Publisher banned from Apple stores

[LoZoccolo]

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Technology publisher John Wiley & Sons said Tuesday that Apple Computer Inc. had removed all of its books from Apple store shelves ahead of the publication of a biography of Apple CEO entitled "iCon Steve Jobs."

http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/26/news/newsmakers/apple_book.reut/index.htm?cnn=yes

Why do I plunk this article down in the middle of GD? I think it is a clear example of a temper tantrum getting in the way of getting what you want. The purpose of the Apple Stores is to make money. Pulling the Wiley books off the shelves will not stop the publication of the Steve Jobs biography, but will pretty much guarantee slightly less income for the Apple Stores, as well as further damage Steve Jobs reputation as someone who lets decisions based on bruised ego trump business sense. It is a strong stand which makes an impression, to be sure, yet does damage.

Think about this as you plot out your own use of political strategy and resources, and learn to get what you want.

[BlueIris]

1. Nice. I think. Sort of.

Kind of.

Here's my first thought though: Could people fucking stop banning things?! Just...stop with the banning okay? At least, call it something else!

[bryant69]

3. How about Micky Mouse? That's a very good name

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[GiovanniC]

10. Why Must You Ban Banning?

Hypocrite!

[Wickerman]

2. Stupid move

a book that was likely to create a short blip on a few readers screen is now going to get huge attention. And, from advance press I've heard there ain't a whole lot in the book to be concerned about.

[Pithy Cherub]

4. Steve jobs, the marketing guru has made the biography

a best seller through this exceedingly dumb move. Jobs had so many options on the table that a savvy business person could have made. Here are just a few: Order very few copies. Place them in obscure locations in the stores in really obscure locations. Have reviews done by others friendlier to his point of view. Use his PR firm to combat the negative press. But alas those are just what a rational business person would have done.

This speaks to a leader that leads by virtue of how he feels that day and not by what would be right or prudent and in the best interests of the various Apple constituencies.sp

[AP]

5. On the one hand, good for the publisher for not caring about its business

relationship with Apple and publishing a book critical of jobs (provided the book is not a crazed attempt at economic sabotage written to satisfy Microsoft). However, who can blame Apple for terminating their business relationship with the publisher because of the book?

Say this were you -- say some nasty bastard was one of your suppliers, and they spread stories about you that undermined your business. Would you continue your business relationship with that company? Of course not.

[Book Lover]

44. Wiley is hardly full of nasty bastards

And there aren't enough brown-nosers in the world to make Steve Jobs happy.

One other point: if Apple really wanted to fuck with Wiley, they should have ordered 20% of the print run, then returned them all (Publishers have to eat returns in a fiscal manner unlike other businesses).

[blondeatlast]

47. John Wiley and Sons--the home of wackos--NOT.

Jobs is an idiot for this, the book industry isn't concerned; they are LAUGHING about this.

I told my husband something similar to your thoughts last night. I'm wondering how Jobs is salving his wounds today.

Very dumb move on his part.

[Book Lover]

50. I've been in the business for nearly 20 years

And yes, as a matter of fact, there are more chuckles in the industry at Jobs than at Wiley, I mean, I hope folks don't think this is the first time someone has pulled this kind of stunt. Again, the end result is that Steve has lost the PR game (except for the Mac fanatics, of course) and Wiley will benefit from the publicity.

[Village Idiot]

6. What a load of B.S. Jobs is no idiot, and...

This is not a tantrum. Why the hell would (or SHOULD, for that matter) Steve Jobs want to sell ANYTHING in HIS STORES depicting a negative image of his life and Apple's business practices???

The purpose of Apple Stores are NOT to generate money, but to SELL APPLE PRODUCTS. If the purpose was simply to generate profits, why would they limit themselves to Apple products???

Pulling the Wiley autobiography off the shelves will have little or NO IMPACT on Apple's bottom line. It will however, cut pretty heavily into Wiley& Sons, who publish over 40 titles dedicated to Apple, NeXT, or Macintosh, and sell them in the 30 or so Apple Stores across the USA...

If Jobs is so widely known "as someone who lets decisions based on bruised ego trump business sense," why in the hell did he first volunteer to step down as CEO when internal conflicts were hurting Apple's profitability, then volunteer to return as CEO after Gil Amelio and others had nearly bankrupted Apple??? How has he managed to raise the stock price of his corporation over 800% since taking the CEO job???

I wonder how fast an unauthorized publisher's investigation into Bill Gates' life and business practices would generate an ban of said material and all of said publisher's materials from all places Microsoft???

Give your head a shake, will you, and for Gods' sakes...put down the damn PIPE - a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

[LoZoccolo]

8. You're quite hostile.

This is not a tantrum. Why the hell would (or SHOULD, for that matter) Steve Jobs want to sell ANYTHING in HIS STORES depicting a negative image of his life and Apple's business practices???

He never was asked to. Read the article before you tell me I'm smoking crack.

If Jobs is so widely known "as someone who lets decisions based on bruised ego trump business sense," why in the hell did he first volunteer to step down as CEO when internal conflicts were hurting Apple's profitability, then volunteer to return as CEO after Gil Amelio and others had nearly bankrupted Apple?

I don't know. But then why did he take all the Wiley books off the shelves to punish them? And why did he sell all his Apple stock after he left Apple, running down the price just due to the massive supply he foisted onto the market? Everyone thinks that's stupid. And that's not even other peoples' money, that was his own!

When you were saying "this is not a tantrum", were you referring to what Steve Jobs did, or your post?

Are you a Mac user?

[Village Idiot]

11. If people like you would not post opinion drivel like this...

People like me would be a great deal less "hostile," as you call it. Go report a CRIME, goddamnit! Post something on companies with UNETHICAL or ILLEGAL business practices, perhaps...it's not like there are only a FEW of them...

"He never was asked to. Read the article before you tell me I'm smoking crack."

a) If Apple Stores had Wiley&Sons publications in their stores, it is ONLY because they were, at one time or another, asked to. Try not to be so disingenuous. If Jobs, and by extension, Apple Stores no longer want to display, promote, or sell material by Wiley&Sons, it is entirely within their rights to do so.

b) If I had not read the article, I would not have posted.

c] I did not tell you that you were smoking crack. I implored you to put the pipe down. Please, for the love of all that is pure and holy, if you have not already, please do so immediately!!!

"I don't know. But then why did he take all the Wiley books off the shelves to punish them? And why did he sell all his Apple stock after he left Apple, running down the price just due to the massive supply he foisted onto the market? Everyone thinks that's stupid. And that's not even other peoples' money, that was his own!"

a) He took their books off the shelf not to punish Wiley&Sons, although this was an additional bonus, but to stop subsidizing businesses who portray Apple and himself in a negative light (even though the publisher maintains the book is POSITIVE - ya, right). It's not as though Apple or Jobs NEEDS the proceeds of Wiley&Sons sales (there are over 60,000 other books on Apple products out there - many of which are published by companies who portray Apple in a positive way.) It has been done before - many, many times by many, many companies...In fact, I am not aware of a single other multinational corporation that would not do this. Do you honestly believe that Wal-Mart would stock a book that portrayed Sam Waltom in ANYTHING but a positive light???

b] Check your facts, because the "facts" you posted above are, simply, full of shit. He did not "run down the price just due to the massive supply he foisted onto the market." Apple stock was at an historic low at less than $18 / share whan Jobs sold (Feb, 1986) his 4 million shares. If he had held onto his stock for another year, (the 2 for 1 split in April, 1987) he could have easily made double. The high share price of Apple Between June, 1985 (Jobs was stripped of all responsibility at this point) and February, 1986 (when Jobs had sold all but one share of Apple), was something like $35 - again, double what he actually ended up with. By 1991, Jobs could have made over $950 million, if he had held on (the stock was trading at around $75 / share). That's about $835 million more than he got, including dividends.

c] Jobs sold the stock for a couple of reasons: He needed a quick $20 million to buy Pixar and NeXT and had confided to many that he had LOST ALL FAITH in Apple's Board of Directors. I am sure he had others, judging from the length of time he feuded with the Board while still running the company...

d] Jobs was good enough (even though Apple was suing him at the time) to sign the non-competition conttract between Apple and NeXT, that hamstrung him and forced him to make any of his computer systems for NeXT more powerful than any of Apple's offerings. He routinely co-operated with Apple on other projects, and (although not a serving member of the Board) still promoted the company (to some extent, anyway) at Expositions around the world. Does this sound like he was interested in running Apple into the ground?

"When you were saying "this is not a tantrum", were you referring to what Steve Jobs did, or your post?"

To either, or both. Whatever, dude.

"Are you a Mac user?"

Yes. I am also a (reluctant) PC user, a Linux user, and a HP-UX and Solaris user. Why does that make any difference?

