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New Profile on Apple CEO Tim Cook Details Influence on Product Development, iWatch Plans
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This statement is filled with ignorance.
Apple have changed their design to be more mainstream. And were the last of the trio do so.
Tim cook is a typical efficiency type middle man. There are thousands upon thousands of Tim cooks out there. Probably why a lot of people can relate to him. He's ordinary and does the work by the book. Even his presentation style copied Jobs. He's copied Jobs as much as he possibly could, from the wearing the same casual outfit, the same voice intonations on stage. That is where Jobs shone the brightest.
And the to the poster saying that Jobs v Cook, are two different eras for Apple. Are you saying that Jobs wouldn't be CEO if he hadn't died. Baloney. Jobs would still be CEO if he were here. Cook is the next option, that obviously doesn't make him the best.
When all is said and done, no one seriously could give a damn if Apple were more environmentally conscious or charitable. We liked Apple just enough in the past without those 'tickboxes' checked. As the great Stringer Bell once said 'It's about product mother******s, product!'
Quite a puff piece. I'm not a regular NYT reader. I didn't realize they had gone from adversarial reporting to the print version of Entertainment Tonight. The editors must be trying to get back into Apple's good graces after the Times p.o.'d Steve Jobs with its iPhone 4 Antennagate reporting and effectively became newspaper non grata.
Reading the profile the reader never learns Cook's stint as CEO thus far has been mercurial with botched hires and product launches. And to speak about product development when his accomplishments here could be put on the smallest size post-it note is pointless. NYT should have held the story for later this year when supposedly we are going to see a huge swath of new products, according to Cook, et al.
Me, I'll do just that; wait and see if Cook can walk the walk with actual insanely great new products, and judge him on his actual accomplishments moving the company forward.
Also for the snap readers: this isn't about Jobs v Cook. Jobs is departed and isn't coming back. Cook has his own style and that's not nec worse. The only question is can he take Apple to the land of the next big product or does he continue to ride the tails of Jobs products.
Reading the profile the reader never learns Cook's stint as CEO thus far has been mercurial with botched hires and product launches. And to speak about product development when his accomplishments here could be put on the smallest size post-it note is pointless. NYT should have held the story for later this year when supposedly we are going to see a huge swath of new products, according to Cook, et al.
Me, I'll do just that; wait and see if Cook can walk the walk with actual insanely great new products, and judge him on his actual accomplishments moving the company forward.
Also for the snap readers: this isn't about Jobs v Cook. Jobs is departed and isn't coming back. Cook has his own style and that's not nec worse. The only question is can he take Apple to the land of the next big product or does he continue to ride the tails of Jobs products.
I've noticed that when larger-than-life people die they get canonized into sock puppets. No one knows what Steve Jobs would have done other than it would have been bigger, better, and more awesome. Right? If Steve Jobs were still running Apple their net worth would keep going up, and up, and up, and never come down ever. Steve Jobs will probably become the next Chuck Norris meme.
My point is that comparing Jobs and Cook is an unfair comparison. Steve Jobs was brilliant, a one-of -a-kind individual. The next Steve Jobs isn't standing on a street corner with resume in hand waiting for an opening at Apple. The next Steve Jobs is in a completely different industry working on something that we don't even realize we want yet. Most likely the next Steve Jobs is starting or own his own business.
Tim Cook is good for Apple. The CEO doesn't have to be the smartest person in the room. He needs to manage people, and the big take out of this story should be an exciting one. Tim Cook is hiring a horde of successful and creative people that should keep Apple on the edge of innovation.
My point is that comparing Jobs and Cook is an unfair comparison. Steve Jobs was brilliant, a one-of -a-kind individual. The next Steve Jobs isn't standing on a street corner with resume in hand waiting for an opening at Apple. The next Steve Jobs is in a completely different industry working on something that we don't even realize we want yet. Most likely the next Steve Jobs is starting or own his own business.
Tim Cook is good for Apple. The CEO doesn't have to be the smartest person in the room. He needs to manage people, and the big take out of this story should be an exciting one. Tim Cook is hiring a horde of successful and creative people that should keep Apple on the edge of innovation.
I back up my point with facts. Whereas this type of quote never answers the topics, only pleas, ignorance and bias...
If you're going to call someone out at least back it up. Else it's just hot air.
You mean apart from nature and mother Earth? You know, that thing underneath your feet!!! THAT is an incredibly obnoxious and ignorant post and veiwpoint.
When man, yes MAN, seems hell bent killing off species and the planet, it's nice when big corporations put some cloat into taking responsibility for their roles and invest in new ways to reduce their impact on the planet.
No not really. You're just pontificating. By spewing your own clearly unobjective idealised views based on your cult hero which, sidenote, he's dead...been dead for 3yrs. How people haven't made their peace with this i don't know.
