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Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 02:01 AM

Seems that Steve does not approve of a new unauthorized book about him and/or Apple.

Link.

demograph68 · Apr 27, 2005, 02:23 AM

He should get a grip.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 02:30 AM

I agree about that with some things, but you have to admit, the title and the book frontispiece are not very attractive. It makes him seem rather villainous, to be honest.

JustAnOl'Broad · Apr 27, 2005, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I agree about that with some things, but you have to admit, the title and the book frontispiece are not very attractive. It makes him seem rather villainous, to be honest.

Also, the timing of this; couldn't be at a worse time.
Who Would want their face on a cover with that title?
I wouldn't want it no matter the content.
Should've gone with " iSteve" or something similar.
The title just sux, IMHO.
P~

MrKlin · Apr 27, 2005, 03:02 AM

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I agree about that with some things, but you have to admit, the title and the book frontispiece are not very attractive. It makes him seem rather villainous, to be honest.

Admit what? Maybe if this was a Steve Jobs fan club meeting?

This is what a non-flattering cover look like:

Xeo · Apr 27, 2005, 03:07 AM

Originally Posted by JustAnOl'Broad

Also, the timing of this; couldn't be at a worse time.
Who Would want their face on a cover with that title?
I wouldn't want it no matter the content.
Should've gone with " iSteve" or something similar.
The title just sux, IMHO.
P~

How's the timing off? With the release of Tiger?

The title is problematic, IMO, because you first read it as "I con", almost saying Jobs is just a con-man. To read it as (I assume) it is intended, "icon", goes along with the rest of the title and is positive, but the way it is written, it's too easy to make a pretty negative sentence out of it.

sworthy · Apr 27, 2005, 03:08 AM

I know iCon can be taken badly, but I thought it was more a play on apple's naming conventions. Also, the subtitle is VERY flattering. What's the big deal?

DeathMan · Apr 27, 2005, 03:10 AM

I think its supposed to be both.

JustAnOl'Broad · Apr 27, 2005, 03:18 AM

I took it the bad way; i Con
now "Icon" would have been a different response.

E's Lil Theorem · Apr 27, 2005, 03:21 AM

Originally Posted by Xeo

...the rest of the title and is positive, ....

Originally Posted by sworthy

...Also, the subtitle is VERY flattering. What's the big deal?

Are you guys joking? The greatest second act in the history of business is flattering? Perhaps I'm not seeing something at first glance, but it doesn't sound like the rest of the book is filled with compliments (unless you call that a compliment).

Mac Write · Apr 27, 2005, 03:39 AM

Ya the Greatest Second Act? uh Who's the first? Bill Gates (ya right)? I also read it as I Con everyone. From the title I feel is is trying to say Steve Jobs is con artist. It could seriously hurt Apple if apple of people read the title (let alone the book).

iLikebeer · Apr 27, 2005, 03:42 AM

Oh, I see now. I took it the same way as E at first.
They're saying he's an Icon in the business world and his 2nd time(act) at the helm of Apple has been extremely successful. Wow, that's a horribly confusing title if it is indeed positive.

ryaxnb · Apr 27, 2005, 04:04 AM

what ridicoulousness. has jobs flipped out?

- - e r i k - - · Apr 27, 2005, 04:05 AM

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Ya the Greatest Second Act? uh Who's the first? Bill Gates (ya right)? I also read it as I Con everyone. From the title I feel is is trying to say Steve Jobs is con artist. It could seriously hurt Apple if apple of people read the title (let alone the book).

The greatest second act in business history refers to the second act of Apple (Jobs return and consecutive revival), not that they are the second fiddle or anything.

Superchicken · Apr 27, 2005, 04:06 AM

I took it the right way... but I imagine Jobs is more ticked at what's inside... not sure what is though... but then again Jobs hardly has an exactly nice history with people so it's not as if he's going to have a lot of stuff he feels great about... but I imagine since he's toned down a lot over the past few years having someone else bring up all that crap can't feel good... especially after fighting a battle with freaking cancer!

alphasubzero949 · Apr 27, 2005, 05:12 AM

Oh come on. Everyone in here is practically telling Jobs to get a grip; yet when I post about the supposed practice of invalidating the early shipped copies of Tiger according to AI as well as a few other sites around the web (including MacFixIt and /.) all of the fanboys come rushing in to defend him?

