How do you view Apple? Jobs vs. Cook

[Appl3FTW]

i had a discussion with my coworker today (android fan) and i thought it was interesting.

for him, he likes apple but he thinks that apple isn't doing what it's supposed to do. he says that it stopped innovating and it's basically losing the game to samsung. he does give it cred that apple gives out the best design and quality products but also thinks that they are not leading the technical specs of the competition.

i told him that there's a steve jobs Apple and then there's a tim cook Apple:

Steve Jobs:
Hands on CEO: innovator
Restricts apple as being a premium niche product: if you can afford it price point
Is not willing to cater to competition: no 7" iPad just because competition is selling it


Tim Cook:
Less hands on CEO: business minded
Allows apple products to cater to broad consumers: high price and affordable (cheaper iphone rumor)
Is willing to bend the rules in the direction the market is going: released iPad mini

i like both, but at this point of the game apple is doing a fine job bending the jobs mentality to adapt the ever evolving market. if they don't do it, they will go down in a spiral.

[throAU]

IMHO - it is too early to tell.

The way I see Tim Cook:

Not being a designer / tech head himself, he let the status quo run for a year, observed how the players in the company interact, and then made some changes to re-arrange responsibilities and get rid of non-team players.

It would not surprise me if his STRENGTH is knowing that he himself is not a tech head, and trusting others with talent to work in the areas they are best at.

I think his recent re-shuffle has been pretty on the mark, and this coming 12-18 months we may see the fruits of that.

You can't expect a figure such as Jobs to be replaced and the company to have a seamless transition to a drastically different style of management. That said, I think apple has done very well so far.


Remember: Steve wasn't necessarily the designer behind a lot of the stuff apple put out. he may have been chief product tester and have the final say of when something is "good enough" for market, but there are many talented individuals behind each product.

I think Ive perhaps has the taste and drive to take over the "product QA" role that Steve performed, but time will tell. Perhaps he isn't caustic enough when required, maybe he is.

[RAPTORSKI]

In my opinion, Steve Jobs was an amazing boost to Apple but I am fine with Tim Cook where he stands today.

Apple needs to move on from its past, improve its supply lines (especially with all in one Macs), and innovate while utilizing futuristic technologies.

[Kilamite]

They haven't stopped innovating.

The iPhone and iPad maybe put into people's minds that Apple will release some new product category often.

They are the same they always have been, generally overpriced for the technical specs of a machine, and being tight and controlling over how much customisation you can do before you buy your Mac.

I was hoping Tim Cook would give us more BTO's, such as matte screens.

[Arran]

Some of the sparkle seems to be lacking at Apple lately. Maybe because they haven't entered a new product sector for a while? When they do enter a new sector (like MP3 players or smartphones or tablets) they bring so much new thinking to the table that they just can't fail.

I'm thinking they need to get into something completely different again? How about: airlines, fast food restaurants, housing, cars or white goods? They could really shake up those stodgy sectors where innovation has been forgotten.

[rdowns]

Originally Posted by Appl3FTW

i had a discussion with my coworker today (android fan) and i thought it was interesting.

for him, he likes apple but he thinks that apple isn't doing what it's supposed to do. he says that it stopped innovating and it's basically losing the game to samsung. he does give it cred that apple gives out the best design and quality products but also thinks that they are not leading the technical specs of the competition.

i told him that there's a steve jobs Apple and then there's a tim cook Apple:

Steve Jobs:
Hands on CEO: innovator
Restricts apple as being a premium niche product: if you can afford it price point
Is not willing to cater to competition: no 7" iPad just because competition is selling it


Tim Cook:
Less hands on CEO: business minded
Allows apple products to cater to broad consumers: high price and affordable (cheaper iphone rumor)
Is willing to bend the rules in the direction the market is going: released iPad mini

i like both, but at this point of the game apple is doing a fine job bending the jobs mentality to adapt the ever evolving market. if they don't do it, they will go down in a spiral.

The iPad mini was released a year after Jobs death. No way that it wasn't being worked on under Jobs.

It is far too early to compare the two. Apple is still working off Jobs plans.

[Appl3FTW]

i agree in all viewpoints... i think it's the high expectations of the consumers that's making them think otherwise.

[throAU]

Originally Posted by Arran

Some of the sparkle seems to be lacking at Apple lately. Maybe because they haven't entered a new product sector for a while?

This.

Smartphones = commodity now
Tablets = commodity

They need the new "wow" product category we don't even know we need yet.

[Kilamite]

Originally Posted by throAU

They need the new "wow" product category we don't even know we need yet.

The next 'new' product releases will be:

- Apple television
- Apple iWatch

[Appl3FTW]

they were onto something with the 6thgen iPod Nanos turning into watches. they should've stick with that idea and ran away with it.

iPod nano should've been a watch
- wifi
- cellular data
- front camera/facetime
- siri/voice to text

it would've been SICK!!!

[throAU]

Originally Posted by Kilamite

The next 'new' product releases will be:

- Apple television
- Apple iWatch

Not sure on that.

Why have an apple iWatch when you already have an iPhone with a clock on it? It's just a form factor change.

