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What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow’s D8 interview? (updated)

By | May 31, 2010, 5:18pm PDT

Summary: Steve Jobs will appear at the opening night of the All Things Digital conference tomorrow night. What would you ask Steve?

Steve Jobs will appear at the opening night of the eighth D: All Things Digital conference tomorrow night. The notable tech and media event will also include Hollywood director James Cameron, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, among others. The conference runs June 1-3, 2010 near Los Angeles, Calif.

All Things D’s Kara Swisher hinted at some of the questions that she may ask The Steve on her blog:

There is much to talk to Jobs about, obviously, including the new iPad, the mobile market and the iPhone, its tense relationship with Google (GOOG) and the next innovations from the Silicon Valley computer icon.

Jobs famously appeared at the conference in 2007 in a joint session with Bill Gates. In the interview by Walt Mossberg and Swisher the duo talked about their long history in the industry. Video of the interview here.

Steve’s obviously not going to spill the beans on anything that he’ll announce at WWDC on June 7, but I’d like to hear more of his opinions on the Google IO conference, what he has planned for Apple TV and of course on Adobe.

Update: When I asked Swisher if there were any conditions placed on questions that could be asked of Steve, she replied “Nope. Plus the audience can ask any question they like.”

Sooooo, if you were in the audience, what would you ask Steve?

Picture: Jobs at D5 in 2007.

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Steve Jobs, CEO, Media, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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Could you point out to me where it says...
NonZealot 2nd Jun 2010
@josegaldamez
NonZealot Looks like your Foxconn question was answered.
Where did it say that Apple wasn't to blame because the factory where all the problems are occurring also make stuff for Intel, Dell, MS, etc.? Oh, it didn't say that? Of course not, because Jobs knows that only the workers making Apple stuff are being beaten, murdered, and committing suicide, mostly due to Jobs', and I quote, unparalleled demand for secrecy.

it's quite disingenuous to show how many of these "fail" when they weren't designed to be used by a touch screen device in the first place.

But... but... but... iPad shows you the whole web! Or was Apple lying. Again. Even more ironic is that HTML5 is Apple's defacto "standard" and not even they can get it to work right!!!

The demo he chose specifically has JS to simulate an "exploding" effect which is not inherent to HTML5.

But... but... but... iPad shows you the whole web! Or was Apple lying. Again. So now we find out that it is even worse!!! Not only does the iPad not work properly with HTML5, it doesn't work properly with javascript! What next, is Jobs going to declare that javascript is a technology that has had its day and the next iPhone OS update will eliminate support for it?

Overall, I've never had any problems streaming H.264

And I've never gotten any malware on Windows so I guess there isn't a problem!
View in thread
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Here is what I would ask Steve
NonZealot 31st May 2010
Why are you killing the people who make your products?

http://www.dailytech.com/Eighth+Suicide+at+Foxconns+Apple+Plant+Video+of+Employee+Beating+Leaks/article18471.htm
The rash of recent suicides comes as employees have been being pressured to work long hours to fulfill demand for Apple's popular iPhones and iPads. Also there's the recent video and fresh reports of security staff antagonizing employees in wake of Apple's demand for unparalleled secrecy at the plant. One of the three suicides that occurred at the plant last year came after security staff beat an employee who lost a prototype of the fourth generation iPhone. Foxconn guards have also beat up reporters trying to interview workers at Apple's secret plant.
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I'll only be happy when Apples continued success
James Quinn 31st May 2010
@NonZealot
causes you NonZ to take a dirt nap:P However as I understand it Foxconns puts together systems for various companies not just Apple. Now as Apple's sales increase it would only make sense the they give Foxconn a heads up that they'll be needing more product.. and faster. Again as I understand it... It's then up to Foxconn to find ways to meet that demand or tell Apple that it does not have the resources to meet the increased demand and perhaps sub sub contract to another? The point being I double dog dare you to find the memo from Apple where Apple states "Hey get those slaves of yours to work twice as hard for less... PS We don't care how." If Foxconn is doing something wrong and it sounds likely then lets put blame at Foxconn's door not Apple because well Apple products are selling well:)

Pagan jim
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Jim...
msalzberg 31st May 2010
Why are you stalking him? wink
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Foxconn makes stuff for other companies
Joe_Raby 31st May 2010
@NonZealot

Last time I checked, all of Intel's own branded motherboards are also made by Foxconn. Foxconn used to make their own branded motherboards, but stopped a couple of years ago due to lack of popularity. Instead, they're leveraging sales through other brands.

Foxconn also makes parts and connectors for larger components, much like Molex.
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
Loverock Davidson 31st May 2010
Why their prices are so high?
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Mostly material costs and insane manufacturing specifications
Joe_Raby 31st May 2010
@Loverock Davidson

Have you ever tried taking apart a MacBook before?