Lately Steve has been having some anger management issues. I'm sure the neighbors around the Apple campus can probably hear him screaming in the wee hours. First, the rumor site leaks. Then the Tiger leaks over P2P. Then the early release of Tiger. Now this. And soon, Amazon's premature release of the G5 specs.

Sometimes I wonder about this "secrecy" policy of Apple...

As I said before, Steve needs to either take some ritalin or re-retire. Banning the publisher also means losing the technical books, especially from David Pogue.

Zimphire · Apr 27, 2005, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by sworthy

I know iCon can be taken badly, but I thought it was more a play on apple's naming conventions. Also, the subtitle is VERY flattering. What's the big deal?

Same here, calling someone an icon isn't bad. It's someone that symbolizes something.

Zimphire · 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

The greatest second act in business history refers to the second act of Apple (Jobs return and consecutive revival), not that they are the second fiddle or anything.

What erik said.

Hawkeye_a · Apr 27, 2005, 08:19 AM

the first thing that came to my mind was, Steve: 'i am a con artist'. that title isnt apropriate if theyre trying to talk about icons. as in personalities.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 08:19 AM

"iCon" sounds exactly like "I con...people."

It's a stupid title.

That guy (the author) better watch out. The Apple Machine� must be rolling into high gear getting ready to squash this guy like a bug in court.

storer · Apr 27, 2005, 08:25 AM

^^^
Agreed
The name is meant to spark a reaction.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 08:31 AM

Yeah, he got attention didn't he?

storer · Apr 27, 2005, 08:50 AM

Certainly did. And no doubt sales will rise now.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 08:52 AM

Well, sales may rise, but not at any Apple-affiliated stores.

On the other hand, does anyone think that Jobs is just being his usual old cantankerous self? That he's making a big deal out of nothing?

dav · Apr 27, 2005, 08:57 AM

the title's ambiguous, how clever

E's Lil Theorem · Apr 27, 2005, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by iLikebeer

Oh, I see now. I took it the same way as E at first.
They're saying he's an Icon in the business world and his 2nd time(act) at the helm of Apple has been extremely successful. Wow, that's a horribly confusing title if it is indeed positive.

Originally Posted by - - e r i k - -

The greatest second act in business history refers to the second act of Apple (Jobs return and consecutive revival), not that they are the second fiddle or anything.

Ah, so I was missing something at first glance.

Originally Posted by dav

the title's ambiguous, how clever

Heh, that's how I feel now.

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Apr 27, 2005, 10:27 AM

Well I ordered it

DeathToWindows · Apr 27, 2005, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by alphasubzero949

As I said before, Steve needs to either take some ritalin or re-retire. Banning the publisher also means losing the technical books, especially from David Pogue.

Considering that Wiley has perhaps one really good book out (the Macintosh Bible), I don't see this as a huge loss for the stores (I've always found Pogue's work to be consumer crap... even after he started writing for the Times).. Now, if Apple was in a snit at Oreilly, then that would be something to worry about.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 11:00 AM

I'm sure that Apple is in a snit with O'Reilly also. We just don't know about it...yet.

Jobs is notorious for being difficult, condescending, and imperialistic with people who work for him.

Now, once I called Apple for something and I was put through to their executive offices and Jobs picked up the call himself. I'd heard that he does that from time to time, but I didn't believe it until it happened to me. I was trying to figure out how the warranty would transfer from some company Macs that we were donating to the schools and no one seemed to know the answer. He was extraordinarily nice, charming even, so I know that he has "the schmooze factor" on his side. The really amazing thing is that he told me to call so-and-so and guess what? They sent 6 boxes of the next new OS and 6 boxes of Office for the computers that we were donating (iMacs and eMacs).

