This last year has been pretty rough for I lost another old co-worker from Apple and he was a former boss too. Murray was a different case though. Back when I joined as a temp in 1995, I had the good luck to be in the tiny PowerBook division…well, it was before the 5300 disaster. After New Year’s 1996 and Apple’s stock tanking from $47/share to $12 thanks to this computer alongside everything else Apple made being crap, PowerBook was re-organized from two teams to one with Murray now in charge. There was a lot of groaning and complaining from the vets over him. Seems he had a reputation for being a hardass. Truth was, Murray was someone who didn’t suffer fools gladly. The vets who were upset were often the lazy people trying to find a way not to take phone calls (some things never change in my opinion except now the slackers are rewarded through their ass-kissing skills). I remember him saying “If your goal is to be here and not take phone calls, I suggest you get another job.” Me? I thought this was the job.
In the end, Murray was very gracious to me. He let me attend a funeral at the last minute I wanted to be at (Bob Adams, a University Towers security guard everybody loved); he gave me my get-out-jail-free card after a really awful call (things were tense for Apple and its bad run of products); and most of all, he was critical to helping me get the job I eventually landed at PowerComputing. I recall him saying, “If I had a choice, I’d hire you but the truth is Apple just isn’t.” This stung yet I knew he was a fan/friend of the guy who defected to PCC and was building a stronger support organization. This led to my career flourishing.