The hardware designs are just insane, and it's no wonder they want everything sealed up so that users can't play with upgrades themselves. It takes like 26 screws - of all different sizes - to get to a hard drive in an average MacBook.

They aren't modular, like a regular brand name system. An HP or Dell can easily have a panel taken off with 2 screws and you can get access to the RAM, hard drive, wireless card, and sometimes with certain models from other brands, the CPU.

Those manufacturing requirements probably cost extra expense, and the expense is passed on to the customer. Most of the OEM's that use the usual China-4 (Compal, Clevo, Quanta, and even Apple's partner, Asus), design PC systems with relatively similar components, just with different circuitry layouts. Mac notebooks are very different though. Ditto for iMac's. Some of the systems aren't much better than the Ford Escort of PC systems, but in a Ferrari chassis. Sometimes people like to believe it's still a Ferrari through and through though.
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
Shilo Rune 96 1st Jun 2010
@Joe_Raby

Unfortunately your source is incredibly wrong or you just over exaggerated terribly. There is actually instructions in the Mac manuals on how to remove/install a hard drive. In short, you remove the battery (no screws), take off the L shaped bracket that encloses the ram & hard drive (3 screws), and finally put the sticker like tab to remove the hard drive. So easy!
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Steve you have billions in the bank, why does apple refuse to innovate?
Johnny Vegas 31st May 2010
Quit feeling comforable just repackaging tech that other companies have innovated and use some of those billions in the bank to make a contribution to the advancement of technology for once.
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Takes a lot of time and money to do it right my friend.
James Quinn 31st May 2010
@Johnny Vegas
Think it's easy? Gather a few friends and come up with your own device based on "repackaging tech" and let us know how it sells?

Anybody can repackage tech and fail. Ask anyone who's put out a tablet form for years now and haven't come close to success. Now we see articles about iPad like tablets about to come out and yet I doubt i'll see a single comment from you about those manufacturers repackaging attempts will I? YET I remember all those pre iPad comment. How the iPad was doomed as an uninspiring soon to be failure. Still it would seem they were oh so wrong what with 2 million being sold in less than a full two months and all. So again you may claim the iPad as repackaged tech.. You may not for I would not but I'm giving you this one just for fun. So it would seem that repackaging tech is not as easy as you would make it sound. All these tablet years before the iPad and such epic fails. iPad a screaming success and a host of wanna be's tripping over themselves to repackage the iPad:P

Pagan jim
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Apple is lucky to have companies like Google, HTC and Microsoft
NonZealot 31st May 2010
@Johnny Vegas
Without those companies to steal tech from, Apple wouldn't have anything to repackage!
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
Rick_K Updated - 1st Jun 2010
@Johnny Vegas What tech that other companies
innovated are you talking about? Like the touch interface that has its roots in the Apple newton? Or the file system, that ever other company has blatantly ripped off? Or do you believe that the other companies came up with those ideas on their own? You can?t have it both ways.
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I'd ask him about censorship
fjpoblam Updated - 31st May 2010
I'd say, when is AAPL going to lay out a straightforward, logical, non-morality-based set of rules upon which app developers may depend for placement of apps on iP* devices. Better yet, allow iP* devices to accept apps from non-AAPL sources.
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Non-Apple sources? Like Adobe and Flash eh? PLEASE!
James Quinn 31st May 2010
@fjpoblam
Ask me why I don't tie an anchor around my neck just before I go swimming:) I think Apple wants Apps that run on it's products to be optimized to run on it's products there for improving the performance of said device. Odd that I know.....

Pagan jim
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Excellent question
NonZealot 31st May 2010
@fjpoblam
The answer, though you won't hear it from Steve, is to add a barrier to entry by leveraging their iTMS monopoly into other markets. This is why the DoJ has launched an investigation into Apple. Go DoJ!!!!
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Another zdnet clickbait blog...
zkiwi 31st May 2010
NonZealot et al will flame away. Nothing new, just the haters.
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
Rick_K 1st Jun 2010
@zkiwi You should just ignore the Zealot, why argue with the village idiot? He/she is so blinded by irrational hatred that it is not even funny.
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Well, it's perhaps equally likely that...
zkiwi 1st Jun 2010
zdnet bloggers will stop with the lame clickbait articles as NonZealot will get trampled by a moose in his living room.

However, one can but hope...
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@joe_raby
NonZealot 31st May 2010
Last time I checked, all of Intel's own branded motherboards are also made by Foxconn.

Intel's motherboards are made at Apple's secret plant? Did you miss this very important part of the article?
Foxconn guards have also beat up reporters trying to interview workers at Apple's secret plant

Foxconn is a large company and because Apple has requested, and I quote again, unparalleled secrecy, all of Apple's goods are made in plants that are dedicated to Apple. That plant is where the suicides are happening. That plant is where the murders are happening. That plant is where the beatings are happening. Not at Intel's plant. Not at Dell's plant. At Apple's plant. It states it right there in the article. Don't take my word for it, read the article for yourself.

