Jobs' health to blame for recent Apple issues?

Nine days after Apple released its iPhone 2.0 software, the code has been cracked. PwnageTool 2.0 will successfully unlock your iPhone.

This is great, but what I'm waiting for is a tool that will let me downgrade to the older iPhone 1.1.4 software.

Why? Because iPhone 2.0 remains very buggy.

Last night, I was reading my Arsenal news in the Safari browser, and the browser dumped me back to the home screen repeatedly, something that never happened in the iPhone 1.0 world. E-mail routinely dies on me, and those App Store applications? It's rare that I can get through a Sketches session without the application dying.

Steve Jobs once ridiculed Microsoft for cloning its software ("Redmond, start your photocopiers"), but this feels like Apple desperately trying to come up with a suitable rendition of the so-called blue screen of death.

As a hard-core Apple fan, I'm starting to wonder if there's more to this fiasco than meets the eye. It's very unlike Apple to have a sloppy upgrade (iPhone 2.0), terrible customer experience (activation problems at the launch of the 3G iPhone), and a crummy product launch (Mobile Me). Rumors have been swirling that Steve Jobs' health is in significant decline.

Could the recent foibles have something to do with Jobs' lack of oversight due to encroaching health problems?

For Jobs' sake, I hope not. But if his apparent illness is affecting his performance and, hence, the performance of his company, Apple shareholders should know.

If, indeed, Apple is so dependent on its iconic CEO, and if the recent slip-ups have anything to do with Jobs taking a lighter hand at the helm, then Apple's future may not be as rosy as some (like I) hope. Microsoft seems to have built a deep bench of talent to take over in Gates' absence (though I, for one, think it would do even better without Ballmer at the helm). Apple? I'm not so sure.

Your thoughts?

[elllroy]

makes me wonder why the old and tired story comes up today? Q3 results anyone? and yes you as a die hard microsoft ähh apple fanboy have to jump just right into it spreading the FUD as we are used to here in wintel-country. short on aapl?

[elllroy]

makes me wonder why the old and tired story comes up today? Q3 results anyone? and yes you as a die hard microsoft ähh apple fanboy jump just right into it spreading FUD. short on aapl? i would consider this illegal. watch your back!

[rahenkamp]

Looks like you are a hedge fund do-boy. This story just "happens" to come up on earnings day. Some how I have to think that someone ... er "the author" err the "publisher" is getting paid to publish something that has been denied by Apple and Jobs. Hummm what to publish today? Let's see who's vested interest I am getting a check for? Try for once CNET to do some real journalism, if you can instead of rehashing old old old old old untrue news.

[dehall622]

Jobs is not the one writing the code for update 2.0 and setting up the servers for the iPhone activation. The only way he could be at fault here is if he was actively pushing for the wrong things.

[MarkCubanMustGo]

Apple FanBoys, as usual, out in force whenever someone says something not glowingly positive.

[edgecrush3r]

I couldnt care less bout Steve's illness. Anyone who releases an SDK with a price tag, and still claims Apple is OPEN should be rethink there actions.

[monoclast]

MarkCubanMustGo:

So you are suggesting it's just a big coincidence that Matt Asay wrote this on the day Apple's announcing their Q3 results?...

[monoclast]

edgecrush3r:

Nobody here has claimed anything about anything being "open". It seems you have a fixation or obsession - maybe you should get that checked by a professional.

[Dwartz]

Well, the columnist's tagline is "the business and politics of open source."

Too bad the column isn't newsworthy. iPhone 2.0 is buggy: old news. Jobs looks ill: old news.

Steve needs to quit that vegan thing and have a nice prime rib. Just my opinion...

[Astinsan]

Don't think that will help him...

As far as the iphone (.... or any new reversion of a device)

When you have to rework old firmware to fit new hardware your going to have problems.
Take a look at any reversion of a electronic device your going to have the same issues... (Linksys routers/ playstation version 1 vs psone/ ps2 vs slim ps2)

It isn't because of cheap parts (per say) Your asking a lot of a single chip doing the job of 3 to 4 components. Heat is going to be the biggest problem.

Bottom line is ... if you don't want to pay 5-800$ for a iphone your going to have to deal with the first generation problems.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I don't see any relative link between the poor performance of the iPhone 2.0 OS update and Steve Jobs' health. That is very... sensationalistic at best and belongs more in the National Enquirer or The Globe than in a news site.

