Considering Steve Jobs and Apple

     I've recently completed Walter Issacson's biography of Steve Jobs.  I was interested to read it for several reasons; strong reviews coupled with a good word-of-mouth led me to believe that the book told an interesting story, and I have a personal and professional interest in the subject at hand.  

     The book really tells three different but inextricably connected stories.  Each story is rich enough and significant enough to be deserving of book-length treatment.

     One story focuses on the birth and development of the personal computer.  This tale begins in the early 1970's with a group of hobbyists centered in the San Francisco area.  This group of hobbyists tended to share an approach to computing.  For one thing, they wanted to build - and rebuild - their own devices. And they believed that what they discovered should be freely shared with fellow hobbyists.

     A second story focuses on Steve Jobs' unique vision of how the digital world should evolve.  Early on, he saw the personal computer as a tool that everyone would want, and need, in their homes.  The Apple II, still the singular success in the personal computer marker, is the result of that initial thinking.  Later, he understood that what others took to be the role of the computer could be housed more appropriately in other devices; the iPod, the iPad and iPhone.  A big part of this story is told through the ongoing debate between closed and opened digital ecosystems.  Jobs insisted that Apple develop a closed system that was fully integrated from design to manufacturing to software to marketing.  Virtually everyone else, and most notably Microsoft, favored an open approach.

     The third story is a personal biography of Jobs.  Particularly with his recent passing, this personal history has been much in the news this year.  He was a college drop-out. He partnered with Steve Wozniak to kick-start Apple using his parents' garage as "corporate headquarters."  He could be personally abusive towards others but always rationalized his mean-spirited behavior believing it helped others work better.

     Even after reading this thorough accounting of his business acumen and storied digital successes, it's hard not to be impressed by a list in Issacson's final chapter.  Here, he recounts Jobs' legacy succinctly through the products Jobs envisioned and developed:

Apple II - a personal computer no longer just for hobbyists

Macintosh - a computer that popularized graphical user interfaces

Pixar - Digital animation is popularized

 iPod - a reinvention of how we listen to music

iTunes Store - a reinvention of how we purchase music

iPhone - cell phones become mobile devices, a computer in your pocket

App Store - a whole new industry for computer programmers is invented

iPad - a new computing model based in portability

iCloud - No, Jobs didn't invent "the Cloud" but he did see the importance of syncing content over multiple devices

     As this list comes directly from Issacson's final chapter, it makes sense to quote some of his concluding thoughts about Steve Jobs. "Was he smart? No, not exceptionally. Instead, he was a genius. His imaginative leaps were instinctive, unexpected, and at times magical."

     Reading, I found myself think hard about one recurring theme in the book; open vs. closed digital ecosystems for products.  No popular product is as "closed" as Apple.  Their recent mega-seller, the iPhone, cannot be opened by the consumer, not even to replace a battery.  Even fairly non-technical phone users have felt comfortable replacing a battery, but with the iPhone, it's not allowed.  Similarly, many computer users want to be able to add memory or upgrade a hard drive without the expense of a professional service.  These types of adjustments are not difficult, but Apple makes them almost impossible.  The internal hardware of the popular desktop iMac, for instance, is only accessible by first removing the glass screen.  No other computer makes access more difficult.  Similarly, any App that is written for an Apple product can only be sold through the App store and must first be fully vetted by Apple.  The main App competitor, Android, is managed far more in line with a free-market model.

     Apple's approach limits the creative vision of what Apple devices can do to the employees of Apple.  Other manufacturers of hardware and developers of software license products to others and encourage third-party involvement.  In short, Apple's approach is completely dependent on Apple's ability to sustain it's uniquely successful integration of software, hardware and marketing.  Without Jobs, it's uncertain how the future will play out. The last time Apple was without Steve Jobs' vision, Apple was a struggling company facing almost insurmountable challenges.  

     Though unmentioned in the book because of timing, it's important to mention that Apple is not an unmitigated American corporate success story.  Part of Apple's story involves questionable work conditions in Chinese plants.  Though this story is still unfolding, it's clear that Apple's multinational presence carries with it an accountability that the company must confront.  And even more recently, Apple is under Justice Department fire for questionable practices concerning e-book pricing.

      As of this writing, Apple is making products that are wowing people around the world.  For now, this is Jobs' legacy.  When Jobs died, a young graphic designer in Hong Kong, Jonathan Mak, posted an image that quickly went viral.  It conflated Jobs and Apple's logo, a deft image summarizing a relationship that changed our digital world.

     Seems fitting to include his much-noted 2005 commencement address to graduating students at Standford University.  This is the official, full length version.