Apple has gone mainstream? If you don't evolve with the times as a company you will either stumble or die out. Don't believe me? ask RIM, Nokia, Palm etc. I'm reminded of people crying about the fact that Apple switched to Intel processors, seeing it as a 'mainstream' move and 'selling out'. Yet it is because of that decision to move to x86 that the Mac line continues to thrive today.
Jobs famously was against bringing iTunes and the store to Windows. iTunes for Windows is the reason Apple sold so many iPods and sells so many iDevices to-date. Jobs also was against a mini tablet, yet the mini is one of the reasons Apple rakes in billions today. Jobs didn't get everything right. *gasp* shocking i know.
Then you say Tim Cook copied Jobs's style which i just found comical. We're now down to clothes? really? But let me humour you. Lets ignore the fact that the casual style is a general culture at Apple thats not down to just two men. Last i checked Jobs largely wore crew/turtleneck sweaters, jeans and sneakers. Cook has worn shirts, blazers and even suits. But i suppose both wear glasses so Cook must've copied that.
Lets also not forget that Jobs picked Cook personally to succeed him. And if Jobs is as legendary as you claim then he surely wouldn't have made such a decision lightly.
Steve Jobs also touted the so-called checklists you're talking about. Every presentation talked about how green their stuff were. Oh and surprise surprise Jobs was also charitable albeit privately.
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That is a very true statement. Every company needs to reinvent themselves every 10 years because there is a new generation that is unaware of that company.
Yeah sure, saint Jobs. That guy wasn't even able to see a market for small tablets.
For the love of God, PLEASE stop referring to iPhone & iPad iterations as "new products".
iBand, now there's a "new product".
iBand, now there's a "new product".
This article is awful. Praising Cook's "ability to hold conversation"? Please. He's the CEO of one of the largest companies in the world, not a 15 year-old.
Other companies established the market for a smaller tablet well before Apple released one, so I would hardly describe that move as Cook's brainchild.
Any comparisons between Jobs and Cook are also ridiculous. Jobs was an artist, technologist, salesman, and ideologue. Cook is more of a traditional executive. There's nothing wrong with that, but trying to compare the two is a foolish exercise.
Other companies established the market for a smaller tablet well before Apple released one, so I would hardly describe that move as Cook's brainchild.
Any comparisons between Jobs and Cook are also ridiculous. Jobs was an artist, technologist, salesman, and ideologue. Cook is more of a traditional executive. There's nothing wrong with that, but trying to compare the two is a foolish exercise.
This could have been a great article. But then they had to give space to the Apple is doomed, show me the products crowd. I guess everything announced at WWDC doesn't count. 
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Since when is OSX and iOS not products? Or do you mean new product categories? Are you one of the Apple has to release a smartwatch or it's doomed crowd?
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Since when is OSX and iOS not products? Or do you mean new product categories? Are you one of the Apple has to release a smartwatch or it's doomed crowd?
The point of that antidote was that Jobs didn't think there was a market for a smaller tablet and Cook did. Jobs wasn't always right.
On doing what's right...
'one shareholder who later described himself as having free-market values asked Mr. Cook whether Apple should avoid embracing environmental causes that lacked a clear profit motive.'
Ahh suits and shareholders. Profit and Greed or gtfo.
A company should be responsible for its imprint on the world, no matter the size, sustainability counts. Keep going Tim. Great work.
That "one shareholder" was a well known climate skeptic looking for a soapbox to get more attention.
http://wickershamsconscience.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/ncppr-revealed-as-douchebags-no-one-surprised/
I'm sure Samsung's laywers used this same argument to justify blatantly copying Apple - that was just "evolving with the times", right?
But it's ok. I don't expect people spewing clearly unobjective idealised views based on company fanboysm to understand it. Regardless, it's a pity that Apple has stopped innovation in favor of basic iteration (and actual downgrades in examples such as iOS design).
The funny thing is, Steve Jobs wouldn't have allowed it.
I thought that Steve was a great motivator of people to develop great products. He was maybe not a great person in terms of family and personal relationships. He failed more than he succeeded, which is not uncommon with "great innovators." Tim seems to be a gentler type that is is better at relationships and inspires and motivates in very different ways.
Having said that the real focus is the company, or should be. What is Apple doing. The Mac Pro is awesome! And made in the USA. The direction of iOS and OS X also seems to be headed in an awesome direction with the integration now going to the next big level. iCloud and the apps are still lagging a bit but catching up. With the integration of the OS's I think the overall software strategy of Apple is ahead of the competition - sure if you go down to a specific feature level, there are features that the others may have that Apple does not, but the point is that from a clear roadmap and integration perspective Apple is way more coherent.
