Oh, I remember this story now! It's The Book of Jobs!
I think it's the one where Apple's
Ah-ha: a phone with a fickle, possibly faulty antenna! What a perfect test of fealty! Especially when coupled with the bizarre explanation that many seem to accept: Look, folks, all phones have signal problems! Oh, right -- the lesson is that bad stuff happens in the world, so we should all just suck it up, right?
Unfortunately, other corporate managers seem to have succumbed to similarly bizarre temptations to push the limits lately. Toyota
Similarly, BP
Corporate CEOs do eventually find out that "mere mortals" get really angry sometimes; that wrath can damage brands and reputations for good. Though the cult of Apple is amazingly powerful, peddling a phone that may fail to reliably make phone calls could stretch even the most diehard loyalists' devotion. Apple products have historically been known for quality, but too many more gaffes like this one could tarnish the brand's luster.
Microsoft's
Hopefully, corporate management teams will stop trying to push their customers further than common sense allows. Usability and safety are common-sense elements to nail down before releasing a product into the wild or embarking on a risky operation. There are no gods on management teams -- just stars that can fall, and fall hard.