Juiciest Bits From the Steve Jobs Bio

Oct 23, 2011The Daily Beast

In the new authorized biography of Apple's enigmatic founder, Walter Isaacson reveals how Jobs regretted his alternative cancer treatments—and what he wanted for his children. Plus, watch the best moments from Isaacson's 60 Minutes interview.

Jobs Revealed Apple Developing a Television Set
The smartphone wars are moving on to the living room: Bloomberg says Jeff Robbins, the Apple software engineer who designed iTunes, is leading the company’s efforts to build a television set. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs told Walter Isaacson in his new biography that he had “finally cracked” how to make a web TV. “It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine,” Jobs says in the new book. Nothing is yet official but analysts expect the television in late 2012 or 2013.

Jobs Warned Obama He'd Be a 'One-Term President'
Jobs and Obama had a tense meeting just last year, according to the biography. Jobs was upset that his wife had arranged the meet-up, telling her husband that Obama was "really psyched" to meet him. But the Apple founder thought that Obama should have asked himself. During the 45-minute session, Jobs told Obama, "You're headed for a one-term presidency," chiding the president because he saw the U.S. as not friendly to businesses. Jobs made his poitn by telling Obama how much easierit was to start a factory in China.

New Apple Gadgets

And we thought the iPad was big. In his forthcoming biography on Apple’s founder, Walter Isaacson gives readers subtle hints about new technology and gadgets that may be in the works at the company. Jobs disclosed to Isaacson his ideas for reinventing television. “It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud. It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.” He also discussed plans for transforming textbooks, eyeing the $8 billion-a-year industry. Jobs thought the process of states certifying textbooks was corrupt and economically inefficient. “If we can make textbooks free, and they come with the iPad, then they don’t have to be certified,” he told Isaacson. “The crappy economy at the state level will last for a decade, and we can give them an opportunity to circumvent that whole process and save money.”
The rest at The Daily Beast.