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Apple maps and 8 other times Apple got it wrong

Music subscription services? Bankrupt, sez Jobs.

UNDER THE LEADERSHIP of Steve Jobs, Apple introduced industry-shaking products like the iPod, iMac, iPhone and iPad — devices that have collectively changed how we consume media today.

But Apple didn’t always get it right.

From mocking larger tablet-sized smartphones (a.k.a. “phablets”) to saying the iPad’s screen couldn’t get any smaller and still be usable, there are plenty of times where Apple has been too quick to speak in the past.

Here are some of the most notable instances.

1. Steve Jobs thought Apple and IBM would emerge as the only computer suppliers

Apple Mac Event AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

“In terms of supplying the computer itself, it’s coming down to Apple and IBM,” said Jobs in a 1985 interview with Playboy. “And I don’t think there are going to be a lot of third- and fourth-place companies, much less sixth- or seventh-place companies. Most of the new, innovative companies are focusing on the software. I think there will be lots of innovation in the areas of software but not in hardware.”

2. Jobs thought music subscription services were “bankrupt”

Apple AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

In a 2003 interview with Rolling Stone, Steve Jobs was highly critical of subscription music services at the time, like Rhapsody.

“People don’t want to buy their music as a subscription … they’re going to want to buy downloads,” said Jobs. ”The subscription model of buying music is bankrupt. I think you could make available the Second Coming in a subscription model, and it might not be successful.”

Clearly, Jobs failed to anticipate the popularity of both Pandora and Spotify, an oversight which caused Apple to enter the streaming service late in the game with its iTunes Radio and eventual Beats acquisition earlier this year.

3. Steve Jobs thought iTunes would only sell music, not movies.

Alicia Keys & Steve Jobs Online Music PA Archive / Press Association Images PA Archive / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

When Steve Jobs was asked ”Do you see an iTunes movie store?” during a 2003 Rolling Stone interview, he replied, “We don’t think that’s what people want. A movie takes forever to download – there’s no instant gratification.”

Fast-forward to 2013, when Apple announced, “iTunes users have downloaded more than one billion TV episodes and 380 million movies from iTunes to date, and they are purchasing over 800,000 TV episodes and over 350,000 movies per day.”

4. Apple didn’t think people would want to watch videos on their iPods.

APPLE WHAT NEXT AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

“I’m not convinced people want to watch movies on a tiny little screen,” said Jobs during a 2003 interview with Walt Mossberg. “To paraphrase Bill Clinton, ‘It’s the music, stupid, it’s the music!’”

Apple apparently decided quite the opposite two years later, introducing an iPod with 2.7-inch screen that could display photos and play videos.

5. Apple thought people weren’t interested in tablets

South Korea Samsung Apple Lee Jin-man Lee Jin-man

In a 2003 interview with Walt Mossberg, Jobs said, “There are no plans to make a tablet. It turns out people want keyboards … We look at the tablet, and we think it is going to fail.”

Interestingly enough, Apple was likely already looking into tablets at this time; in fact, the company began designing the iPad before the iPhone.

6. Trying to convince people the iPhone 4 didn’t have an antenna issue

Technology Stock Dominic Lipinski Dominic Lipinski

While Apple was reluctant to admit any fault in the matter, some iPhone 4 models were affected by what would later be known as “Antennagate.”

By bridging the connection between the phone’s two separate antennas — for example, how lefties would usually hold an iPhone, with their palms and thumb squeezing against the left portion of the handset — the iPhone 4 would see a dramatic loss of cell signal, leading to dropped calls.

Steve Jobs initially suggested that people “Just avoid holding it in that way.” Apple later admitted there was an issue with the antenna’s design, however, eventually giving out free bumper cases to any iPhone 4 owner.

7. Apple used to mock so-called “phablet” phones that were bigger than the iPhone.

Holiday Shopping Jeff Chiu Jeff Chiu

During an Apple press conference in 2010 that focused on squashing the “Antennagate” scandal, Steve Jobs famously mocked larger phones, saying that other companies avoided connectivity issues by creating phones so big “you can’t get your hand around it.”

Jobs then went on to say, “No one is going to buy that.”

Of course, Apple eventually realized that many people wanted a larger iPhone. In 2012, it released the iPhone 5 with a 3.99-inch display — bigger than the 3.5-inch display on all previous models — and last month, the company released the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.

8. Apple thought its own Maps app would be better than Google Maps

google maps apple

Google Maps was the default maps and navigation application in every iPhone since the very first model in 2007. But for the release of the iPhone 5 and iOS 6, Apple decided to ditch Google and create its own Maps app, having previously acquired several different mapping companies. Unfortunately, the app was filled with bugs and accuracy issues, eventually leading to the ouster of Scott Forstall, the iOS chief at the time. CEO Tim Cook also issued a public apology on the company’s website.

