Well said. Even without a disruptive new technology coming, looking at things from a 5 years frame could worry most of the tech CEO's around the globe.
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Apple R&D Spending on Track to Top Record $10 Billion Amid Electric Vehicle Rumors
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Please OH PLEASE find me a ditch (fashionable or otherwise) where I can mint $18.4 Billion in pure profit in a "poor" quarter. I bet you would pay to jump in a ditch 1% as deep.
I'm not sure that I understand the rationale behind this comment. Apple is damned if they do nothing but continue to work on their legacy products. Simply throwing more money at them doesn't really advance them any faster. Apple is sitting on a cash horde and it is their responsibility to see where they can move the company next. While moving into the automotive segment may prove to be a mistake, I can't help but think that not even trying for the next big thing would be a bigger mistake.
As for Steve Jobs' plan, he has always talked about not dwelling on past accomplishments but to move on to the next big thing.
A car contains computers, however the process of designing a car is not as simple as designing a computer or smartphone.
A couple of reasons:
(1) An iphone and macbook serve the same function: displaying information which can be reprogrammed or edited to deliver a desired result. That cannot be said for a car.
(2) If a unit or component fails in a mac or iphone, then your whole product fails:
- the cpu fails, well goodbye iphone or macbook,
- the hard disk fails, up to the repair shop,
- the gpu fails, too bad, get a new one.
Thats because all units are installed in serie.
That is completely different with a car. A car is build as such that when one component fails, another component will take over the assignment. Such systems are designed in parallel and proper insight is required (safety, product specs, environmental issues, etc.).
If not properly designed, consequences can be disastrous (deaths).
(3) then there are the legal implications especially considering self-driven cars. Who is to blame for an accident (the car / or the passenger). This debate is ongoing.
I applaud apple for taking this risk, but if all their efforts are put into this project,....
Making an analogy between cars and iphone/macbooks/etc. is wrong, and just proves how much jibber-jabber is written on this forum.
As an endnote: The rumours of designing a car was well before they started hiring professionals of GM, Tesla etc at a speed. Its pretty obvious that this is a cry for help.
Yes and no. Yes because cars have been controlled by computers to a lesser or greater degree since the 1970s. No because cars will always be inherently mechanical devices by virtue of what they do, and what they do is governed by those bloody inconvenient laws of physics.
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I don't really get the Cult of Elon. His speciality is sexy companies that lose money. Even if Tesla was for sale (which I doubt) then it would be a boat anchor for Apple just on the basis of its lack of profitability alone. It would also be a poor fit given that the companies do not seem to be on an even marginally friendly or cooperative basis. Merger poison on all fronts.
First thing Apple need to do is redesign the logo for car so people don't associate with Chinese made electronics.
The new VR interactive porn rooms are already coming on line with the 360-cameras and Rift goggles getting consumer volume. Now that is a good investment if your moral compass allows it.
Electric and self-driving has to be what they're going for, but so is everyone else.
Hopefully, this is all cover for some revolutionary augmented reality display and interface.
The thing is, judging by the silly watch debacle, we know they're just kind of doing whatever is popular in silicone valley at the moment...so self-driving electric car is likely is.
Hopefully, this is all cover for some revolutionary augmented reality display and interface.
The thing is, judging by the silly watch debacle, we know they're just kind of doing whatever is popular in silicone valley at the moment...so self-driving electric car is likely is.
I assume folks like you are equally upset over Amazon doing rockets and Echo, Google doing rockets, SpaceX, self-driving cars and fiber, etc. You know, things in keeping with their main business plans.
Fair point if Apple wants to be a Google or Amazon-like company, but I've always felt like they kept to computers, and then spun out to consumer electronics. One of their big advantages was a focus on just a few products, and that does seem to be in the past.
I had to laugh at this considering what I've seen in companies on the Eastern Seaboard. Corporations can waste millions and never blink an eye.
Don't forget the Chicken French. Seriously those PH.D's love their chicken.
Well this I can't agree with, the automobile market is far more competitive than the computer market. Billions are lost or gained on how well a model rev will do in the market. It has been suggested that Ford gambled over a billion dollars just to make an Aluminum version of its pickup.
Beyond that I'm not sure why everybody thinks that all this money is going toons project. The car is certainly getting its fair share but Apple has a history of working with suppliers to deliver new technology for semiconductors, displays and other goodies. I would suggest that the money is spread across multiple product lines. Even the lowly MBP is likely to get a big overhaul this year and as such has its share of the budget.
That is complete ********.
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If they aren't willing to work let them starve. Seriously there should be no welfare without a bit of effort from,those the government supports.
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What makes you think Apple isn't involved in battery research? For that matter they are likely involved to some extent or another in everything you listed
Most certainly.
Well that we can't say at the moment. We will see when the car is delivered. However in the electric vehicle market there is plenty of space for a new player. Frankly there are few real options for an electric car beyond the commuter solutions out there. For instance nothing exists for the socker mom set. For that matter nothing really sets the contractor market off.
Turn VR into a porn first-person shooter and you'll make a mint. I am already sorry I suggested it.
I was going to start off by listing every product that desperately needs a refresh, and asked Siri to look something up but it failed.. again..
Honestly, if you can't see that Macbook Airs are out of date with giant Benzels, Iphones shouldn't have that ridiculous form factor, Apple watch is useless, and iOS is out of date, you aren't an Apple fan.
I love Apple but I won't blindly follow them. And if things don't change, I'll jump to an Android phone. It's funny, I have said this in the past, my imessage friends now are few and far between, and I'm not will to stick with Apple "just because" i'm scared of change. I want to stay with Apple because of a great product.. let's see what happens in Sept.
I still think Apple as an organization has amazing possibilities, I still have hope but it's lost some of it's star quality.
Similar sentiments were heard before the introduction of the iPad, and specially the iPhone so I'm not ready to write that rumored car off yet. Considering the amount of time they're taking, it at least appears, Apple is doing thorough research.
But it better be really special and have unique features, with broad appeal while also not priced into the stratosphere or Tim could be on the way out. Imagine the mood of the shareholders after all those untold billions of their cash wasted on an under-performer, with nothing else exciting on the horizon.....
Let's be optimistic and hope something revolutionary is on the way out of Cupertino. Until then, I'll drool over the up and coming (this fall) Prius Prime.
Not far off the mark.....
I wonder how many employees Apple has that "develop" products? Since virtually everyone there is developing something or another...
Gotta wonder what the annual payroll is. Has to be in the zillions.
10 billion R&D: I think there is a lot of creative padding in there defining "R&D".
I don't understand the ROI calculation for a consumer car. People do not buy cars with cash, then switch them every two years. Then you can't just manufacture millions of vehicles every year to make it up with volume. The dynamics of customer service, maintenance and warranty of a car are radically different from consumer electronics and a lot more expensive. The ROI for manufacturing a car sound a lot worse than that of a TV set.
Maybe they are working on a car sharing service where Apple owns the cars, and customers just pay for a subscription. A public transit enterprise?
Maybe they are working on a car sharing service where Apple owns the cars, and customers just pay for a subscription. A public transit enterprise?