MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

Go to iPodDailyNews

MacDailyNews Poll

5 Day Most Commented

Opinion Archive

October 2008
Once you go Mac, you never go back
June 2008
About that 2-megapixel camera and iChat in iPhone 3G…
April 2008
Wall Street is missing important aspects of Apple’s story
April 2008
Samsung’s ‘Instinct’ is obviously to make Apple iPhone knockoffs

Current Headlines

Tue, Oct 07, 2008 - 11:47 AM EDT — AAPL: 95.06 (-3.08, -3.14%) | NASDAQ: 1849.66 (-13.30, -0.71%)

Apple CEO Jobs on successor, reiterates goal of 10 million iPhones this year

Tuesday, March 04, 2008 - 04:06 PM EDT

At Apple's annual shareholders' meeting today, "Chief Executive Officer Steve Jobs, who returned a decade ago to lead the computer company he helped found, said he sees many potential successors among Apple's current executives," Connie Guglielmo reports for Bloomberg.

"'We've got great talent, and I think the board would have really great choices,' Jobs, 53, said today at a shareholder meeting at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California. Possible successors include operations chief Timothy Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer, he said," Guglielmo reports.

MacDailyNews Take: Right now, it looks like Apple's best hope, and a very good one at that, is Jonathan Ive... He seems to work well with the engineers responsible for the hardware. He is obviously a meticulous genius. And he has "that certain something" which, importantly, comes across on camera and in person. Whether he has the extremely rare "vision thing" that Jobs possesses; well, that's still an open question...

Watch Ive in the Power Mac G5 intro video. Ive first appears about 40% in, at the 2:50 mark of the 6:33 minute video. Note that he is almost wearing a black mock turtleneck already. Contrast his presentation style and enthusiasm with the other Apple presenters. Can you sense the almost Jobsian, call it Junior Jobsian, aura? Ive has "it" while all of the other Apple employees in the video are just nice people talking about a computer. And Ive should only get better with time. Could we be watching Steve Jobs' successor, Apple's future CEO, in the 31-year-old Ive?

Jonathan Ive, Apple Computer CEO circa 2025. It has a pretty nice ring to it, doesn't it? You heard it here first. I think Mr. Ive could pull it off. And I think Jobs thinks so, too; in about twenty years... - SteveJack, August 20, 2003 (What happens when Steve Jobs dies?)

Guglielmo continues, "Jobs also "reiterated his goal of selling 10 million iPhones this year, including in new markets in regions such as Asia. He declined to say specifically when Apple would start selling the phone in China."

Full article here.

Scott Hillis reports for Reuters, "Jobs also was asked if the company planned to start a dividend or stock buybacks. 'At this time, we have no plans to do either,' he told shareholders."

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: As many media outlets (MarketWatch and CNBC, among others) continue to get this wrong even today, to clarify: Apple's publicly-stated goal is 10 million iPhone units in 2008 alone. iPhone units sold in 2007 do not count towards the 10 million goal.

Apple's goal has been consistent since it was first mentioned (as usual, it's become FUBAR thanks to incompetents in the media):
• Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in his Macworld Expo 2007 keynote address that Apple would set the goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008, the first full year on the market. Jobs, standing in front of a 20-foot tall slide, no less, that said, "1% market share = 10M units in 2008," stated, "1% market share = 10 million units. This is exactly what we're going to try to do in 2008, our first full year in the market, is grab 1% market share... We're going to go for it and see if we can get 1% market share, 10 million units in 2008 and go from there." (Macworld Expo 2007 iPhone Introduction: Jobs' remarks on iPhone goals begin at 1:15:52 into the QuickTime video).
• On July 25, 2007, during Apple’s conference call discussing Q3 - 2007 financial results, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer reiterated Apple's goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.
• On January 22, 2008, during Apple’s Q1 08 financial results conference call Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer again reiterated Apple's goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.
• Just last week, Apple COO Tim Cook once again reiterated the goal and stated publicly that Apple is confident that the company is on track for hitting their goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.

Share this article!

Social Web
E-mail

Reader Feedback: ( = registered)

Mar 04, 08 - 05:09 pm Comment from: the other steve jobs

uh???? Tim Cook? WTF?

Jony Ive FTW!

Or me... either way.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:10 pm Comment from: The Woz

I'll do it.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:11 pm Comment from: Wandering joe

Not the CFO, you know how Jobs goes on about the money guy running M$

Mar 04, 08 - 05:13 pm Comment from: Michael Dell

I'll do it!

Mar 04, 08 - 05:16 pm Comment from: Macromancer

Two words:

Jon Ive

Once you put the soulless marketing hacks and bean counters in charge it's all over.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:18 pm Comment from: mike

Wandering joe - I think Jobs' comments were about "sales guys", not "money guys."

