Steve Jobs and the "Think Different" Perception of Apple

To steal a line from Stanley Wolpert about the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, I would like to quote a line that explains what Steve Jobs meant to the field of computing.

"Few individuals significantly alter the course of history. Fewer still create a groundbreaking technology. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating an industry. Steven Paul Jobs did all three."

Most people know Steve Jobs and recognize him as the “Apple Guy” or the guy who made the iPod, iPhone or iPad. That’s most people for you with their general description of even the most iconic of figures.

But I recognize Steve Jobs for something else. I recognize Steve Jobs as the man who basically took an idea that he had and changed the world as we know it.

I recognize Steve Jobs as someone so passionate that he infects others with the passion for his work. Nowhere else have I seen people lining up for days in front of a store to buy a newly launched phone! Nowhere else have I seen people line up for days to buy a touch screen computer which by technological standards was more than ten years old! Nowhere have I seen users of products literally fight with users of other products over a discussion of who has the better product (Mac v PC)!

Nowhere have I seen normally sane and sophisticated people behaving like perspiring teenagers in a technology conference to the arrival of a company’s CEO!

Nowhere have I seen the resignation of one man from one of the largest companies in the world to lead to a 5% drop in share prices!

Incredible you may say. I say it is iNcredible.

That is Steve Jobs at work.

Love him or hate him, Steve Jobs will always be irreplaceable. He brought that charisma, that passion and that special “Jobs” factor to the table. Everything intangible in him brought tangible gains to his company and an unprecedented change in the perception of people towards entertainment, communications and computing. That in itself was revolutionary.

Now, Steve also had a nasty side like his over bearing nature towards subordinates when it came to perfection and performance. His overemphasis on positioning Apple products as superior and premium to everyday run of the mill products made Apple stay a tiny player in the personal computer market.

But in the end he did prove to everyone that he stood for what he said and preached – Think Different.

Apple, today is different from the rest and probably the best at what it does due to one man – Steven Paul Jobs.

Thank You Steve.

Mitul Choksi

Ahmedabad, Republic of India

Steve Jobs @ Apple

Apple Inc., the maker of the famed iPod, iPhone, iPad and of course the Macintosh computers announced today that its long time CEO, the charismatic Steve Jobs has resigned from his post yesterday. Mr. Job’s reason for leaving were not specifically cited but is widely believed to be due to his medical condition. He has nominated Mr. Tim Cook, the Chief Operating Officer to replace him as CEO.

This little piece of news has shaken the tech industry and tech users alike. Steve Jobs cofounded Apple Computers in 1975 along with his friend the lesser known Steve, Steve Wozniak and thus gave birth not only to a company or a technology, but to an industry.

Steve Jobs was responsible for launching the famous Macintosh in the mid 1980s which even then was known for its “different looks” which made it stand apart from the rest of the competition. Mr. Jobs also introduced the concept of the mouse based Graphical User Interface (GUI) which he borrowed from Xerox Corporation at the time and brought it into the public sphere. What happened after that to the personal computer (yes, the Macintosh for all uses and purposes except marketing is a personal computer) industry is history.

After being booted out of the company in 1985, Mr. Jobs founded NeXT, a computer platform aimed at the higher education and business markets. He was also responsible for the incredible rise to fame of Pixar Animation Studios which was subsequently bought by The Walt Disney Company.

But Mr. Jobs’ greatest fame came after his return to Apple in 1997 when he was appointed as the CEO in a then floundering company badly in the need of his iconic vision. He was criticized in the beginning of his second tenure by hardcore pro-Apple anti-Microsoft loyalists when he secured Apple’s financial health by asking Microsoft for a cash infusion of $150 by investing in non-voting stock. Little did everyone know that that was the beginning of Apple’s Golden Decade.

In 1998, Mr. Jobs helped Apple launch an “extraterrestrial” looking desktop – the iMac, which integrated the CPU and monitor into a single box.

In 2001, Mr. Jobs launched Apple’s groundbreaking MP3 player – the iPod which took the then highly fragmented portable digital music player by storm. Mr. Jobs’ iconic vision was in display when he tied the iPod to Apple’s new music management software iTunes, which not only managed one’s music but also incorporated a new music store which enabled users to download individual songs at rock bottom rates ($0.99 a track then). Thus, in a single stroke, Mr. Jobs’ not only launched a legendary product, but also tied it to an innovative service which enabled Apple to have a monopoly on all media added on to the iPod and also played a tremendous role in curbing then rampant online music piracy.

In 2007, Mr. Jobs launched the now legendary iPhone which integrated an iPod, a phone and a breakthrough Internet communications device. Mr. Jobs did an iTunes like move with the iPhone by tying it to the Apple App Store which gave Apple a monopoly on the type and content of applications that can be installed on the iPhone. It is now one of Apple’s juiciest cash cows. The iPhone as of today is in its 5^th avatar (I count the iPhone 3G and 3GS as separate avatars) and is awaiting a 6^th avatar in form of the 5^th generation iPhone.

