Hell Froze Over: Steve Jobs On iTunes For Windows

Long-time Apple watchers remember when Steve Jobs announced iTunes for Windows, a.k.a. the day Hell Froze Over (clip below). It was a fun moment that Steve milked for a few laughs, but it was definitely a turning point in Apple’s history — the iPod and iTunes went on to conquer the world.

However, there’s a bit more to the story that fleshes out the “Hell Froze Over” concept:

We argued with Steve a bunch [about putting iTunes on Windows], and he said no. Finally, Phil Schiller and I said ‘we’re going to do it.’ And Steve said, ‘F**k you guys, do whatever you want. You’re responsible.’ And he stormed out of the room – John Rubenstein.

Of course, John Rubenstein was Apple’s iPod chief and Phil Schiller is still senior vice president of marketing.

So, is wasn’t so much that Hell Froze Over but that Steve thawed — he was wrong and relented. Moreover, although he probably never admitted he was wrong, Jobs flipped and owned it, really sold iTunes for Windows.

Here’s Steve Jobs in the moment, at around 19 minutes in, during Apple’s 2003 iTunes event…

Wow, it’s good to remember Steve so full of life and, frankly, really amped up…