Tim Cook Shares Tribute to Steve Jobs on Sixth Anniversary of His Death

[djcerla]

I'm basically just out from a very long mourning for Steve's loss.

But I hate that Steve is now an instrument (let's call him "Virtual Steve") used to bash anything Apple does. Steve Jobs did a lot of mistakes, and the echoes of some of them are still heard today ("you're holding it wrong!" to a customer).

Apple is a very well run company, Tim Cook is an excellent CEO, and only idiots can claim the contrary. And, please, drop that Virtual Steve.

 

[melendezest]

Man, I wonder how Apple products would have been like if Steve hadn't died.

So sad for what could've been, especially since there is a marked difference in my want for Apple products before and after his death.

 

[maflynn]

Apple was at its pinnacle in terms of innovation, coolness and brashness. Apple has certainly enjoyed great profits since Cook took over, but Apple has changed since Jobs is no longer at the helm.

 

[69650]

Apple are missing Steve’s obsessive attention to detail more than ever.

 

[antonis]

Believe me, Timmy. Steve is missed more to us than you.

 

[montanaco]

Very cringey that so many of you posters feel the need to insult Cook, on a day he's mourning and celebrating an old friend. Jeez.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I'm basically just out from a very long mourning for Steve's loss.

But I hate that Steve is now an instrument (let's call him "Virtual Steve") used to bash anything Apple does. Steve Jobs did a lot of mistakes, and the echoes of some of them are still heard today ("you're holding it wrong!" to a customer).

Apple is a very well run company, Tim Cook is an excellent CEO, and only idiots can claim the contrary. And, please, drop that Virtual Steve.

Jobs is not an "instrument." He is a benchmark of innovation. When people invoke his name it's because Apple is not the same as it was under his tutelage.

Cook is an excellent CEO as far as ginning up as much money as possible for shareholders (I'm one so can't complain there). But when it comes to making insanely great products those days have sailed. Cook is a run of the mill corporate-type CEO. His company passion is for the green not to reset the bar.
[doublepost=1507211332][/doublepost]

Very cringey that so many of you posters feel the need to insult Cook, on a day he's mourning and celebrating an old friend. Jeez.

The mourning period ended years ago. This is a tribute. A tribute brings up comparisons of then and now, that is all.

 

[meaning-matters]

Would we have seen an animated poo face in a keynote with Steve?

 

[kdarling]

"Remembering Steve today," Cook tweeted, alongside a picture of Jobs in his younger days. "Still with us, still inspiring us."

Too bad he's not still editing your ideas as well, Tim.

Jobs obsessed over letter colors. One can only imagine what he'd think of the white notch background.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Would we have seen an animated **** face in a keynote with Steve?

Better question: would we have seen the needless removal of F-Keys for a perfectly useless Touch Bar as a reason to jack up MBP prices?

 

[rizzo41999]

Take it easy, Steve.

 

[mrhick01]

I have a hard time parsing how many supposed adults are still in a tantrum and outraged that Tim Cook cannot be Steve Jobs.

Tim Cook may be John Sculley immersed in Apple culture and tradition...but that should be okay. Cook is not a design creative. He is not attempting to be somebody that he's not...and I find it absurd that people are angry with him because he's not Jobs.

Jobs died, that's over. Can't a guy who was selected by Steve himself to take over and run his company and a friend of over 10 years honor that guy and give him the credit he deserves for being one the world's best entrepreneurs? Goodness!

 

[coolfactor]

iCried with all the early comment on this thread, and for the ones expected to come.

He was just an attention to detail oriented entrepreneur, not the second coming of [insert scriptural figure].
I am not downsizing his accomplishments, but please spare us the Miss u Steve, looming doom Tim Cook & the sorts.

Steve was more than that. When Steve was on stage, the world stops and listens. He had a presence, an energy, that no other person is able to bring. A warmth, a passion.

You could sense the child-like fascination in Steve that is missing from Tim. I think that's the difference. Tim still brings the same high standards and golden values that keeps Apple unique, but in a different way. And there's nothing wrong with that. There was only one Steve, and that's okay.

 

[78Bandit]

Still a greatly missed individual.


And it is Not much different than the subtle changes in iPods, iBooks, PowerBooks, MacBooks, and Macintosh computers when Steve was alive.

For instance, the design from the PowerBook G4 from 2003, lasted until late 2008. Not much has changed with regards to them using a design for a long time.

