“In an internal e-mail sent to Apple employees [last] evening, Steve Jobs admitted that MobileMe was launched too early and ‘not up to Apple’s standards.’ The e-mail, seen by Ars Technica, acknowledges MobileMe’s flaws and what could have been done to better handle the launch. In addition to needing more time and testing, Jobs believes that Apple should have rolled MobileMe’s services out slowly instead of launching it ‘as a monolithic service.’ For example, over-the-air iPhone syncing could have gone up initially, then web apps one by one (Mail, Calendar, etc.),” Jacqui Cheng reports for Ars Technica.
“Jobs goes on. ‘It was a mistake to launch MobileMe at the same time as iPhone 3G, iPhone 2.0 software and the App Store,’ he says. ‘We all had more than enough to do, and MobileMe could have been delayed without consequence,'” Cheng reports.
Full article here.
Slash Lane reports for AppleInsider, “The Apple co-founder also announced changes to the company’s management structure that will see Eddy Cue, formally vice president of iTunes, oversee all Internet-related services, including the iTunes, the App Store, and Mobile Me. Cue will now report directly to Jobs.”
“‘The MobileMe launch clearly demonstrates that we have more to learn about Internet services,’ Jobs told employees. ‘And learn we will. The vision of MobileMe is both exciting and ambitious, and we will press on to make it a service we are all proud of by the end of this year,'” Lane reports.
Full article here.
Jobs states the obvious. Let’s hope Apple learns from this going forward. Users of Apple products expect and deserve better. Also, there are quite enough detractors out there conjuring up Apple “problems.” To hand them a real one – one that could easily have been avoided, no less – was a mistake.
Not working completely for me yet. Deleted calendar appointments!
The thing is that they saw the problem, acknowledged it, and fixed it promptly unlike some companies that deny, lie, and “fix” problems in next release.
As obvious as this is, there is no question that, since this is Apple we’re talking about, things will change quickly. Unlike pretty much any Microsoft mess to date (a good example would be Vista), you will never see an internal message from Ballmer admitting to a major mistake and warning troops about the next time.
As for Jobs’s message, Im sure it was (at least partly) meant to be leaked to us, Mac fans (and perhaps occasional ZD-Net, Dvorak, Enderle and such). He needed to make sure the world (i.e. part of it that follows Apple) knows that his company is different from everyone else in every respect, and that includes when a mistake is made.
It was intuitively obvious to the most casual observer that Apple botched MobileMe introduction. Apparently, Steve Jobs acknowledgment of performance issues should restore peace and tranquility among fanbois everywhere – not that this signals any significant improvement in Apple’s willingness or ability to perform. Apple is continuing its fine tradition of over promising and under delivering. Let fanbois rejoice.
@zncvbnxc
Why don’t you get a life ass-ole. I’ll bet your penis is orange from eating corn curls and reading Hustler.
@zncv
When has Gates or Ballmer ever admitted to a mistake? Even the huge POS that is Vista?
Never.
Wow. A company that admits it’s mistakes and tries to make the customers happy. That is certainly an alien concept in the windows world. It is also interesting that whenever someone points out the weak reasoning of these trolls, they get labeled a fanbois.
Overpromising and underdelivering? When has this happened? Oh, you mean like at the iPhone launch?
Sounds to me like he wants to make sure people still think he’s alive. I haven’t heard a peep from him since he rolled out the 2nd iPhone. Has anyone seen him in public lately? Does he show up to work every day or is he working from home? I’d love to see the latest pic of him.
It’s hard to believe the success Apple has managed with all the new stores in all the new countries. Those come about with intensive research, international negotiations, contracts, careful hiring, training and publicity. Then there’s always the roll-out of new products with the complex publicity cycles that have to be monitored. And the creation of new hardware and software products, all in background, and in great secrecy, has put tremendous pressures on Apple. . . . I find it hard to believe that any organization, even Apple, could have managed it as well as it has.
On the other hand, as has been suggested, MobileMe could have been released piecemeal over a few weeks, starting with the iPhone introduction. Releasing a new feature every week, or so, would have Apple dominating more news cycles, and Apple’s fans would have remained in a state of euphoria for a month or more.
Common, . . . let’s see these new products!
“. Users of Apple products expect and deserve better.”
Users of any companies products, even Microsoft’s, deserve better. Apple Users are just used to actually getting it.
