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Top 5 early revelations from ‘exclusive’ Steve Jobs biography

Andrew Couts
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The long-awaited biography on the late Apple co-founder and famed chief executive Steve Jobs – aptly titled Steve Jobs: The Exclusive Biography, by author Walter Isaacson – is now available through Amazon’s Kindle, iBooks and in bookstores nation-wide. That means the press is now free to busily pump out stories that reveal all the best tidbits. To take the condensation of the book even further, we’ve compiled here the five most i-teresting revelations from Steve Jobs, available so far. Now you won’t have to read the book at all (Kidding! Kinda…).

1. Jobs thought ‘Antennagate’ was a smear campaign by Google and Motorola

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After reports began to surface that signal strength would drop significantly on the then-newly-released iPhone 4 when the phone was held in a certain way – a scandal, commonly known as “Antennagate,” which only affected a relatively small number of devices – Jobs apparently thought Google and Motorola were trying to “shoot down Apple,” according to the book.

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After holding a special press conference, in which Apple offered customers free bumper cases that prevented the issue, Jobs told Isaacson that the problem was “blown so out of proportion that it’s incredible.”

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2. Jobs’ and Bill Gates’ first visit was a ‘weird seduction’

From an excerpt of the book published today in Fortune: “Gates frequently went down to Cupertino for demonstrations of the Macintosh operating system, and he was not very impressed. ‘I remember the first time we went down, Steve had this app where it was just things bouncing around on the screen,’ he told me. ‘That was the only app that ran.’ Gates was also put off by Jobs’s attitude. ‘It was kind of a weird seduction visit where Steve was saying we don’t really need you and we’re doing this great thing, and it’s under the cover. He’s in his Steve Jobs sales mode, but kind of the sales mode that also says, ‘I don’t need you, but I might let you be involved.'”

Gates also said that he found Jobs “fundamentally odd,” and “weirdly flawed as a human being” because of his practice of either “saying you were shit or trying to seduce you.”

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3. Jobs and Obama didn’t get along, at first

Steve Jobs almost refused to meet with President Obama in 2010 because he insisted that the president invite Jobs himself. The high-powered pair did eventually meet, at a hotel in San Francisco. And Jobs immediately gave President Obama a piece of his mind.

“You’re headed for a one-term presidency,” Jobs told Obama when the meeting began. He insisted that Obama have more pro-business initiatives, like they do in China where companies aren’t met with “regulations and unnecessary costs.” Jobs also complained about the restrictions on the US education system imposed by unions.

Despite the cold reception, Jobs and Obama stayed in touch, says Isaacson, and Jobs later offered to help create ads for Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, an offer he extended in 2008, but didn’t follow through with because he didn’t like the way campaign manager David Axelrod handled the relationship.

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4. Jobs didn’t want any third-party apps on the iPhone

Third-party apps may be one of the most compelling reasons to buy an iPhone, but they almost weren’t allowed on the device at all. Isaacson reports that Jobs was reluctant to allow third-party apps on the original iPhone after it debuted in 2007.

“When it first came out in early 2007, there were no apps you could buy from outside developers, and Jobs initially resisted allowing them,” writes Isaacson. “He didn’t want outsiders to create applications for the iPhone that could mess it up, infect it with viruses, or pollute its integrity.”

Apple board member Art Levinson and Apple senior vice president of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller later talked Jobs into allowing third-party apps.

“I couldn’t imagine that we would create something as powerful as the iPhone and not empower developers to make lots of apps. I knew customers would love them,” said Schiller.

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5. Jobs felt ‘annoyed and depressed’ after iPad announcement due to customer complaints

Following the launch of the original iPad in 2010, Jobs became “annoyed and depressed,” says Isaacson, when his personal email address became flooded with complaints about the new device.

“‘There’s no USB cord! There’s no this, no that,’” Jobs told Isaacson. “Some of them are like, ‘F**k you, how can you do that?’ I don’t usually write people back, but I replied, ‘Your parents would be so proud of how you turned out.’ And some don’t like the iPad name, and on and on. I kind of got depressed today. It knocks you back a bit.”

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Update 1: Here are a few more:

Are we missing something good? Send over more suggestions for the list to @andrewcouts on Twitter.