Here's the big difference between Steve and Tim

1997, Steve Jobs returns to Apple. Greatly culls the bloated lineup of products that overlap in target audience.
1998, Brings out the candy colored iMac line of computers. First real consumer oriented computer designed around the internet.
2001, Brings out the iPod. "1,000 songs in your pocket."
2003, Brings out the iTunes store. Digital music purchases are now convenient and reasonable.
2005, Brings out the iPod Nano. Perfect device for use in athletic activities. "Ever wondered what the little pocket was for?"
2007, Brings out the iPhone. Sets the future standard for how smart phones will look and operate. "An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator."
2008, Brings out the MacBook Air. Thinnest, lightest computer. Pulls it out of a standard manila envelope.
2010, Brings out the iPad. Start of the "post PC" world.

Pretty much everything since is evolution and refinement of the existing product lines. Tim has been milking the iPhone for all its worth, but that risks Apple turning into a commodity company. Apple needs revolutionary products like Steve used to oversee every few years. Innovation at Apple died along with Steve and Tim is just coasting along on what Steve built and trying to see how high he can price the hardware. That can't last forever.

 

[840quadra]

Here's the big difference between Steve and Tim

1997, Steve Jobs returns to Apple. Greatly culls the bloated lineup of products that overlap in target audience.
1998, Brings out the candy colored iMac line of computers. First real consumer oriented computer designed around the internet.
2001, Brings out the iPod. "1,000 songs in your pocket."
2003, Brings out the iTunes store. Digital music purchases are now convenient and reasonable.
2005, Brings out the iPod Nano. Perfect device for use in athletic activities. "Ever wondered what the little pocket was for?"
2007, Brings out the iPhone. Sets the future standard for how smart phones will look and operate. "An iPod, a phone, and an Internet communicator."
2008, Brings out the MacBook Air. Thinnest, lightest computer. Pulls it out of a standard manila envelope.
2010, Brings out the iPad. Start of the "post PC" world.

Pretty much everything since is evolution and refinement of the existing product lines. Tim has been milking the iPhone for all its worth, but that risks Apple turning into a commodity company. Apple needs revolutionary products like Steve used to oversee every few years. Innovation at Apple died along with Steve and Tim is just coasting along on what Steve built and trying to see how high he can price the hardware. That can't last forever.

That post ignores all of the products and updates that came out after 2010. Thus it fails to really be a valid argument if you don’t accept and respect items and successes that have happened during the Cook era.

That said, I will fully admit that some of them were likely in development during Steve’s time, however, Apple is still going up in value, and is still coming out with good products and features.

 

[coolfactor]

Apple are missing Steve’s obsessive attention to detail more than ever.

I disagree with this. Apple has *many* more balls to be juggling and is (rightfully) held to a standard far above other companies. And they continue to do an excellent job. Perfect? No, but still superior in terms of design and build quality.

They've had a rough few years. I question many of their designs, such as the Mac App Store's "Update" page (which is terrible!). But I see that they are learning from those mistakes and making continued improvements. iOS 11 brings solid interface refinements that were very much needed.

Separately, and this always catches me off guard.... "Apple are..."? Isn't Apple *one* company? Therefore one would say "Apple is..."? Yes, a company is a collection of many people, but it's "one collection", therefore "is" instead of "are" would be more appropriate, wouldn't it? But we're not supposed to analyze people's wording here in the forums. Just wanted to ask that because I see it so often.

 

[Michaelgtrusa]

RIP Steve Jobs 

 

[MistrSynistr]

Steve was more than that. When Steve was on stage, the world stops and listens. He had a presence, an energy, that no other person is able to bring. A warmth, a passion.

You could sense the child-like fascination in Steve that is missing from Tim. I think that's the difference. Tim still brings the same high standards and golden values that keeps Apple unique, but in a different way. And there's nothing wrong with that. There was only one Steve, and that's okay.

Tim presents like his soul is conflicted because he knows these products are not the best out there/best ever as he's saying it, and knows the innovation went wayside for bean counting as he presents products that seem to always be rushed due to lack of artistic vision ahead of time.

I honestly believed why they held off on "wireless" charging and other Android features was because they were perfecting it...turns out that's not remotely close to the case. They just tossed the same old feature in their phones years late, along with a OLED screen (not even on the 8!) on the X not as good as a Samsung device. Terrible.

 

[TheTruth101]

Tim Cook is milking the Steve Jobs thing as much as possible to cover what a failure of a CEO he is. Using the same 4 year old design on a new phone, wow, that's ancient for tech gadgets, real progress there.

