Apple would miss most, especially after Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, Phil Schiller, hadn't done much to inspire the faithful with his ho-hum keynote speech at MacWorld 2009.
However, little did I know that Jobs' absence would be felt so acutely in the release of the company's latest products, though I probably wouldn't categorize the new Mac Mini, updated iMacs, and third-generation iPod Shuffle as premium releases for Apple.
While the new releases may be a step up from Apple TV, which just hasn't been able to find a broad audience, they're not the iPod Nano or a new MacBook or iPhone OS 3.0. But what's a little disconcerting is how the products, particularly the Mac Mini and iPod Shuffle, landed with a bit a thud. Sure, they got a ton of publicity--and publicity is good--but a lot of it ranged from neutral to negative.
You have to wonder whether if Jobs had been had been on the mound, they would have gotten a better reception. Sure, the good tech pundits are supposed to ignore the marketing hype and deliver the unvarnished truth, but when Jobs presents, there's often a halo effect on the products. When he pitches, the story is not only about the products but also about the performance itself.
It's true that Apple often releases updates to product lines without any sort of event to back the release up. But you can't help but imagine what the Shuffle release would have been like if Jobs had put his spin on it.
The product would have the same flaws. However, after he got through accentuating its strengths, the flaws might not seem so great. Or they might not seem like flaws at all! That's the beauty of the reality distortion field--and a good changeup.
So how does Sony fit into all of this? Sony is also known for having beautifully designed products. But it's hit a few slumps in the past few years, and one of its big problems is not having a Jobs-like pitchman (or pitchwoman) to give those products the spin they need--and deserve.
Take the Vaio P series, the sleek little Netbook that came out not too long ago. After Jobs' performance introducing the MacBook Air, I would have loved to have seen what he could have done with the Sony Vaio P series.
Of course, Jobs wouldn't have named it the P series (come on, Sony, you can do better than that). But the point is, if you'd slapped an Apple logo over the Sony logo, given it a new name, and had Jobs roll it out, I'd bet it would be the top-selling notebook on the market today.
I'm not sure if a Jobs pitch for the Sony Reader would have been enough to keep it out in front of the Kindle, which was released after Sony's e-book reader. But you can see that Amazon.com CEO Jeff Bezos has studied the master and has learned a thing or two about launching tech products (and he knows that the back-end service is just as important as the product itself).
On the surface, Bezos isn't a particularly good presenter, but the combination of his charisma and the charmingly robotic quirkiness of his delivery makes the whole thing work. Yes, the Kindle 2 is a good product, but without Amazon's Apple-style marketing campaign, it wouldn't be doing nearly as well as it is.
As for Apple's future, the easy thing to say is that it's still quite bright--with or without Jobs (read Tom Krazit's post on Apple's sales numbers). But we'd be wrong to underestimate the power of the reality distortion field. Good products only get you so far.
Apple needs a Cy Young pitcher. And Sony needs one, too.
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter.
The latest hardware REFRESHES were a letdown, but they always are. Potential buyers (like me) never get exactly what they want from Apple. No LEDs in the new iMacs? No media card reader (so more desktop clutter)? Same old processors? Meh.
That said, it's silly to argue that somehow Steve Jobs would have made these things the talk of the town. Jobs has presided over many a hardware refresh (and even new product) letdown. Frankly, I'm glad to see Jobs take a less visible role. My Apple stock would always take a huge hit anytime Jobs failed to announce anything equal to a flying car that ran on sunshine and happy thoughts (note: the iPhone *was* equal to a flying car in my book...).
iPhone 3.0 tomorrow - now THAT'S news. And yes, not having Jobs deliver it will result in less excitement I'm sure.
But Jobs or no Jobs, Apple will never be the mundane snoozefest that is Sony...
This is their chance to prove to Wall Street (and consumers) that Apple is a viable, if not slightly less exciting, company without Steve Jobs so its longevity shouldn't be in doubt (don't forget how low Apple got before Steve Jobs came back, investors haven't).
Then when Steve Jobs does return to Apple their stock prices will skyrocket even more in anticipation of fresh, new hardware, software and ingenuity!
