Tim Cook appreciation discussion

[Macmamamac]

Tim Cook is a legend. What Apple have done under his watch is immense. The Apple ecosystem is getting better all the time. The products are miles ahead of their rivals.

As far as I’m concerned, the creepy Facebook freakout over Apple privacy measures has cemented Tim Cook as a legendary figure.

Apple is making in-roads into even Googles search dominance under his watch.

This quiet man deserves massive respect.

 

[AidenShaw]

​

There are also some issues under Tim's watch - things are more complicated.

And, BTW, search.apple.com gets a 404 - no threat to google.

 

[Apple_Robert]

I think Tim has done a very good job at the helm.

 

[Buggs]

In my humble opinion Tim has done a fantastic job.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Tim has done a great job. Under jobs I discovered the iPod and then iPhone and then I left for android. Under Tim I came back to the iPhone and invested in the entire ecosystem (Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, HomePod, AirPods, Apple TV)

 

[jayducharme]

On the surface, the company seems very different than when Jobs was at the helm. But remember that Jobs specifically told Cook to blaze his own trail. Cook knows his own strengths and plays to them very well. And Apple is still innovating as it has been. It's just that the innovations aren't introduced by a single personality anymore. Perhaps the unifying personality is the company itself. Cook is happy to share the spotlight with whichever member of the team is appropriate. After years of hearing complaints that Apple was no longer the same company and was no longer reinventing industries, they come out with the M1 and once again upend the computer industry. So Cook is still guiding the company to do what it does best: reinventing technology. As a bonus, he's making it really profitable as well.

 

[stevenaaus]

Haha - what a joke. In case you haven't noticed. macOS is in total crisis because of being relegated to an iPhone accessory and poor design decisions. The last many years have also had serious design flaws right across the macbook range, and even the promising M1 chip is unstable and probably only a beta product at best, despite the endless crowing of "battery life" from the masses.

Tim's legacy will forever be as a pawn of the Apple's money men and the clueless PC brigade.

Though in his defence, it could be argued that Apple's problems are connected to the "open" workspace design of Apple Park... which was initiated under Steve Jobs.
And the general crisis in the software industry, which is cracking under the weight of feature-bloat and complexity.

Imho

 

[MBAir2010]

An NYC anchor person asked or verified with Tim Cook that the reason apple distributes a new iPhone every year is to fix the previous year's mistakes, in which Tim laughed. Steve Jobs would have asked what the mistakes were and assured that "we will fix them".

 

[stevenaaus]

Steve Jobs wasn’t an engineer. Not a hardware engineer, not a software engineer. At Apple, his role was as “proxy” for the users.

Apple no longer has a proxy for the users. Tim Cook is a proxy for the shareholders, nothing more.

The reshaped Mac experience

Is the stunning performance and efficiency of the new Apple Silicon Macs enough to make everything better again for the Mac? Hmmm.

morrick.me

 

[ThomasJL]

Tim Cook is the best CEO Apple ever had if one is a shareholder and doesn't care about user-friendliness and innovation.

 

[Falhófnir]

I'll link something I wrote about this previously, still largely stand by this. He's not been flawless, but it's easy to see how things could've been a lot worse over the last decade under someone else:

Yep pretty much this - I don't think there's anyone who would obviously do meaningfully better than Cook, but it's easy to imagine any number of people doing a whole lot worse, particularly given the pressure to perform financially that Apple is presently under. Of course he's not perfect, but I think still largely adheres to Apple's values, notably on things like privacy and security - a generic CEO would likely have taken advantage of Apple's user base to get their hands on as much valuable data as possible, where Cook has kept to the your data is yours mantra. In general, Apple is still using high quality components in their products (MLC SSDs; high quality displays; better wi-fi chips) when they could have tried cheaping out, and I'm sure some would have tried that. I guess the bottom line is he's forging his own path, and it might well be different to the path Jobs would have taken, but it's still an authentically 'Apple' path to date.

 

[I7guy]

Tim Cook is the best CEO Apple ever had if one is a shareholder and doesn't care about user-friendliness and innovation.

You believe a happy shareholder is due to lack of innovation and user-friendliness…and the masses that made that shareholder happy are blinded by logo and empty their wallets at the apple store? (Yes there is some hyperbole in there)

 

[ThomasJL]

You believe a happy shareholder is due to lack of innovation and user-friendliness…and the masses that made that shareholder happy are blinded by logo and empty their wallets at the apple store? (Yes there is some hyperbole in there)

Yes, I do. Shareholders want to make money. If lack of innovation and user-friendliness will lead to more money, the shareholders will be happy about that. Also, Tim Cook markets to the masses of people who are blinded by the logo.

