Apple CFO Luca Maestri Stepping Down

[wanha]

Am I the only one surprised by the breadth of Luca's new tasks?

According to the press release, he will "lead the Corporate Services teams, including information systems and technology, information security, and real estate and development"

"Real estate and development" doesn't fit with the rest.

IMO feels a bit like when Ive was given software design too so he wouldn't leave...

 

[ccsicecoke]

I would like to know if he was responsible for :
$200 surcharge on upgrades from 8GB ram to 16GB ram
$200 surcharge on upgrades from 256GB SSD to 512GB SSD

If so, he deserve to be fired

 

[InnSuu]

I'm convinced that if they have to turn around product design, they have to bring back Ive.

iProducts need to be practical. Less Ive, more buttons, please.

 

[BipedalOS]

As a Sys Admin, I totally agree. As a sys admin who has to use USB Flash Drives frequently, it is a soooooo annoying that I have to carry around a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Doesn't Apple have to use flash drives on their laptops? In their next redesign on their laptops, they should include a USB-A port...c'mon!

The change going back to ports was so welcomed. I hope they add more, especially on the MBP

 

[BipedalOS]

I would like to know if he was responsible for :
$200 surcharge on upgrades from 8GB ram to 16GB ram
$200 surcharge on upgrades from 256GB SSD to 512GB SSD

If so, he deserve to be fired

They need to cut those fees in half and it’ll still be “Apple like” but at least not major robbery.

 

[Ramchi]

Sindhi folks are excellent in getting butter out of already churned butter milk! Very good in making money out of every single angle available, they are excellent in mathematics, trading and in general business. Good for Apple.

 

[thekeyring]

Apple CEO Tim Cook said that Maestri has been an "instrumental" part of improving Apple's financial performance.

Thank goodness he improved the dire situation that Tim Cook inherited 😂

 

[thekeyring]

The best macs they have made since Jobs passed been AFTER Ive left. The whole "thin at all costs" was making their devices useless in professional settings. I dont care how pretty a device is if I need 40 dongles. I'd easily pay an extra $250 to NOT have to carry and buy dongles.

I mostly agree with you, but let me share an anecdote.

I was at a large corporate client HQ just after the newer, chunkier, MacBook Pros were released and was speaking to someone who had just got a new one. I was asking how he liked it.

He said he preferred it over the old one because of the ports and speed, but ended his mini review "not as nice as the old one though" or "I miss how thin the old one was".

You and I prefer the new design, I don't miss how thin the old ones were, but I think it's easy to live in a bubble. I think Ive made calls that weren't quite right, but it's a closer balance than people give him credit for.

 

[StoneJack]

he retires as a mutilmillionaire no regrets

 

[bgillander]

I can't find any USB-C flash drives. Most flash drives are still USB-A. If you find any that are USB-C, that would be great.

I picked up one of these for a good price and was pleasantly surprised how well it worked with the dual A&C interface. I ended up getting several more of the 400MB/S because they were also much quicker than the USB-A keys they replaced.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-256GB-Ultra-Drive-Type-C/dp/B0CKJYS8JS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RK0VO2TX5ELA&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.3SYQc6-cs_HrsBX0cufjtKmkJHlQ3CLGuJHA7Oj_Ns09f5sduwv_nnNbswkI-e8Ziy-eQueQItKYYzpisqfE9YGTA1Ym-Tv_04dkeK29EV7Y8LyK5p-F31-tPlY_GF7-1O0dOa5ibRgV4hLRf2kbD818DwA3uBa0URSb-ESkqwCWYXZSS3ptM-sNuBzQHOjoJm0pGqRDV3Th9NPAxS-WQcqZP_ZORNhaDm89AkvKwOs.5QXUg3aU90xfZDYaX9cCxgLSN6R7VTfeV6Wu1dNgqiM&dib_tag=se&keywords=sandisk%2Bultra%2Bdrive%2Bgo&qid=1724752441&sprefix=sandisk%2Bultra%2Bdrive%2Bgo%2Caps%2C100&sr=8-1&th=1

 

[nnoble]

You want to stick with that accusation? You could be opening yourself for defamation, slander, etc.

