[nikuda]

Well, the story might well be completely made up, but the chances are higher that it was made up about Sony not Apple. Probably around the time of when the first Walkman was released.

Let's not forget that early Apple was modelled after Sony of the time. Also, under the context of Japanese culture the kind of attitude displayed by the 'boss' in the story is less striking or unusual.

[lurker19]

It is certainly plausible that Jobs could have heard the Sony story and then marched over to the iPod lab.