Lots of interesting tidbits are being revealed about Apple founder Steve Jobs this week - all related to interviews he conducted prior to his death for an upcoming authorized biography. A couple of the juiciest quotes relate to his animosity concerning Google's Android mobile operating system. In one interview he made a vow to spend all of Apple's $40 billion to destroy Google’s rival smartphone operating system.
Jobs told biography author Walter Isaacson that he considered Android "grand theft" of his idea for a mobile operating system.
"I'm going to destroy Android, because it's a stolen product. I'm willing to go thermonuclear war on this,” read a quote from Jobs in an extract of Isaacson's book.
"I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple's $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,” he added.
In other excerpts Jobs said that he told President Barack Obama that he was headed for a one-term presidency and that public unions were hurting the educational system, and noted that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was an unimaginative individual who stole ideas. Certainly his authorized biography will be an interesting read when it is released.
Steve Jobs passed away in his Palo Alto home in October, six weeks after resigning as CEO of Apple.
Source: Develop
Comments
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
just more evidence that you have to be ruthless and shameless dick just to make it in big business...
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
No big surprises, the guy was a capitalist a-hole (virtual slave factories in China, I'm looking at you). Having vision does not preclude a human from being a dick.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
This really makes me want to take back anything nice I said about him.
Nothing excuses anti-competitive practices.
To me a good businessman would have wished them a "best man wins" statement instead of vowing to have them destroyed so that you're the only big choice. Might have envisioned every cell phone dealer as being a mini Apple store.
One thing I remember was a tip fro ma long time ago to change the battery in the first generations of Ipods, after the battery began losing a charge, then apple changed the design so you can't open it.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
Hmmm, this just seems like one long advert for Android (it's so good Steve Jobs would've spent billions to destroy it).
Locked-down systems and open systems both have their pros and cons. And a lot of the comments aren't much more than the "my PS3 is better than your 360" etc.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
Eh, reminds me of how tired I got of reading "better safe than Sony" from all the 360 fanboys who made PSN accounts JUST to say that during the PSN outage.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
All the more reason for me to make my next cell phone an Android rather than an iPhone...if for no other reason than to spite Steve Jobs from beyond the grave!
For all the lionizing Jobs got after his death, it's important to remember that he was still human at the end of the day. And I'm sorry for those of you out there that admired him, but I don't think this book is going to do him any favors. I heard earlier about what he said about Obama, but all of the other stuff I read here on top of that makes him come across as a real dick. He's far from being the saint that the media is making him out to be.
Frankly, I'm surprised this is an authorized biography. Most of what I've been hearing from it sounds more like the kinds of unauthorized biographies Kitty Kelley would write.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
Sounds like a true business man. A true genius and ego maniac and I for one respect him for it.
Other than the Bill Gates comment.
"You've got to grab your competition by the throat and squeeze the life out of them."
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
And people wonder why I didn't like the prat, nor considered his death a total loss to humanity.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
Sound like Im gonna pick up the book and see what else Steve says about his competitors.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
"noted that Microsoft founder Bill Gates was an unimaginative individual who stole ideas"
Pot calling the kettle black there much Steve?
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
You say stole, I say liberated from the clutches of the world's biggest control freak. Some people are not cool with letting you dictate to them what they want, Steve. I say thank god there are some alternatives to your digital shackles.
Re: Steve Jobs Vowed to Destroy Android in Authorized Biography
Further evidence that Wozniak was the good Steve.