Steve Jobs to return in June as planned

Get well soon Steve.

...but Apple could do worse than not having Steve Jobs return. Don't get me wrong, I don't wish him dead or anything, but Apple might potentially do better with this tyrant out of the way.

For all lovers or apologists of Steve Jobs, whilst his products have helped to define the status quo for some products, his obsession with controlling ever little detail is preventing Apple from growing beyond its small world into a real competitor to Microsoft. They need to stop being so controlling and open up their attitudes towards development with the Iphone and towards allowing OSX on any computer.

I don't care whether Apple zealots/fanboys/the American Press at large/uneducated idiots think that Apple products are worth the premium just for the brand name and OSX are they are simply not. Apple could be a competitor to Microsoft but they are too slow to admit mistakes, too arrogant to consider opening up and too quick to dish out insults/slurs but too unable to except legititmate criticism.

Take the recent Microsoft adverts for example. I've had to tolerate those awfully untrue Mac adverts for years, yet as soon as Microsoft starts to fight back (and quite fairly I might add, in spite of the propaganda Apple fans keep trying to use to trans-shape the truth), everyone cries foul and comes to Apple's defence. It's somewhere between illusion, elitism and Stockholm syndrome! It's like learning to love the hand that hits you!

The phrase goes "Better the Devil you know". I'd rather trust Microsoft because at least I know they receive enough scrutiny to make them change. Apple is not receiving this press at present from too many in the press (especially the BBC too) and there is no incentive for it to move beyond its current situation.

With any luck, Steve Jobs not returning could have been a catalyst for change, but now it looks like OSX won't be challenging Windows 7 after all, at least not in real terms. To the true Apple zealots of course, they believe that OSX has already won, but until maybe 20%+ of the global market uses OSX, it's just a niche.

I've said my piece. Let the flames from the unfounded Apple zealots begin!

This is no way to talk about a person who could possibly face a death sentence, as cancer is in most cases.

I am no fan of Apple, I own NONE of their products, but I like Steve Jobs more than I like Bill Gates, and none of them is Hitler, to be hated to death!

The title you have chosen is inhuman !

If St. Eve of Jobs ain't dead yet, I believe there is an role for him in the Broadway production of Spamalot.

Christian: The INQsters are all Brit liberals, and all Brit liberals adore Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the guys from MPFC wrote and produced a movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", that has a skit where.... oh, the hell with it, look it up yourself!

Just some of that wry British liberal humour.

And if S Ansell is correct in his assessment that St. Eve of Jobs is the primary boat anchor at the fruity ocmpany, then I hope he lives forever, or at least until next week.

If St. Eve of Jobs ain't dead yet, I believe there is an role for him in the Broadway production of Spamalot.

Christian: The INQsters are all Brit liberals, and all Brit liberals adore Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the guys from MPFC wrote and produced a movie, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", that has a skit where.... oh, the hell with it, look it up yourself!

Just some of that wry British liberal humour.

And if S Ansell is correct in his assessment that St. Eve of Jobs is the primary boat anchor at the fruity ocmpany, then I hope he lives forever, or at least until next week.

I'm glad to see him come back.

From everything I've been reading - and seeing - Apple's quality control has really gone down hill of late.

I'm hoping that with Jobs back, his minions might pay more attention to what they are putting out, so there'll be less headaches for Apple fans ( yes like myself ).

if they aren't talking about it, it was probably one of those diseases that people are ashamed to speak about.

i don't care if he gets better or not just as i dont care if obama continues killing children in iraq like his predicessor bush.

moigwai seems to be a very troubled soul.

?Draw, ?InHale, P.Hale NO Doubt. Looks Like Msr. Jobs Hand Crafted Bod Has Another 6 Months, yet reccommend Part Time, Get In, Use You Existing energies Wisely & Get Out, Don't Just Wait For BELL. STeWie drashek

Let's do launch!

The greatest pioneer to Personal Computing who has ever lived.

As a human being, he stinks. Bill Gates is a saint compared to this man.

But as a visionary, slave driver and a salesman, there is no one better in this business.

I agree with a lot of what you have said, but the opening up of OSX is likely not a good move for Apple. If OSX is made available to all machines, why would people continue to buy Apple systems?

That was the problem they encountered the last time they let other people use their software. True, you might get a flood of Windows users who like OSX but don't want to shell out the money on a Mac that they can't pull parts and tinker and upgrade easily, but those users are just buying software. If you could buy an Imac for $1400 with OSX or you could buy a clone with OSX for $700, which would you buy? That is why when Steve Jobs came back to the company, one of the first things he did was stop the licensing of Apple OS's.

When a company brags about 50% profits on their systems, it would be suicide to let other people use your OS. I know some people would continue to buy from Apple because of loyalty/style/blind devotion etc., but I think even a lot of Apple fans would jump ship to a cheaper box that has the same hardware and software and better upgrade options.

Microsoft doesn't sell premade systems at all to the best of my knowledge, only software. Apple could do far worse than moving away from making computers (which they are not especially good at, in fairness, despite what the Apple-friendly press will claim) and specialising more in its Iphone, Ipod and software divisions. Apple could make more money if OSX were used by maybe 20-25% of the OS market than controlling probably 5% or so of the overall PC market or whatever the current figure is.

To argue that Apple can keep expanding to those kinds of figures whilst building all its own certified computers and charging an obscene premium for the privilege is just ubsurd. Apple cannot expand further in the PC market until it excepts that however much they believe people will pay for the supposed quality, a lot of people can genuinely contest that claim of higher quality components and builds and furthermore, most people will never be able to afford the prices Apple is charging. If the world were flush, there wouldn't be a OLPC programme now, would there?

If Apple open up the OS, yes they'll have to support a far wider range of appliances and hardware, but they'll make a bucketload more in sales and be forced to address security and other issues much faster. Microsoft is far from perfect, but they do support a crapload of different hardware configurations largely without problem. If Windows has any major fault, it's that so many different driver, hardware and software configurations on it mean that they can never confirm all their stuff will always work, but then not even Apple can achieve this either.

I look forward to an Apple in the future without Steve Jobs, just as I hope Windows will stop going for major OS upgrades now and move to incremental improvements now that Bill Gates is gone.

Seek some mental help

He's way too late for easter. Isn't he supposed to push aside a rock first.

I am so happy to hear Steve Jobs is coming back to
work. I've missed his presence at Apple events. His
enthusiasm and style informs and entertains. All the
best to Steve! I'm anticipating the next great idea
to come from Apple.

I have been an Apple fan since three Apple IIe's were installed in the elementary school library where I worked. As district technology director, I used both Windows and Mac. My personal computers are all Macs. I have purchased six Macs in the past twelve years, and I'm planning to buy a new laptop soon -a Mac, of course.

Again...
A lot of stupid people complaining about nothing...

You people are why MTV and VH1 are a bunch of rich pigs.

ITS JUST A DAMN PERSON WHO SUCCEED BY DEVELOPING HIS IDEAS AND SPENDING TIME AND EFFROT TO GET WHAT HE HAVE.

Stop complaining about EVERYTHING.
DAMN IT!