Tim Cook 'Extremely Proud' of Ongoing Collaboration At Apple, Will Host Employee Meeting Tomorrow

[MacRumors]

Following today's fourth quarter earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook sent an email (via 9to5Mac) to employees to thank them for their hard work and to invite them to an employee communications meeting that will be held on Tuesday, October 29.

In the email, Cook notes that he is "extremely proud" of the ongoing collaboration across the company, reporting that business at Apple "has never been stronger."

Team,

We've just posted financial results for fiscal Q4, including record-setting iPhone sales. I am happy to report that Apple's business has never been stronger, and we are heading into the holidays within amazing lineup led by the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, the stunning iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display. You and your teams work incredibly hard to deliver the very best products in the world, and our customers simply love them. I'm extremely proud of the collaboration going on across the company and everything we've accomplished as result of this great team effort.

Please join me for an employee communications meeting tomorrow at 9 AM Pacific time. The meeting will be broadcast to locations throughout Cupertino and Apple offices across the world. AppleWeb has a complete list of sites where you'll be able to watch live or see a replay in certain time zones. We've also created a link on AppleWeb where you can submit your questions in advance, and we'll do our best to answer as many as we can during the meeting. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tim

The meeting will be held at 9 AM Pacific Time in Cupertino, and broadcast to employees around the world via a live stream or replay. Apple will also be taking questions from employees, which can be submitted on the internal AppleWeb.

Apple today announced that it had sold a record-breaking 33.8 million iPhones during the September quarter, up from 26.9 million in the year-ago quarter. Apple also announced a total of $37.5 billion in revenue, with a net quarterly profit of $7.5 billion or $8.26 per diluted share.

Article Link: Tim Cook 'Extremely Proud' of Ongoing Collaboration At Apple, Will Host Employee Meeting Tomorrow

 

[ZacNicholson]

apple is a cult

 

[Dewroo]

yep. everything going according to plan.

 

[jnc]

Pay your Store employees more, Tim. And hire more of 'em.

 

[keysofanxiety]

Pay your Store employees more, Tim. And hire more of 'em.

Agreed. They're overworked and underpaid.

 

[garya73]

And all the doomsday prophets on here predicting the failure of the company post-Jobs. phhhht.

 

[zbarvian]

Gah, I wish Cook was a better speaker. He says the same things over and over again.

It's stunning, simply love them, not even close, incredible.

And holy typo.

 

[JayCee842]

sounds like what he said last year.

 

[thekev]

Gah, I wish Cook was a better speaker. He says the same things over and over again.

He vaguely reminds me of Futurama.

 

[cyberslammer]

Oh, and one more thing...

We're buying Microsoft.

 

[ThomasJL]

Flat design: Cook should be ashamed, not proud

Collaboration is a good thing if it leads to innovation. However, when collaboration leads to a disaster like iOS 7's hopping on the flat design bandwagon, it is not a good thing. I thought Apple was above acting like teenaged girls by mindlessly following fashionable trends, but I was wrong. Windows 8 with it's flat design proved itself to be a dud. Then Google and Yahoo follow Microsoft's failed lead by implementing flat design. Then Apple jumps on the flat design bandwagon.

From the very first iPhone up until iOS 6, Apple's use of skeuomorphism was innovation. It made the most of Apple's industry-leading high-resolution Retina display. Skeuomorphism made the unfamiliar familiar, and made products more user friendly, even for non-tech savvy people.

For anyone who supports flat design and opposes skeuomorphism, I challenge you to answer this: If you could only chose one of those (flat design or skeuomorphic design) taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that skeuomorphic design taken to its extreme would result in something similar to iOS 6, whereas flat design taken to its extreme would be a command prompt interface with no GUI.

 

[Klae17]

Pay your Store employees more, Tim. And hire more of 'em.

Lol. Sure why not. Not that they don't make a lot of money already!

 

[SusanK]

Collaboration is a good thing if it leads to innovation. However, when collaboration leads to a disaster like iOS 7's hopping on the flat design bandwagon, it is not a good thing. I thought Apple was above acting like teenaged girls by mindlessly following fashionable trends, but I was wrong. Windows 8 with it's flat design proved itself to be a dud. Then Google and Yahoo follow Microsoft's failed lead by implementing flat design. Then Apple jumps on the flat design bandwagon.

From the very first iPhone up until iOS 6, Apple's use of skeuomorphism was innovation. It made the most of Apple's industry-leading high-resolution Retina display. Skeuomorphism made the unfamiliar familiar, and made products more user friendly, even for non-tech savvy people.

