Apple Set to Become First $4 Trillion Company

[citysnaps]

It does also show that one does not run a successful business by giving customers everything they want, because everyone basically wants more of something for less cost.

Rather, Apple continues to leverage on their control over hardware and software to create a sufficiently differentiated experience that users are willing to pay a premium for.

I might be more sympathetic if this were insulin or some other life-saving medication we were talking about, but really, Apple products are discretionary purchases. At the end of the day, Apple does not owe any of us anything. They put out a product, priced at a point they feel represents the value it provides, and the market will decide.

Spot-on assessment. The market always decides what's important and overall value.

Judging by Apple's massive success and customer base, they've certainly hit the sweet spot.

 

[I7guy]

Apple is cutting jobs across its Books and News apps

About 100 roles are reportedly impacted, including some engineers.

www.theverge.com

Wow a company with 100,000 lays off 100. You proved us wrong that apple isn’t all motherhood and “apple pie”. Good for you for showing us the light. /s

Note: us refers to the universe of people who believe that apple under cook since 2011 overall is doing a good job. Please excuse me if I accidentally included you in this group of people.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

It does also show that one does not run a successful business by giving customers everything they want, because everyone basically wants more of something for less cost.

Rather, Apple continues to leverage on their control over hardware and software to create a sufficiently differentiated experience that users are willing to pay a premium for.

I might be more sympathetic if this were insulin or some other life-saving medication we were talking about, but really, Apple products are discretionary purchases. At the end of the day, Apple does not owe any of us anything. They put out a product, priced at a point they feel represents the value it provides, and the market will decide.

This post makes it sound like Steve Jobs was handing out iPhone 4's free on a street corner.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Wow a company with 100,000 lays off 100. You proved us wrong that apple isn’t all motherhood and “apple pie”. Good for you for showing us the light. /s

Note: us refers to the universe of people who believe that apple under cook since 2011 overall is doing a good job. Please excuse me if I accidentally included you in this group of people.

I've read this four times now and i'm still none the wiser. Congratulations or sorry this happened to you.

 

[CarAnalogy]

I'll go with how he currently engages with the public. 1+ Billion active and repeat customers, and Apple being one of the most successful tech companies in the world speaks volumes.


"Every word I’ve ever heard him spoken has clearly been pre-written and very carefully chosen. About as off the cuff and animated as he ever gets is earnings calls."

Of course Cook prepares well and chooses his content and words very carefully. He's a professional. As an aside, I've done the same when making presentations to customers.

Seems you're unhappy simply because his approach and personality is different than Jobs'.

Again, Apple's massive success and customer base size speaks volumes. I wouldn't change a thing regarding presentations.

Can you be more specific about what you mean by “technical talk?” Are you expecting him to talk about Apple Development Frameworks, hardware or software technology, AI systems design, material sciences, operations technology, or something else?

I suspect that Tim Cook can give a better technical talk on supply chain logistics and optimization (operations technology) than any other CEO today because that is arguably more important to Apple’s success that what most people consider “technical.”

This is more important than Apple Silicon, software frameworks, AI technology or any other technical underpinnings of Apple’s business because of Apple’s billions of units scale (which encompasses device manufacturing plus producing, developing and maintaining software and support services for users at this scale). This is Tim Cook’s expertise and genius and the reason that Jobs chose him to lead Apple (“Real artists ship”). But I’m not sure if that would satisfy your definition or expectation.

And what’s wrong with his personality — the guy is a decent, humble, thoughtful, demanding but respectful person who speaks mindfully — what’s wrong with that?

You guys are taking this way too seriously. I'm not unhappy and I'm not talking bad about Cook at all.


Am I the only one that thinks a comparison between "developers developers developers developers" Ballmer and "We think you're gonna love it" Tim Cook is funny?

Someone said he's their current Ballmer, and I just thought that would be an interesting mix of personalities. That's all.

If we really wanna go there, for the record, I like Cook better than Ballmer.

 

[I7guy]

I've read this four times now and i'm still none the wiser. Congratulations or sorry this happened to you.

The reply reflects on the post quoted. Yet more nitpicking at everything apple in this sea of news regarding the valuation.

 

[trip1ex]

Expensive stock. See it going the other way. Risk free 10 yr treasury pays 4.6%.

