27A - Reading Reflection No. 3

For this assignment, I chose to read Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson

1) I was very surprised to learn that the first introduction of the Mac computer was a failure. I always assumed that Mac was the first big launch for Apple but I was confusing it with the iMac. I have always admired Steve Jobs' ability to see the bigger picture and his commitment to the craft. He understood that creating technology had an element of art in it in addition to the science of being a functional machine. I least admired how Steve Jobs could often come across as being selfish or standoffish in his commitment to his goals. Yes, in the early days of Apple, not every product was an instant success. Like I mentioned before, the original Mac was a failure in comparison to other product launches.

2) Steve Jobs not only had great technical skills in regard to the design of the product and the actual coding necessary in the creating of the original Apple products alongside Steve Wozniak, but he also had great business acumen and extraordinary creative vision.

3) I did not fully understand what lead Jobs to create NeXt after leaving Apple in the 80s. This company seemed so vastly inferior to Apple, I struggled to believe that Jobs truly could've believed in its product.

4) How do you feel your relationship with Sculley influenced the direction that Apple went in and are you satisfied with his contributions? Do you still stand by your design and business decisions regarding the release of the original Mac?

5) While I believe Steve definitely saw the value in hard work, he also seemed to me to be the type of guy to always be looking for the most efficient and savvy way to solve a problem. In that sense, I believe he understood that the best solution to a problem may not always be the one that requires the most amount of work.