For anyone who supports flat design and opposes skeuomorphism, I challenge you to answer this: If you could only chose one of those (flat design or skeuomorphic design) taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that skeuomorphic design taken to its extreme would result in something similar to iOS 6, whereas flat design taken to its extreme would be a command prompt interface with no GUI.

Yes, they all play nicely together. Downside, the software is bad

 

[MellowFuzz]

Agreed. They're overworked and underpaid.

And sort out the damn ventilation. Apple Stores get too smelly, too fast.

 

[Glenny2lappies]

Never had so many issues...

iWork seems to be problematic.

iOS7's got a few issues

The MacBook Pro line-up is derisory and seems more like an iPad than a computer and is eye-wateringly expensive as one needs to pay now for the spec you may need later.

The Mac Pro is in its own league for price. An outstanding amount of money for a pretty case.

The iMac still uses spinning rust and isn't upgradable.

I've been a Mac fan for years but I really don't like the direction things are going. I know there's little choice between Macs and anything else, but they're definitely putting barriers in the way.

Peak Apple? Avarice?

 

[\-V-/]

Collaboration is a good thing if it leads to innovation. However, when collaboration leads to a disaster like iOS 7's hopping on the flat design bandwagon, it is not a good thing. I thought Apple was above acting like teenaged girls by mindlessly following fashionable trends, but I was wrong. Windows 8 with it's flat design proved itself to be a dud. Then Google and Yahoo follow Microsoft's failed lead by implementing flat design. Then Apple jumps on the flat design bandwagon.

From the very first iPhone up until iOS 6, Apple's use of skeuomorphism was innovation. It made the most of Apple's industry-leading high-resolution Retina display. Skeuomorphism made the unfamiliar familiar, and made products more user friendly, even for non-tech savvy people.

For anyone who supports flat design and opposes skeuomorphism, I challenge you to answer this: If you could only chose one of those (flat design or skeuomorphic design) taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that skeuomorphic design taken to its extreme would result in something similar to iOS 6, whereas flat design taken to its extreme would be a command prompt interface with no GUI.

You challenge us to have a different opinion than you?

iWork seems to be problematic.

iOS7's got a few issues

The MacBook Pro line-up is derisory and seems more like an iPad than a computer and is eye-wateringly expensive as one needs to pay now for the spec you may need later.

The Mac Pro is in its own league for price. An outstanding amount of money for a pretty case.

The iMac still uses spinning rust and isn't upgradable.

I've been a Mac fan for years but I really don't like the direction things are going. I know there's little choice between Macs and anything else, but they're definitely putting barriers in the way.

Peak Apple? Avarice?

I really dislike the move to non-upgradeable Macs... the Mac Pro being the dumbest Mac for that decision. A pro machine that can't be upgraded. Makes sense.

 

[koban4max]

cook, there's nothing to be proud of.........really.

 

[MellowFuzz]

Hey Tim, we don't care about collaboration - we care about innovation, quality and value, which may or may not be the result of collaboration. If a small group could achieve that locked in a room without collaborating with anyone else, that'd be fine.

 

[Glenny2lappies]

For anyone who supports flat design and opposes skeuomorphism, I challenge you to answer this: If you could only chose one of those (flat design or skeuomorphic design) taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that skeuomorphic design taken to its extreme would result in something similar to iOS 6, whereas flat design taken to its extreme would be a command prompt interface with no GUI.

It's not a one-dimensional choice of flat design vs. skeuomorphism, there are other alternatives such as appropriate design. IMHO there's nothing worse than the stupid notes app on the 'pad with its utterly trite faux leather; an utter disaster of form over function. Same with the awful torn page mess on the Mac calendar.

In 1992 it was cool. Twenty one years later I know what a calendar looks like; same with email and a contacts database. In short skeuomorphism has had its ugly day and should get back into its box with the other fashion disasters: flares and big collars. Yuck yuck yuck.

Just give me a calendar that works. A contacts application that integrates with my email properly (like the one with Mavericks *doesn't* -- try changing someone's email address).

Now it looks like Apple have wrecked the nascent iWorks applications which I for one was hoping would be a replacement for MS Office. Now they've taken a few steps backward. Progress, but not in the direction that people expected?

 

[joshdammit]

For anyone who supports flat design and opposes skeuomorphism, I challenge you to answer this: If you could only chose one of those (flat design or skeuomorphic design) taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that skeuomorphic design taken to its extreme would result in something similar to iOS 6, whereas flat design taken to its extreme would be a command prompt interface with no GUI.

So you're just making up your own arbitrary terms and challenging us to choose between "Something I like a lot" to "Something that is awful." Flat design has nothing to do with a command prompt. Nothing. At all. You can still have icons even if- you know what? This is why I don't take anybody seriously who uses analogies in place of actual, educated arguments. Then people who disagree with you have to explain why your incredibly slanted analogy was flawed, and the discussion just derails into a group activity of assembling the most accurate analogy.

Here, let me try what you just did, but with different examples:

For anyone who supports gun control and opposes gun rights, I challenge you this: if you should only choose one of those, taken to its extreme, which would you choose? Keep in mind that gun control would result in peace and love for everyone all over the world, whereas gun rights taken to its extreme would result in Sarah Connor's nuclear dream from Terminator.

For anyone who supports Han shooting first and opposes Greedo shooting first, I challenge you this: If you should only choose one of those, which would you choose? Keep in mind that Han shooting first would result in Star Wars the way it was originally intended, whereas Greedo choosing first means you park in the fire zone in front of businesses.

For anyone who supports vanilla and opposes chocolate, I challenge you this: if you should only choose one of those, taken to its extreme, which would you rather feed to your dog?

 

[scbn]

Agree. Apple keeps using the same words again and again every time they have something to announce.

Gah, I wish Cook was a better speaker. He says the same things over and over again.

It's stunning, simply love them, not even close, incredible.

And holy typo.

 

[joshdammit]

Just give me a calendar that works. A contacts application that integrates with my email properly (like the one with Mavericks *doesn't* -- try changing someone's email address).

I just opened Contacts, edited somebody's email address, then went into Mail, opened a new email, typed their name and got both their previous email address (which makes sense, as it's still in Mail's recent contacts, which is the same behavior as in Lion and Mountain Lion) as well as the new one I added.

What's the problem?

----------

Agree. Apple keeps using the same words again and again every time they have something to announce.

Apple needs to be more innovative with their vocabulary! They never innovate words anymore!

 

[rydewnd2]

You challenge us to have a different opinion than you?

Image




I really dislike the move to non-upgradeable Macs... the Mac Pro being the dumbest Mac for that decision. A pro machine that can't be upgraded. Makes sense.

The entire point of the new Mac Pro is upgradeability. Thunderbolt 2 will allow you to share components between your Mac Pro and MacBook pro. That video capture card that used to sit inside of your Mac Pro is now a modular add on, that can be used by all of your devices. It's actually quite innovative. And a portable Mac Pro will be quite a boon to creative pro's. I remember hauling Mac Pro's around to film shoots for live compositing.. not fun in the slightest.

 

[\-V-/]

The entire point of the new Mac Pro is upgradeability. Thunderbolt 2 will allow you to share components between your Mac Pro and MacBook pro. That video capture card that used to sit inside of your Mac Pro is now a modular add on, that can be used by all of your devices. It's actually quite innovative. And a portable Mac Pro will be quite a boon to creative pro's. I remember hauling Mac Pro's around to film shoots for live compositing.. not fun in the slightest.

I'm not arguing against the external expandability of the computer (which is immense), I was referring to the internal components only.

 

[Mr Fusion]

Cook is a great CEO, and at the same time is setting Apple on the same course to obscurity as Sony & HP before it.

He's maximizes profits by continuing to sell outdated models and re-packaging others (iPhone 5C.) He won over people by apologizing for Maps and donating to charities. He's aggressively expanding into new markets. You really couldn't ask for a better bean counter.

But all that isn't what made Apple the company I used to admire. I appreciated a simplified product lineup rather than selling anything it could still churn out (like every other corporation.) I was won over by hardware and software that not only looked good with attention to detail, but "just worked." And above all, I respected a company that wasn't out to be the biggest, but the best. They didn't listen to shareholders because they didn't have to: What they did was great and didn't need advice.

Instead, software and hardware are being rushed into mass production without proper testing. Attention to detail is gone. And Cook's obsession with China shows he hasn't gotten a clue from the last three decades of Corporate America failure in the worlds most populous nation.

My favorite lie out of the entire post-Jobs era: "Steve left us five years of product roadmap before he passed on." What a load of nonsense, perfectly crafted to calm stock prices. There is no roadmap. They don't have a clue what the "next big thing" is. And to be perfectly honest, not a soul in Apple's boardroom cares.

And why should they? The billions keep pouring in and they'll all be long gone by the time the revenues dry up.

I think through this reflection, I understand now why Apple, Sony & HP were most successful under their founders. If corporations were people, we'd classify most of their actions as psychotic. But if there's a "human" touch, from a leader that truly cares about their company, people see it in their products and recognize that quality. It resonates with them. And that's what made Steve so special.