Apple has greatly improved its native Maps app since then, but it still has yet to catch up to Google Maps. After a few more acquisitions in 2013, we might see a much-improved Maps app in next year’s iOS 9.

9. Apple said its 10-inch iPad was “the minimum size required.”

Apple Event Marcio Jose Sanchez Marcio Jose Sanchez

“This size isn’t sufficient to create great tablet apps in our opinion,” Jobs said during a 2010 Apple earnings call, referring to competitors debuting 7-inch tablets.

“Well, one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference. It is meaningless, unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of the present size.”

“Apple’s done extensive user-testing on touch interfaces over many years, and we really understand this stuff, ” Jobs continued. “There are clear limits of how close you can physically place elements on a touch screen before users cannot reliably tap, flick or pinch them. This is one of the key reasons we think the 10-inch screen size is the minimum size required to create great tablet apps.”

Two years later, Apple announced the 7.9-inch iPad Mini.

Read: Soon after iOS 8 launch, Apple is already working on three major updates for it>

Read: The iPhone 6 got publicly dissed by the president of Turkey>

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:05 PM

    So they have entered the Renaissance period,only another 600 years to go lads

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    Mute Michael J Collins
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:46 PM

    Gaius
    You should recognise the huge advance this is for Saudi Arabia. Criticism is just a churlish and unhelpful contribution.

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:50 PM

    Howya Mick :)

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    Mute dublinlad72
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:12 PM

    @Michael,

    Yeah… You shut up!

    :-P

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    Mute Anto de Chav
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    Jan 12th 2013, 10:24 AM

    Chronologically Islam is about 600years behind the Christian west so your comment is spot on….

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    Mute Peter O Foyle
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    Jan 11th 2013, 3:51 PM

    Of course … they all have lovely bottoms

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    Mute willy stryker
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:05 PM

    And he’s gonna marry all of them.

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    Mute Chris Massey
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:21 PM

    Peter you would happily motorboat those Saudi chicks!!

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    Mute the lost lenore
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:40 PM

    30? That must be one big ass sammich he’s looking for.

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    Mute CABK
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    Jan 11th 2013, 3:51 PM

    Disgusting patriarchal country.

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:37 PM

    And Ireland is a beacon of decency, respect and honesty!

    People in glass houses……..

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    Mute CABK
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    Jan 11th 2013, 6:19 PM

    Perspective Ruairi! If I were to walk in a street in Saudi Arabia with a man that is not my relative I could be arrested for being a prostitute (me by the way, the man is fine its obviously the womans fault). Ireland is by no means perfect but I feel lucky to live here in comparison to how women are treated in the middle east/asia.

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 7:44 PM

    Fair point carb…..

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    Mute Dom Morgan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 10:09 PM

    You would not be arrested for being a prostitute and the man would not be fine. You would both be in same trouble.

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:06 PM

    Will the Pope follow !

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    Mute ManOnTheStreet
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:36 PM

    Of course he will. Right after he catches that flying pig.

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:39 PM

    Maybe he’ll allow women to do more than clean the church and cook the priests dinner…………

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    Mute Lieutenant Worf
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:48 PM

    @ Ruairi – I presume you’re alluding to the myth that all priests have housekeepers. This is false. Second for the bigger houses that have they are employees who are paid. Third how many people do you know employ a male housekeeper? Your argument is a nonsense.

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    Mute dublinlad72
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    Jan 11th 2013, 6:30 PM

    @Mr Worf.

    You shut up.

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 7:24 PM

    @Mr worf

    My argument? What argument. I was stating a fact that in the eyes of the church, women are for little more than cooking and cleaning.

    If I were to “argue” the point, I would bring some facts to the table, like how im the early christian church, there ‘used’ to be women priests and even women popes. I would argue that most ancient religions were matriarchal as we were all born from women.

    But I’m not arguing the point as still in Ireland, there are morons who believe a story written and rewritten over thousands of years to be factual.

    These morons ignore the screaming evidence that this “story” is not even original but copied from the story of Isis, written over 2500 years before jebus fell out of his virgin, but married mother! (Look it up, also the Noah story was copied from Greek mythology, zeus wiped man from the earth in flood)

    These same morons accept that their so-called savior is responsible for all the good in the world, but the bad is their fault.

    ………………..rant over……..I DARE a Jehovah witness to call to my house today

    These morons have pumped countless monies into

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    Mute dublinlad72
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    Jan 11th 2013, 7:43 PM

    Ruairi,

    That was beautiful.

    Brings a tear to this Atheist’s eye.

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    Mute Ruairi O' Sullivan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:00 PM

    @dublinlad

    Anything I can do to help the poor initiated escape their conditioning.

    I forgot to mention that in the original writings, Jesus was born around April, but the church changed it hundreds of years later to make it easier to convert ” pagans”.