Mar 04, 08 - 05:32 pm Comment from: IEEE1394®

Eyeaaaaahhh... Jonathan Ive. ONLY way to go. Charismatic, good looking, intelligent, great presenter and intellectually unrivaled. Plus, he too loves to wear black turtlenecks and jeans.

Ive. Gotta be.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:35 pm Comment from: IEEE1394®

One other thing; Ive is a visionary, just like his master, Master Jedi Jobs. Only difference between the two: Jobs is a visionary who gets design, Ive's a designer who has learned to be a visionary.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:38 pm Comment from: Freaking Freaked Out!

OMG!
WHY was 'successors' even brought up at all?!!!

I'm getting shortness of breath, sweats, tremors

Hilary, Obama, I don't care!

Jobs?

Whoa!

Mar 04, 08 - 05:40 pm Comment from: Macromancer

@ IEEE1394®

If you've ever seen any of the 2-3 minute promotional spots Apple used to show at the stores back in the day for their products, you'd definitely know this to be true. The guy has the charisma to get people jazzed about the products.

Plus he composes techno music in his spare time for fun.

Ive.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:46 pm Comment from: IEEE1394®

@Macromancer

Right on! I have seen them. He is passionate, like his master. He is so convincing because he too is convinced.

And Jobs loves to throw off the media; I think it is one of his favourite past times! He purposely didn't mention Ive because that is exactly who he plans to name! Mark my words.

And anyone who knows the only car brand to own, so long as money is not an object - Aston Martin - gets my vote.

http://www.astonmartin.com/home

Mar 04, 08 - 05:52 pm Comment from: arthur

Jobs, run for president with Al gore.

but really stay with apple, as master visionary. you're on on the brink of changing the world again.

Mar 04, 08 - 05:54 pm Comment from: flappo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scott_Forstall

Mar 04, 08 - 06:05 pm Comment from: Joel Fagin

There's no reason Ives can't be the face of Apple on stage even if he doesn't have the right attributes to be a CEO. In fact, for Apple, the cheif designer on stage makes as much sense as the CEO.

Mar 04, 08 - 06:18 pm Comment from: Also Freaked

@ Super Freak : )

Man, I'm freaked out too! Shakes, chills. Successor what the heck are they discussing that for? I need my RDF! To heck with politics and world strife, if Jobs steps down anytime soon it will be .... I don't even want to think about it. Please Steve, I know you pretend to be mortal human, but please don't go!

Mar 04, 08 - 06:27 pm Comment from: AAPL

Steve :_)

keep kickin ass

Mar 04, 08 - 06:28 pm Comment from: Mac+

If Jobs' successor is picked up based on the ability to run Apple like a circus by trying to accomodate everybody who's whining and complaining, then this MDN forum gots a lot of candidates!!!!!!!!!

Mar 04, 08 - 06:34 pm Comment from: Ampar

Re: Jonathan Ive as CEO

Beware of the possibility of the Peter Principle.

Mar 04, 08 - 06:36 pm Comment from: iDon't

Al Gore is next in line. (Then I'll switch to M$).

Mar 04, 08 - 06:53 pm Comment from: splat

another ive video worth watching is the Cube intro video...although only brief snippets

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-PB86oy044&feature=related

in brief talks...
1:04
2:33
2:57
3:34
5:15

Mar 04, 08 - 06:53 pm Comment from: there is no successor

With all due respect to my fellow fanboys - Ive isn't it. There's a whole lot more to running a global enterprise than great industrial design skilz.

Mar 04, 08 - 06:56 pm Comment from: Spark

MDN continually makes point with this:
"Apple's publicly-stated goal is 10 million iPhone units in 2008 alone. iPhone units sold in 2007 do not count towards the 10 million goal."

While it is true that Steve said "in 2008" during his presentation, he also said in the same breath that iPhone would achieve 1% of marketshare "...by the end of 2008, the first full year of sales." Market share would include ALL iPhones sold, not just those sold in 2008. With that, it is easy to construe that Steve meant 10 million iPhones sold by the end of 2008, including those sold in 2007. He NEVER states that he was limiting to sales projections to 2008 ALONE. Admittedly, it is not such an important point, but MDN seems to be on a crusade to make sales expectations of 10 million in calendar year 2008. Regardless that Steve did not literally say that, I contend that he meant THRU the end of 2008, like so many others have understood Steve's presentation, based on the attending market share projection.

