Steve Jobs on His Final Quarterly Analyst Call: ‘We Think the Open Versus Closed Argument Is Just a Smokescreen’
After linking to it earlier today, I re-read Steve Jobs’s remarks from his last appearance on a quarterly analyst call. It’s a banger of a good read: You know, even if Google were right, and the real issue is “closed” versus “open,” it is worthwhile to remember that open systems don’t always win. Take Microsoft’s “Plays For Sure” music strategy, which used the PC model — which Android uses as…
Steve Jobs's final quarterly analyst call provided insightful thoughts on the ongoing debate between open and closed systems. While Google argued that the core issue lies in whether systems are "open" or "closed," Jobs contended that this dichotomy is merely a distraction from the true concern: determining what is best for the customer. He pointed to Microsoft's failed "Plays For Sure" music strategy, which separated software from hardware, as an example of an open approach that ultimately faltered.
Google had initially adopted an integrated strategy with their Nexus One phone, but Jobs argued that Android has since become increasingly fragmented. He emphasized that Apple takes the opposite approach, striving for an integrated model to prevent users from having to act as system integrators. Jobs believed that Apple's integrated approach offers significant advantages over Google's fragmented system, particularly when it comes to delivering devices that "just work" for consumers.
He concluded that, in the long run, integrated systems will consistently outperform fragmented ones in terms of customer satisfaction.
Written by urgent.news from Daring Fireball's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
