Not sure if it's just a publicity stunt to get attention to the iCon book, and thereby Apple in general, or if Jobs really doesn't like it. Either way it seems like a dumb move. If you're going to pull a publicity stunt, do one that doesn't make your company (and all its users) look stupid and insecure.


- Jon

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LeVitus wrote:
Since Amazon.com, Borders, Barnes & Noble, WalMart and many other fine booksellers carry my books and have lower prices, I don't expect to lose many sales (or much sleep) over the whole sordid affair."

Could it be that they misinterpret the title as two words instead of one?

"I con" vs. "Icon"

just opted to not sell this book. Ignore it and it will go away.

Afterall, it's not like Mac users have that much time for frivolous reading. We spend most of our time working or helping our PC brethren out of their jams!

You can't pay for publicity like this. Folks may buy the book because of the controversy. I enjoyed Kitt's The Journey is the Reward, I will put iCon on my wish list at Amazon and let the family buy it for my birthday or something.

Apple really should take care now, not to get too much of this kind of publicity. First all the cases against the rumour sites and now this. I regard this as much worse, however, because it is an attempt to censorship. they are free to choose which books to sell, of course, but when they act like this, it is immature and it can only hurt themselves. Very bad publicity, indeed.
Neither Jobs nor Apple can be seriously hurt by somewhat critical books about any of them, on the contrary, but if they begin to act like a mini-Microsoft, it certainly won't pay off in the long run.
Get those books back on the shelves and show some style, I'd say!

So it's no big deal for the writer - he'll make more money.

Wiley, to some degree, will be the loser as shelf space in any high traffic retail store is important to suppliers. (Suppliers actually pay grocery stores for eye level placement - a good indication that in store exposure is important.)

There isn't, however, that many Apple Stores for Wiley to worry over and there are many other outlets so I see it as no big deal.

This proves that Jobs is still as petty & vengeful as he always was. Remember him dropping ATI a few years ago when they inadvertantly leaked some Apple announcements? He's had a history of similar actions when anyone pissed him off for any reason.

It is, simply, censorship.

So has our beloved Apple changed its motto from “Think different” to “Think the same as us or be censored”?

It is a stupid move by Apple. I will be certain not to buy from the Apple store. I will use macconnection.com or other such resource.

Censorship? are you being serious?! Apple has neither the authority nor the means to censor material about itself unless it is, itself, illegal for whatever reason.

As I think one poster has already noted, 'its just business', Jobs is pissed off so he's retaliating. Big deal?

- F

[quote="Guest"]It is, simply, censorship.

So has our beloved Apple changed its motto from “Think different” to “Think the same as us or be censored”?

quote]

That is the whole point of being a Mac dittohead isn't it?
"Random is the New Order" Yes Steve...we believe. "Give chance a chance" Yes Steve.....

Great idea buying APple products from a 3rd party. That ought to run Apple out of business....oh wait, Apple is the only hardware manufacturer for OSX and they still sell the computers to that company too moron.

As much as I admire Steve, I just don't get his reaction here. After he was thoroughly (perhaps unfairly) vilified in "Pirates of Silicon Valley," then he invites Noah Wyle to Macworld to spoof the audience, which took both a sense of humor and a show of humility, he reacts to a mildly critical unauthorized biography with a blockade of the publisher? Going nuclear over this is ridiculous. Maybe this is further evidence that he deserves the label "mercurial."

Or is it? All of the above assumes he is directly responsible or at least fully aware of the actions in question. Did this reach his level, or did some subordinate suit in Apple retail make a really questionable decision without the input of the highest authority? Even with Jobs' legendary reputation for micromanaging, it's plausible that this move didn't register on his radar. I know he's been accused of similar behavior before, but supposedly he has matured a bit in the past few years.

Even if it is true that he personally directed this fiasco, I still have the greatest admiration for the way he has performed his duties as CEO. Apple's products are amazing, and his leadership is, by almost all accounts, a huge factor in the company's success. Maybe that excuses the occasional fit of megalomania, as long as no laws are broken and no one is physically injured in the process. But Steve should remember his comments about Karma, and do the ethically right thing: Reverse this pathetic decision.

I notice a number of the "pulled" books are actually old books (Panther, last version of iLife, last year's GarageBand, etc.). I also notice that David Pogue's latest books were not published with Wiley's. Maybe all is not as it seems.

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Guest wrote:
I notice a number of the "pulled" books are actually old books (Panther, last version of iLife, last year's GarageBand, etc.). I also notice that David Pogue's latest books were not published with Wiley's. Maybe all is not as it seems.

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trex67 wrote:
Maybe that excuses the occasional fit of megalomania

We have always refused to buy books for «dummies», anyway.

We use Macs.

We don’t do WINDOWS.

How can anyone, with at least an average or above IQ,
buy anything for «dummies».

When will we see books for «smarties» ?

By the way, did you know that «Smarties» is the official bonbon of Mensa ?