Still, I wouldn't want to get on his bad side.

RIRedinPA · Apr 27, 2005, 12:09 PM

I'm ordering the book, which just proves that I am a sucker for the Jobs marketing machine. He's savvy enough to know that bitchin' about it is going to pump up the sales. Bet he was a ghostwriter and gets royalties.

demograph68 · Apr 27, 2005, 12:15 PM

^^^ Lies.

turtle777 · Apr 27, 2005, 12:18 PM

Originally Posted by Severed Hand of Skywalker

Well I ordered it

Traitor !

[/steve_jobs_is_my_god_fan_mode]

-t

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Apr 27, 2005, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Traitor !

[/steve_jobs_is_my_god_fan_mode]

-t

Steve is known for being a freak and hard to work with. Doesn't mean I don't love the end result (most of the time).

I read lots of Apple books, the Guy Amelio one was sorta interesting when it talked about Steve running next and how Steve spent over a year working on the monitor stand and spending tons of money on it. In the end nobody cared.

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 12:45 PM

Well, maybe that old adage is true:

Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all.

ASIMO · Apr 27, 2005, 12:45 PM

Wake up to a double entendre in the morning.

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm.

klinux · Apr 27, 2005, 06:58 PM

Originally Posted by E's Lil Theorem

Are you guys joking? The greatest second act in the history of business is flattering?

Talk about not seeing forest for the trees. Did you not see the word <b>greatest</b>? When's the last time you were called the "greatest" at anything? Mommy does not count.

Originally Posted by Mac Write

Ya the Greatest Second Act? uh Who's the first? Bill Gates (ya right)?

As others have mentioned, second act = Job's second time at Apple's helm. And calling Bill Gates as first would not be far fetched. Whether you like Gates or not, no other person who has come close to creating a $280B company and its subsequent economy e.g. antivirus, security, support, hardware sale etc (valued very conservatively at $1 trillion?) from scratch.

E's Lil Theorem · Apr 27, 2005, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by klinux

Talk about not seeing forest for the trees. Did you not see the word <b>greatest</b>? When's the last time you were called the "greatest" at anything? Mommy does not count.

....

I did see the word "greatest" and at first glance I thought the author was being condescending. Other people corrected this mistake earlier in the thread and I admitted that I was missing something at first glance a few posts below said corrections:

Originally Posted by E's Lil Theorem

Ah, so I was missing something at first glance.

Nevertheless, I still feel like it's a second rate title.

CharlesS · Apr 27, 2005, 07:58 PM

iCon != icon.

iMac == Mac with an 'i' in front.

iBook == (note)Book with an 'i' in front.

iMovie == Movie with an 'i' in front.

iTunes == Tunes with an 'i' in front.

iPhoto == Photo with an 'i' in front.

iDVD == DVD with an 'i' in front.

iCon == Con with an 'i' in front.

I'd be pissed too.

nonhuman · Apr 27, 2005, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by alphasubzero949

Lately Steve has been having some anger management issues.

Lately?

Cody Dawg · Apr 27, 2005, 08:15 PM

Well, it's not like the guy doesn't have a lot on his plate.

I mean, he's running two companies, and just got over a surgery and cancer.

klinux · Apr 27, 2005, 09:31 PM

Lance Armstrong has a lot things on his plate and has to fight off bad press as well but I think he is handling it a lot better.

And yes, iCon may not be what Steve would want but I think it is clever and bottomline - it will sell books.

MrForgetable · Apr 27, 2005, 11:55 PM

first i saw iCon(artists, then i looked at the i and saw icon, maybe it is a good book.

Big Mac · Apr 28, 2005, 03:07 AM

Marketing people, as well as, presumably, the author of this book, are not that dumb to choose the title "iCon" without realizing the obvious double meaning. He chose to play off of Apple's naming convention in this specific manner, with the intent to convey a particular meaning. I can only imagine the type of duplicitous content contained within this title. It seems that Jobs is rightfully perturbed, although he likely is not handling it in the most efficacious way. Instead of retaliating against the publisher, why not just buy it out?