Mar 04, 08 - 07:05 pm Comment from: It's 10m in 2008 alone

So, Spark, even though you're totally wrong about Jobs' statement, for grins, please refute the rest of the reiterations that you've ignored:
• On July 25, 2007, during Apple’s conference call discussing Q3 - 2007 financial results, Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer reiterated Apple's goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.
• On January 22, 2008, during Apple’s Q1 08 financial results conference call Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer again reiterated Apple's goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.
• Just last week, Apple COO Tim Cook once again reiterated the goal and stated publicly that Apple is confident that the company is on track for hitting their goal of selling 10 million iPhone units in 2008.

Mar 04, 08 - 07:10 pm Comment from: Michael Cheung

Dont get me wrong, I would LOVE to see Ive step up into that role in the future...
However, I'm a little curious how well Ive would handle the politics of boardroom meetings and boring stuff like that. Design, no doubt he's a fantastic creative person. I've watched the product promotional videos and think he does come across as the quiet persuasive kind, not in-yer-face at all. Just brilliant. But will that be sufficient to be CEO of the most observed tech company in the world? I hope he does.

Mar 04, 08 - 07:28 pm Comment from: offseason

If Favre can retire, anything can happen.

Kinda funny Jobs would bring up succession on the same day?

Mar 04, 08 - 07:30 pm Comment from: Spark

I'm content to wait until the end of 2008 and see what the story is at that time. I'm not refuting any of those guys, because MDN is referencing Steve's 2007 keynote where he also discusses market share. What if Apple obtains 1% of market share, but sells less than $10 million? Does that mean Steve met or failed to meet his projection? I'm just reminding everyone that there was more to Steve's objectives than dollars only. The world economy could break and smartphone sales tank, while the iPhone still obtains 1% of the market. Believe me that I will not be disappointed if Apple far exceeds $10 in 2008 alone.

Mar 04, 08 - 07:37 pm Comment from: Maniac Nurses Find Ecstasy

Al Gore is next in line. (Then I'll switch to M$).

Al worse than Ballmer? Please. I'm a hardcore red-stater and even I ran Al higher than that.

As for switching if Al got the nod? Maybe to Amish, NEVER to MS.

Mar 04, 08 - 07:37 pm Comment from: SMacSteve

MDN, how the hell would you know anything about how well Jonathan Ive works with anyone at Apple. You don't probably know more than 5 people outside of the Apple Retail stores you obviously pester relentlessly! Tim Cook would be a excellent replacement for SJ and so would Peter O! These is another example of how you guys think you know so much about what Apple or SJ should do when you don't have nearly enough facts to make any sort of call on something this immense!

Mar 04, 08 - 07:38 pm Comment from: Maniac Nurses Find Ecstasy

ran, rank, whatever.

Mar 04, 08 - 08:10 pm Comment from: Jubei

Pee Wee... oops wrong thought. J. Ive!!!! He's perfect.

Mar 04, 08 - 08:11 pm Comment from: Yup

So, you think Jobs or Ive is even reading the comments here? Ive should certainly feel good about it even if he isn't picked!

"Pick me! Pick me!"

Mar 04, 08 - 08:31 pm Comment from: Peter

Hey MDN, I was just reading what you said about 10 Million iPhones. I think it's debatable.

The confusion comes from the beginning:

"This is exactly what we're going to try to do in 2008, our first full year in the market [...]"

In 2008, Apple's iPhone will have been on the market for a full year (June 2007 to June 2008). If so, we can look at how many iPhones Apple has sold and see how close they are to their goal.

Also, in regards to the conference calls with Tim Cook, remember that Apple's 2008 Fiscal Year started back in October. Apple's Q1 2008 is October to January. That is also a "full year." Which means we would discount the number of iPhones sold between June and October.

And then there's the calendar year, January to December 2008, which is also a "full year." In that case, the count is at zero until Apple reports second-quarter results (January to March).

So, which is it? Hopefully, somebody will ask that in a conference call...

Mar 04, 08 - 08:34 pm Comment from: Beryllium

What part of "10 million sold in 2008" do you not understand?

Mar 04, 08 - 08:36 pm Comment from: krquet

I know plenty of people are pulling for Jonathan Ive, thinking that Apple philosophy is mostly about form over function, and that's the Job's way. I disagree with this notion.
Just giving zen presentations or being overbearing with the engineers and making outrageous demands or being anal about perfectionism in design minimalism is not what makes a Steve Jobs. There's more to the man than meets the eye still, and plenty of biased publications (Apple Confidential 2.0 etc) painted a silly, arrogant, humbug, egotistical image of a man who is but an 'accidental millionaire.'
Even Woz took some public low swings at Jobs over the years. And yet, there are no public rebuttal offered from Jobs' end. Most of the foreign press ate up all the negative press and decided for themselves what is true and myth, creating their own RDF.
I won't try to defend Jobs, not my job, but all this Ive talk is reminiscent to me of Jay Leno and how his publicist leaked an early retirement rumour of Mr. Carson that ultimately ended with him leaving sooner than he himself expected.
I know a lot of English press is rooting this Ive campaign, and I have read a few since last year soon after Jan 9. But there is that something about a giant Jobsian footstep that I just don't see anyone close to filling it. A pretty boy presentation is certainly one dimensional footprint, IMHO.
In the darkest days of Apple, much of the 90s, we all rooted for it, not because of Scully et al that were in charge. Jobs is Apple, and Apple Jobs. After that, I think I may move on, don't know about you. It just won't be the same. Just not cricket.