The reason I posted in reply to this in the first place is that I failed to see any point to your opinion post. It is NOT a censorship, nor free speech issue. It is not an unethical business warning. He is not ripping off his shareholders, or padding Apple's bottom line, or doing the public a disservice. He attempting to protect an EXTRAORDINARILY INNOVATIVE company he worked like a dog to build TWICE, for Gods' sake. Having not read the Wiley&Sons book, I do not know if they cover the recent rash of industrial espionage, lawsuits and leaks at Apple, but I am thinking that this would be an ideal justification for the "ban..."

You should reserve your disapproval for companies that operate unethically, pollute the environment, hire children to work for substandard wages in hazardous work environments, who routinely cheat and steal from their stockholders, use illegal accounting practices to misreport company revenues, and make campaign contributions to REPUBLICANS!!!. Jobs, personally, has contributed over $225,000 to Democratic candidates during the last two campaign cycles...

You might want to do a bit of research before you offer opinion on garbage posts like this. Any mac-o-phile would be insulted, and others might get the WRONG idea that Jobs and/or Apple is actually doing something dishonest or unethical.

[Q]

12. Thanks for your post on this issue...

...and letting a bit of truth leak through the bullshit of this thread.

And Yes...I'm a Mac user and have been since the beginning. And as you mentioned...there are REAL corporate criminals out there that should get this much attention. This is nothing more than a hit piece...much like Martha Stewart is experiencing right now.

Thanks again for your time and effort.

[LoZoccolo]

14. In some ways, you make my argument for me.

a) If Apple Stores had Wiley&Sons publications in their stores, it is ONLY because they were, at one time or another, asked to. Try not to be so disingenuous. If Jobs, and by extension, Apple Stores no longer want to display, promote, or sell material by Wiley&Sons, it is entirely within their rights to do so.

And it is stupid to discontinue to do so because of a personal vendetta. What advantage to Apple or it's customers is given by kicking out Wiley? They're never gonna stop publishing the autobiography. If someone does something that poses a disadvantage to themselves in order to get something done that's unlikely at best and damaging to one's reputation at worst, that's stupid, and it's stupid business. As someone pointed out, the book now has free publicity due to Steve Jobs' tantrum.

b) If I had not read the article, I would not have posted.

It was evident that you did not read or understand the article.

c] I did not tell you that you were smoking crack. I implored you to put the pipe down.

I don't care.

a) He took their books off the shelf not to punish Wiley&Sons, although this was an additional bonus, but to stop subsidizing businesses who portray Apple and himself in a negative light (even though the publisher maintains the book is POSITIVE - ya, right).

And what good would that do?

Do you honestly believe that Wal-Mart would stock a book that portrayed Sam Waltom in ANYTHING but a positive light???

No. And no one was asking for Steve Jobs to do that either. It is obvious that you did not read or understand the article.

Check your facts, because the "facts" you posted above are, simply, full of shit. He did not "run down the price just due to the massive supply he foisted onto the market." Apple stock was at an historic low at less than $18 / share whan Jobs sold (Feb, 1986) his 4 million shares. If he had held onto his stock for another year, (the 2 for 1 split in April, 1987) he could have easily made double.

Unless you sell into a rally with a series of limit orders and it just happens to get absorbed, unloading 4 million shares into the market undoubtedly drives the price of a stock down (and even then it would slow down it's advance). Stock pools used to pay people to temporarily run the price of stocks up in order to get rid of their shares, and hope that the temporary spike would be high enough to be able to get rid of them without losing money. And you say there yourself that he should have waited. Thanks for making my argument for me. Again, good business sense being trumped by a temper tantrum.

c] Jobs sold the stock for a couple of reasons: He needed a quick $20 million to buy Pixar and NeXT and had confided to many that he had LOST ALL FAITH in Apple's Board of Directors. I am sure he had others, judging from the length of time he feuded with the Board while still running the company...

I imagine it's very easy to lose all faith in all kinds of people when you're the type of person to pull all of a publisher's titles off your shelves for publishing a book that they're not even asking you to sell. That Jobs loses faith in someone really doesn't mean much to me, seeing what kind of temper tantrums he's prone to throwing.

To either, or both. Whatever, dude.

Ha ha ha ha ha!

Yes. I am also a (reluctant) PC user, a Linux user, and a HP-UX and Solaris user. Why does that make any difference?

