The tweet that infuriated Steve Jobs | Hacker News Reader

The tweet that infuriated Steve Jobs

edibleapple.com

14 pointsanderzole16 comments

I'd be pissed too. Apple understandably takes product information releases very seriously, and partners in those products (including those whose media may be in negotiations to carry like the WSJ) are under non-disclosure agreements.

What Alan did was inappropriate.

And to interpret news items about Apple as being negative is blowing things out of proportion. Most of it is FUD thrown around by competitors or their fans.

Some may decide the iPad isn't for them because it doesn't run traditional OS X, but it's a new class of product that by design needed an incompatible CPU. It's better that it do something different well, than act as a marginal chopped down laptop.

Judge things AFTER they ship. Apple does listen to customers. (some may remember changes to the OS X Finder in its early days due to customer feedback)

Burning bridges? Naw, you're being overly dramatic. It's companies like MS that have really burned their customers and developers. Apple's customers, developers, and shareholders are all generally very happy.

> 50 New York Times executives

Wait, what? The New York Times has at least 50 executives? No wonder they're having a hard time with profitability.

Alan Murray should have refused to delete the tweet. Such obedience by the press is what enables Steve to keep on throwing his tantrums because he knows he can get away with it, but for how long?

Looks to me that he is almost burning his bridges with more and more Apple-negative articles appearing in press, for a variety of reasons.

Compare that to 1-2 years ago when "everyone" loved Apple.

I'm pretty sure that Apple and Jobs were pretty clear that the meeting should stay secret. I'm not sure if they had signed NDAs, or if they simply gave their word, but this isn't about "freedom of the press to report a public event".

This is about a business relationship between two private parties, and I think Jobs has a right to be angry that whoever he's doing business with isn't playing by the agreed rules.

Why should the tech press be in a "business relationship" with tech companies?

Surely companies recognize the risk they are taking when disclosing preproduction info to the press. I would much prefer to at least have the illusion that the press is objective rather than acting as contracted PR.

We're not talking about the same thing. In that meeting, Alan Murray wasn't a journalist covering a product.

Because the tech press contracts (in various ways) to receive services from tech companies: they buy computers, software, smart phones, cloud computing, and on and on...

Maybe they shouldn't, but should or shouldn't, they still need to honor their commitments.

//on throwing his tantrums because he knows he can get away with it, but for how long?

As long as he can keep making great products.

I don't get it.. why was he upset?

probably because he was making it known he was meeting with someone from apple regarding the ipad.

But is that such a big secret to get all hyped up about?

When you are in multi-million dollar negotiations with another company you don't go writing on twitter about it.

It would be bigger news if Apple hand't been meeting with people regarding the iPad. WSJ / NYTimes will have the first reviews like they always do. Furthermore, all the big publishers will be having similar meetings to get their content shipping.

He didn't disclose anything unknown about the device. Jobs is known to hugely overreact, this seems solidly in that department.

Jobs was seen coming into the restaurant wearing what was described as "a very funny hat - a big top hat kind of thing."

Photo? Obviously, Jobs sees himself as a tycoon. Or perhaps, Willy Wonka.

Or perhaps, the Mad Hatter.

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