 

[Solomani]

Tim Cook is a legend. What Apple have done under his watch is immense. The Apple ecosystem is getting better all the time. The products are miles ahead of their rivals.

As far as I’m concerned, the creepy Facebook freakout over Apple privacy measures has cemented Tim Cook as a legendary figure.

Apple is making in-roads into even Googles search dominance under his watch.

This quiet man deserves massive respect.

Overall, Tim has done a good job.

Are there inconsistencies with his "grand strategy"? Sure. For example, Apple and Tim preach human rights and labor equity in the USA, but at the same time they are often caught looking the other way when it comes to human rights and labor offenses with their China contractors (i.e. FoxConn). Yes I realize that Tim and Apple don't have total control over FoxConn or the Chinese government, but still....

As for other things, like being the giant voice against the malignancy of FB, I do commend Tim Cook's Apple.

Tim for President 2028. 😆

 

[I7guy]

Yes, I do. Shareholders want to make money. If lack of innovation and user-friendliness will lead to more money, the shareholders will be happy about that. Also, Tim Cook markets to the masses of people who are blinded by the logo.

Quite an interesting viewpoint.

But if you believe tens of millions of customers have been blinded by the logo (but not you) there is an old aphorism that addresses that: “You can fool some of the people…etc.”

 

[Apple_Robert]

I am rather surprised to see such anemic response to this thread on an Apple centered website.

 

[Solomani]

I am rather surprised to see such anemic response to this thread on an Apple centered website.

Countless forum attendants here are anti-Apple people. Many have an axe to grind with Tim or Apple, and don't even use Apple products.

 

[Burebista]

I've recently read "Steve Jobs" by Isaacson and there Steve is quoted saying that Tim, while great at operations and essential to the company is "not a product person". And I think over the years the ramifications of this fact have been steadily accumulating. There hasn't been any new truly disruptive products since Jobs. The iPhone, main cash-cow, while still very competitive isn't exactly better than competition in any meaningful way at this point, and has arguably fallen behind in terms of hardware on many levels.

All the new products under Cook - Apple Watch, Airpods, various new services - while very good, in terms of their disruptive power pale in comparison of what Jobs have been able to come up with seemingly out of thin air.

Now, I do realise Jobs was one of a kind, but still it would have been nice to see "product people" being more prominent up there at the top level at Apple. After all, original Apple's vision was products first and profits second, and Jobs warned about what eventually happens to the companies that have it the other way around.

 

[portland-dude]

Tim Cook is a legend. What Apple have done under his watch is immense. The Apple ecosystem is getting better all the time. The products are miles ahead of their rivals.

As far as I’m concerned, the creepy Facebook freakout over Apple privacy measures has cemented Tim Cook as a legendary figure.

Apple is making in-roads into even Googles search dominance under his watch.

This quiet man deserves massive respect.

I'm sure Tim Cook is so moved by your zealotry that he'll have to wipe his godly eyes with $100 bills. You should show him appreciation by immediately making a pilgrimage to your nearest Apple store and purchasing several of his divine products. Go now, my child. Be at peace.

 

[stevenaaus]

Countless forum attendants here are anti-Apple people. Many have an axe to grind with Tim or Apple, and don't even use Apple products.

And then there are people like me, who has co-written *big* software projects for Mac OS X, spent 10 years + fixing and reselling macbooks, have three oldish macbooks around the house that get used all the time, and thinks Snow Leopard is the greatest consumer computer operating system ever written - full stop.

And have an axe to grind ;>

 

[retta283]

Cook was an excellent CFO under Jobs and I don't think anyone really denies that. He is a very good, but perhaps not excellent in the same way CEO, but he is still very competent and he is succeeding in keeping Apple together and making great money.

Jobs was very special in that he was not only CEO but he was heavily involved in a lot of lower level projects and his ideas were always at the very least attempted and a number of them became huge hits. When comparing Cook relative to the CEOs of all companies, he is doing a great job. He's just not Jobs and it shows.