Because there is a certain contingent of cultish Mac users who throw a spaz when you criticize Apple or Steve Jobs because the market share of Apple is so low that they think a small gust of criticism will blow it away. I should also mention though, that I am a Mac user, and my Mac is probably better than yours. I'm just not that insecure of Apple that I have to defend all their actions, even when they suck.

For example - iTunes sucks at ripping CDs because it won't allow you to abort when you're ripping. If you have a banged-up disc, it will try over and over to read it and you have to turn the computer off in order to get it to stop so you can have your CD back.

You should reserve your disapproval for companies that operate unethically, pollute the environment, hire children to work for substandard wages in hazardous work environments, who routinely cheat and steal from their stockholders, use illegal accounting practices to misreport company revenues, and make campaign contributions to REPUBLICANS!!!. Jobs, personally, has contributed over $225,000 to Democratic candidates during the last two campaign cycles...

I wasn't really criticizing them that much. I was trying to give, through a non-political example, a lesson in how strong actions are not always smart actions. A lesson that seems to have been lost on you - but your demonstration of this is a gem. Do you really think telling me to put the pipe down is compelling?

You might want to do a bit of research before you offer opinion on garbage posts like this. Any mac-o-phile would be insulted, and others might get the WRONG idea that Jobs and/or Apple is actually doing something dishonest or unethical.

I didn't say dishonest, though it's very slightly unethical toward his shareholders. Mainly I was just saying it was stupid.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LoZoccolo]

25. This is why I think you didn't read it.

You kept implying that Wiley was asking him to sell the biography, and seemed to miss the point that he had pulled all the Wiley books off the shelves. Much of your argument rests on these two ideas, neither of which are supported by the article.

The share price during the period in question rose, rather than fell

The period you give is longer than would have been affected by his sale. What I'm talking about is the short-term dip that results from having more stock to sell than people have orders to buy at a price you'd like, which is unprofitable for the seller. I'm not talking about dilution, which would reach long-term, but rather a sudden overwhelming supply.

Sorry my suggestions to give up crack were not better received...I truly wish my arguments WERE more compelling...maybe you could just switch from crack to weed? I understand it is cheaper and a little less dangerous...you might be less prone to these delusions and psychotic episodes, too!

:boring:

[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LoZoccolo]

36. That's right he can do it if he wants.

I realize that he pulled all Wiley&Sons publications off the Apple Store shelves, which is HIS RIGHT! THAT'S the ENTIRE argument. He can decide to sell OR NOT sell anything he wants! Welcome to America, LoZo!!!

I think it's the second time I've brought up that he can do this, but it would still be stupid.

JOBS in NO WAY was out to HARM Apple stockholders...quite the OPPOSITE, in fact!!!

Never said that.

I am sorry you found my post boring. I have often heard it said that crackheads have difficulty concentrating on concrete ideas for prolonged periods, though...there is anecdotal evidence supporting claims of incerased concentration by users of Ginko Biloba...so there IS hope, after all, LoZo...

:boring:

[blondeatlast]

49. Wiley is the overwhelming leader in publishing IT books.

I still contend that Jobs is gonna suffer more than Wiley ever will over this.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

52. I know they're big, but bigger that O'Reilly? (Tim, not Bill) (nt)

[blondeatlast]

54. I have no statistics to back this up, but my guess is yes.

They now own the IDG (better known as the "Dummies'") imprint, to add to their scientific, technical, and medical groups. While they may not exceed O'Reilly's output in IT (and I suspect with the "Dummies" line, they do), they are overall a bigger publisher.

They are one of the leading publishers of medical textbooks--I'm actually a case study in one, lucky me (actually, it's all good--my successful pregnancy despite several high risk factors!).

Anyway, Steve Jobs isn't going to close them down; they've been in business since the very early 1800s.

[stopbush]

7. If Jobs not allowing one book to be sold in his stores hurts

his business, then he ought to hang it up now.

Seriously. He has no obligation to sell anything that might negatively impact his business. If we're going that route then we should be insisting that every piece of Microsoft software sold has a big "Caveat emptor" sign hanging over the shelf and a skull and crossbones emblazoned across the front of the box.

[LoZoccolo]

9. It's not just the one book.

It's all the books by the same publisher. That makes no sense.

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LoZoccolo]

15. Anyone can say that.

"if you only have the wit to understand..."

Blah blah blah blah.

[Village Idiot]

16. You are correct...

That's why I attempted, for the sake of the less gifted, to put together a concise EXPLANATION.

I won't bother to waste my precious time in so vain an attempt again.

