Walter Isaacson, a.k.a the author of the gajillion-selling 2011 Steve Jobs biography, says that Apple is “long overdue” coming out with its next great innovation; speaking at a time when Apple stock continues to fall in the wake of declining iPhone sales.
“I got the [Apple Watch], but I don’t use it that much,” Isaacson told CNBC. “I don’t think the watch is the next big thing.”
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Isaacson puts the decline down to the fact that Apple is lacking an “unbelievable visionary like a Steve Jobs,” who was not only able to play a part in helping create devices like the iPod, iPhone and iPad, but could also convince the public that they needed them.
However, Isaacson stops short of dissing Apple’s current executive team, saying that “Tim Cook is a great CEO,” and that the leadership team Jobs put in place at Apple was his greatest accomplishment.
It’s worth pointing out that Walter Isaacson, despite being the man chosen to write Steve Jobs’ biography, and one of the few journalists allowed an extended deep dive inside Apple, isn’t an unabashed cheerleader for the company. Previously he has claimed that Google is out-pacing Apple on innovation, while he also praised the script for Aaron Sorkin’s Steve Jobs movie (which was based on Isaacson’s own book) — despite the fact that it was not exactly complimentary of Apple’s late co-founder.
Apple hasn’t been too shy about firing shots over Isaacson’s bows either: both Tim Cook and Jony Ive have expressed disdain for Isaacson’s Jobs biography, with Ive saying that, “My regard [for it] couldn’t be any lower.”
Critics will certainly point out that Isaacson has also been criticized for not really understanding Apple’s culture or what exactly it does as a company: with his biography the recipient of this brutal but fascinating takedown by John Siracusa in an episode of his Hypercritical podcast.
So why does it matter what Isaacson says about it? In one sense, it doesn’t. Isaacson admits to not having any inside knowledge about what Apple has planned, and there is a logic gap in saying that Steve’s greatest achievement was putting his current executive team in place, but that this team turns out not to be doing a great job at innovating. But it also feeds into a wider media narrative about Apple collapsing, despite being a company which raked in a massive 40 percent of profits in Silicon Valley last year.
What do you think? Has Walter Isaacson got a point, or is the “Apple doesn’t innovate” narrative totally without merit? Leave your comments below.
Source: CNCB
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
12 responses to “Steve Jobs’ biographer says Apple’s next big thing is ‘long overdue’”
Does anyone proofread articles before they are “published”? Or does it all happen late at night with a bottle of hooch in hand?
Early morning with a bottle of hooch. But, cheers, corrected it! :)
Quote: “It’s worth pointing out that Tim Cook, despite being the man chosen to write Steve Jobs’ biography …”
Tim Cook, really? Uh, no!
Honestly, who cares what Isaacson has to say about Apple. That’s like asking J. K. Rowling what she thinks about Penn & Teller.
Walter Isaacson: “Come on Apple. I’m waiting. (tapping his foot and checking his watch) It’s been another hour and you haven’t released anything “innovative” for me.”
Apple: “In the past year alone, we have introduced MANY products.”
Walter Isaacson: “Yes, I know that you are constantly bringing out updated and new products, but I’ll let you know when something is innovative enough for me.”
Apple: “What kind of product do you think will be innovative enough for you?”
Walter Isaacson: “I have no idea, but I’ll let you know when I’m satisfied with whatever it is. Now hurry up! I have a reality show starting in 10 minutes.”
We all loved Steve and miss his charismatic appeal. But he is no more. We mourn differently. Some mourn looking back. Isaacson seems to. I mourn looking forward.
I love Tim Cooke. Charisma aside, he inspires being a good human being. He has grown Apple in a way no one else did. He has maintained and improved the quality of technology and culture that we have come to depend on Apple for. That is huge!
I have owned AppleWatch for 1 year. For the core things I use it for, I’ve come to depend on it in a quality of life-altering way: Health, Notification, Timekeeping, Silent Alarm/Ring (Taptic).
All this talk about “Next Big Thing?!”: Apple is not Toys’R’Us. It’s only for toddlers that the most important toy is the next one.
If Google and others are out innovating APPLE, why haven’t they introduced the ‘Next Big Thing’. I love my Watch, its far from perfect but it does a lot and IMO in the next couple of years its going to be a very big deal.
Because we are circling the same ideas over and over again, making people bored. Not being innovative anymore. Introducing Google something, Apple something, Samsung something, Store something, LG something, Apple something, Android something, Samsung something. There are no next big things, because it’s all the same things just copied over to make it better until another copies it to make it better.
Riiiiiiiight, because Apple (and only Apple) is required to pump out paradigm shattering innovations every 18-24 months like $&@?ing clockwork or its dooooommmmmmmed.
Isaacson, for heaven’s sake, crying about Jobs again… let the man rest in peace!
Irrelevant what he thinks or says. Don’t even know why I read to the end.
VR is the next BIG thing.
Apple has missed the bus.