Tim Cook Speaks About Apple Maps, Samsung, and Apple's Future in TV Interview with Brian Williams

[Radio]

Originally Posted by hayesk

Were you expecting him to spill all (or any) of Apple's secrets on TV? Why else do CEOs do interviews go on TV - it's always for PR.


In general, American consumers have shown time and time again that they want to pay lower prices and they want their stuff made quickly. To do that, you must manufacture in China.

Now Mac Pro customers - they've shown they can wait, and they've shown they will pay a premium. The Mac Pro (or whatever its replacement is) is likely the model of Mac that will be manufactured in the US.

Don't look for US-made iPhones and iPads any time soon. The mobile market is too cutthroat to facilitate it.



Tim Cook is likely tired of hack journalists still asking "What would Steve do?" He went on TV to show the world that he is running Apple; not the ghost of Steve.

Do everyone a favor and watch a Steve jobs interview.

The man is prolific

He is energizing

How can u feel energized behind this Tim Cook?

Honestly this interview has me worried about apples domination.

This I command

[GenesisST]

Originally Posted by gugy

too bad people keep comparing Cook to Jobs.

Communication, carisma and style is not one of his core strengths. But for sure Steve saw something on him that would keep Apple moving forward in his absence.

Have some faith on the guy, so for Apple has been doing very well and like or not Steve also failed on many levels too in the past, so Cook has the right to fail as well.

For one I think he can be a very good CEO and take the company to new heights.

Personally, I didn't find Steve Jobs charismatic... He just annoyed me... It's my opinion, even if I'm not allowed to say it...

[ixodes]

Originally Posted by Radio

Do everyone a favor and watch a Steve jobs interview.

The man is prolific

He is energizing

How can u feel energized behind this Tim Cook?

Honestly this interview has me worried about apples domination.

This I command

Do yourself a favor. Find a calendar. Notice it's December 2012. You are allowing your life to slip away worshiping a dead man.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by ixodes

Do yourself a favor. Find a calendar. Notice it's December 2012. You are allowing your life to slip away worshiping a dead man.

Lol the man is ALIVE my friend! Alive in my heart!

RADIO

[topmounter]

Originally Posted by somethingelsefl

What...the..? Are purposely saying odd stuff just to become the top comment? Or are you saying that you want drink of Tim Cook?

Are you making an "Apple" juice joke? I'm so confused. What is happening to MR?!!!

"drinking the kool-aid" is a common metaphor in the US and Canada.

[morespce54]

Originally Posted by Mac21ND

Hopefully that would be for a new line of Mac Pro's, perhaps with a revised form factor.

Yep... Way much more thin... with a screen... without any super drive... and with integrated graphics...

[Robert.Walter]

Originally Posted by Ivan P

Tim Cook has been CEO for over a year and two months now, not "almost a year" as the article suggests.

You've pointed out a distinction without a difference.

[scorpio1973]

I enjoyed the interview and I like Tim Cook. He has a very calm, confident demeanor, IMO.

There won't be another like Steve Jobs, but I am looking forward to what Tim Cook gives us in the future.

[allan.nyholm]

He needs to speed up his talking - so slow talking it's amazing that there are no reports of people falling asleep during his keynotes. Maybe in all actuality it's his low-speaking voice that makes me think about going to bed early.

And a comment on the contents of the interview; more of the same. A one on one-keynote except it is broadcasted for all to see.

[iChrist]

Originally Posted by tech4all

No offense, but that sounds very naive. You don't know how he acts behind the scenes.

I have to disagree Steve Jobs was better Tim Cook. Tim just doesn't have that charisma Steve had during keynotes. He's just bland and not exciting IMO.

Steve did not have "charisma". He just sounded like an authoritarian know-it-all, who was in love with himself and his ideas. It makes it easy to convince simple people.

[Mac21ND]

Originally Posted by morespce54

Yep... Way much more thin... with a screen... without any super drive... and with integrated graphics...

Ah, I see what you did there, you... turned... ok, never mind.

[SockRolid]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

"But we want people to invent their own stuff."

There's your zinger.

[kerryb]

Originally Posted by allan.nyholm

He needs to speed up his talking - so slow talking it's amazing that there are no reports of people falling asleep during his keynotes. Maybe in all actuality it's his low-speaking voice that makes me think about going to bed early.