MDN magic word: 'men' as in there are a few.

Mar 04, 08 - 08:43 pm Comment from: Macromancer

"There's no reason Ives can't be the face of Apple on stage..."

Ive. There's only one of him. You may also be getting him confused with Burl. They aren't much alike.

Mar 04, 08 - 08:47 pm Comment from: Come on...

Jonathan Ive?

The man is brilliant.

And he's right where he needs to be. There are so many facets involved with running a company that he'd be distracted from what he does best. I'm sure Ive provides plenty of input and direction to Apple as Senior Vice President of Industrial Design.

Has anyone even asked Ive if he'd want to run Apple?

There's nothing saying he couldn't be the Keynote speaker for MacWorld, etc. But please don't take him from an area in which he excels and bog him down in daily business affairs.

All those suggesting Ive as CEO need to go visit some Microsoft Fan sites, they'll fall more inline with your ideas of mis-appointing company executives.

Mar 04, 08 - 08:50 pm Comment from: Macdoc

Al Gore....LOL....LOL....LOL....LOL......LOL......LOL...LOL....LOL....
..........What a DICK!!!!!!!!!!

Mar 04, 08 - 08:52 pm Comment from: Come on...

And MDN.

You really need to put the successor bit in context. It wasn't brought up by anyone inside Apple.

"An investor noted that the media often equates Jobs with Apple, and asked what would happen to Apple without Jobs. He responded by noting that the board already has several well qualified options to draw upon were he to be 'hit by a bus,' and expressed confidence in his executive team." - Prince Mclean, who actually attended the shareholder meeting.

Now if Jobs plans on getting hit by a bus, that's another story.

Mar 04, 08 - 09:10 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

News flash: Pole Extentions In Ohio.

Mar 04, 08 - 09:14 pm Comment from: Reclaimer

Ive it is…anybody but Al Gore!

Mar 04, 08 - 09:49 pm Comment from: Bluefin

Chrissy One... "Pole extensions in Ohio"

please, lets leave sex out of this. We're talking about Burl Ives here. And his success with Rudolph, Olive and Frosty.

Or am I mixing my metaphores?

Mar 04, 08 - 10:08 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Bluefin

I'm afraid I don't understand your banter.

Mar 04, 08 - 10:28 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Aw man, Huckabee's in Full Speed Pander.

Mar 04, 08 - 10:33 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Oh my god. He played the Alamo card.

Mar 04, 08 - 10:36 pm Comment from: Hm...

"When nominated, I will not run. When elected, I will not serve."

Mar 04, 08 - 10:37 pm Comment from: Hm...

@C1

Why are you surprised by Hucksterbee?

Mar 04, 08 - 10:42 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

@ Hm...

Hey, at least he didn't bring up the Battle of Hastings.

Mar 04, 08 - 10:50 pm Comment from: ChrissyOne

Cindy McCain = MILF

Mar 04, 08 - 10:50 pm Comment from: Cullen Factor

Will Bakla "Curious George" Obama beat Hillary?

Stay tuned!

Mar 04, 08 - 10:54 pm Comment from: Reclaimer

ChrissyOne, Cindy McCain is an airhead valley girl.

I saw her on TV with her parents and I could they wanted to crawl under a rock they were so embarrassed with her.

But she is a MILF for sure…now where did I put that roll of duct tape?

Reader feedback page 1 of 2 pages: 1 2 >

MacDailyNews - Where Mac news comes first

5 Day Most Commented

Opinion Archive

Current Headlines

Latest Joy of Tech

MacNN

AppleInsider

Macworld UK

TUAW

MacRumors

Yahoo! Finance AAPL

iTunes Top 10 Albums

Mac OS X Downloads

Tue, Oct 07, 2008 - 11:47 AM EDT — AAPL: 95.06 (-3.08, -3.14%) | NASDAQ: 1849.66 (-13.30, -0.71%)

Apple CEO Jobs on successor, reiterates goal of 10 million iPhones this year

Reader Feedback: ( = registered)

Add Your Feedback:


Emoticons \| Allowed HTML Tags Remember my personal information Notify me of follow-up comments? Please enter the "MDN Magic Word" you see in the image below: