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Koodauw

macrumors 68040
Nov 17, 2003
3,951
190
Madison
Most people here have way too little knowledge of Cook to realize that your answer is the best option. Cook has NEVER been a product person; he has ALWAYS been about margins. This is true now, and was true back when he was on the board of Nike defending the Nike sweatshop scandal.

People on MR bow to Cook purely because he's Steve's successor, not because they know his history or how he runs the organization.

He's been told to say that Apple is "laser focused" on products, so he has repeated it ad nauseum... nevertheless, people here still buy it hook, line, and sinker.

I would be interested in MR staff running a poll to see how people about the direction of the company, categorized by how long people have been forum members (new ones are often crazy zealots that tend to pretend they know everything, but fall of the forums with time).

I like you
 

lolkthxbai

macrumors 65816
May 7, 2011
1,426
489
It's a done deal. Apple will introduce a new category pretty soon. This is exactly how Apple introduced the iPhone, secretly kidnapping people to work on special projects. Except now it's hard to keep a secret of whose being moved around.
 

AidenShaw

macrumors P6
Feb 8, 2003
18,667
4,676
The Peninsula

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,084
31,015
I don't get why Cook didn't just make him a special advisor last year when he re-org'd. :confused:
 

ikramerica

macrumors 68000
Apr 10, 2009
1,542
1,832
Maybe no retina display because the retina versions in the lab don't measure up yet. I can think of three possible reasons.

(1) Battery life implications. Apple has set expectations of great battery life, and the further expectation of getting better each time. If the retina display causes a serious hit to battery life, it needs more cooking time to solve.

(2) Production issues. I don't think anyone will argue that the iPad Mini will sell a LOT more units than the Nexus 7. If Apple can't get the production guarantees needed, it's not going to launch.

(3) Thickness. This in a rational world would have not impact, but given the flack Apple took for a thicker iPad when it went retina, I can understand Apple being gunshy on it.

1. Many are finding the battery life too short on the existing, probably because it's so light and thin. I guess retina will make it worse. The big iPad battery is probably overkill, but the mini is underpowered to keep it light.

2. Victim of their own success. If you can't produce a product because too many people will want it and your suppliers, you are stuck. Or you need to stop outsourcing all your parts, buy manufacturing facilities, and build your own parts at the rate you need. If you have excess capacity in the future, sell the parts to others. If you can't do that, you are stuck with the ebb and flow of those who are innovating for you while you sit back and wait for them to give you the things you need.

3. The thickness of the retina iPad wasn't as bad as the heavier nature of it. I own one. I hate it. It's to freaking heavy to hold with your hand for any length of time, so you must use stands and props and it's annoying and makes it a far less usefull product. If I have to rest it on something flat to make sure it is usable and visible, I might as well just use my far more useful and powerful MBP 13", which is what I end up doing.
 

Amazing Iceman

macrumors 603
Nov 8, 2008
5,242
3,987
Florida, U.S.A.
"Should I stay or should I go" :p

"If I go there will be trouble... and if I stay it will be double" :D

I think he may feel more useful working in R&D than at the executive level.
Geniuses get bored pushing paper and signing checks; they need to be in the middle of the action.

----------

IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE FOR :apple:!

..iOS 7.. Bob Mansfield leaving.. Scott Forstall fired.. Steve Jobs is no more :(

Wow, you really panic easily.

Good thing you are not in charge of pushing the "Nuke" button :D
 
Last edited by a moderator:

dogKman822

macrumors member
Oct 27, 2012
50
2
USA
Tim Cook at WWDC 2014 "We at Apple have been working hard on this for the past -number of years- and it is with pleasure to announce... The iWatch.

That's the "Special project"
 

Arfdog

macrumors 6502
Jan 25, 2013
377
0
1. Many are finding the battery life too short on the existing, probably because it's so light and thin. I guess retina will make it worse. The big iPad battery is probably overkill, but the mini is underpowered to keep it light.

2. Victim of their own success. If you can't produce a product because too many people will want it and your suppliers, you are stuck. Or you need to stop outsourcing all your parts, buy manufacturing facilities, and build your own parts at the rate you need. If you have excess capacity in the future, sell the parts to others. If you can't do that, you are stuck with the ebb and flow of those who are innovating for you while you sit back and wait for them to give you the things you need.

3. The thickness of the retina iPad wasn't as bad as the heavier nature of it. I own one. I hate it. It's to freaking heavy to hold with your hand for any length of time, so you must use stands and props and it's annoying and makes it a far less usefull product. If I have to rest it on something flat to make sure it is usable and visible, I might as well just use my far more useful and powerful MBP 13", which is what I end up doing.