And a comment on the contents of the interview; more of the same. A one on one-keynote except it is broadcasted for all to see.

Not everyone in America know's that much about Apple and can compare the "mystique" of the late great Jobs to Apple's new CEO. It is high shopping season and this story was fantastic for Apple in a PR way. Tim Cook is soft spoken, articulate man and his appearance was not to shill iPads as it were Oxi-clean. He is head of the most valuable company in America and the leading tech company as well. Leaders can be thoughtful, sincere and low key and as opposed to used car salesmen pitch men like Steve Balmer of Microsoft.

[racer1441]

So, didn't really do a interview, just small clips, then 4 minutes of that big headed moron Williams chatting to himself.

[allan.nyholm]

Originally Posted by kerryb

Not everyone in America know's that much about Apple and can compare the "mystique" of the late great Jobs to Apple's new CEO. It is high shopping season and this story was fantastic for Apple in a PR way. Tim Cook is soft spoken, articulate man and his appearance was not to shill iPads as it were Oxi-clean. He is head of the most valuable company in America and the leading tech company as well. Leaders can be thoughtful, sincere and low key and as opposed to used car salesmen pitch men like Steve Balmer of Microsoft.

I didn't have Steve Ballmer in mind - I wasn't there at all. I've seen his performances.

I do like that Tim Cook is thoughtful and all that jazz.

[mrxak]

Originally Posted by MacMilligan

Mac Pro to be made stateside?

That's what I'm thinking.

[Jetson]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

It's a market that we see, that has been left behind. You know, I used to watch "The Jetsons" as a kid. I love "The Jetsons." We're living "The Jetsons" with this. It's an area of intense interest. I can't say more than that. But ...

Glad to know that Tim Cook is a "Jetsons" fan

[winston1236]

Originally Posted by STiNG Operation

Not much to compete with right now

Really? Apple and Samsung combined only have around 40% of the phone market.

[lazyrighteye]

As you inquire into issues and turn judgments around, you come to see that every perceived problem appearing "out there" is really nothing more than a misperception within your own thinking. 

- Byron Katie

We do realize this piece was for the 99.999% of the people that don't frequent these boards, right? Who have never heard the name Tim Cook, let alone MacRumors (I know, can be hard for us to imagine - but so very true). I found it a well-placed piece of pitch-perfect PR. Smart.

Personally, I'm liking what Tim's doing with the company. I'm not sure there have ever been larger CEO shoes with which to wear. And he's navigated such challenges with legit savvy and grace. A HELL of a year one.

For me, the restructure has been the most telling. Given me tangible hope that the best is yet to come. I'm not sure the company has ever been more poised to deliver that which we don't even know we want than at any time in their phenomenal history. This sentiment seems to be of the vast minority around here, but Apple's future looks bright and to be in really good hands. Time will tell. But if I was to wager... I'm liking my odds.

[mrxak]

Originally Posted by Michael Scrip

+1 for people buying a TV just because it has an Apple logo on it

But I'm really curious what all that television will do once they get it home...

People who cut the cord and buy shows from iTunes will love the new Apple Television. It will have an amazing interface and access to all that programming.

But MOST people subscribe to cable or satellite and have a DVR box... which will then be plugged into Input 1 on the back of this beautiful TV. At that point it won't make much difference which brand of TV you have... you're still at the mercy of the Comcast on-screen menus.

So... if you can live in the iTunes/Netflix/Hulu ecosystem... I think an Apple Television will be great.

But there are 100 million cable/satellite subscribers in the US... what will an Apple Television do for them?

If it's a 4K TV set, I'm all for it. I am ready to put 1080p TVs behind me even if the content isn't there yet. If it's just a 1080p, Apple-branded TV set, it's going to be a big yawn. I don't care how intuitive the touchscreen remote control is, and I still don't think Siri will work for changing channels.

Which is why I think Apple is going the STB route, not the TV route. If they bring content to your TV a la carte on demand without ads or schedules, that will very easily obsolete the existing television model. Look at what they did to music, making it available to you wherever, whenever, on a track-by-track basis. Music labels hated it, they wanted to sell physical albums, and sell you filler tracks you don't care about. They wanted DRM, they wanted restrictions on devices. Apple has, for the most part, convinced them now that there's a better way. Music was changed forever.

