If you have any interest in Steve Jobs, Apple or why businesses succeed then Walter Isaacson's biography is well worth reading.
I am not a big reader of biographies. Years ago, after graduating from university I spent three months working in a bookshop. I remember one customer in particular who bought four biographies in one go, so keen was he to understand what made people tick.
The reason I wanted to read the book was to understand what had happened at Apple. For anyone who doesn't know, Jobs was a co-founder, got kicked out by the board and then returned. When Jobs came back he took a company that had lost its way and made it a global success. He did it by obsessing about detail and quality of design.
Famously, Apple doesn't do market research. Jobs said he gave people what they wanted before they knew they wanted it.
I should declare an interest. I am writing this post on a MacBook Pro.
Having read Isaacson's book, I understand the thinking behind the Apple machines. In many ways, they are better: the design, the integration and ease of use. The downside is that they are more expensive, you are decidedly in Apple's world and you cannot evolve your machine. The latter point doesn't matter if you aren't technical. For someone who wants to add hardware it must be frustrating. For most it doesn't matter.
In the famous iconic '1984' ad, Apple set out a vision. It was to put the power into the hands of individuals. Apple was very much the underdog for the underdog. As the company increasingly dominates in entertainment, the question is, can it stay true to its original intention.
