Massucci’s Take: Steve Jobs never missed a detail

There’s not much I can say about Steve Jobs that hasn’t already been said. Instead, I’ll share a personal story.

In July 2000, I met Jobs at the Macworld Expo NY 2000 at the Javits Center in New York City.

He was on stage in front of an audience of hundreds, introducing a lineup of candy-colored iMacs. Colorful computers were a novel idea then, because before the iMac, computers were beige and boxy. The iMac G3 looked like a TV you’d see in an alien cartoon. In classic Jobs fashion, he talked up the iMac, told us why it was so great, using exorbitant language, revealed the new brightly-colored iMacs, waited for the “oohs” and “ahhs” to quiet down, told us more reasons why it was great, and ended with his “one more thing,” which was the G4 Cube.

After his presentation, Jobs went to a large room to do one-on-one interviews with reporters. I was reporting on Apple for Bloomberg News and one of the the last reporters in line. We were cued up outside of the room. Ahead of me in line was a reporter from the USA Today. He asked if it was my first time interviewing Jobs. I said yes. He then explained how it would go. “Be careful, he said. “If he doesn’t like a question you ask, he’ll get up and leave. If he doesn’t like your tone of voice, he may leave the room. He might lie and say he’s going to the bathroom, and then not come back. Or he may just leave without a word.”

Soon it was my turn to interview Jobs. As we shook hands I noticed his short-facial hair and John Lennon-like glasses. He was still, quiet and aloof as we began to talk. I explained how I first used a Macintosh in college, which prompted me to later borrow money from my folks to buy a PowerBook. He relaxed once he knew I was familiar with his products. He stood up and walked me over to a table lined with the new iMacs and the soon-to-flop G4 Cube.

He began gushing about these products like a man showing off his new babies. His eyes lit up as he walked and talked excitedly about the new iMac colors: Indigo, Ruby, Sage, Graphite and Snow. I asked what would become of the colors introduced in 1999: Strawberry, Blueberry, Lime, Grape and Tangerine? He paused, raised his right hand to his chin, and stared at me for what seemed like a long time, Then, with a bemused look on his face, he finally said, “You know, you’re the first person to ask, and because you asked, I’ll tell you. I wasn’t going to mention this today. Those colors will be retired.”

The idea of computer exterior colors being retired was odd, but I knew it was news. He said he had not mentioned it because he wanted the spotlight to be on the new iMac lineup, not the outgoing line. He then spoke about the G4 Cube and the other Apple products introduced that day. I was itching to get out of there so I could call the Bloomberg headlines desk to tell them about the colors being retired. I didn’t want to get scooped by our competition. At Bloomberg, because so many traders watch the headlines, if you were first with a headline, it was often better than being first with a story. The editor who answered the breaking news phone was convinced it wasn’t news and almost hung up. Quickly, I talked him into sending the headline about the iMac colors being discontinued.

I collected more information about when the retiring iMacs would officially be pulled from stores and whether Apple was worried about customers being upset about no longer being able to buy a Blueberry iMac. I was sitting outside of the room where folks were carrying out the iMacs that had been on display, and then out Jobs came, still talking excitedly about the new products.

He looked at me and a wide-smile came across his face.

“Nice job on the colorful story,” he said.

I was impressed that he knew about the headline, but not surprised.
Jobs never missed a detail.

He’ll be missed at Apple for that, and by the rest of us, for his genius, vision and thoughtfulness. Those qualities will continue to be felt for years.