This is an example of someone who thinks it's ok to casually throw a brick, just for fun. When challenged they will say it's their right to 'free speech'. Whereas at one time they would have been condemned and made to retract, they now just square up and assert their 'rights'. The host forum turns a blind eye and if the OP strikes lucky the accusation could seep into the media. Success and a bright light in an otherwise mediocre existence. The OP is either ignorant of obligations and consequences regarding malicious free speech or has some vague understanding of the issue but has been emboldened by the example of elected officials who set the benchmark for society. The answer is to bring home the consequences by forwarding a link to Luca Maestri's team in the hope they will take action, albeit unlikely. Meanwhile MacRumors is providing the platform and enabling a possible slander. It's clickbait and they're desperate for the hits.

 

[tomtad]

Cook next please

 

[spartan1967]

Why not - be specific? There could be a dozen or two reasons why he wants to leave.

Read the entire article from Bloomberg & you will understand my points. Not saying you will agree, but you will understand.

 

[bollman]

As a Sys Admin, I totally agree. As a sys admin who has to use USB Flash Drives frequently, it is a soooooo annoying that I have to carry around a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Doesn't Apple have to use flash drives on their laptops? In their next redesign on their laptops, they should include a USB-A port...c'mon!

What old crap are you managing if you need USB-A flash drives? 🤔
I mean, even PCs have had USB-C-ports since at least 5 years back

 

[cocky jeremy]

Ah, so Luca Maestri is the one to blame for Apple's greed, not Tim Cook. Maestri's the one in charge.

It isn't greed. It's the literally the entire purpose in businesses existing. To make as much money as possible.

 

[Haiku_Oezu]

I can't find any USB-C flash drives. Most flash drives are still USB-A. If you find any that are USB-C, that would be great.

I got a SanDisk Dual 128GB flash drive off Amazon for like 15 bucks, it’s both USB-A and USB-C, a slide switch allows you to toggle between the two connectors

It’s a bit on the chunky side but it the best flash drive I’ve ever owned

 

[bpb]

The best macs they have made since Jobs passed been AFTER Ive left. The whole "thin at all costs" was making their devices useless in professional settings. I dont care how pretty a device is if I need 40 dongles. I'd easily pay an extra $250 to NOT have to carry and buy dongles.

I guarantee that 40 dongles is utterly unnecessary. If what you want to do can't be done with a single multi-port adapter I'd be shocked. 2 if for some reason you need to spread bandwidth about. The dongle panic is silly and, frankly, nonsense.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

He’s not retiring, or even leaving the company at all.

Then again, he’s 60, and he earned $25m+ per year for the last decade. It’s likely that he will want to retire in a couple of years anyway and this ensures a stable transition to the next generation, which is a healthy way for this kind of thing to proceed.

Apparently the average age of a Fortune 500 CFO is 53. Kevan Parekh is 52, and a veteran of the company. Seems like a good time to make the change.

9to5 Mac have got this spot on, it's Jony Ive 2.0. He is effectively done, this is being spun like this so as not to spook investors

 

[redheeler]

The best macs they have made since Jobs passed been AFTER Ive left. The whole "thin at all costs" was making their devices useless in professional settings. I dont care how pretty a device is if I need 40 dongles. I'd easily pay an extra $250 to NOT have to carry and buy dongles.

I have some bad news for you.

The obsession with thinness is alive and well within Apple even without Ive. Already (as of this year) advertising iPads as the “thinnest Apple product ever,” the last couple iPhones getting thinner again and causing controversy, and there are rumors the next MacBook design will be thinner.

Apple does not learn from past mistakes.

 

[beermode]

Took me about 5 seconds. You work in IT?

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-128GB-Ultra-Drive-Type-C/dp/B01EZ0X55C/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?crid=3RRTGEP62A9NS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Ev6U2SGNl4KDNyRkzTfDMZWL1tlW5u1T56wAwBJfySaUzhNZf01U41W-fJt6f4eTmN1vZQMP5bh2wj7FuQnmf633pYI6F9sUCQLTytMWyQo2IAoYr0YK6Wl7XlhCA4DJLfbEoKcEDvtmehYvzYj_4HI12f5DVkbPBKS8vDSbLti9pNBGNOzLGTyPHp-N5GNnwhnlv6SS-XVYo5Knwzqx6g.iKjDCKPDXwvqXzEo5HktXD2HW0QtN9lSKGg9mQdti2E&dib_tag=se&keywords=usb+c+flash+drive&qid=1724715954&sprefix=usb+c+fl,aps,129&sr=8-4

Hey, I know you are trying hard to dunk. But I'm a sysadmin and we don't like replacing hundreds of perfectly fine drives just stay avant garde.
Also dongles suck for any input devices like touch controls for projectors. So much for Apple being EDU minded.

