Key iOS Chip Architect Gerard Williams III Departs Apple

[PickUrPoison]

Mr. Cook is known for playing his part in saving Apple in the late 90s by streamlining production. That is where he earned his merits and history shows he was (and probably still is) good at that. Like really, really good. Doing this made him the perfect Lieutenant for Steve Jobs. Jobs decreed and oversaw the creation of products, Mr. Cook made sure production is ramped up and streamlined and therefore that Apple remained profitable. We know SJs tendency to be pedantic, so I figure that might not have been the easiest job in the world at times, to say the least.

That said, in order to be able to streamline production, you need desirable products in the first place. And that is not exactly Mr. Cooks particular strength. And it shows, more and more imo...

1) No one is disputing Cook is an operations and supply chain genius.

2) Desirable products (my list, you may disagree): Apple Watch, AirPods, iPad Pro, HomePod, iPhone, 12” MacBook (but I want a 14”!), Mac mini, iPad Pro, iPad mini. Desirable services: Apple Pay, Apple Music, AppleCare+, iCloud, iMessage, App Store.

3) Still no evidence of the oft-voiced “Cook is just a bean counter” criticism.

 

[cmaier]

I mentioned the iPad pro as one of the few products that has been updated post-Jobs.

AirPods are just wireless EarPods (which Jobs oversaw the development of). They have yet to be redesigned.

Apple watch is a post-Jobs product, but it hasn't exactly set the world on fire.

No, Steve Jobs had nothing to do with AirPods. Calling them ”just wireless EarPods” is asinine. The iPhone is just a Palm Pilot with OS X? The mac is just a ti-99/4a with higher resolution?

Such a stupid statement.

 

[Shirasaki]

Total drama queens on the outside looking in. MacRumors forums are an echo chamber of FUD grown in a vacuum of context and historical competence. I come here for a laugh.

I believe it must be a very hard laugh.

 

[09872738]

1) No one is disputing Cook is an operations and supply chain genius.

2) Desirable products (my list, you may disagree): Apple Watch, AirPods, iPad Pro, HomePod, iPhone, 12” MacBook (but I want a 14”!), Mac mini, iPad Pro, iPad mini. Desirable services: Apple Pay, Apple Music, AppleCare+, iCloud, iMessage, App Store.

3) Still no evidence of the oft-voiced “Cook is just a bean counter” criticism.

2) Mentioned products either are rooted in the pre-Cook era, not desirable, flawed, undesirable due to non-customer-friendly marketing decisions and/or heavily off the scale price-wise. Of course, part of this is very subjective

3) Flawed and/or seriously outdated products in combination with outrageous pricing and - considering resources available - lack of innovation do not suggest Mr. Cook might be a product visionary. However, it does suggest he is very focused on revenue and profit margins. There cannot be evidence for what is fundamentally opinon, so I won't claim the said is proof for anything.

Sorry, for off-topic.

 

[PickUrPoison]

2) Mentioned products either are rooted in the pre-Cook era, not desirable, flawed, undesirable due to non-customer-friendly marketing decisions and/or heavily off the scale price-wise. Of course, part of this is very subjective

3) Flawed and/or seriously outdated products in combination with outrageous pricing and - considering resources available - lack of innovation do not suggest Mr. Cook might be a product visionary. However, it does suggest he is very focused on revenue and profit margins. There cannot be evidence for what is fundamentally opinon, so I won't claim the said is proof for anything.

Sorry, for off-topic.

1) People have been complaining about Apple’s “outrageous” prices for at least 35 years. The only real difference in gross margin since Cook took over is that the large amount of revenue from iPhone dampened the fluctuations in its quarter to quarter variation.

2) Desirable products are desirable. And Watch, AirPods, HomePod are very innovative and are not Jobs products. High-priced doesn’t mean overpriced.

3) Opinions are all well and good, but so is data. Customers don’t buy undesirable, outrageously priced products. They buy desirable products that they think are worth the price.

4) Sure, Apple cancelled a product (and got egg on their face) and lost a good employee this week, but they’ll be ok. It’s nice that so many are concerned about Apple though.

 

[kstotlani]

Architects are a lot less important in CPU design than you’d think. (Not that they aren’t important, but everybody is replaceable, and Apple’s advantage is primarily in design, not architecture).

