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Frame from Steve Jobs Quoting Alan Kay Plays via YouTube's privacy-enhanced embed

Steve Jobs Quoting Alan Kay

Chunka Mui
Talks
YouTube
Cited on HN 4 times, 2017–2023, never outright recommended score 0
Years with an HN recommendation, 2007–2026

Cited whenever HN discusses Apple's vertical integration and its custom silicon.

A short excerpt from the 2007 iPhone launch where Steve Jobs quotes Alan Kay: people serious about software should make their own hardware. It explains part of why Apple built the phone itself.

“People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware” (HN, 2023)

4 citations · Talks

4 Hacker News comments

From the HN archive; up to 20 kept per video, favoring different commenters. Recommendations first.

@snom380 Sep 2017 Cites it
on HN thread BeOS almost made Apple a different company (2015)
He quoted Alan Kay during the iPhone launch to explain how Apple went about doing things: "If you really care about software, you should build your own hardware." [this video]
Jobs quoting Alan Kay on building your own hardware
@oumua_don17 Feb 2021 Cites it
on HN thread Ask HN: What technically allows the M1 to perform better?
You are right. SJ quotes Alan Kay [this video] This was some 15 years back and it seems it was always Apple long term vision to be where they are today with M1. It would be completely fascinating to see how such vision was realised across two CEOs and multiple C level changes combined with a secretive culture. Any ex-Appleites here to throw some light?
Jobs quoting Alan Kay, showing Apple's long-term silicon vision
@thenerdhead Apr 2022 Cites it
on HN thread Apple’s risky, yearslong effort to design its own silicon is paying off
Read more
Was it really that risky? If anything this seemed like a pretty sure-fire bet by bringing in various operations in-house when partnerships would prove to go sour. I think Apple knew these limitations back with Jobs too. At least that's what I understood from reading various biographies on the many Apple characters & partnerships. Now that Apple has paved the way, you'll likely see this with other big computer companies like Microsoft for their mainline products & development. I think Steve Jobs would regularly quote Alan Kay on this idea: [this video] I think that given Intel has recently changed leadership (for the better ridding the culture of MBAs), we may even see unique partnerships as well that may act as this "in-house" hardware providers.
Jobs quoting Alan Kay on in-house hardware

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