Re: [NTLK] newton sales figures?

From: David Orriss Jr (dave_at_davenet.net)
Date: Wed Feb 13 2002 - 19:28:38 EST


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At 01:09 AM 2/14/2002 +0100, you wrote:

>David Orriss Jr (dave_at_davenet.net) wrote:
>
> > I've heard that SJ had expressed
> > interest in doing something with the Newton technology to make it
> > profitable but that the knowledgebase to do that had left and *that* was
> > why he killed it.
>
>It was the other way round: when Apple re-absorbed Newton, Inc., SJ had
>made it quite clear that this was the kiss of death and that it might be
>a good idea to look for employment elsewhere -- not that the Newton, Inc.
>staff was keen on going back to Cupertino anyway.

Ah. Did SJ say those words to the Newton Inc people *exactly*? 'Look for
work elsewhere' or was that just surmised...?

Also, before SJ even came *back* to Apple much of the core Newton OS team
from the beginning of the Newton had *already* left. I know one of the
original Newton staff... :)

Perhaps it's somewhere in the middle -- critical people leaving combined
with the fact that SJ never liked the Newton to begin with.

> > Why *exactly* Steve killed the Newton is anyone's guess. I'm willing to
> > bet it was a combination of "he didn't invent it" with the fact that only
> > the 2k series became "marginally profitable" (to quote Woz).
>
>Marginally profitable is still profitable, so why kill it? Sunk costs
>don't count, as killing the product line won't bring back those lost $$
>either.

Hey.. I'm just telling you what I've read.. I didn't say I *agreed* with
it.. ;)

However I do understand the concept of long-term ROI. I mean.. I love the
Newton - I have four of them.. But that doesn't mean that they would have
ever made a dime for Apple over the long-term. We'll never know.. it's
academic at this point.

- --
David Orriss Jr.
dave_at_davenet.net
http://www.davenet.net
ICQ UIN: XXXXXX (please ask if you want to talk via ICQ)
Linux - Chicken Soup for the Unix Soul

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