Jobs seems to be polishing his an image as an arrogant ass. Too bad for Apple.

This response really surprises me. It reminds me of the current "You're either with us, or against us" political climate. I certainly wouldn't seek to harm the sales of authors who have in the past been very complimentary to Apple's products in the past.

Neither different, nor smart. Just don't carry the book for sale in the stores, don't burn your bridges with the publisher.

I doubt that you will find many people who are both successful and without detractors, even monkeys with publishers.

"It is, simply, censorship."

Are you insane? It's not censorship. The book is still getting published and sold and carried by major chains. Dropping a publisher's material from your own store isn't censorship unless your store is the only one on Earth that carries it.

What Apple's doing is shooting themselves in the foot by dropping a whole lot of books that would have made them money, not censoring.

… it unfortunately is. Just like 7/11 refusing to sell Playboy was made into a big to-do whenever that ridiculous decision was made a few decades ago. As it would probably be greeted with loud cheers these days, unfortunately. Anybody who uses any type of authority to "control" in any way any form of right to speech is acting as a censor.
Here, all the media people who protested Apple's lawsuit against Think Secret, Jason O'Grady and AppleInsider with no real grounds--since Apple was rightly defending it's IP--would definitely have a point … But, of course, here there is no legal battle involved, only a very bad business decision probably made by some overly protective high executive trying to earn brownie points from the boss at the expense of bad PR for the company. I doubt Steve Jobs himself would be stupid enough to act so childishly. He may have a bad temper, but from all evidence, he is also a very smart man and astute businessman. My take on this is that maybe he had a fit when he learned that the publisher was putting this book out, and someone interpreted that as a signal to pull the books …
If I'm wrong, then I'll have to totally rethink my image of "Icon Steve Jobs" …

Here's why he's on crack: You're literally days away from releasing what you're marketing as a huge upgrade to your OS. You're basically calling it "the Longhorn-killer 18 months before Longhorn." And you go and get yourself in the news for *this*??!?!?

One poster mentioned that maybe his Steveness didn't know about this one. I'll put it this way: If someone gets fired Wednesday, OK.

Another poster mentioned that older titles were heading out the door. Like, for example, LeVitus' "Tiger for Dummies." Or Ihnatko's "Tiger Book." Right.

I understood the moves against the rumors sites. There's a legitimate (albeit debatable) case to be made there. This. This is sheer hubris/madness/Reality-Distortion-Field-Turning-Inwards.

I'm less concerned about the censorship aspect (mostly 'cos censorship is a gummint thing) as much as I'm worried that apparently there's no one at Apple who has the guts/power to stand up and say, "Hey, Steve, WTF are you thinking, you big goof, you? This is about *money*, stupid!" Isn't there anyone at Apple able to rein in the boss when he goes a little nutso?

I own quite a few of the books that were pulled out, but I've never bought any of them in an Apple Store …
I'd be interested in finding out just how many of them were actually sold in Apple Stores ever … as there are bookstores nearby every single Apple Store, where you can buy the same books at a substantial discount instead of paying full price …
This might just turn out to be a tempest in a teapot …

Hi guys,

It is the second time around I am coming down with serious symptoms of paranoia. Just a few days back I had the first attack when I suggested that our baloved RC is having a good laugh on us (he is, in fact, a Mac fanatic just like us but always goes the opposite direction to ceate buzz and have some fun). Well today on this piece of news I am having a major relapse of paranoia. This story is so obsurd that the only thing I come up with is that it must be a prank!
Irritating biographies are as commons as colds and every resonable person just goes on record disowning them. I see no possibility that anyone could go the lenghts this report suggests. I may stand corrected by what will play out there but for now I want to comfortably remain in the cocoon of my paranoia and believe this story is a prank!

Quote

Guest wrote:
Hi guys,

It is the second time around I am coming down with serious symptoms of paranoia. Just a few days back I had the first attack when I suggested that our baloved RC is having a good laugh on us (he is, in fact, a Mac fanatic just like us but always goes the opposite direction to ceate buzz and have some fun). Well today on this piece of news I am having a major relapse of paranoia. This story is so obsurd that the only thing I come up with is that it must be a prank!
Irritating biographies are as commons as colds and every resonable person just goes on record disowning them. I see no possibility that anyone could go the lenghts this report suggests. I may stand corrected by what will play out there but for now I want to comfortably remain in the cocoon of my paranoia and believe this story is a prank!

Hey,
are you trying to get me deeper in my paranoia!
thank you.

Quote

Guest wrote:
I notice a number of the "pulled" books are actually old books (Panther, last version of iLife, last year's GarageBand, etc.). I also notice that David Pogue's latest books were not published with Wiley's. Maybe all is not as it seems.

for Steve Jobs to grow up.

I am a big Apple fan, and a fan of Jobs' business acumen, but S. J. needs an ego transplant.

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Tomas1119 wrote:
...but S. J. needs an ego transplant.