TV needs a similar shake-up. We should throw in movies, too, and why not? People are already not going to the movie theater as often as they used to. It should be relegated to the same crowd who likes going out to hear bands perform live at concerts, a special event, rather than everyday music listening. I think most people are happier watching new releases in the comfort of their own homes. So let's say all TV, all movies, it's all just video content created by a handful of major studios. Let's also accept the fact that everyone now uses DVRs and skips over ads, and even before then, they were leaving the room to urinate, get snacks, or sat around talking with their friends and family, rather than watching ads. The ad-supported television model has been broken for many, many years. It's make-believe, and while the studios have done a good job convincing advertisers that they're providing eyeballs with their video content, it's just not true. They need to adjust their model to either viewer-supported or product placement.

We all know what the future is going to be. Just as music piracy showed that music consumers weren't happy with the state of affairs in the recording industry, TV and movie piracy spurred on by faster and faster internet speeds, shows that video consumers aren't happy with the state of affairs in the television industry. Just as Apple was able to revolutionize the way people buy and listen to music, they can do the same with video. Apple already sells video, but it's not that good. Content is slow to arrive, and it's hardly complete. I know tons of people who use iTunes for music, I don't think I know anyone who uses it seriously for video.

Now, maybe Apple is going to bring out a TV set with a big hard drive in there and a fancy remote and UI, complete with wifi, airplay, all that stuff. But if the Apple TV is remarkable, it's going to be because of the service on the backend. If it's an easy subscription service that gives you unlimited access to all video content under the sun, kind of like a Netflix but with TV shows as they are made and movies as they're released, rather than delayed or restricted, it's going to be good. There can't be ads, because ads suck and I don't think Apple wants to sell ads again. You get the content you want, when you want it, on any device you want, streamed in 1080p for a flat monthly rate. That's great. Alternatively, you buy only what you want and you own it and can watch it how and where you like, and all that content is immediately available as soon as it's available anywhere else.

The point is, the physical TV Apple might sell is just an iPod, and an iPod isn't worth much without iTunes.

[greenmeanie]

I doubt you can afford US made products.
The first thing that is going to happen is a UNION will want in.
Then people will be making $30.00 hr to put screws in a case making Apples products 3 times as much as now.
Apple will fold in 2 years at that rate because no one is going to buy MAC PRO costing 10K

Originally Posted by luqtotheman

I hope more products move from the slavery of china to the US and support our economy.

[Slizzard]

I sincerely enjoyed watching this video. Proud to be an apple fan!

[amps211]

Originally Posted by AppleScruff1

I was hoping for a little more depth in the interview. I don't think there was much substance there.

That interviewer guy is a joke. Has access to a brilliant CEO and wastes 1/2 his time trying to get insider info. What a douche.

[gugy]

Originally Posted by mrxak

If it's a 4K TV set, I'm all for it.

The hurdle is the content. There is not much at 4k and it will take years to become mainstream.
Apple challenge is more about distribution than actually the quality( 720p/1080p/4k) of the content.
Not sure a TV set is the game changer, but a system to deliver content that you want on demand.
I believe the solution could be in a box (ATV?) and not the TV set itself.

[mrxak]

Originally Posted by guzhogi

For Mac Pros, I feel a little sad for them. It's like a little of a chicken and the egg thing. Apple doesn't update them frequently because it's low volume. It's low volume because Apple doesn't update them. Before anyone says it, I know, most people don't need the power of a Mac Pro, but I've seen quite a few posts on other threads that say "Why buy a Mac Pro when an iMac/MBP is just as powerful?"

As technology advances, and people are consuming more and more high-data content, computers need to get more powerful to handle it. If they don't, the content will stagnate and content-consumption devices will stagnate too.

In the next few months, I'm going to start editing video with bitrates of 50-72 Mbps. Before too long, those bitrates are going to go higher and higher. The Mac Pro needs to keep up. I'm hoping a new (actually new, not the fake new they tried to pass off at WWDC) Mac Pro is forthcoming, so I don't have to edit that video on outdated hardware. They promised 2013. Let's hope it's very early 2013.