So this is a chance for Apple to prove it is a company that is going to last without having to handle the "Steve Jobs is gone forever" scenario that will definitely leave ripples through the industry!
I think the author has too much time on his hands, and his publisher too much appetite for sensationalist link-bait.
HAHA! You made my day!
You mean appletite?
I guess that's like this page! I'm sure it will get good viewing figures because it mentions Apple and Sony, but all the comments/viewers opinions seems to fall into the "neutral to negative" camp or take up the flame bait and go for the PC(Sony) v Apple 'debate'.
Rock on! Good stuff haha
Yeah, that must be it. It's only Sony's marketing that's the problem. It couldn't possibly be due to the fact that Sony's above-average hardware is anchored to Microsoft's POS OS.
Where do I sign up for the CNET course on Studied Ignorance?
Here's the point, Jobs has substantially weakened Apple's ability to market its products. Though you or I may disagree with this argument, there is little evidence to support that "the writer had too much time on his hands."
And in response to your whimsical comment about "Sony's Marketing Problem" the point was not about the OS that they run on. Here is an example, there are several rumors of an Apple netbook. No one has even seen it and yet there is a considerable buzz surrounding the topic. When the Sony P-Series came out there wasn't much of a buzz before the release, it just kind of came out. If Apple and Jobs would have been running the show, I doubt that would have happened.
Only above average, eh? Talk about ignorance...
I'd have to see quantified, or more thoroughly qualified, assessments of the relative "impact" of Apple announcements (how do you measure that?) over the years before I bought into any analysis along these lines. In the meantime, this just comes off as a lame attempt to be the first to observe an unravelling of Apple.
Maybe it'll happen, but this sure hasn't sold me.
Duh. Where do you get this malarky?
Their VAIO line up is a joke.
Dell, HP, Fujitsu and Toshiba make far better hardware than Sorny.
Microsoft isn't forcing Sony to sell their OS with their overpriced POS hardware.
Sony is welcome to make their own OS and sell it with their hardware.
It'd rot in store shelves faster than PS3s.
yes, I have old working laptops too, are they any good for anything more than email/web browsing? answer is NO
lol, o yes i agree with u alot
@composer_1777
so that means u have never bought some other brand? may be u should try it, i've tried most of them and i can tell u, sony is just expensive piece of junk that performs at the near the same lv or on occasions less than it's competitors. they stopped making quality products about 6~7 years ago. and quality just keeps sliding.
I am one who HAS tried most of the other PC brands, and by far the VAIO stands out as the best performer. Also, what was the last good product that sony made 6-7 years ago that wasn't junk that you were referring to from personal experience? I've also tried and own Apple products.
I'd like to offer a few products that are excellent quality hardware build that I use that have lasted through the years with no issues to date:
Sony Vaio laptop purchased in '06
Sony ps2 purchased the day it came out
Sony ps3 since august, and is on nearly 24/7 with no issues.
My experiences with sony products have been consistently good.
No one. That's why the Macbooks come with LED backlit displays and the newest Core 2 Duos. What's wrong with aluminum? You don't even give a reason why it's a bad material. Oh, I get it. It sucks because Apple uses it. How about the Z series and the VGN series that uses aluminum?
PC's are wanna be Macs. That's why Microsoft keeps lifting ideas from OS X and tagging along in whatever market Apple pioneers.
It hasn't generated any buzz because:
A: Netbooks are very limited anyway, and an 8" widescreen only makes the Vaio P more useless.
B. It is running on MS.
Apple uses up-to-date processors. The only real difference is they choose the Xeon for the Mac Pro line which usually causes fights with PCers who think the Duo Cores are just fine. And the Air was the first to utilize the smaller Centrino (although not called that in an Apple) processor, which every maker had to have. Carbon fiber vs Aluminum - that's all about stylistic choices, branding, which you seem to know nothing about....