I didn’t understand the statement. Architecture forms the basis of design and isn’t independent. In fact architecture should be the framework for design.

 

[cmaier]

I didn’t understand the statement. Architecture forms the basis of design and isn’t independent. In fact architecture should be the framework for design.

You are speaking very abstractly. In the realm of CPU design, “design” and “architecture” are two different things. It is very rare for people who work on the architecture side to have much involvement in the design side, and vice versa (at least outside university projects and the like). The architecture is determined by the architects, who create a behavioral model and pass it to the designers (yes, there is some back and forth - it’s not just tossed over the wall). The designers than create a physical design that behaves like behavioral model. But the behavior is modeled at a very high level - it does not account for the vast majority of design decisions. For example, it knows you can perform three integer sums at once, but has no idea how each sum is actually calculated, how long those calculations take (at a granularity below pipe stage counts), etc.

 

[Ghost31]

Apple is definitely doomed now. Close up shop guys. We're done here

 

[Marekul]

How people can turn this into an anti-Apple diatribe is beyond rational thought.

I cam here to inquire when Gerard Williams III BEGAN working for Apple - what year - something that I didn't see in the article.
And I don't do Linkedin so I won't have to remove their cookies afterwards.

command shift N opens a private tab no need to remove cookies (about which i really wouldn't worry too much anyway.)

 

[Gogeta-Blue]

1) People have been complaining about Apple’s “outrageous” prices for at least 35 years. The only real difference in gross margin since Cook took over is that the large amount of revenue from iPhone dampened the fluctuations in quarter to quarter variation.

View attachment 829553

2) Desirable products are desirable. And Watch, AirPods, HomePod are very innovative and are not Jobs products. High-priced doesn’t mean overpriced.

3) Opinions are all well and good, but so is data. Customers don’t buy undesirable, outrageously priced products. They buy desirable products that they think are worth the price.

View attachment 829554

4) Sure, Apple cancelled a product (and got egg on their face) and lost a good employee, but they’ll be ok. It’s nice that so many are concerned about Apple though.

just wait 2 or 3 more years then shows that chart again
once they start making money on services, they will get even more lazy with software and hardware
apple gets money from technically every where
every time a developer sells an app on the App Store etc
so their earns are not just about hardware sales
now they are offering "services"

I don't wish them bad, I really want them to do good
but that is the problem, some people are happy with just anything
some others like quality and will not settle for less
specially when you are paying a high price for a premium or high quality product
the focus has shifted on apple simply because Tim is the CEO
is all about making money
there is nothing wrong with that
but you should become a doctor because you like saving lifes and of course you get paid for it
but don't become a doctor if all you want is to fill up your pockets with cash
because the people that are sick need a good doctor and that doctor doesn't care about the patient
just like Tim doesn't care about apple costumers
he see all of us as money sign

Steve focus was to make the best products and to make the best computers or devices

Tim doesn't share that same goal or vision
Tim goal is to make the share holders happy and to make apple more money
while the costumer gets lower quality products, buggy software and ridiculous prices

the law of gravity proves that everything that goes up, must come down, eventually sometime
unless you are floating on space
😀
the higher the altitude, the more catastrophic is the fall
a water drop can make a hole on a hard solid rock
just give it some time

most declines come after the highest peak

 

[killhippie]

just wait 2 or 3 more years then shows that chart again
once they start making money on services, they will get even more lazy with software and hardware
apple gets money from technically every where
every time a developer sells an app on the App Store etc
so their earns are not just about hardware sales
now they are offering "services"

I don't wish them bad, I really want them to do good
but that is the problem, some people are happy with just anything
some others like quality and will not settle for less
specially when you are paying a high price for a premium or high quality product
the focus has shifted on apple simply because Tim is the CEO
is all about making money
there is nothing wrong with that
but you should become a doctor because you like saving lifes and of course you get paid for it
but don't become a doctor if all you want is to fill up your pockets with cash
because the people that are sick need a good doctor and that doctor doesn't care about the patient
just like Tim doesn't care about apple costumers
he see all of us as money sign

Steve focus was to make the best products and to make the best computers or devices