 

[beermode]

What old crap are you managing if you need USB-A flash drives? 🤔
I mean, even PCs have had USB-C-ports since at least 5 years back

A lot of enterprise servers, switches and firewalls do not have USB-C. It's not "old crap". I still lug around a Lenovo to support my network stuff. (Plus Apple sucks at remote desktops, virtual machines, etc.).

 

[ghanwani]

iProducts need to be practical. Less Ive, more buttons, please.

The best macs they have made since Jobs passed been AFTER Ive left. The whole "thin at all costs" was making their devices useless in professional settings. I dont care how pretty a device is if I need 40 dongles. I'd easily pay an extra $250 to NOT have to carry and buy dongles.

I am sure Ive is capable of designing a system with buttons and ports. They did have machines with those things during his tenure. Since he left, the products look out of proportion--you can tell they were designed by committee.

 

[CarAnalogy]

Wait is this sarcasm? They absolutely should not include a USB-A port. Buy USB C USB drives! Putting USB A on devices will delay the adoption of USB C. It’s a nuisance

USB-C is happening, but USB-A is not going away for a long time. One USB-A port wouldn't hurt. It's not just about buying USB-C drives, it's about what those drives (and cables) have to plug into. USB-C is not always an option.

They did an SD-Card port. Arguably USB-A would be more useful and is of the same generation. If they can fit HDMI, they can fit USB-A.

I'd also love to see an Ethernet port but I know I'm dreaming on that one. I do wish they'd make the charger with the Ethernet integrated widely available. I don't believe they do, maybe it wouldn't work with a MacBook, but I would love to see that.

 

[szw-mapple fan]

As a Sys Admin, I totally agree. As a sys admin who has to use USB Flash Drives frequently, it is a soooooo annoying that I have to carry around a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Doesn't Apple have to use flash drives on their laptops? In their next redesign on their laptops, they should include a USB-A port...c'mon!

On the off chance this isn’t sarcasm… there are plenty of flash drives with A and C plugs one of the two ends of the drive.

 

[Arsenikdote]

The best macs they have made since Jobs passed been AFTER Ive left. The whole "thin at all costs" was making their devices useless in professional settings. I dont care how pretty a device is if I need 40 dongles. I'd easily pay an extra $250 to NOT have to carry and buy dongles.

Things don't have to be either or. For MOST of Apple's life they have strived to provide form and function. In some cases they opted for the future of technology and for form OVER the function of today's tech. They got rid of the disc drive and many people complained. This allowed the machines to be thinner and for laptops, more portable. Was this too soon? Maybe, maybe not. But they have been doing this for a VERY long time. I personally don't want them to stop whether Ive is there or not. Did Ive push things too much towards form? Maybe, but not because of dongles. That was Apple going all-in on USB-C just like they have gone all-in so many times in the past. Maybe other examples of form over function would argue with Ive being gone, but Ive didn't set the standard of moving to new technologies before they were mainstream.

As a Sys Admin, I totally agree. As a sys admin who has to use USB Flash Drives frequently, it is a soooooo annoying that I have to carry around a USB-A to USB-C adapter. Doesn't Apple have to use flash drives on their laptops? In their next redesign on their laptops, they should include a USB-A port...c'mon!

Here you go. They're both solid state.

There is always a balance between when you are pushing people "early" and a person just being a grandpa and yelling for the kids to get off their grass.

Any SysAdmin I know is not a minimalist, almost by necessity. The number of things carried around....a simple adapter is NOTHING in the grand scheme of things. Plus, as pointed out, USB-C "thumb drives" do exist. Asking for a USB-A port on a 2024+ machine at this point is yelling for the kids to get off the lawn 🤣