Regarding Steve Jobs and the Leaking of Deals Before Apple Is Ready to Announce Them

AppleInsider, back in July 2000:

On Monday, a message posted from an ati.com company address appeared on BusinessWire, detailing the company’s plans product plans for Macworld. Under normal circumstances, this would not pose as a problem. However, the published blurb provided advanced information on Apple hardware products to be announced at the expo.

“ATI plans a surprise announcement on July 19,” the messages stated, in part. “In a keynote, wait for Apple to announce three new systems with ATI graphics in them. One will be an iMac with the RAGE 4XL chip, the remaining two are PowerMacs which will ship with RAGE 128 PRO standard and RADEON.”

This blurb was apparently enough to send Apple cofounder and CEO, Steve Jobs, through the roof. As a result, source said, Mr. Jobs ripped all mention of ATI and their products from his keynote presentation this morning. Apple’s introduction of new Power Mac G4 systems went without mention of the graphics chip that would ship inside, and the same was the case for the company’s new iMacs and Power Mac G4 Cube.

InsideMacGames, on the same day:

Well, that rumor cost ATI, big time! When the Bizwire report on Macworld Expo Exhibitors surfaced, dozens of news outlets (including IMG) reported ATI’s plans for the Expo. However, that short summary gave away several key secrets from the Keynote - specifically, it hinted at the two new PowerMacs (the MP models) and the new iMac DV SE revision, and Steve Jobs was extremely upset at this. He likes surprises.

According to ATI, Steve ordered all Radeons to be pulled from the show floor, and wiped all mention of ATI out of his keynote speech. He also canceled part of the keynote where an ATI exec was supposed to speak, and demo the Radeon! It seems no one leaks Steve’s secrets without dire penalty. It wasn’t clear who was at fault for the leak, but it seems to have come from the ATI side.

(Thanks to DF reader Jeff Clatworthy for the reminder about this incident.)

★ Friday, 23 May 2014