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512ke

macrumors 6502a
Sep 10, 2003
577
186
If earnings are going to be good, why not announce his departure after earnings are reported? Apple must have known that this press release would further tank the stock in the short term at least.
 

mcfrazieriv

macrumors 65816
Jan 30, 2012
1,105
2,843
Looking at the bigger picture, there are thousands of people that carry the culture through Apple, and if not a hundred managers that hold the same ideals.... however, when the two top people responsible for the awesome-ness of the retail have both left... we will most definitely see change.

I wouldn't go as far as stating that Apple is on decline, but I would state that the Apple that existed 5 years ago does not exist today. :(
 

davida

macrumors newbie
Jun 23, 2003
26
25
jobs was gonna be a hard act to follow and i think everybody knew it. has apple ever really had someone at the helm who could measure up to him? Doubtful they will ever again, either.

Of course there is nobody who encompasses the foresight, creativity, talent, trendsetting capabilities, insider connections, devotion and stubbornness Jobs had. But to select the next guy down just because he is there is where I think Jobs' mistake was. His second big one (after refusing surgery and trying mystery medicine until it was too late).

The first one cost him his life.......the second one will cost him his company.

As great as TC is at what he does, creativity, trendsetting and talent do not seem to be among his strengths.
 
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Glideslope

macrumors 604
Dec 7, 2007
7,942
5,373
The Adirondacks.
Interesting......

An outside hire? An outside coming back inside?

Taking too long whom ever. Maybe people are not as eager to "jump on the train" as once was?

Going to be a watershed appointment for Tim. Pressure cooker baby. :apple:

----------

Jim Bean, a VP of Finance at Apple, will be moving to the retail division.

Thoughts?

Possible. Xerox CFO Luca Maestri was just hired by Apple. IMO, Peter Oppenheimer is getting ready to spend more time with his family.

So, the CFO could be the new hire? Not such a big deal. :apple:
 

ElRojito

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2012
329
584
Apple execs don't seem to love the products as much as even some of the retail employees do. They have too much money, not enough passion. Apple products are losing that "baked with love" feeling.
 

coolfactor

macrumors 604
Jul 29, 2002
7,060
9,728
Vancouver, BC
It's clear that Cook should have NEVER left his COO position - he is good for supply chain issues and ONLY that.

The moment he assumed CEO responsibilities, he lost control of his own boat (just see iMac and iPhone supply problems).

The only possible worst choice than him would be Michael Spindler, trust me.

I don't think you can place the entire blame of iMac and iPhone supply problems on Tim's shoulders. Apple is pushing the boundaries of what can be manufactured in mass quantities at their very strict specifications, using new processes. Technology is moving fast (!) right now, it's amazing they are keeping up as well as they are, if you ask me.

----------

Steve Jobs also recommended John Sculley.

Sidetracking, but I can't think of another CEO that was as hands-on with the primary products as Steve was at Apple. That's really what marked a big part of their success. A leader so focused and passionate about the key direction of the company, nobody can ignore them.
 

Michael Scrip

macrumors 604
Mar 4, 2011
7,929
12,480
NC
Apple execs don't seem to love the products as much as even some of the retail employees do. They have too much money, not enough passion. Apple products are losing that "baked with love" feeling.

Corporate executives are not product people. Even at a product-oriented company like Apple.

But I understand what you're saying. The retail folks should have more passion about the products than the folks "upstairs"
 

jdechko

macrumors 601
Jul 1, 2004
4,230
325
You personally may think the store is "stagnant", but have you actually been in one lately? The one closest to me is *rammed* with people during trading hours. On the past few times I've been in there for genius appointments and so on, the place has been packed.

Yes it's packed, but that's not necessarily a good thing. When you have to wait for 45 min for your genius bar appointment because they're running behind, that's not a good thing. When it take 20+ minutes to find a specialist capable of answering your question, it's not a good thing. When you have to wait to find someone to go to the back to get your computer that you're ready to spend thousands of dollars on because every Specialist is busy talking with the teen girls and guys, it's not a good thing.

Honestly, how many MR members wouldn't rather order online and have it shipped to their house without bothering to deal with the crowds.

Sales are up and that is a good thing. The Apple stores are immensely profitable per square foot and that's a good thing. But to say that there is no room for improvement is simply untrue.

This is going to be a telling year.

If Apple doesn't innovate this year then I'm afraid the future will not be so bright.