Oh, and I apologize for having to answer down here. It seems that Apple's astro-turfing brigade doesn't want the truth to come out and have flagged all my posts as being... well... I'm not sure what they think my posts are. Probably blasphemous, they do treat Apple like it is a religion!
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I would ask Steve Jobs why HTML 5 sucks so much on the iPad
NonZealot Updated - 31st May 2010
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfmbZkqORX4

Epic, epic, EPIC fail!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

So Steve Jobs, you were saying you wouldn't let Flash on the iPhone OS because it sucks so much? Uh huh. So when are you removing HTML 5 from the iPhone OS since it is obvious that HTML 5 sucks just as bad.
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
Pete "athynz" Athens 1st Jun 2010
@NonZealot Since I could not reply anywhere else to your initial post - Apple DOES NOT have a secret plant and that article you keep on posting is proof of that... if Apple's plant was so secret how do we all know that Apple is using Foxconn? Face it NZ that article - like the majority of your posts lately - is nothing more than pure biased anti-Apple FUD, distortions, and outright lies. Besides even the article you cling to so desperately also goes on to say that suicides at Foxconn are lower than the average in all of China - from that I can only conclude that Foxconn is the place to work.
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
msalzberg 1st Jun 2010
@athynz: Not only is this secret plant not a secret, the plant that he claims makes only Apple products, doesn't.

From his previously linked source, Daily Tech: "While many companies (Microsoft, HP, Dell, Nintendo, Sony, etc.) utilize Foxconn's manufacturing services, the Shenzhen facility primarily serves Apple -- and it's also the site of all of the recent suicides."

Emphasis mine.

I assume that rather than accept that he's wrong, and that the plant makes devices for other companies, I'll simply be assaulted with a new barrage of insults.

http://www.dailytech.com/Report+Apple+Cuts+07+Percent+of+iPad+Profit+to+Give+Factory+Workers+Big+Raise/article18571.htm
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
josegaldamez 2nd Jun 2010
@NonZealot Looks like your Foxconn question was answered.

http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/06/02/steve-jobs-defends-iphone-factory-conditions/

I highly doubt it's what you wanted to hear though.

Regarding the HTML5 demos, it's quite disingenuous to show how many of these "fail" when they weren't designed to be used by a touch screen device in the first place. As for the failed H.264, the added JavaScript on that page could be messing that up. The demo he chose specifically has JS to simulate an "exploding" effect which is not inherent to HTML5. Overall, I've never had any problems streaming H.264, so this was quite the straw man presentation.
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Could you point out to me where it says...
NonZealot 2nd Jun 2010
@josegaldamez
NonZealot Looks like your Foxconn question was answered.
Where did it say that Apple wasn't to blame because the factory where all the problems are occurring also make stuff for Intel, Dell, MS, etc.? Oh, it didn't say that? Of course not, because Jobs knows that only the workers making Apple stuff are being beaten, murdered, and committing suicide, mostly due to Jobs', and I quote, unparalleled demand for secrecy.

it's quite disingenuous to show how many of these "fail" when they weren't designed to be used by a touch screen device in the first place.

But... but... but... iPad shows you the whole web! Or was Apple lying. Again. Even more ironic is that HTML5 is Apple's defacto "standard" and not even they can get it to work right!!!

The demo he chose specifically has JS to simulate an "exploding" effect which is not inherent to HTML5.

But... but... but... iPad shows you the whole web! Or was Apple lying. Again. So now we find out that it is even worse!!! Not only does the iPad not work properly with HTML5, it doesn't work properly with javascript! What next, is Jobs going to declare that javascript is a technology that has had its day and the next iPhone OS update will eliminate support for it?

Overall, I've never had any problems streaming H.264

And I've never gotten any malware on Windows so I guess there isn't a problem!
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RE: What would you ask Steve Jobs at tomorrow's D8 interview?
jeff.fostermedia@... 1st Jun 2010
I would ask him if my prediction for a emerging iPhone Mac OS hybrid platform is a possibility. People love the iPhone platform, but hardware limitations keep the iPad from being a Macbook or Macbook Pro. Has Apple considered a Multi-Touch based professional OS to bring the platform to the next level.
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Porn
kikl 1st Jun 2010
Why Steve do you dislike porn in i-app-stores but tolerate porn in the browser? Shouldn't you filter porn in safari in order to protect the users? Have you ever watched porn yourself?
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Fix the OS X annoyances
jarome 1st Jun 2010
OS X has a few bad annoyances that you need to fix:
1. Why do you insist on putting the single menu bar on the top of the screen, rather on the app as in Windows? With a 30" monitor, this is a real pain. And it takes up more screen space than a single bar that appears on the app window when it has focus.
2. Why do I have to click twice to give an app window focus?

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