About great products

A lot of companies have chosen to downsize, and maybe that was the right thing for them. We chose a different path. Our belief was that if we kept putting great products in front of customers, they would continue to open their wallets. 

About Quality

Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected. 

Design

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. 

About his motivation

I think we're having fun. I think our customers really like our products. And we're always trying to do better. 

I want to put a ding in the universe.

"It's all about innovation"

Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. 

It took us three years to build the NeXT computer. If we'd given customers what they said they wanted, we'd have built a computer they'd have been happy with a year after we spoke to them - not something they'd want now. 

Pretty much, Apple and Dell are the only ones in this industry making money. They make it by being Wal-Mart. We make it by innovation. 

Sometimes when you innovate, you make mistakes. It is best to admit them quickly, and get on with improving your other innovations. 

To turn really interesting ideas and fledgling technologies into a company that can continue to innovate for years, it requires a lot of disciplines.

About his role as a CEO

The people who are doing the work are the moving force behind the Macintosh. My job is to create a space for them, to clear out the rest of the organization and keep it at bay.