You are right. I keep watching the keynotes Steve did, how amazing! When the iMac G4 came out, the sunflower. Every keynote is so good and they were beyond their time. Steve was so assertive regarding everything, he really put hi heart in what he was doing.

Since Steve left the world sort of stoped innovating. Let me tell you, there would not be a Donald Trump as a president if there was a Steve Jobs a live. Steve had the world in a constant creation.

Tim Cook... he was just there doing his job and that is what he is doing, his job. Cook is not doing anything great at all but is not doing anything actually wrong. They are as you say, milking the cow.

 

[TechZeke]

That post ignores all of the products and updates that came out after 2010. Thus it fails to really be a valid argument if you don’t accept and respect items and successes that have happened during the Cook era.

That said, I will fully admit that some of them were likely in development during Steve’s time, however, Apple is still going up in value, and is still coming out with good products and features.

I'd say Apple hasn't been ahead of curve in new categories like Apple was with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It seems nowadays like Apple is always late to the game, although their execution is usually a bit better than the competition.

I still think they make some of the highest quality products, and worth the premium for the most part. However, the prices of the latest rounds of MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iPhones are pushing beyond my limit of justification. I've gotten my money's worth out of every Apple Product I've had so far, so there's that.

 

[PBG4 Dude]

Separately, and this always catches me off guard.... "Apple are..."? Isn't Apple *one* company? Therefore one would say "Apple is..."? Yes, a company is a collection of many people, but it's "one collection", therefore "is" instead of "are" would be more appropriate, wouldn't it? But we're not supposed to analyze people's wording here in the forums. Just wanted to ask that because I see it so often.

It’s a British thing. British people pluralise companies while wearing their colourful clothes.

 

[Rogifan]

Very cringey that so many of you posters feel the need to insult Cook, on a day he's mourning and celebrating an old friend. Jeez.

Tim Cook tweeting every year about remembering Steve isn’t newsworthy. It’s only a front page story here because it drives clicks. They know it’s good for a few hundred posts about how great Apple was under Steve and how much the company sucks under Tim. A lot of what’s said about Apple under Steve now wasn’t said when he was alive.

 

[djlythium]

For better or for worse, subjectively, Tim is different from Steve.

Thank you, Mr. Jobs, for what you did while you were here. Rest well.

Thank you, Mr. Cook, for attempting to run Apple in the spirit of Steve’s vision.

IMHO, Apple has created amazing devices that have enhanced my life, and the lives of others, under the tutelage of both CEOs.

 

[840quadra]

I'd say Apple hasn't been ahead of curve in new categories like Apple was with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod. It seems nowadays like Apple is always late to the game, although their execution is usually a bit better than the competition.

I still think they make some of the highest quality products, and worth the premium for the most part. However, the prices of the latest rounds of MacBooks, MacBook Pros, and iPhones are pushing beyond my limit of justification. I've gotten my money's worth out of every Apple Product I've had so far, so there's that.

I don’t think that has changed much though. There were other touch screen smartphones before the iPhone, there were other MP3 players before the iPod. Tablets existed before the iPad, and even now with Smartwatches, there were others before the Apple Watch.

Nearly all of those product lines started off slow, later building up momentum to become popular. The only device that really stands out from them all is the iPhone. The Apple Watch is really following a similar path as did the iPod. Hopefully like the iPod, it will open up to other platforms, or, become a completely independent device.

I am really hoping that once the campus is done, and they are all moved into their new home, we start to see some of the “neat things” that Cook continues to reference. While I am personally interested in the HomePod, I don’t think it will be much of a success.

 

[ahunt01]

What I liked about Steve was how he took a deep personal interest in the products Apple produced. He was noted to call out stupid designs and stand up for what made sense. At least that's what I've read. He was also a complete *******. Tim seems like the type of guy that is better to work for and who trusts his employees more than Steve did.

This comes at the expense though of having products that lack the polish and attention to detail that came out under Steve, and Tim strikes me as the type to be more of a "big pictures" type of guy, not getting drug into minor details of products like Steve did. I think in the end Apple will be fine with Tim. He is more flexible than Steve, giving the customers what they want, rather than what he thinks they want (aka Steve). I think Tim will help Apple stay more competitive.

I will say that under Tim, I feel Apple is more greedy, forcing consumers into non-upgradable products, which was something I think Steve would have fought against for the principle. However, as far as reliability, and as an Apple owner of various products for the last 11 years, I feel the products are designed better than they were under Steve. My iPhones have fewer issues as do my Macs.