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Touchdown]

21. Actually I thought he was quite level headed.

You're the only one who keeps throwing "temper tamtrum" at the wall expecting it to stick just this one last time. What's that Einstein said about insanity?

[LoZoccolo]

27. Let me get a thesaurus.

On second thought, it's not worth it.

[Village Idiot]

34. Even if ALL they do is laugh...

at least they will get SOME use out of my posts.

[LoZoccolo]

37. Oh, I'm sure.

Just like I am.

[blondeatlast]

51. He has pulled the entire catalog of the overwhelming leader in IT publishi

It may not affect his bottom line, but it makes him look petty and childish, IMHO.

[Touchdown]

17. Yeah, and Disneyland is selling that book on Uncle Walt...

That said he was an anti-semite, ran over union workers with his car, and worked undercover for Hoover to expose commies in Hollywood...some of which could be true.

Coporate image and PR is good business sense.

[LoZoccolo]

19. No one is asking the Apple Store to sell the Steve Jobs biography.

Repeat if needed.

[Touchdown]

20. And noone but you is requiring that Apple do business with

John Wiley & Sons either. Turnabout is fair play, since you think you have an angle on mac user conginitive dissonance, so let me ask you...

Do you work for, have stock in, or in any way are financially involved in John Wiley & Sons? Out of thousands of books and publishers who have sold Mac/Apple books, why is the relationship severance of THIS publisher going to be Apple's downfall?

BTW: I'll have to check back with you the next time I visit California to see if they carry any other Harper Collins books at the Sleeping Beauty Castle gift shop the Main Street Emporium or the news stand outside of the Enchanted Tiki Room.:eyes:

[LoZoccolo]

23. I didn't say it was going to be Apple's downfall.

I'm just saying it's stupid. Of course it's turnabout, but it's still stupid. No one's given me a good reason why pulling all the Wiley books off the shelves is a good business move, and I can think of a range of bad consequences it might have, none of which are horrible, which I've already posted.

When someone does something detrimental to your business or reputation for no good reason other than a bruised ego, then they are doing a stupid thing.

And my whole point in posting this was to give a non-political example of what people do here politically all the time. But I should have expected less from Self-Destructive Temper Tantrum Underground I guess.

[Touchdown]

24. The count is up to 7 for you.

Should we place bets to see if you can work in the use of "Temper Tantrum" to 20 before we start to believe it, Mr. Luntz?

EDIT: Did it ever occur to you, that their books just weren't selling at Apple's stores...or are you believing in the spin of C -"Democrats call it the nuclear option" -NN?

EDIT #2- You seem to have failed in your point. Try being more direct with your observations on the circular firing squad, and the leftist orthidoxy.

[LoZoccolo]

26. When this stuff starts entering the thread...

...someone's given up.

[Touchdown]

28. What stuff? Level headedness, asking for more facts?

or flying off the handle beliving in the worst of humanity (or one human) because of one article from a rather less than credible news service?

[LoZoccolo]

29. Let's start over.

I'm lost. My crack habit has done things to me which I don't yet understand.

What's your point? Do you have a question of me or something? You said something about asking for more facts...what facts are you asking for? Please keep it concise because I'm a drug addict and have a short attention span.

[Touchdown]

31. Your article states only John Wiley & Sons' story.

Even CNN is saying "allegedly". IF in fact they did pull the publisher's books from the shelves, could there be any other POSSIBLE reason for that, such as shelf space real estate reserved for a new Apple product or poor sales of their books in general? The article states that Apple isn't talking, but that is a far cry from an indictment.

I never implied that you were a junkie, anfd neither did the other major poster here. Would you feel better if we did?

[LoZoccolo]

32. Well, since Jobs...

...cut all mention of ATI at the MacWorld Expo in 2000 and downgraded the video cards included with some models due to them accidentally disclosing which card would be included in the new Mac models (why?), I'm inclined to believe this. It's a pattern of behavior.

Besides, if I was Apple PR, I wouldn't be too enthusiastic about putting myself on the line coming up with explanations for Jobs' crybaby fits (there, I used another phrase) either.

[Touchdown]

39. So all you have is conjecture, then.

That's what I thought.:eyes:

[LoZoccolo]

48. OK you're right. Wiley just made the whole story up.

They were sure that if they spread a nasty rumor about the discontinuance of the books in the Apple Stores, Jobs would put them back, because he's that kind of guy who would bow to the pressure of embarassment. He's real self-conscious of whether or not his conduct is embarassing to his reputation that way. They needed to do this because so many people go to a boutique Apple gallery store to get their computer books rather than Border's or Barnes and Noble or their computer store, and this would really hurt them. Spreading a rumor like this is a risky venture for Wiley, but seeing as it's their last hope, it's the only move they can make.

