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Former Apple Exec: No Apple Tablet, But Cell Phone Makes Sense
by , 12:35 PM EST, January 4th, 2007
Steve Jobs has no interest in an Apple tablet computer, according to former Apple exec David Sobotta. In an editorial for the Guardian, Mr. Sobotta said that a cell phone from Apple is probable, and that it would be a perfect product for the company's current strategy.
Mr. Sobotta, who had been at Apple for 22 years, had several occasions to observe Mr. Jobs with customers. In one instance, senior officials and high ranking technology officers from the National Institutes of Health asked Apple for a tablet computer to support medical research.
According to the article, Mr. Jobs said, "...tablet computers were not a big enough market for Apple to spend its limited resources chasing. And even if the market grew, it would not reach a size to be of interest. The form factor was all wrong. Apple was more interested in defining markets than trying to catch other companies that were busy trying to create a market for questionable products."
When pressed further by NIH, Mr. Jobs offered up the clinchers showing how he understood the issues more deeply than anyone else, even the customer.
The article offers what may be a rare glimpse of Mr. Jobs in front of customers, recounted by an Apple employee and confirmed by discussions with the customers later.
[Edit: The article and title were edited for clarity. - Editor]
Observer Comments
Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:32 pm Subject: Wait and see ...
Well, we'll see if a tablet Mac makes sense.
This guy is gonna have bad scars around his eyes from contact with Steve's cheeks:
The potential there that only Steve can see could well turn into another must-have product for the legions who don't even know they are part of Steve's army.
The guy's got to be in his late 40s at least, no? Geez, you'd think when they were deciding on a form factor for the mythical iPhone, they had Steve drop his pants so a mold could be made. A little more Apple, a little less Steve please!
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