Tim doesn't share that same goal or vision
Tim goal is to make the share holders happy and to make apple more money
while the costumer gets lower quality products, buggy software and ridiculous prices

the law of gravity proves that everything that goes up, must come down, eventually sometime
unless you are floating on space
😀
the higher the altitude, the more catastrophic is the fall
a water drop can make a hole on a hard solid rock
just give it some time

most declines come after the highest peak

Could you have fitted any more cliches into one post 😀
Saying that I have to agree, Apple has ridden on its brand for to long and now Chinese firms like Huawei and others like Google are producing outstanding hardware and software (look at low light imagery with one lens in the pixel or the new triple lens Huawei P30) Apple are riding a financial wave, but are running low on innovation, and CPU prowess does nothing if the product cant use it, Benchmarks which IRL mean very little might put the A12 ahead of Samsung's latest but the new Android skin Samsung use seems to have their Android phones opening apps faster than iOS 12 and that's saying something. Not that it really matters by a few milliseconds but it shows that the A12 is not being pushed and iOS 12 even though one of the best iOS releases in past years is still left wanting in some areas.

The iPhone camera used to be the phone camera to use, not any more. Apple need to step up, I mean the new iMacs are a lazy update, 720P cameras, Bluetooth 4.2, same as my BTO 1TB SSD i7 from 2017. I would have expected at least Bluetooth 5 and a better camera and updated ports, but no. Even the i7 2017 model beats the i9 MacBook Pro in some tests which is pretty amazing, and with Icelake coming later this year this update is poorly timed, but its just another stop gap for Apple. They seem to not have their finger on the pulse of new chipset releases, and in 6mths the 2019 iMac could be out of date, I mean even the i9 in the new 2019 iMac's are from October last year. The video below compares some real world benchmarks from the 2017 iMac and the i9 Macbook Pro and iMac Pro, some of the results are surprising.

Apple needs to be better than this, and have machines that are bang up to date and worth the high price they ask for a sealed computer that some units let you change ram on, while others don't.

 

[9081094]

As usual of late, exciting innovation by Apple! These updates really shine and excite!

What innovation? Did I oversee a thing? What’s new and exciting?

IMO they lost the design crown on everything about three years ago. IMO they also lost the edge of iOS compared to android in about that same timeframe. This year they lost the speed crown of their SoC. I’m wondering what’s next. At the pace Apple is evolving there must be a next soon 🙄
[doublepost=1554024532][/doublepost]

Austria, I have even more sick pictures for you, like you like them:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz

This post isn’t appropriate at all and I hope you remove it

 

[Marekul]

If you don't have an adult private life, I'll agree with you.
[doublepost=1554003921][/doublepost]
Austria, I have even more sick pictures for you, like you like them:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz

"The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against Britain in 1940 and 1941..."

What innovation? Did I oversee a thing? What’s new and exciting?

IMO they lost the design crown on everything about three years ago. IMO they also lost the edge of iOS compared to android in about that same timeframe. This year they lost the speed crown of their SoC. I’m wondering what’s next. At the pace Apple is evolving there must be a next soon 🙄
[doublepost=1554024532][/doublepost]
This post isn’t appropriate at all and I hope you remove it

Don't worry i am sure MacRumors staff will remove it for being off topic, like they did with my post concerning 5400rpm and hybrid drives in iMacs in an iPad thread....

 

[Wilderness-1902]

A series CPU for Mac?

 

[9081094]

"The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against Britain in 1940 and 1941..."



Don't worry i am sure MacRumors staff will remove it for being off topic, like they did with my post concerning 5400rpm and hybrid drives in iMacs in an iPad thread....

They did the same to my response commenting about the iMac for being off topic. While 95% is being off topic if you ask me 😀

 

[TheralSadurns]

totally agreed "everybody is replaceable"
so why some people think Tim is not replaceable
he should be the first one out the door

people that love services will love apple
people that love computers, devices etc
might not be so happy with apple lately
while many will still defend apple, others like me will simply call it like it is
no innovation and abandonware
that includes the Mac Pro and also let's promise and announce and not deliver air power
I think I said enough but I think I have some more things to say
let me just get it off my chest

can't wait to get rid of Tim, ever since he became apple CEO
the keynotes sucks big time, sorry but he doesn't have any charisma, he doesn't connect
at least not with me, apple is not like it used to be

hope someone comes alone that can turn this around
we need someone cool who also talks and understand technology
Tim just talk about percentage and numbers
sorry but that is the way I feel
nothing personal Tim, just business
[doublepost=1553964230][/doublepost]the reason why that man left is obvious
also the timing might be an indication
apple doesn't care about hardware anymore

Bring back Scott Forstall!