Define "innovate" because that's such a b***s*** term that everyone loves to throw around in the tech industry.

Samsung, Google, et. al. aren't innovators. They throw every half-baked feature they can cram into Android Phones, and they do it half-a**ed. NFC is a solution in search of a problem. Bigger screens! More megapixels! Big freaking deal.

The entire ultrabook market is a response to the ultraportable market from 10+ years ago, focusing on thin and light. Finally the technology has caught up so that they can compete with desktops. And that applies to the MacBook Air too. Even still, very few companies (maybe Dell and HP) have a distinctive design instead of just copying the popular wedge shape. (I'm not saying that Apple invented the wedge-shaped computer, just that it's been their signature style in the past few years while everyone was producing giant bricks).

So who, in your mind, is the innovator? Or does that just sound like the popular thing to say?
 
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CapnJackGig

macrumors 6502a
Jul 17, 2011
572
0
Looks like Apple's falling apart without Jobs. Good. Maybe they'll learn some hard lessons and come back less arrogant and less lazy. iOS has needed a complete overhaul for years. Do it.
 

ugahairydawgs

macrumors 68030
Jun 10, 2010
2,959
2,457
I love it when there's a personnel move at Apple. Always amazed at the number of people that like to throw in their $0.02 like they have really any clue about what they are talking about in terms of its potential impact.

Maybe we'll catch wind that Apple is shifting to a new janitorial service for the main campus and people can chime in on the implications of that as well.
 

ElRojito

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2012
329
584
Corporate executives are not product people. Even at a product-oriented company like Apple.

But I understand what you're saying. The retail folks should have more passion about the products than the folks "upstairs"

Which bums me out, I thought I'd never say it -- I have trusted Tim Cook and I still do, Johnny Ive is awesome -- but Jobs said "I had all this money and it didn't matter, what mattered was the company, the products we were making." I just wish we had execs that were as passionate as, say, I am.

--
I'm also not saying that the fire is dying or anything, or doom and gloom, I'm just saying that something exciting needs to happen.
 
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sbailey4

macrumors 601
Dec 5, 2011
4,500
3,134
USA
I love how apparently the easiest thing to believe about this is that Apple is completely 100% dead as a company.

Not that maybe, this guy doesn't want to miss his kids growing up just to make products for people who are just going to bitch and complain about them on here anyway.

Not to mention wonder how many $$$$$ he is worth after 12 years at Apple? Why WOULD you stay and work 20 hrs a day and miss life. Especially when you have the funds that I am sure this guy has. Heck go enjoy some of those dollars you worked countless hours for and enjoy life a little.
 

ElRojito

macrumors 6502
May 6, 2012
329
584
Yes it's packed, but that's not necessarily a good thing. When you have to wait for 45 min for your genius bar appointment because they're running behind, that's not a good thing. When it take 20+ minutes to find a specialist capable of answering your question, it's not a good thing. When you have to wait to find someone to go to the back to get your computer that you're ready to spend thousands of dollars on because every Specialist is busy talking with the teen girls and guys, it's not a good thing.

Honestly, how many MR members wouldn't rather order online and have it shipped to their house without bothering to deal with the crowds.

Sales are up and that is a good thing. The Apple stores are immensely profitable per square foot and that's a good thing. But to say that there is no room for improvement is simply untrue.



Define "innovate" because that's such a b***s*** term that everyone loves to throw around in the tech industry.

Samsung, Google, et. al. aren't innovators. They throw every half-baked feature they can cram into Android Phones, and they do it half-a**ed. NFC is a solution in search of a problem. Bigger screens! More megapixels! Big freaking deal.

The entire ultrabook market is a response to the ultraportable market from 10+ years ago, focusing on thin and light. Finally the technology has caught up so that they can compete with desktops. And that applies to the MacBook Air too. Even still, very few companies (maybe Dell and HP) have a distinctive design instead of just copying the popular wedge shape. (I'm not saying that Apple invented the wedge-shaped computer, just that it's been their signature style in the past few years while everyone was producing giant bricks).

So who, in your mind, is the innovator? Or does that just sound like the popular thing to say?
Thank you.
 

genovelle

macrumors 68020
May 8, 2008
2,102
2,677
Maybe he was forced to be the person in charge and had no option. So he left

Maybe he heard that apple didn't want him to take the lead so he left

Maybe he's worn out so he left

Maybe his wife threatened to leave and take the kids if he didn't spend more time at home spending all the money he made.
 
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