Apple paying under 2.5%. Not much growth these days. Some pricing power but 20bn from Google under pressure as are App Store fees

 

[turbineseaplane]

a comparison between "developers developers developers developers" Ballmer and "We think you're gonna love it" Tim Cook is funny?

(above) .. and the Windows 95 launch dancing (below) are my favorite "dorks in tech" moments of all time
I honestly miss it ... now we seem to have super villains or "finance" masquerading as product leadership

 

[eltoslightfoot]

(above) .. and the Windows 95 launch dancing (below) are my favorite "dorks in tech" moments of all time
I honestly miss it ... now we seem to have super villains or "finance" masquerading as product leadership

I can’t believe I have gotten old enough for people to miss Steve Ballmer! This is wild!

 

[heretiq]

You guys are taking this way too seriously. I'm not unhappy and I'm not talking bad about Cook at all.


Am I the only one that thinks a comparison between "developers developers developers developers" Ballmer and "We think you're gonna love it" Tim Cook is funny?

Someone said he's their current Ballmer, and I just thought that would be an interesting mix of personalities. That's all.

If we really wanna go there, for the record, I like Cook better than Ballmer.

Thanks for the clarification. I remember the Microsoft Ballmer period and equate Ballmer with stagnation more than his inane “developer” chant — so I didn’t get the joke. In either case I consider the comparison to Ballmer as unwarranted disparagement of Cook who is arguably amongst the most effective CEOs in history. I appreciate the clarification that this was not your intention though.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I can’t believe I have gotten old enough for people to miss Steve Ballmer! This is wild!

I don't miss him specifically, just the previous eras when tech was dorkier and more out of the mainstream

Now we have laser focused villains backed by HUGE equity, gaslighting us at every turn

It was more fun before everything was gamified surveillance capitalism on ketamine

 

[CarAnalogy]

Thanks for the clarification. I remember the Microsoft Ballmer period and equate Ballmer with stagnation more than his inane “developer” chant — so I didn’t get the joke. In either case I consider the comparison to Ballmer as unwarranted disparagement of Cook who is arguably amongst the most effective CEOs in history. I appreciate the clarification that this was not your intention though.

Ha yes exactly. I was actually disagreeing with the comparison in a trying to be funny way. I distinctly remember Ballmer and was a Windows system administrator during his and Sinovsky's reign (of terror.)

Cook is definitely no Ballmer, in many ways.

Also I think it's kind of funny that Cook is the only one of the aforementioned people in this thread not named Steve.

 

[maxoakland]

On one hand, people love to point out how Apple has only a very small market share in every industry they compete in and that they are constantly one flop away from irrelevancy.

On the other hand, they are accused of earning too much money and power.

Apple has a huge market share in the phone and tablet space and a respectable market share in the computer space

This ends when people decide that Apple no longer makes products good enough to justify paying a premium for over the alternatives.

That’s the beauty of the free market.

The free market isn't free when companies are allowed to get so big they can control smaller companies

 

[maxoakland]

is it that you don't want Apple to be the first or you don't wan't any company to be the first?

The valuation is driven by financial analysts who have their own well-being in mind and make you invest in "stuff" so you can retire at age 50 ...

and as for Apple, past performance, current offerings are such that Wall Street is excited and does what I said above.

I don't want any company to be the first. Where'd you get the idea from my statement that I'd be OK with a different company getting there first?

 

[I7guy]

Apple has a huge market share in the phone and tablet space and a respectable market share in the computer space

It's true (compared to Linux, but not compared to phones that run android) in the smartphone space: Global market share: As of December 2024, Apple's iPhone (iOS) has a 27.93% market share, while Android has 71.42%. Now it may be different if the individuals models are compared, instead of comparing by operating system type.

The free market isn't free when companies are allowed to get so big they can control smaller companies

This was always the case, everywhere, for all of time. Except in the EU, where regulations forced Apple to give away it's IP for free to anyone who asks.

 

[maxoakland]

This was always the case, everywhere, for all of time. Except in the EU, where regulations forced Apple to give away it's IP for free to anyone who asks.

That's a disingenuous way to describe the EU. What they're doing is protecting consumers from abuse

 

[I7guy]

That's a disingenuous way to describe the EU. What they're doing is protecting consumers from abuse

I disagree. Consumers don’t need to be protected from a discretionary lifestyle product where competition exists that gives them them the functionality they want.