If nothing else, you have to give Jobs credit for creating a band of brand loyal followers. Having just bought a new razr to replace my now dying milestone, a good friend asked to see the new phone while we were out for coffee. I placed it on the table near her and she pushed it away with one finger as though it were radioactive while declaring with disgust in her voice that it was one of those androids. This is a smart woman who seems to have joined the army who declares Jobs a deity.
I cannot say that the Iphone is bad- I just like the freedom to load my own operating systems and play with the internal workings of an android. I like that there are communities of developers and that an app does not need official approval from one company. As far as I can tell, unless Apple really screws up there is a ready made audience for their next product, their apps, their overpriced ebooks and anything else the company declares to be good. I have a fairly strong dislike of Apple and doubt that I will ever own their products, but they do appeal to a large portion of the population who will pay more for what I see as an inferior product because it has a little silver logo on it...
if Steve Jobs had been a "nice guy" no one would know who the fuck he was. and as a manager if you don't PUSH people to give their best they never will. this is business 101
I have to disagree. Hire the right people and provide the right environment and that big push becomes unnecessary. Many people work for the love of the job, personal satisfaction and even the good of the company. I can not argue with his results, but there are many ways to reach a goal. This worked for him, others take a different approach.