:sarcasm:

[Touchdown]

53. It's possible. Some say they know this publisher

, but I've never heard of them, and this wouldn't be the first time that companies malign each other for their own sales interests. Remember Morton Downey Jr. who spray painted a swastika on his face and tried to blame it on some punks in San Francisco, for publicity's sake? Companies that are 30 years old just don't makes knee jerk decisions based on personal egos. They can make Edsels and New Coke, but not for the vanity of their executives. That's just loonie.

But, I'm sure your right since you've been very convincing in your character assasination of Steve jobs and he is now the quintissential devil of the high tech sector. I will never trust him again! I'm going to burn my iPod right now! ...and he has thin skin too, 'The Incredibles' was a box office bomb, so he's obviously a charlatain in animated feature production as well. What kind of shampoo does he use, since you're so close to him to have this insight into his personality?

[LoZoccolo]

55. Yes they do make decisions based on personal egos.

The original Macintosh only had 128k at Steve Jobs' insistence. The engineers put ports for 512k in and kept it secret because they figured he'd tell them to take it back out. The first complaint people had was the low memory, and it's good that the engineers worked around Jobs so that people could expand it.

There is a lot of well-documented stuff about how difficult it was to work with Steve Jobs. Check out Insanely Great, Accidental Empires, or Fire in the Valley.

[Village Idiot]

42. This kind of thing is getting to be tiresome for Jobs...

The ATI leak and SEVERAL others have resulted in some nasty lawsuits, dismissals, and LOSS OF REVENUE for Apple and other involved parties. A negative treatment of Apple and Jobs (and we only have the publishers' word that it is positive) may possibly HARM Apple and stockholders. Jobs is a FANATIC when it comes to protecting his company and MARKET SHARE. I say - "Good for him. I wish ALL CEOs and directors of multinational corporations had such convictions."

I am certainly going to make sure I read the damn book when it comes out to try and better understand the reasons that Jobs took the direct action he did, rather than just say "it was stupid" and he had a "temper tantrum" or a "crybaby fit" over and over again. Perhaps you would be prudent to do likewise.

***I used the "crackhead" analogy merely to prove a point. Most people seem to only remember the most provoicative ideas presented in a post. If you repeat these often enough, with a little variation and humour, people will often be sympathetic to you and discredit the "other guy." What I thought you were attempting to do to Jobs, I attempted to do to you. I don't mind stated opinion - even uninformed opinion - but some of the generalities you presented with regard to Job's actions and the behaviour of Apple stock seemed to me to be somewhat disingenuous, unfair and outright FALSE when examined in conjunction with the FACTS.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

30. WTFH???

Did Steve Jobs send in an army of clones or what? :wtf:

[CBGLuthier]

35. he he I knew this would bring out the mac heads

I swear, in about 100 years there will be a church of Mac.

No church in history has had more devoted followers than Apple.

:-)

[NYCGirl]

38. I used to be in the Church of Mac...now I'm also in the Church of TiVo!

[Touchdown]

40. Yeah, but I'm the high preist!

I've been TiVoing for 5 years now!:P

[NYCGirl]

41. I bow to you. My TiVo's only 2 years old.

The only thing that would be better would be if Apple bought TiVo...
:evilgrin:

[Village Idiot]

43. HAHAHAHHAAHA....

what makes you think it will take 100 years???


HAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHA....

[blondeatlast]

45. To pull the bio--no problem. The entire Wiley catalog--just plain petty!

Wiley is the foremost publisher of IT books, with imprints that cover beginners on up to system architecture and engineering.

You make a damn good point, LZ. Jobs is looking like a major fool over this--the book industry is already enjoying a damn good laugh at his expense already.

[Book Lover]

46. And one further point regarding "unauthorized" biographies

Authorized biographies are hardly worth the paper they're printed on (autobiographies are a different case). All it says is that the publisher sucked up to the demands of the subject of the book. It's still (nominally) a free country, and we can put onto paper anything we fucking well please. If Jobs doesn't like it, tough. He's done his thing, and Wiley will sell extra copies because of it. Hell, I think I'll saunter over to A Clean, Well-Lighted Place and order a copy.