What benefits exactly can be derived from driving without license plates that make it a "hack"? Avoiding getting arrested for hit-and-runs? Not getting tickets from red light cameras?
From what I recall, he didn't like the aesthetics of the license plate (to which I can't really blame him).
It's also because CA DMV is a bit of a shit show - buy a car and you won't have plates for MONTHS, so seeing cars with no plates (at least in the Bay area) is super normal.
As an ex-NYer (where such things are strictly forbidden, heh) it was a bit jarring to not have a plate for 3-5 months.
Since when does hacking necessarily involve benefit? It's a clever exploit, getting by without license plates, and I can imagine how that might be satisfying on its own, for purely aesthetic reasons; it doesn't need to be practical.
By your definition, wearing a wig and sunglasses to get away with shoplifting is a "clever exploit." Refusing to put license plates on your car so you cannot be identified for breaking the law is antisocial criminal activity.
"Clever" is a matter of opinion; it's hard for me to imagine what aspect of a wig-and-sunglasses stunt there could be which would make it seem clever, but I suppose it's possible.
Perhaps Jobs' strategy for avoiding license plates was "antisocial criminal activity" and perhaps it wasn't; I'm not a lawyer, and I don't really care - but what does that have to do with the question of whether or not it was a hack?
Not having license plates on your car can in and of itself be a benefit, if one doesn't want license plates on one's car. AIUI that was the benefit Jobs was looking for.
It's also because CA DMV is a bit of a shit show - buy a car and you won't have plates for MONTHS, so seeing cars with no plates (at least in the Bay area) is super normal.
As an ex-NYer (where such things are strictly forbidden, heh) it was a bit jarring to not have a plate for 3-5 months.