#2 that explanation is wrong. OEMs are not victims of supplier's ebb and flow. It's the exact opposite. Supplying parts is a cutthroat business. The competition guarantees Apple will get what it needs. If Apple design is so far on the cutting edge that their best suppliers still can't make parts in volume, with good yields, then in-sourcing will not help because they are limited by the same production deficiencies.
 

smulji

macrumors 68030
Feb 21, 2011
2,827
2,698
Tim Cook at WWDC 2014 "We at Apple have been working hard on this for the past -number of years- and it is with pleasure to announce... The iWatch.

That's the "Special project"

Assuming for a moment you're right, I'm hoping TC pulls the trigger on an Apple TV (as in actual TV) project. Maybe it's just me, but I still don't see the big deal with wearable tech.
 

IbisDoc

macrumors 6502a
Apr 17, 2010
527
371
If this guy actually considers the first generation MacBook Air as one of his accomplishments, his demotion was long overdue.
 

gatearray

macrumors 65816
Apr 24, 2010
1,130
232
While I hate to see such talented people leave, it is nonetheless inevitable. Noone can go on forever. Change is a part of life. There have to be bright young dedicated personel who have been under his guidance and wlll be ready to take the reigns.

I'm not prepared to abandon ship just because senior officials are nearing retirement. It happens at ALL companies. Even Apple!

True points all.

People seem to forget that this guy is around 60 years old and has been working like a slave at Apple for the last 10+ years, many of those under Steve, aka "the world's most demanding boss"...

It's not hard to imagine that Bob's exceedingly wealthy and exhausted by this point.
 

sseaton1971

macrumors 6502
Feb 9, 2012
431
11
Here we go again... Another change, and people start acting like the end is near for Apple. Without Mansfield, Apple will be fine. The thing is: Mansfield is not even leaving Apple. He is no longer on the executive leadership team, but he is still going to be doing important work... reporting directly to Cook. I am guessing this means he will still have a lot of influence, right? :rolleyes:

----------

Hmm not sure what to think of this news. We all knew he was going to leave Apple by 2014. But it would be really weird if he's leaving in the middle of 2013 with the upgraded Macbook Pro's, Mac Pro, iMacs, Mavericks, iPhone, iPads still to come.

He is not leaving in the middle of 2013, according to Apple. He will remain at Apple, working on special projects and reporting directly to the company's CEO.
 

Nebrie

macrumors 6502a
Jan 5, 2002
613
150
True points all.

People seem to forget that this guy is around 60 years old and has been working like a slave at Apple for the last 10+ years, many of those under Steve, aka "the world's most demanding boss"...

It's not hard to imagine that Bob's exceedingly wealthy and exhausted by this point.

I would be shocked if the reason wasn't his health condition. If say, heart disease runs in his family, his doctor would absolutely be begging him to cut back on stressful activities.
 

jread

macrumors regular
Sep 17, 2012
190
0
Austin, TX
The thickness of the retina iPad wasn't as bad as the heavier nature of it. I own one. I hate it. It's to freaking heavy to hold with your hand for any length of time, so you must use stands and props and it's annoying and makes it a far less usefull product. If I have to rest it on something flat to make sure it is usable and visible, I might as well just use my far more useful and powerful MBP 13", which is what I end up doing.

Jesus tits man! If a 1.5-pound iPad is too heavy for you then you may want to consider a gym membership.
 

HurryKayne

macrumors 6502a
Jun 9, 2010
982
13
My guess is he is leaving to avoid the coming storm with their removal of the dedicated GPU from the Mac Book Pro.

:D

..or maybe even because of the friction against the decision to rid out te d-Gpu
from the laptop and to swap the Gpus in the new...MacBin-Pro..:cool
this way..we we'll have soon an Ap-Tel..with very expensive techs like thunderbolt in it...happy?no.
Maybe its just retiring,maybe,something more serious is boiling below there.
 
Aug 26, 2008
1,339
1
Maybe he still wants to work at Apple but feels he can't really fulfill SVP duties.

Only thing that is odd is that Apple won't comment. Of course, when do they ever?
 

thekev

macrumors 604
Aug 5, 2010
7,005
3,343
I think heads are rolling because no one expected a retina like screen In the nexus 7. Something tells me next ipadmini won't have retina

I'm not sure whether that is even his determination. It could be, but it is partly a matter of cost and priorities. The ipad 3 became heavier with the retina screen, and the mini didn't exactly track the 3's hardware specs.

Bob now has enough money for a nice vacation (or two) so I suppose it is time to let him enjoy it.

If I was at the same financial point, it wouldn't be a thing of sitting on the beach. I would have a studio set up for painting in one room and an electronics lab in the other combined with at least a couple months of back country hiking out of the year. That is my idea of a vacation, but I'm weird like that.
 

flottenheimer

macrumors 68000
Jan 8, 2008
1,522
633
Up north
I thought 9to5Mac just reported that he was spearheading Apple's wearables project...

Maybe he is. And maybe he is now devoting all his time to that exact project without having any of the exec team duties take away his precious final workdays at Apple.
 
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