Poor, sad little fanboi zncvbnxc needs to recall that, according to the “other Steve”, Vista never had issues and that he stated, within a few months of its release, it was being widely adopted by everyone, everywhere.
Mind numbed zombie zncvbnxc?
Your descent into madness is harrowing to watch.
Please, please seek out a mental health expert, before your entire life is wasted away, barking like a mad dog at things that hold no relevance to you.
Seriously, dude.
The only thing more pathetic than a fanboi, is someone that trolls sites all day long in some misguided and feeble attempt at making himself seem important.
@Denny,
As grating as zncvbnxc’s anonymous post is, if you look at each sentence individually, about the only one that is worth taking issue with is this one: “Apple is continuing its fine tradition of over promising and under delivering.”
We all know that Apple has a tradition that is opposite of that statement.
Is there really a need to respond to the obvious troll with name calling and innuendo? And using the word “penis” in a public forum during the morning cartoon hour when the kids are awake!? (tsk tsk!!)
Step number 1 in fixing a problem is to look in the mirror, point the finger at yourself, and stand accountable instead of blaming everybody around you. Today, I love Apple even more for being able to do that.
I briefly remember HP(Carly Fiorini) having this media hyped huge day of releasing at least 10 HP products, all at once. The next day, everyone forgot anything they released. It was a great idea on paper, but not in real life. Does anyone else remember that, or was I dreaming?
Its my opinion that Apple does not belong in the online space. Leave that to others like Google. Apple should concentrate on their own desktop, phone, and ipod groups. They should have partnered with Google to provide a better experience using Google’s technology than trying to go it alone.
“Its my opinion that Apple does not belong in the online space.”
——————–
You mean like iTunes?
If Steve Ballmer ever is quoted that “Vista was a mistake”, then I will Youtube myself running around our company building nude during working hours and send MDN the link. iCal it!
“If Steve Ballmer ever is quoted that “Vista was a mistake” . . .”
Close.
Ballmer bitch slaps Vista
Confesses to Vista’s bloat and imperfections
By Kelly Fiveash
(Published Friday 18th April 2008 15:14 GMT)
Excerpt: “We have a lot of customers that are choosing to stay with Windows XP, and as long as those are both important options, we will be sensitive, and we will listen, and we will hear that.”
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/04/18/ballmer_vista_incomplete/
Very close…I’m sweating.
Not sure if ya’ll should eat your lunch today.
@Blue Dream
I briefly remember HP(Carly Fiorini) having this media hyped huge day of releasing at least 10 HP products, all at once. The next day, everyone forgot anything they released. It was a great idea on paper, but not in real life. Does anyone else remember that, or was I dreaming?
I’m don’t recall that incident. I do remember that in summer/fall of 2006, they released something like 46 products, in New York City, during Fashion Week, when the all the press in NYC was covering fashion, not tech. Talk about an event without a ripple. At the time, I was in grad school with a guy who worked for HP. Even he never heard about it.
That’s why Apple has Mac World in January in San Francisco, and does not announce at the Consumer Electronics Show in las Vegas. Usually they are different weeks, to avoid message dilution. In 2007, (when the original iPhone was announced), the two shows were running at the same time. Then, the buzz in Vegas was what Apple was announcing in SF.
That’s how to announce something!!!
Can I get working iWeb comments? Plzkthx.
Vista is awesome hear me roar? What say you Mac from fans. Power you will never reaching.
This year Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary added the word “Fanboy” as an official English word. NOTE THE SPELLING all you trolling a-holes. It’s NOT “FANBOI”! It’s “FANBOY”. If you’re going to be insulting, at least get the spelling right.
I like people who feel it is their duty to correct grammar and spelling. It reminds me of my 80 year old Jr. High teacher who always had comments about my penmanship. What a prude.
Hey Sparky, are you an 80 year-old Jr. High teacher?
#1. recognition of mistakes is a good step
#2. admitting to mistakes is a better step
#3. admitting to mistakes publicly is better still!
#4. coming up with a better plan is wisdom itself
Jobs only missed #3, the e-mail was internal to Apple. If I read it right.
Can you imagine a Trekkie telling his friends he “works for Q”? Wow! 😀
Big deal that MobileMe did not work right out the shoot. On-line services can be fixed and improved whereas bad hardware design is, and most often stays, a lemon.
A bad company is one with no motivation to be the best it can. Apple is not a bad company, obviously, but I can think of a lot others that are (such as washington mutual with regards to their online banking).