@Composer_1777
u do know sony moved their plant to china? and china parts != quality parts?, or may be i should say they messed up their QA and they no longer have quality parts anymore = =+
and bashing apple in a place thats bound to be filled with apple fan boys is really rather brave, i applaud u for that(i guess, lol)
hello fanboi
I have one reason that aluminum is a bad material: I don't need or want to pay any extra for aluminum, I'm fine with plastic
macs are pc's except with older hardware
the Mac Pro just got a Radeon HD 4870, <sarcasm>yahoo</sarcasm>
As for the SOny comparison, I can completely see it. Sony's PC hardware is priced at a premium based almost solely on style points. Maybe Steve Jobs IS the difference. Who knows.
agree, but anything with subject of either apple or microsoft in it always seems to be filled with stuff like this.
guess most ppl just can't stay objective
lol
good one
@Perry
lol
good one"
THANKS! :)
That is Vince Offer, he also does the Slapchop
the iMac ihas an old processor
Core 2 Duo is out, Phenom II X3 is in
at least the Radeon HD 4850 isn't bad, a gamer graphics card in a Mac, weird
Good point but you sound like you're ahead on the technology curve and would make an investment in a more advanced processor and cough up the $$ for it. The average everyday consumer who shops at Costco for bulk discounts and is looking for deals in this economy is not ahead of the technology curve. They want a good system at a great price. With that, Apple has been more attractive (still higher tho) but getting there. Of course, someone will respond with an apples to apples comparison of what you can get on System X or Y at $X less. But, to me, a Mac means simplicity of use and longevity -- something that Steve Jobs has instilled at Apple.
no, I'm saving myself money by getting a Phenom II X3
or at least until Intel drops prices
When our contract with the vendor ended, we replaced them with Dells and Fujitsus. 3 years later, not a single one having any problems.
VAIO computers look flashy, but that's about it.
Their desktops are an even bigger joke. They are so wanna be Macs and they cost about the same.
I'm a PC gamer and for the price I'd pay for a Sony desktop, I can build myself a PC that will run circles around it.
I think there are only 2 players on the market when it comes to design, Sony and Apple. Dell is making improvements with the XPS line but it's hard! But when you see bulky HP's, awful Acers producing unnecessary sounds, ugly and underpowered Fujitsu's, businessnotebooks from Lenovo... you cannot say there designlovers.
But who cares if your computer is just an instrument for daily offices?
I love disclaimers.
What disclaimer? How's this... maybe 1x a year, if that. Restarting rectified it and never loss of data.
most computer users don't care about speed (though they do complain about things being "slow"). They keep their computer until it dies, then replace it. Only power users or gamers care about having the current fastest thing.
For Mac OS X, Apple keeps it compatible with hardware for at least 5 years. By that point, most of the "crappy hardware" that they buy off the shelf (which means it's the same crappy hardware everyone uses), will have broken, and you need a new machine. That's when customers upgrade, they say "wow, this new machine is SO much faster" and are happy again. Is it the FASTEST on the market? No, but it's faster than the old machine by a mile, and they weren't unhappy with the old one in the first place.
If c.net posters understood that reality of the market, they would not be so quick to talk about overpriced or chic or cool. It's really that macs last about 5 years, PCs fewer, and ultimately, that costs you about the same, but with fewer hassles over that time.
"had Jobs roll it out, I'd bet it would be the top-selling notebook on the market today."
Um, Jobs has rolled out lots of MacBook's in the past and I'm pretty sure that they're not the top-selling notebook on the market today. Why would the P-Series rolled out by Jobs be sucessful? Maybe compared to Apple's notebook market but not to Windows.
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by omair-s
March 17, 2009 2:27 AM PDT
- i think both Sony and Apple would be better off if they fuse their products somehow!
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by onsetrese
March 18, 2009 6:53 PM PDT
- test
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (85 Comments)how bout an iWalkman? with apple's design and click wheel, and Sony's stunning sound quality (which is d most basic requirement of any mp3 player).
Or, PS3 running a hybrid of XMB and a specially designed OSX, with iTunes connectivity and all other features of apple tv?? With almost the same hardware, it could be a combination of a Mac Mini, Apple TV, Blu-Ray Player and a Playstation!!
Or, Macs/iTunes having some kind of special control over Networked Bravia'a and Sony's Home theaters?
and iCybershot? need i say more?