That said, yes, the 2.0 update is very buggy and frequently crashes applications. Even those built in such as mail, music, or even must going to the iTunes store can cause my Touch to crash without apparent cause. This is before any apps are even loaded from the Apps Store, and the unit isn't jailbroken. This is purely a stock unit. I expect some bugs here and there, but so far the performance isn't even close to that of a first generation Palm for reliability of the OS. However, it does crash in prettier ways, and it's fun in between the crashes and data loss. I don't mind the data loss- I can reload at the next sync, but it's sure annoying to lose your entire music library like that. Give it time, I'm sure it will get better. If not, the third party developers may fix it for Apple instead.

[slsalt]

I wonder about all the problems people are having. I haven't had anything crash. My IPhone freezes at times but that happened before 2.0 and didn't start (that I can remember) before I accidentally immersed it for a couple of minutes. (ALWAYS check your pockets before doing a load of wash!)

BTW, the SDK is free. If you want to sell apps via the AppStore, you have to pay a fee though.

The heat thing is interesting. My 2.0 does get quite warm on the upper half at times and it didn't do that before.

If anyone wants to revert to 1.1.4 (why???) then it is a simple procedure. Just google it.

Jobs looks fine. A vegan diet is a good thing for a lot of people. Cancer is a toughie to recover from.

What an odd article though. A lot of assumptions.

Cheers!

[The_Decider]

What are you smoking Matt?

If the health of a CEO has a direct impact on the quality of a product than that company is surely doomed. Even if Jobs health isn't good, how could it have any impact on the quality of the iPhone. If the CEO being sick is truly affecting the engineering and developers than it is true that Apple is nothing more than a cult.

[picswim]

That's beyond messed up. I guess the blogs don't go through an editorial process, because this shouldn't have been published. Between this and that crap about Woz cutting in line I've lost my faith in the CNet brand.

Its not Steve's job to make sure there is enough bandwidth or server capacity for the biggest product launch in history. Looks like we need a "Real Deal" to clear up all the FUD being spread around CNet.

[mjspatz81]

Way ahead of you. This should get you back to the comfiness of 1.1.4:

http://www.ipodtouchfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76884

[Kev Orng]

So, the CEO's health affects the entire company... This is like some kind of Neverending Story logic, isn't it? Steve Jobs is sick, but all we need is a human child to give him a new name, and Apple will be saved from encroaching mediocrity.

[TreoTech]

Nothing about this column smells of professional journalism.

[TreoTech]

Speculation and conjecture held together with half-truths and warm spit.

[ezraship]

Who cares about Apple? They're just another technology company. Do they hand make their chips? Do they hand wire the PCB's? Apple's followers believe in the faith and salvation of a product, that at this time and place is no better or worse than anyone else.

[TreoTech]

What are your motives in writing this? Did you adequately represent your equity stakes in AAPL? Are you shorting this stock?

What are Cnet's motivations in running so many negative stories on a company that seems to get so many things right that other companies cannot? Does Microsoft have any kind of equity stake in Cnet? Do they provide technology - hardware, software or support? Is there any kind of Marketing relationship with Microsoft? Does Microsoft provide any kind of consideration to Cnet in currency, technology, assistance, support, or any other consideration of any kind for any reason, including advertising? If so, how much?

I like to read all sides of an issue, but at this point something smells fishy. Something's rotten, but it's over at Cnet, not Apple.

It' is true that Steve Jobs is one of the greatest CEOs and visionaries in the history of technology and capitalism. It is true that he has helped get Apple back on course. He provides much direction and inspiration for the great people at Apple. But the reality is that all of the heavy lifting over at 1 Infinity Circle is being done by the great engineers and designers that they employ. Steve does not of it. All he does is demand the best from them. He has created a demanding culture, that is a tough place to work. But they create great things. Being part of that process is in itself rewarding.

Apple can go on without Jobs. In fact Apple will go on without Jobs, sooner or later. Hopefully later. Steve Jobs is having so much fun doing what he's doing. I hope he can continue until he gets good and tired of it all many years from now.

But if the poor soul were to drop dead tomorrow, which the author mercilessly implies without saying over and over, Apple would survive. Apple wouldn't just survive, they would continue to flourish, creating great products and growing shareholder value.

Steve did the hard part. He created the company and gave it it's vision and culture. The company was led astray when it had a series of CEOs that didn't buy into the Apple culture. Apple will never again have a CEO that doesn't get with its' culture. Apple will never need to be fixed.

Being CEO of Apple now will be relatively easy. Just demand the best from the best engineers and designers in the Valley. And never accept their second best. Always demand their best effort. ALWAYS.

Thanks Steve for all you've done. Good luck and good health to you.