    If I may quote a great man…….

    ‘Ah pidy da food’…..Mr T (B.A Baracus)

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    Mute dublinlad72
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:14 PM

    Where have you been all my life?! Haha.

    I often do wonder why on earth people believe some of the tripe that the Church says.

    Honestly!, a bunch of celibate old men, who have not changed their ways in over 2,000 years, trying to tell the world how to live. Don’t even get me started when they take a moral high ground… Baffling!

    But hey! Maybe one day people will all wake up and think…. (Play from 1:10)

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1b2_1320116014

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:55 PM

    Thanks Ruairi,saved me typing all that!

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    Mute Gaius Gracchus
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:59 PM

    Another point is that in the early Roman church popes were allowed marry,but that was stopped because Rome got pissed off with their kids inheriting their wealth and land,they wanted to keep it all to themselves,something that’s conveniently brushed under the carpet

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    Mute Ted Power
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:03 PM

    They can sit at the table providing they lay it and make some nice cakes first!

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    Mute Rory Conway
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:22 PM

    And serve both before clearing away and washing up.

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    Mute Jamie Mccormack
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:37 PM

    Responsible for countless human-rights abuse’s, the maltreatment of women, the impoverishment of their people etc. whilst they themselves are disgustingly-wealthy… Not a nice bunch. However, they seem to get on very well with the Bush family.

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    Mute graham galvin
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:45 PM

    who are equally not a nice bunch.

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    Mute RobertOMaingain
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:56 PM

    Friend works there said its like the Dark Ages

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    Mute Kieran Fitzgerald
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    Jan 11th 2013, 3:56 PM

    Well, that’s the beginning of the end.

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    Mute kingstown
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:20 PM

    Maybe Mary Coughlan would like to go to Saudi and join that Council. One way of getting rid of her

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    Mute Michael Hayes
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:08 PM

    It’s all downhill from here… But seriously, a step in the right direction at least. Once they don’t introduce “quotas” like we’re planning too.

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    Mute David Hearne
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:12 PM

    At least it’s a step in the right direction

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 9:12 PM

    In fairness this a huge step for the Saudis. I know many of you will criticise me for saying so. But the treatment of women in Saudi is not the fault of the royal family but of Saudi culture as a whole. The Saudis living in the hinterlands are extremely conservative. They have treated their women folk in this manner for thousands of years long before Muhammad was even born. And they do not like change. The Royal family are only a symptom of the culture as a whole. The Talibans treatment of females is the same. Its going to take centuries for them to alter their way of thinking. We in the west have only given the vote to women 100 odd years ago. Up to the seventies here if a woman was working in the civil service she had to leave the job when she got married. She was expected to be a home maker and mother. And that was societies general view.

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    Mute padraig
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:59 PM

    Steady on Saudis. Next, you might be allowing women to drive!

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    Mute Irene Ryan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:24 PM

    That’s good of him a real gent

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    Mute Willie Penwright
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:32 PM

    Those medieval misogynists would be history without American and European weapons.

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    Mute john dilllon
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:14 PM

    Too be fair ,the lads down the pub didn’t see this coming, but reckon it’s a welcome move

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    Mute dublinlad72
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    Jan 11th 2013, 6:30 PM

    Are you Richard Lennon in disguise ?

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    Mute RobertOMaingain
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    Jan 12th 2013, 12:11 AM

    If he is former US special forces he is…lol.

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    Mute Jonathan McDade
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    Jan 11th 2013, 4:06 PM

    Saudi Arabia they call International Women’s Rights Day, Tuesday!

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    Mute Joe Sixtwo
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:01 PM

    A disgusting regime and vile society.

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    Mute ellen gough
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    Jan 11th 2013, 8:32 PM

    thank goodness! any change for the better is good!

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    Mute Gus Whearity
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    Jan 11th 2013, 6:23 PM

    A step to far!!!!

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    Mute Larry Murphy
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    Jan 11th 2013, 7:02 PM

    Where is far? Too much to ask?

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    Mute RobertOMaingain
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    Jan 12th 2013, 6:48 AM

    Despite all this zionist inspired rhetoric over Iran at least there they can vote (since 1963), drive their own cars as well as taxis and are members of parliment.Saudi doesnt recognize the state of Israel either.

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    Mute Tommy Hornblower
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    Jan 11th 2013, 5:46 PM

    God bless that man

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    Mute Kieran Harvey
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    Jan 11th 2013, 9:33 PM

    Well one have to commend the ‘no female drivers’ rule at least! :-P

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    Mute C.P. Horan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 7:59 PM

    No ladies day in the Saudi golf clubs though can’t be all bad!

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    Mute Niall Lonergan
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    Jan 11th 2013, 11:41 PM

    Biggest mistake of his life!

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