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Andrew Couts
Andrew Couts
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Features Editor for Digital Trends, Andrew Couts covers a wide swath of consumer technology topics, with particular focus on…
Coroner’s report released regarding the death of Steve Jobs

Earlier today, the Santa Clara County Public Health Department released the official death certificate for Steve Jobs. According to the certificate, the immediate cause of death was respiratory arrest due to the "metastatic pancreas neuroendocrine tumor" as the underlying cause of the respiratory issues. Also listed on the certificate, Jobs passed away at his home in Palo Alto at 3 p.m. on October 5 and no autopsy was performed on the body. Last week, Jobs was laid to rest at Alta Mesa Memorial Park cemetery in Santa Clara County.
In mid-2004, Jobs announced that he was diagnosed with a rare form of pancreatic cancer that appeared to be treatable. In 2009, he took a six-month absence from Apple to undergo a liver transplant at the Methodist University Hospital Transplant Institute in Memphis, Tennessee. Jobs resigned from his position at Apple on August 24 of this year attributing his departure to escalating health problems. Jobs passed away at the age of 56 and is survived by his wife Laurene and two children in addition to a daughter from a previous relationship. According to the family, a Web site will be created as a memorial to Steve Jobs in the near future. 
Apple officials are planning to hold a celebration to commemorate the life of Steve Jobs on the Cupertino campus next week. The event isn't open to the public and is restricted to Apple employees only. The event will be held within an outdoor amphitheater at the Apple headquarters and will take place on Wednesday, October 19 at 10 a.m. PST. After learning of the death of Jobs, CEO Tim Cook issued an email statement to all Apple employees where he said Jobs "leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple."
 

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At 5th Avenue Apple Store, fans and passersby remember Steve Jobs
Apple-Store-Jobs-1

The iconic glass cube of the 5th Avenue Apple store stands hidden beneath planks of white-painted plywood. The panels of glass that make up the cube are being replaced with larger, “seamless” panes – a renovation project that costs approximately $6 million, just shy of the $7 million Apple originally spent on the structure. It's a high price to pay to make the store look only slightly different, noticeable only to the expertly trained eye. To eyes like those of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died yesterday at the age of 56.
The scene surrounding the 5th Avenue Apple store today was much like it is any other day, with commuters busily bustling down the dark gray sidewalk, many with Apple's white earbuds implanted firmly in their ears; hoards of customers filing into and out of the makeshift hallway that leads to the stairs and round glass elevator of the store. But beside the entrance, a large crowd had gathered to honor one of our few true visionaries, now lost forever.

The memorial for Steve Jobs started last night, soon after the news of his death hit the airwaves and Twitter. By the time I arrived at about 1 p.m. today, the spontaneous memorial had grown exponentially. Many had left flowers and candles, some still burning despite the cool, constant wind that whipped strongly down 5th Avenue. Some had left signs. “Think Differently,” read one. “Stay hungry. Stay foolish,” read another, a quote from Jobs, which he delivered during his famous commencement speech at Stanford University in 2005.
More than anything, fans had left apples. Some had sad messages and well-wishes for Steve in the afterlife. Others had even taken a bite out of theirs to more closely mimic the ubiquitous Apple logo we all know so well.
The crowd around the memorial remained constant, though its size ranged from about 50 to well over 100, maybe more. Countless passersby took pictures of the memorial, most often with an iPhone 4. A number of photo journalists and amateur photographers had arrived as well, leaning down for a better angle of the notes and items left in remembrance.
The mood of the crowd was understandable melancholy, and startlingly quiet for a busy New York City street – so quiet, in fact, that even the 5th Avenue downtown buses and chorus of honking taxi cabs seemed drowned out by the mournful meditation of the gazing crowd.
Inside the store, the scene couldn't have been more different. A dense pack of giddy customers, tourists and all forms of Apple lovers stood around the clean wooden tables of the store, iPads and iPhones in hand. Blue-shirted Apple employees scurried around, answering questions and talking in headsets like they were in the CIA. The place was so packed, I could barely move, let alone find a place to sit and take notes. I couldn't even stand against the wall for long. And I eventually returned to the somber scene outside, assured that Apple's business wasn't suffering due to the recent loss of Jobs.

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Jobs family statement: ‘Steve died peacefully’

In a statement released this evening, Steve Jobs’ family said the Apple co-founder had “died peacefully….surrounded by his family.”
The statement said that while he was known as a visionary in public life, “in his private life, he cherished his family.” The statement also expressed thanks for people's support and kindness.
Jobs died on Wednesday aged 56 following a long battle with pancreatic cancer. In January of this year he took what turned out to be his third and final medical leave of absence, and in August stepped down as Apple’s CEO.
Below is the full statement issued today by Steve Jobs’ family:
"Steve died peacefully today surrounded by his family.
In his public life, Steve was known as a visionary; in his private life, he cherished his family. We are thankful to the many people who have shared their wishes and prayers during the last year of Steve’s illness; a website will be provided for those who wish to offer tributes and memories.
We are grateful for the support and kindness of those who share our feelings for Steve. We know many of you will mourn with us, and we ask that you respect our privacy during our time of grief."

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