 

[skorpeon]

Tim Cook lost all of its credibility to lead . It created the most bizarre notch screen on the iPhone which absolutely makes no sense and isn’t a good exemplary.

It’s obvious that Tim Cook is not upholding the gold standard of its company product.

it's quite obvious you're that kinda person that sees's only bad things )

 

[partsofspeech]

1) No one is disputing Cook is an operations and supply chain genius.

Not because that he is a genius of supply chain, though he is certainly an excellent supply chain builder, it’s really because he is willing to work with slave factories with his conscience undisturbed.

 

[chatin]

This is actually are very big deal for Apple in that Cook is not managing the team that could dominate the chip industry like it was mission critical. Apple may be squandering a hardware lead by not keeping the team highly motivated and on task.

 

[simonmet]

Does this guy think he’s a royal or something?

 

[gnipgnop]

It only takes the departure of a high-level chip architect for both MacRumors and a lot of the more negative forum users to suddenly treat SoC design like it's still important to them. One of the biggest fads in the tech press with smartphones and tablets is to dismiss benchmarks and claim that the differences in chip design between Apple and it's competitors "aren't that noticeable in daily use". This is the exact opposite of what the tech press does with laptops/desktops, where benchmarks are always treated with reverence and Apple is routinely criticized for not immediately updating it's products when a new chip comes out. So many double-standards...

 

[Kabeyun]

Once a cheater always a cheater? Right? That's the logic I am hearing.

Um, what?

 

[gnasher729]

totally agreed "everybody is replaceable"
so why some people think Tim is not replaceable
he should be the first one out the door

Everybody is replaceable. Doesn't mean you throw out people who are very much improving the company. Compare Apple when Tim Cook started with Apple today. Today, Apple has three times the share price, three times the revenue, three times the profit. Tim Cook will be replaced when he is hit by a truck or retires. Until then, Apple will do anything to keep him.
[doublepost=1554037879][/doublepost]

All regular employees “cash out the stock” the day they receive it, via same day sales. For tax and risk reasons.

Some sell exactly enough to pay the tax bill, so instead of 1000 shares + tax bill you may have 427 shares, all taxes paid and entirely yours. Of course there is still the risk factor.
[doublepost=1554038268][/doublepost]

Saying that I have to agree, Apple has ridden on its brand for to long and now Chinese firms like Huawei and Google are producing outstanding hardware and software

I just read this article on theregister about Huawei software quality ("Huawei savaged by Brit code review board over pisspoor dev practices"). One example from the report: "In the first version of the software, there were 70 full copies of 4 different OpenSSL versions, ranging from 0.9.8 to 1.0.2k (including one from a vendor SDK) with partial copies of 14 versions, ranging from 0.9.7d to 1.0.2k, those partial copies numbering 304. Fragments of 10 versions, ranging from 0.9.6 to 1.0.2k, were also found across the codebase, with these normally being small sets of files that had been copied to import some particular functionality". That means if a vulnerability in OpenSSL is found, which happens from time to time, there is no way on earth Huawei can fix that.
[doublepost=1554038459][/doublepost]

Please open iOS and mac os to run on 3rd party hardware.

That's something that _you_ would like. Now tell us: How would that benefit Apple? Because if it doesn't benefit Apple, it's not going to happen. Apple has experience opening MacOS to third parties, and that experience wasn't good.

 

[Muzzakus]

Dang, and he was on his 3rd version

 

[notabadname]

People seem to forget that Apple has the ability to keep anyone that they feel is valuable. They have the pocket depth. People leap-frog around companies all the time. If they are prized enough, the company they are leaving can certainly make a counter offer to keep them. The fact that Apple doesn’t, also speaks volumes. It seems that at least half the people on this site know how to run Apple, know how to build a better chip and a better piece of hardware. Just think of the talent depth of the people that are actually in line to replace Gerard. They may not be MR members, but I think they can pull it off.