I recall in 2012 there were still many doubts cast on whether Apple could survive with Cook as CEO, especially so on this site. I got tired of hearing about it enough that I left for 6 years. He did handle Forstall's firing, Mansfield's retirement and return along with the "insurrection" that occurred as a result, and while that cast a lot of doubt on his future, Cook got past all of that and since then things have been fairly stable. The loss of Ive has cast some doubts I think, but it will be a while before the ramifications of that are truly felt.

 

[svanstrom]

The iPhone, main cash-cow, while still very competitive isn't exactly better than competition in any meaningful way at this point, and has arguably fallen behind in terms of hardware on many levels.

That's like complaining about how the computer has essentially staid the same over the years, or how phone calls are still the same.

Some areas will simply put remain evolutionary rather than revolutionary once we've got them, and gotten a few iterations into them.

That I now carry my phone in my watch I would call a rather large leap, but that leap doesn't mean that the (smart) phone is obsolete and should go away.

All the new products under Cook - Apple Watch, Airpods, various new services - while very good, in terms of their disruptive power pale in comparison of what Jobs have been able to come up with seemingly out of thin air.

Are you now comparing actual disruptive trendsetting new devices with something completely unknown that you just imagine that a living Jobs would have invented if he'd been alive?

If not I'd love for you to list the things that Jobs invented that were so revolutionary that it was like it came out of thin air… Obviously not the iPod as that's just an evolutionary step of the Walkman, not the iPhone, as that was just an evolutionary step of the smartphones that we had (with more features); and not the computers as they obviously were an evolutionary step of earlier computers.

I mean, he did have a good go in the early days of designing the MacOS (ignoring the things he basically got from Xerox's Palo Alto research center); and he did put bright colors on the early iMacs.

But what was so amazingly revolutionary that everyone today wearing Apple Watches and AirPods pales in comparison?

 

[Burebista]

That's like complaining about how the computer has essentially staid the same over the years, or how phone calls are still the same.

Some areas will simply put remain evolutionary rather than revolutionary once we've got them, and gotten a few iterations into them.

That I now carry my phone in my watch I would call a rather large leap, but that leap doesn't mean that the (smart) phone is obsolete and should go away.

Are you now comparing actual disruptive trendsetting new devices with something completely unknown that you just imagine that a living Jobs would have invented if he'd been alive?

If not I'd love for you to list the things that Jobs invented that were so revolutionary that it was like it came out of thin air… Obviously not the iPod as that's just an evolutionary step of the Walkman, not the iPhone, as that was just an evolutionary step of the smartphones that we had (with more features); and not the computers as they obviously were an evolutionary step of earlier computers.

I mean, he did have a good go in the early days of designing the MacOS (ignoring the things he basically got from Xerox's Palo Alto research center); and he did put bright colors on the early iMacs.

But what was so amazingly revolutionary that everyone today wearing Apple Watches and AirPods pales in comparison?

Look man, I just casually expressed my own opinion, and I'm happy that you enjoy and find value in your Apple Watch and Airpods. No need to get angry.

My opinion is that Apple watch and Airpods are high-end accessories. They're not independent devices - for them to be useful you also need to have a smartphone or some other kind of computer. Maybe they're trendsetting in your country and personal social circle, but I assure you that outside of the first world countries (and even for many people within them) this isn't the case. Not only most people in the world don't own an Apple watch or Airpods, they don't own smartwatches or a bluetooth headphones in general. Because unlike a smartphone, they're not essential. A neat fitness wearable and bluetooth headphones that pair easily are nice to have. I don't think however that they could possibly be viewed in the same league as Jobs' main contributions that first made personal computing a thing and established it as an industry, and then turned it upside down so that now for literally billions of people on this planet their personal computer is not a "computer".

I feel like I shouldn't have to explain just how far ahead the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone or the iPad were compared to the competition at the time of release. How much they affected the lives of even those people that never owned them. To call them "evolutionary" devices...Well, I strongly disagree.

But again, it's only my personal opinion. Someone else's is just as valid.

 

[svanstrom]

Look man, I just casually expressed my own opinion, and I'm happy that you enjoy and find value in your Apple Watch and Airpods. No need to get angry.

You were only asked to back up the claims that you made.

But again, it's only my personal opinion. Someone else's is just as valid.

Those weren't just opinions, though; those were claims that you were asked to back up.

 

[Burebista]

You were only asked to back up the claims that you made.

Those weren't just opinions, though; those were claims that you were asked to back up.

Oh, haha - I see.

The problem with this belligerent logic is that any opinion, if you disagree with it, could be framed as a "claim". Including the highly subjective things you yourself wrote in this very thread.