Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Apple Inc. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Phillip C. Lee who wrote (10937)	4/7/1998 11:04:00 AM
From: David Kuspa	Respond to of 213177

Yesterday was my first opportunity to see Steve Jobs in action as he gave his keynote speech at the NAB. I have to say that I was disappointed in his personal style. After all the stories I had heard of his salesmanship, manner, charisma, etc., he came across as too low-key, trying to appeal to the crowd as too cool to get too excited about what he was saying even though what he was saying was pretty exciting. He focused on Quicktime 3.0, because that is what has really impacted our industry. So it was not surprising that he did not talk about anything else or reveal any surprises. This was simply not the venue. And perhaps because we were an audience of broadcasters and film/video pros, he may have felt that he wasn't preaching to the choir and so purposefully lowered his apparent enthusiasm to make sure he didn't come across as a hypester. I liked his "tower of Babel" metaphor, but he said several times "We THINK we MIGHT have SOMETHING for you..." It was just too passive of an approach and undercut the truly astounding impact that QuickTime has and will continue to have on the entire media production community. I thought the crowd's response to him was tepid at best. Jobs said in a variation of a plea that was repeated often throughout his speech: "We're dying to work with you." and the most bizzarre: "I want to collect some of your business cards..." This last appeal just struck me as odd, at least the way it was said. I pictured billionare and visionary Steve Jobs at a cocktail reception for one of the many events here: "Hi, I'm Steve Jobs. Are you a mover and shaker in the broadcast industry? You are? May I have one of your business cards? We're just dying to work with you." Bottom line is QuickTime 3.0 is a miraculous achievement in standardization in a messy world with a zillion standards. I thought the demos were impressive, but just that the message didn't match the importance and excitement that 3.0 is delivering. Applause and enthusiasm from the crowd was merely polite, not nearly as good as the crowd's response to last year's announcement of QuickTime 3.0 by Hancock (Amelio's right hand gal). And her dull, no-nonsense delivery gave new meaning to serving chow to the troops. Perhaps it was because last year's demo/speech was at the MultiMedia venue at the Sands Convention Center, where most of the computer-oriented people hang out. It was good to see the large "Think Different" banners prominently displayed at both sites. This is the first year where I agree that Windows 95 and NT products are everywhere and are finally starting to shift the balance in desktop video/film production away from the Mac. (this has been said for the past 2 NABs, but it just didn't happen) I am making a point of asking software and hardware vendors if they offer or plan to release Macintosh products. If they say no, I rudely exit with a "Goodbye!". My biggest disappointment so far has been Pinnacle's ReelTime NLE system, which is not being released for the Mac. At just under $5,000, so far ReelTime seems to be the system to beat, and since it's a PCI card bundled with the upcoming very capable Premiere 5.0, they would only need to write a software driver to make it work on the Mac. That's all for now. Got to go look at more new toys today. D. Kuspa

To: Phillip C. Lee who wrote (10937)	4/7/1998 2:47:00 PM
From: OM28	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 213177

Thanks Phil. The figures are encouranging if if take into account all the rumors we have heard from the different Mac sites. I just hope that all these rumors are not coming from the same origin which would make them this news less valuable... What I am effraid of is that only and only Mac investors (and Mac sites related to Apple) are so enthousiastic about the next earnings. The price going down again seems indicate that the major analysts (they are supposed to have at least the same kind of information of all of us here and certainly more and from better sources) have information of the contrary. I hope I am wrong... Olivier