Apple TV i think there is something in, but it's been a rumor for ages.

Maybe something to do with siri integration and c-bus into your house?

Communicate with your home via mobile network from your iphone - "please turn AC on" before you leave the office so it is cool when you get home. Or "please unlock front door" when you have a friend get home before you do and call you. Who knows...

[phoenixsan]

Jobs: creative, marketing guy, passion for design and quality, master of the approach "if you want Apple, you have to pay for it", peoples person, charismatic leader

Cook: logistic and efficency mastermind, pipeline and supply chain specialist, the glue binding the team in the post-Jobs era

Pick your poison...

[Kilamite]

Originally Posted by throAU

Not sure on that.

Why have an apple iWatch when you already have an iPhone with a clock on it? It's just a form factor change.

iPhone belongs in my pocket, a watch belongs on my wrist.

The ability to get unobtrusive notifications to a watch would be nice.

[help4desk]

Originally Posted by Appl3FTW

i had a discussion with my coworker today (android fan) and i thought it was interesting.

for him, he likes apple but he thinks that apple isn't doing what it's supposed to do. he says that it stopped innovating and it's basically losing the game to samsung. he does give it cred that apple gives out the best design and quality products but also thinks that they are not leading the technical specs of the competition.

i told him that there's a steve jobs Apple and then there's a tim cook Apple:

Steve Jobs:
Hands on CEO: innovator
Restricts apple as being a premium niche product: if you can afford it price point
Is not willing to cater to competition: no 7" iPad just because competition is selling it


Tim Cook:
Less hands on CEO: business minded
Allows apple products to cater to broad consumers: high price and affordable (cheaper iphone rumor)
Is willing to bend the rules in the direction the market is going: released iPad mini

i like both, but at this point of the game apple is doing a fine job bending the jobs mentality to adapt the ever evolving market. if they don't do it, they will go down in a spiral.

Too early to tell, but Apple it's actually peaking sales of iphone and ipad in $ right now. Should the decline start, I expect something serious to happen in Apple.

[APlotdevice]

Originally Posted by throAU

Why have an apple iWatch when you already have an iPhone with a clock on it? It's just a form factor change.

Don't forget that pocket watches existed long before wrist watches. The reason the latter caught on in the first place is because people found that looking at their wrist was much more convenient than having to take something out of their pocket.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by help4desk

Too early to tell, but Apple it's actually peaking sales of iphone and ipad in $ right now. Should the decline start, I expect something serious to happen in Apple.

I doubt Apple would be in a different place right now if Steve was still alive. Only thing different might have been how maps was rolled out. I think he would have managed expectations on that better.

[Fed]

Jobs or Cook, it's all an Ive design

I'm not an Apple shareholder so I couldn't care less about the rest.

[Tomorrow]

The only reason I would care who the CEO is would be if I were an investor - and I"m not.

I'll buy a product I like, at a reasonable price. If that's Apple, then so be it.

[Liquorpuki]

Jobs kept Apple products premium, unique. To increase revenue, he'd rather enter a new market than commoditize existing hardware. The ability to enter a new market every few years, disrupt it and take it over is what made Apple unique.

Cook is slowly commoditizing Apple hardware. In the case of the cheaper iPhone, it makes sense because the budget phone market is up for grabs. But everything else - faster release cycles, throwing storage at consumers, etc, are things that weaken a brand. I know he's planning a market expansion with the iWatch but it's not really clear what his vision for that product is.

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

Jobs kept Apple products premium, unique. To increase revenue, he'd rather enter a new market than commoditize existing hardware. The ability to enter a new market every few years, disrupt it and take it over is what made Apple unique.

Cook is slowly commoditizing Apple hardware. In the case of the cheaper iPhone, it makes sense because the budget phone market is up for grabs. But everything else - faster release cycles, throwing storage at consumers, etc, are things that weaken a brand. I know he's planning a market expansion with the iWatch but it's not really clear what his vision for that product is.

We don't even know if the iWatch exists or if it does that it's called the iWatch.

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

We don't even know if the iWatch exists or if it does that it's called the iWatch.

What should I call it then?

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

What should I call it then?

I don't call imaginary products anything at all.

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

I don't call imaginary products anything at all.

Well that's a shame since we're on a rumor site and half the threads here are about products that haven't officially been announced

[Rogifan]

Originally Posted by Liquorpuki

Well that's a shame since we're on a rumor site and half the threads here are about products that haven't officially been announced

Well aside from the "iWatch" or "iTV" how many of these rumors are about brand new products that don't currently exist? I'm not one for naming things that don't exist.

[Liquorpuki]

Originally Posted by Rogifan

Well aside from the "iWatch" or "iTV" how many of these rumors are about brand new products that don't currently exist? I'm not one for naming things that don't exist.

Lot of rumors here are unvetted speculation about next gen iterations of existing hardware - form factors, specs, etc. Lot of these end up being total BS

Back to my point, Cook is hopefully smart enough to realize Apple gets its momentum by entering a new market every few years, taking it over, and using it to grow its ecosystem. Any talk about imaginary products acknowledges this