And in 2010, Mr. Jobs helped redefine computing and computing ergonomics yet again with the launch of the iPad, a tablet computer loaded with a powerful version of the iPhone Operating System or iOS. The iPad was also tied to the Apple App Store which gave it complete control of the entire hardware-software ecosystem for the device, just like the iPhone.

Mr. Jobs tenure from September 1997 to August 2011 saw Apple going from what people called a nearly bankrupt one hit wonder like company to the largest software company (by market valuations) in 14 years. In the process he not only beat giants like Microsoft and Google, but also in the process literally changed the world by changing our perceptions about entertainment, communications and computing. That’s a giant feat by any standards.

Steve Jobs will always be missed.

Thank You Steve.

Mitul Choksi

Ahmedabad, Republic of India

Anna Hazare and CopyCat Gandhism

The mood of the entire country seems to have changed drastically in the last couple of days with Mr. Kisan Baburao Hazare (popularly known as Anna Hazare, where Anna means "Elder Brother") and his supporters taking on the juggernaut that is the Central Government of India.

Regarding Anna Hazare and his so called India Against Corruption movement, I am not a supporter of it. The word "Mass Hysteria" that can be used as appropriate to describe all the happenings in this "movement" since April.

Anna Hazare's demands for the passing of the Jan Lokpal bill or the Lokpal bill, a corruption watchdog with legal superpowers to arrest, prosecute and imprison every corrupt official in the country would obviously lead him into a collision course with the government. Mr. Hazare demands that the Lokpal should be empowered to nab anyone and everyone who is accused to be corrupt right down from yours truly up to the Prime Minister of India has sent shivers down the spines of the power houses in New Delhi (and yet our previous theory that politicians were spineless creatures has lay to the dust!)

Duplicating the Police Forces, Investigating Agencies and other agencies which already exist in some other form would be a futile exercise in tackling corruption as there would be issues arising as to which case should be tried in which agency (the existing one or the newly formed Lokpal system), issues regarding jurisdiction of the respective systems and issues arising out of issues raised by the competing agencies regarding what sort of exact power do they have the right to exercise.

Anna Hazare has obviously found great support and admiration among the masses, especially the middle class who is routinely plagued by corruption in many and most government offices. Mr. Hazare has decided to adopt the nonviolent "fast unto death" satyagraha against the government to force them into signing the bill with conditions as laid down by himself and his team of civil society activists.

I call this "CopyCat Gandhism".

I have tremendous respect for Mohandas Gandhi and most of his principles but I have always thought that the so called "fast unto death" threats known as satyagraha was and is a form of blackmail. The reason it has been glorified is that it was the tool that enabled Mr. Gandhi to boot the British peacefully from India. In his "special case" the ends justified the means but it also had the residual effect of giving people a new method in which to blackmail the government into giving into their demands. This method is being used by Mr. Hazare today. And No, I do not consider this movement of Mr. Hazare as a "special case".

Although the media is to be thanked for exposing many scandals in recent times and getting the involved people prosecuted and arrested, it has turned into a populist tool to forward the momentum in this "India Against Corruption" movement. I must admit that I have re-started watching Indian news channels somewhat after a lull of almost 3-4 years on a somewhat regular basis due to this "media activism". I must say that the debates that many news channels (notable mentions: TIMES NOW and NDTV 24x7) broadcast in the Prime Time slots are good but at the same time they are structured so as to portray a heavy bias towards Mr. Hazare's movement. The debates on the Lokpal have members from the Congress and the BJP which is understandable as they are the two largest parties. Then you have someone like Anupam Kher and Kiran Bedi who have taken up key roles in this "movement" and some other members of fringe parties and what I like to call "Fringe Society" (includes people like film stars etc. who hardly have to deal with corruption. Their presence is only to add glitter value).

Once this debate gets going you find that only the member of the Congress party is opposing the Lokpal bill and all the others in one way or the other support it (including the fellow of BJP-NDA who mostly agrees on everything Lokpal). This inevitably makes the ruling party member look like the bad guy and the government completely corrupt and what not. These debates never have anyone from the smaller parties, "Fringe Society" and other members of civil society who oppose the Lokpal bill.

This amounts to classic media bias in favour of populism which is once again a blot on the so called "independent media". The Indian constitution clearly states that while the majority wins principle is applicable in a democracy, it is the duty of the democratic system (the system includes everyone from the government, and other public institutions and some private institutions like the media etc.) to listen, understand, tolerate and protect the views of the minority points of view. This principle is being clearly violated here.

Coercing the government is not a good idea neither is it democratic. Just because Mr. Gandhi did it does not make it right. Napoleon, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Idi Amin were considered heroes at the time when they came to power bolstered by "Mass Hysteria". But we all know the end result of what happened in each case. While, it would not be correct to compare Mr. Hazare to either of these villains, it should be noted as a matter of principle and in the long term interests of the nation that this "movement" be taken with a pinch of salt and be properly understood by anyone and everyone who intends to be involved in it before raising any war cries.

A good start for everyone would be to read the Constitution of India.

Think About It.

Mitul Choksi

Ahmedabad, Republic of India

August 17, 2011