Yet what every one wants and what apple is known for is hardware. Great, awesome hardware. They want the best phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, watch, tv, whatever, bar none. And it is in this area that apple has not met the expectation. Personally, i struggle to think of what would revolutionize the phone at this point, everything that everyone is doing is incremental and not disruptive. For, me that is okay, because I love my iPhone.
In the tablet space, I do think that Microsoft is a bit ahead in trying to replace the laptop with the tablet. Apple should do something here and I hope we see something in fall.
In the desktop, what more do we want. The Mac Pro is awesome - keep on, keeping on!
For the tv, I hope not for a TV, but a better Apple TV box. One that accepts apps from the App Store. A deal so that cable cutters can finally use the content without having to also subscribe to cable. That allows me to game without a game console. In other words, here is where Apple REALLY needs to step it up.
I am excited about the home automation area, and the software in OS X and iOS for this is a nice first step. However, apple should put out hardware in this space not just software.
In the wearable space, like watches and whatnots, I am personally not convinced yet - the use cases don't seem to justify wearing/carrying addition technology on my body full time. I therefore remain open but skeptical - Tim here is where I need a wow moment to show me why I didn't know that I needed to have this.
I think the car is a sleeper but could also be a place that apple does some awesome stuff.
Another area no one is talking about is the workplace. Apple helped fuel the BYOD movement and as a result made great in-roads into the enterprise. Do the same with the computers! Give me a BYOD option for my desktop, and I will go and by Apple now - I hate my work provided window's laptop. This is probably the biggest potential apple has in my opinion.
Having said that the real focus is the company, or should be. What is Apple doing. The Mac Pro is awesome! And made in the USA. The direction of iOS and OS X also seems to be headed in an awesome direction with the integration now going to the next big level. iCloud and the apps are still lagging a bit but catching up. With the integration of the OS's I think the overall software strategy of Apple is ahead of the competition - sure if you go down to a specific feature level, there are features that the others may have that Apple does not, but the point is that from a clear roadmap and integration perspective Apple is way more coherent.
Yet what every one wants and what apple is known for is hardware. Great, awesome hardware. They want the best phone, tablet, laptop, desktop, watch, tv, whatever, bar none. And it is in this area that apple has not met the expectation. Personally, i struggle to think of what would revolutionize the phone at this point, everything that everyone is doing is incremental and not disruptive. For, me that is okay, because I love my iPhone.
In the tablet space, I do think that Microsoft is a bit ahead in trying to replace the laptop with the tablet. Apple should do something here and I hope we see something in fall.
In the desktop, what more do we want. The Mac Pro is awesome - keep on, keeping on!
For the tv, I hope not for a TV, but a better Apple TV box. One that accepts apps from the App Store. A deal so that cable cutters can finally use the content without having to also subscribe to cable. That allows me to game without a game console. In other words, here is where Apple REALLY needs to step it up.
I am excited about the home automation area, and the software in OS X and iOS for this is a nice first step. However, apple should put out hardware in this space not just software.
In the wearable space, like watches and whatnots, I am personally not convinced yet - the use cases don't seem to justify wearing/carrying addition technology on my body full time. I therefore remain open but skeptical - Tim here is where I need a wow moment to show me why I didn't know that I needed to have this.
I think the car is a sleeper but could also be a place that apple does some awesome stuff.
Another area no one is talking about is the workplace. Apple helped fuel the BYOD movement and as a result made great in-roads into the enterprise. Do the same with the computers! Give me a BYOD option for my desktop, and I will go and by Apple now - I hate my work provided window's laptop. This is probably the biggest potential apple has in my opinion.
Your right, Steve Jobs probably wouldn't have allowed things like control center, 3rd party keyboards, interactive notifications and inter-app communications. And we'd all be worse off for it.
Tim isn't Steve. We get that. Is he, by himself, going to make Apple as innovative as Steve? No. But he's also giving us things I highly doubt Steve would have. Third party keyboards under Jobs? NOPE. As long as he keeps a strong team around him, Apple will be fine. Maybe we'll even get a bit of customization because of Tim.
First of all, it's anecdote. Antidote is something you give someone to counteract the effects of a poisonous substance.
I never said Jobs was always right. I also think it needs to be said that most of Jobs' publicized criticism of smaller tablets came within about 6 months of the original iPad's release. I'm sure Jobs didn't want to kill the goose that was laying scores of golden eggs. Also, in late 2010, the other big manufacturers (Samsung, etc) were just getting their tablets off the ground themselves. The few competitors that had gone to market had sold little compared to iPad and had yet to make a profound impact on the tablet market as a whole (Jobs was rarely one to let the market dictate his approach to products anyway, and Apple did just fine under his reign).
My bottom line is this: Regardless of whether Jobs was wrong about the viability of a smaller tablet - and I think most would argue that he was - I think it's far more realistic to suggest that Apple's decision to create a smaller tablet was reactive, and not an innovative gambit for which we should praise Cook.