Agreed. Steve wasn't an expert on everything, as much as he might have thought he was. Build their products to high specs. Build their building to high but not unreasonable standards.
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Steve Jobs' Requirements for 'Fit and Finish' Leading to Massive Cost Overruns for Apple's New Campus
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Agreed. Steve wasn't an expert on everything, as much as he might have thought he was. Build their products to high specs. Build their building to high but not unreasonable standards.
Per the design, the entire structure sits atop a whole raft of seismic isolation devices, that are like extremely precisely manufactured balls in bowls, that allow the footings to move around.
Whaa? That makes zero sense. Investing is not a charitable enterprise. One does it in hopes of making a return on one's money. Of course they don't like to see their companies waste earnings. Are you going to sit in front of your computer and intellectually suggest Apple can benefit from having the concrete cast off site vs. in place, and that they should do so even if it's $100s of millions more? Talk about gluttony. Apple is the one being selfish. Sorry you have it backwards.
This is a fine illustration of the difference between the thoughts of an artist and those of the amateur.
The artist has a vision that will be appreciated by many. The amateur says second rate is good enough.
Headquarters can change the image of a company. It reflects their products' philosophy. Look at the Google campus. If they shave the 4 billion they may as well stick with Infinite loop.
It's strict quality control and attention to detail like that that has given us such excellent Apple products over the last 30 years, so if anything you should be grateful.
Look! There's an alien! Even he is astounded by how light, thin, and over-priced it is.
I'd say that the world has a greater number of amateurs who would never appreciate the art than those that do.
I'm not arguing your point as invalid.
I'm also not advocating that Apple doesn't build what they set out to build. But having gone through a complete construction project last year - I do know that the perfect plans are laid with the best intentions. But situations arise that cannot be foreseen and one must adapt. I'm not saying anything in this project is "impossible." But reality is reality at the end of the day. Steve or Apple might want X but will have to settle for Y.
Some might say they don't believe Apple/Steve compromised. But I don't think anyone would say any iteration of the iPhone was perfect. Compromises were made. That's not a bad thing. Just reality.
Eh, obviously I wasn't as articulate as I could have been. My comments come from experience with companies that, because of stockholders who are perpetually fixated on short-term stock value, never really develop a smart long-term game plan.
It's not really for people to marvel at(although people are definetly going to marvel at it), it's the feeling that you've made perfection from the inside to the outside. Perfectioists crave that feeling.
Oh cry me a river. I work for a fortune 5o company and they don't pay for any of our food. I always thought it a bit ridiculous that the company you work for should buy your lunch (or provide you health care benefits, but that's a whole other subject).
Companies compete for employees. Apple (Steve Jobs) was so concerned with the length of the seams of his building, but wouldn't pay for a few perks.
I'm not going to even touch the health care benefits issue.
nope. as in any business, your customers are the most important thing. And Apple has been selling products for years because of their image. With the iPod they were young, hip and cool. The iPhone, iPad and Mac lines have grown up to become THE example of perfection in craftsmanship and design. Apple's customers appreciate this. Otherwise, they'd go get a free Samsung Galazy S4 HD 4G 3D X or whatever they call those things now. This building, is a testament to that. It's drawing a line in the sand... perfection at all costs.
-JE
And yet Apple about as much about the shareholders as they do market share. They don't design for either one. They make what they want, how they want etc. if it gains them marketshare or happens to raise the stock value, that's icing not the cake
No, it's pure egoism. There are plenty of aesthetically amazing buildings worldwide built with a cast in place concrete skeleton and standard 1/8" joints. Those elements do not make a building either unsafe or unappealing. Also, it's an office building; one that will the general public will never get to visit.
When I see so many homeless people suffering without even enough clothes to cover themselves on San Francisco streets and other Bay Area locations, I do wonder whether $1 billion could be put to better use.
The rich step over the bodies of the homeless in the streets while contemplating the niceties of their $5 billion dollar corporate complex.
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!"
The rich step over the bodies of the homeless in the streets while contemplating the niceties of their $5 billion dollar corporate complex.
"Qu'ils mangent de la brioche!"
I'm sure they have it insured or something.
Simple. Because Apple weren't that rich back then so it was financially impossible.
It's impossible to cancel or scale back the project now that Steve is dead. It would be interpreted as Apple losing its way and Steve's legacy evaporating.
The cost to the brand of dropping it is going to be higher than the building itself, so thy might as well, do it.
The cost to the brand of dropping it is going to be higher than the building itself, so thy might as well, do it.
Disagree with egoism.
Yes there are plenty amazing buildings out there, much like there are plenty of amazing phones and computers out there too, but none are as beautifully engineered or constructed as an iPhone or a Mac.
Jobs wouldn't settle for industry standard, because by definition industry standard is something everyone can achieve, and thus he created products that were better and of a higher standard than the rest.
But what does a companies long term plan have to do with requiring unique, unnecessary, building techniques that do not add to the utility of the building. That's the whole point -- Apple is building a Taj Mahal that adds nothing to shareholder value, short or long term. The fine details of the building, the ones no one will be able to appreciate could be cut at a huge savings.
Apple's engineers will be working in an inspiring building, showing them the value of quality and attention to detail. It's not a big stretch to see how that translates to consumers. This isn't just a building, it's a monument to Apple's ideals.
You mean, act like every other company? Apple got to where it is because of its drive to push the boundaries of what's possible and challenge standard conventions.
I say stick to the plan, spend the extra bucks and let this amazing HQ be a constant reminder to all employees and customers as to why Apple exists and what it stands for.
Well you can get iPhones for free too. So I'm not sure where you were going with the S4 which hasn't been released and isn't offered for free either.
Let me ask you - how many customers - not those that post on this forum. But general public customers - do you REALLY think give a rat's behind what a company's HQ looks like? Beyond saying "Oh wow - cool building."
Do you think people will be buying Apple products because of the attention to detail of their HQ? I'm guessing not. I'm guessing people buy Apple products because they're well crafted and do what they need them to do.
Considering that iPhones (for example) are assembled in China in factories that don't REMOTELY have the Apple Aesthetic - it doesn't seem to be hurting their sales.