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How Steve Jobs got the Internet to pay for content
Just about every Internet and print news outlet has paid tribute to Steve Jobs over the past few days, but PaidContent.org -- a website dedicated to discussion of the sale of digital content -- had one of the more interesting plaudits. In a post by Media Guardian's Charles Arthur, Jobs was rightly given his place in history as the "man who got the Internet to pay for content." Arthur reflected on the sad state of affairs in the media biz just ten years ago. He notes that "if you wanted to download some music, your best bet was Napster or one of the filesharing systems such as LimeWire or KaZaA." For the services that were actually considered legal, there were services like PressPlay and MusicNet requiring US$15 monthly subscriptions for low-quality streams that couldn't be burned to CD. Jobs came along with the iPod, and then followed up with the iTunes Music Store. If it hadn't been for Jobs persuading the music companies in 2003 to license their songs to Apple, the store wouldn't have happened. As Arthur notes, the music companies figured that Apple was just a tiny company with a minimal market share in the computer business, so they went along for the ride. And a huge ride it was -- Apple sold a million songs in the first week of the iTunes Music Store, which at that time was only available in the U.S. The iTunes Store now sells TV shows, movies, apps, and books in addition to songs, with sales of both songs and apps in the tens of billions. As Arthur comments towards the end of his post, "Jobs was a champion of getting customers who would pay you for your stuff." By focusing on "getting something great to the customer with as few obstacles as possible," Jobs was able to insist that customers pay for that value and the content. While he is largely known as the man who brought the world some "insanely great" hardware, Jobs should also be remembered for his lasting impact on sales of digital content.
Daily Update for August 25, 2011
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Steve Jobs reportedly worked on campus for his final day as CEO
For many of us who were surprised by yesterday's announcement that Steve Jobs was resigning as CEO of Apple, our immediate thought was that his health might have deteriorated to the point that he was no longer able to work on the Apple campus in Cupertino, CA. However, a source reported to Bloomberg Businessweek that Jobs spent the entire day on the Apple campus before attending the board meeting where he tendered his resignation as CEO and accepted his post as Apple chairman. The source, who Bloomberg Businessweek reported as "not authorized to speak about his health," said that Jobs was "weak" but that the resignation was "not indicative of a sudden downturn." Jobs has apparently been housebound recently, but his work yesterday and his declaration that he plans on being an active board chairman seem to point to a future where Steve Jobs still has his eyes on the fortunes of Apple.
Steve Jobs expected to remain on Disney board
The name Steve Jobs is synonymous with Apple, the company the man co-founded with Steve Wozniak and the relatively unknown Ronald Wayne. Fewer people remember that Jobs also has ties with Disney and has been on the board of directors of the entertainment giant for the past five years. Bloomberg.com reported last night that Jobs is expected to stay on the Disney board for the foreseeable future. In 1986, during his exile from Apple, Jobs purchased Pixar Animation Studios from Lucasfilm and with his support as CEO, helped the studio begin making its string of highly successful animated feature films. Jobs sold Pixar to Disney in 2006 for $7.4 billion, which made him the largest single stockholder in Disney. His stake in the company is still huge -- Jobs owns a 7.4% stake in the Disney empire (about 138 million shares of stock). Bloomberg also noted that Jobs was the only Disney board member who was unable to attend 75 percent of board meetings due to health considerations. At his own request, Jobs does not receive compensation in his role as a Disney board member.
Tim Cook email to Apple employees: "Apple is not going to change"
In an email designed to reassure Apple employees who might be a bit trepidatious after the Steve Jobs announcement yesterday afternoon, Apple CEO Tim Cook told workers that "Apple is not going to change." The email, leaked to Ars Technica by a reputable source, includes Cook's reassurance that the company will "continue to make the best products in the world" under his guidance. The text of the email is included in its entirety below. Team: I am looking forward to the amazing opportunity of serving as CEO of the most innovative company in the world. Joining Apple was the best decision I've ever made and it's been the privilege of a lifetime to work for Apple and Steve for over 13 years. I share Steve's optimism for Apple's bright future. Steve has been an incredible leader and mentor to me, as well as to the entire executive team and our amazing employees. We are really looking forward to Steve's ongoing guidance and inspiration as our Chairman. I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple's unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that-it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do. I love Apple and I am looking forward to diving into my new role. All of the incredible support from the Board, the executive team and many of you has been inspiring. I am confident our best years lie ahead of us and that together we will continue to make Apple the magical place that it is. Tim
