Apple CEO Tim Cook: Apple's 'Creative Engine' Has Never Been Stronger

[MacRumors]

During today's fiscal fourth quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that "obviously" the company is working on new products, but that he was going to keep things in the "cone of silence."

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not going to give any hints. We look at a lot of different things and we're fortunate to have a lot of creative people here that want to change the world and have a lot of great ideas.

Cook went on to say that Apple's "creative engine" had never been stronger and the company had never been more passionate, as evidenced with Apple's recent launches of Apple Pay and Apple Watch. Apple Pay, said Cook, is "classic Apple," with the company taking something old and outdated and focusing on making something "very elegant."

Cook also extolled the virtues of Continuity, which allows Macs and iOS 8 devices to integrate in new and innovative ways. "Use your imagination and think about where Continuity goes," said Cook. He went on to say that it would be "incredibly important" going forward for customers.

Cook said that Apple's investors should look at what Apple's done and what it has delivered, along with the skills of the company. Apple is the "only company on the planet" that has the ability to integrate hardware and software at a "world class level" according to Cook, but the company always has "more ideas than resources" to deal with. He also said as a personal investor, he "feels great" about products that are coming up in 2015.

While Cook declined to mention what products Apple might be working on, rumors have suggested the company has several new devices in the works that could significantly boost future sales, including a 12-inch Retina MacBook Air and a 12.9-inch iPad, dubbed the "iPad Pro" by the media.

Article Link: Apple CEO Tim Cook: Apple's 'Creative Engine' Has Never Been Stronger

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

I can see the debate here being even stronger than that statement.

 

[AnalyzeThis]

Not when it comes to mac-mini, NOT

 

[farewelwilliams]

iPad Mini 3

Classic Apple.

 

[Patriot24]

Somewhere right now, Gene Munster is writing a report that an Apple television set is coming out in 2015. It is for real this time, guys.

 

[CrazyForApple]

Well lets be creative on a new thunderBolt Display.

 

[SandboxGeneral]

Well, they didn't get very creative with the iPad Mini 3 or the Mac Mini. Here's hoping to a brighter and better future for these products. I hope.

 

[superram1234]

iPhone and iWatch launch - awesome

Macs for the last year and a half were just minor speed bumps or tiny redesigns. The mac mini just made me want to cri everytim

 

[ImSoSad]

So far Tim Cook's Apple seems to be focused more on ubiquity than coolness.

 

[Theclamshell]

Hopefully this 'Creative Engine' includes another 17" mbp....

 

[iHack13]

it should say "Apple's bowel has never been stronger"

 

[SusanK]

So far Tim Cook's Apple seems to be focused more on ubiquity than coolness.

He's even boring on an earnings call. I closed it out in less than 5 minutes.

 

[doug in albq]

love the "Get Smart" reference.

of course, the cone of silence never worked properly.

"Invented by "Professor Cone", the device is designed to protect the most secret of conversations (aka "C.O.S. security risks") by enshrouding its users within a transparent sound-proof shield. Unfortunately, Control had purchased the device from a "discount place" rather than the federal government, so it has never worked properly. Naturally, this frustrating situation provides fuel for comedy.

Whenever Maxwell Smart ("Agent 86") wants to speak to his boss ("Chief") about a top secret matter, "86" would insist on using the comically defective technology despite being reminded that it never works. The Chief, usually with annoyed skepticism, would press a switch, causing the device to descend from above his desk, surrounding the heads of the two would-be conversers. The awkwardly impractical device appears to be constructed of clear plastic in the shape of a large oblong box with two interconnected inverted bowls on top.

Part of the humor is in the irony that Agent 86 and Chief cannot hear each other clearly, while bystanders outside the Cone of Silence can hear everything they say as well as speak to them. Sometimes the bystander would even act as a relay so that Chief and "86" inside the device could communicate. Often at the end of the labored conversation, Chief would become terribly frustrated and upset as it quickly becomes clear that the Cone of Silence is (as expected) worse than useless. In one episode, when Smart was questioned as to why he insisted on using the Cone, he responded that it was 20 degrees cooler inside."

Wikipedia

 

[pbasmadj]

I like Tim Cook but his problem is not having enough edge. Jobs was able to pull that off so well. You continually hear Cook say that Apple has its "strongest product suite ever" - clearly an allusion to the doubt that that might not be true now that Jobs is gone. He needs to have more edge and just say, hey, we're doing it. If you dont get it, get lost pretty much. That is why Jobs was so successful. In many ways, they do in fact have the best product suite ever. Yosemite is absolutely phenomenal, but he needs to stop acting like there is any doubt. And just be more matter of fact and less boring.

 

[tonyy]

Mini 3 begs to differ.

 

[Nozuka]

Continuity definitely has a lot of potential. Can't wait!

 

[Rogifan]

And Business Insider is already going nuts because Apple has decided to include Watch in an other products category along with TV, iPod and accessories. Tim Cook isn't stupid. Most likely Watch will not have iPad level success out of the gate so no reason to provide detailed information to the public/competitors.

 

[Edd.Dantes]

"Apple's "creative engine" had never been stronger"

Nope.

 

[ttss6]

Tim "Let's come up with new things for people to complain about and blow out of proportion! " Lead engineer: "Hey what should we do for the iPad mini 3?" Tim:

 

[Aluminum213]

I can't imagine the waterfall of creative juices flowing when they made the iPad Mini 3 and Mac mini

 

[inpinotveritas]

So we're shifting the rhetoric from 'product pipeline' to 'creatitivity engine', eh? Need less lip service and more fan service, methinks.

 

[840quadra]

Well they said there was a 5 year pipeline (which we are over half way through) in place when Steve Jobs passed away. This means stuff out now, and items recently released were likely in his sights when he passed away.

We may not know if Tim is telling the truth for a few years now. I hope all turns out to be awesome. I won't judge the fate based on the current 'Mini' products, as apple had many Road Apples both before, and after Steve's return too.

 

[AppleInTheMud]

I like Tim Cook but his problem is not having enough edge. Jobs was able to pull that off so well. You continually hear Cook say that Apple has its "strongest product suite ever" - clearly an allusion to the doubt that that might not be true now that Jobs is gone. He needs to have more edge and just say, hey, we're doing it. If you dont get it, get lost pretty much. That is why Jobs was so successful. In many ways, they do in fact have the best product suite ever. Yosemite is absolutely phenomenal, but he needs to stop acting like there is any doubt. And just be more matter of fact and less boring.

I love Steve for creating Apple - but I also love Tim. In my opinion he is just as good at what he does, as Steve was. I know for some of you this is almost like religion. But I'm not blinded by that.

 

[Oracle1729]

Not when it comes to mac-mini, NOT

Not when in comes to the whole mac line.

And the ipad air. A bit thinner, a bit newer CPU. Revolutionarily awsome They must have spent all their R&D budget on the iPad mini 3

And that apple pay is going to change the world, right. But why would any business outside the US bother offering it when iPhone doesn't have much market share and NFC and other smart payment systems have been around for years.

 

[kdarling]

There's nothing quite like having to toot your own horn.