[Dave P]

Al Gore joins Apple board
Copyright © 2003 AP Online


CUPERTINO, Calif. (March 19, 2003 6:58 p.m. EST) - Former Vice President Al Gore was elected Wednesday to the board of Apple Computer Inc.
Gore, who popularized the "information superhighway" as vice president and helped secure money to build the Internet as a congressman, praised chief executive Steve Jobs and other Apple executives for making the computer company "once again the very best in the world."

But despite critically acclaimed products and a supportive fan base, Apple only has a 3 percent share of the U.S. personal computer market, according to the research firm IDC.

Jobs cited Gore's wealth of knowledge about running the U.S. government - and pointed out that the former vice president does his own video editing in Apple's Final Cut Pro software.

"Al is going to be a terrific director, and we're excited and honored that he has chosen Apple as his first private sector board to serve on," Jobs said.

Gore, who announced last fall he would not seek the presidency in 2004, also serves as a senior adviser to the search firm Google Inc. and is a visiting professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, Fisk University and Middle Tennessee State University.

[Greg L]

Yet another reason for me not to buy an Apple. :D

Greg

[TallPine]

Just what value does he add to these corporations, anyway? :rolleyes:

[pinduck]

Glad this happened. I was thinking about adding a new Mac based cpu, now I can spend that money on a new firearm.:cool:

[TallPine]

In a related story, Mickey Mouse announced today that he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in 2004 ...

[Tropical Z]

No Apple for ME!
Al's the :evil:

[CZ-75]

And I like Macs too.

Too bad I can make my own PC for $500, rather than pay ~$1800 for a 17" iMac.

My boycott was ahead of the curve.

[Blackhawk]

Steve Jobs has a penchant for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and he's still got that touch! :rolleyes:

[publius]

Very disappointing. I love my iBook.

So the big news is: Apple doesn't know squat about marketing if this is their idea of a celeb appointment.

It's kind of odd. Jobs, the egomaniacal showman who loves to speak to a crowd, makes cool products, but has no clue how to sell them. Gates, the head geek, has all the charisma (in public anyway) of a rock, makes McSoftware about as well as McDonald's makes burgers, and seems to be pretty darn successful at figuring out what people will buy and how to sell it to them.

[CZ-75]

Al Gore will probably try to seize control of Apple like some Pepsi salesman Jobs hired did 15 years ago.

Will probably use the company's technology to make android replicas of himself - indistinguishable from the real thing.

An entire army of Al Gores would be a scary thing.

Jobs is an egomaniac who will let his desire for gratification cloud his judgment. I'm sure his politics and Al's are very much in the same vein.

I do doubt how much this will hurt Apple, as most of the market niches where Macs dominate are fields that one tends to associate with liberal sentiments, such as graphic design (artists), desktop publishing (media), etc.

[Greg L]

CZ-75,

Don't forget education, they are very big there (or at least were the last time that I had any contact with it).

Greg

[CZ-75]

Good point.

I guess I could mention Life Sciences, too. I don't see that many anymore, though. Usually in academic settings, rather than industry. Most specialized software can be found for either platform. Anyway, scientists are overwhelmingly liberal, but can't seem to apply the same level of reasoning to their beliefs as to their work.

[Quartus]

Steve Jobs has a penchant for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, and he's still got that touch!


Excellent summary! :( I had hopes that Apple would make some inroads into the Evil Empire's dominion, but it's history if Al actually starts making decisions.

But I suspect he's window dressing for stockholders. We can hope, anyway.


android replicas of himself - indistinguishable from the real thing.


Well, he's got a good start. The real thing is pretty indistinguishable! :D

[MrAcheson]

Yeah but hows he going to return Apple to profitability without a military to gut and castrate?

For those of you who don't know, 90% of the 300,000 jobs Al Gore cut while "reinventing government" came from the military. :cuss:

[ocabj]

You gotta be kidding me. Looks like Apple is recognizing Gore's contribution to computing by creating the Internet. :scrutiny: (Sarcasm meter at red line)

Well, I still like Apple innovation. I've been an x86 user since my early days of computing when I got a free used 286 in 6th grade. Saw the iBook and OS X and ended up buying one in 2001. Sold it in 2002 and got a G4 Powerbook. I stand by OS X as a desktop OS. Gives you the flexibility/stability of a BSD/nix OS with a solid GUI (better than XWindows in my opinion).

As far as servers are concerned, it's FreeBSD for me. I still run Windows 2K/XP and FreeBSD at work on my office systems/file server, but whenever I go somewhere and need a laptop, I take my G4 Powerbook. Whenever I go home, I strictly use the Powerbook. My home Windows box is strictly used for gaming (cheaper, easier, more flexible to build a high end gaming system for those long hours of Medal of Honor and Rainbow Six/Rouge Spear/Ghost Recon online).

The only thing I don't like about Macs besides the higher prices for hardware, is the ignorance of people when they see you with one. People are always saying, "Oh. Why do you have a Mac? You should have bought a PC." The second they see you with a Mac, they label you a fanatic.

Anyway, if Apple keeps innovating with products like their iBook, Powerbook, and iPod (hands down the best MP3 player ever, I take mine everywhere), I will keep buying Apple products.

[ocabj]

BTW: If you don't know much about Steve Jobs, read the Second Coming of Steve Jobs. That guy seems as evil as Saddam. I'd hate to be working directly under him. He treats everyone like crap.

[garrettwc]

Cupertino, CA - Apple announced today the release of it's new iChad software. The software, developed with the aid of board member Al Gore, is being marketed to election boards around the country.

Apple will begin an aggressive new "switch" campaign starring Congressman 'Jumpin' Jim Jeffords to market the new software.

:D :neener:

[Quartus]

Hmmm... Not funny, garrettwc. I don't find that at all far-fetched.


Computer voting is FAR more susceptible to manipulation than paper voting. Anyone who loves freedom ought to fight electronic voting OF ANY KIND tooth and nail.

[mcole]

i'm sure al's creation of the internet was a big point in his favor. mcole

[Standing Wolf]

I think I've bought my last Macintosh. I don't know what the next magic box will be, since I'm deeply involved in both Photoshop and Painter, but a.) the hot rod Macintosh I bought six months ago has already needed a replacement hard drive and DVD drive, and I don't do business with leftist extremists.

[Frohickey]

Yeah, I know, I know.

I work for Apple, and now, we have Al Bore in the board of directors. What a buttheaded idea to make. Sigh. :barf:

And we have people here saying they will not buy Apple Computer products because of Al Bore. I guess I can't blame them, I would probably do the same.

[Apple a Day]

That's it! I'm changing my screen name!

[Blackhawk]

You have my heartfelt sympathy, Frohickey.... :(

[Quartus]

WAIT A MINUTE! THERE MAY BE HOPE!


I just re-read the article. They did NOT say board of DIRECTORS!


I think they're going to mount him on a CIRCUIT board! It's an experiment in virtual reality! Hey, he's already got the personality of a borg, uh, I mean board!



No?


Oh.

:(


:D

[Monkeyleg]

Dangit, there's no way I can work without a Mac (even though I know how to work with PC's). I have no choice but to contribute in some small way to Gore's continued existence. :fire:

[Shalako]

I bought an Apple Computer......in 1983. Hey, I was young and impressionable and had $1000 bucks of paper route money burnin a hole in my pocket. Ah... those all nighters playing Ultima II or coding in some Applesoft Basic from a book till you couldn't see straight... those were the days. And now this.....what's the world coming to?
:confused: