TECHNOLOGY and MEDIA

 

Steve Jobs - robber baron?

 

Anyone who has read this blog before under Technology or Media knows I have never been an Apple fan.

 

The upcoming bio-pic, Jobs, is said to cover his strengths, quirks and Howard Hughes-like behaviours and autocratic style.  It was his way or the highway. 



His ability was to copy and re-shape devices and services already created by others - into cool(er) looking (usually white) items that were promoted and hyped spectacularly, created the illusion of an innovative (sometimes) genius (at marketing).



Job's iTune store has been a smash success far beyond the dreams of the small companies that pioneered that niche, and his entry into e-books, again, following others, has made the company a mint of cash.



But in the last week of July, a long running charge of predatory practices and market manipulation came to a head - with a ruling that Steve Jobs and Apple, by compelling e-book creators to sell at a fixed price set by Apple - thereby guaranteeing Apple's profit margin and blocking lower competition - was ILLEGAL.   In fact, the final decision came with the requirement that Apple introduce an 'Ethics' office to ensure such blatently unethical, monopolistic pressure tactics - that clearly crossed the legal line - never happen again with any Apple products and dealings.



Put simply, Steve Jobs, who personally spearheaded this e-book arrangement, had crossed the line and was acting like a robber baron of the past.