Armani, Andy And Apple

But while Apple puts the focus on switchers from Windows to Mac (and, by the way, while those commercials were charming at first, don't the endless repeats make you want to choke those weirdos by now?), there's also a constant temptation for Mac users to defect to the Dark Side. This problem might get worse as Apple follows the industry in trying to convert its customer base from just buyers to subscribers. During the keynote, Jobs makes the unwelcome announcement that Apple is changing its iTools service--which had provided free, easy-to-use Web hosting, e-mail and data storage to Mac users--to a $100-a-year program called .Mac. "We were the last people providing that for free," says Jobs, "and it's growing so fast that we can't continue to do it [without charging]." But that means there's one fewer advantage to being a Mac owner. Just as the existence of a Windows-based iPod removes another edge for the Mac crowd. "We debated that," he says. "And we ended up feeling that getting an Apple product in front of Windows users en masse will get more people interested in switching."

Jobs says the best part of his five-year stint is working with his team at Apple. Though talk like this often rings of false modesty, the fact is that Apple under Jobs has been remarkably free of reorgs and confusion. "I know if I got run over by a bus tomorrow, Apple's going to keep on going," says Jobs. "Because the engines have been put in place and cultures have been put in place to keep innovating, to keep doing things at this level of quality." Does that mean that in five years there will be no more of the iconically hip CEO in black shirt and jeans? Jobs laughs. "I'm taking a vacation next week. That's as far ahead as I can think."

© 2002