Earlier quoted context omitted.
So is it buying in bulk or planning ahead that make Tim Cook the greatest COO in history? Because neither seem particularly amazing to me. Is it just the fact that the sums of money involved are quite large? Or is it the subtle undertones of sticking it to the competition so they can't compete fairly that makes this story (and the ones about patents) resonate so strongly with Apple fans?
It's both, as a matter of fact, and judging from the struggling competition neither is particularly easy. When discussing Cook's qualities and Apple's refined processes, there isn't much fanboy-ism involved. They're simply really, really good at it.
And not only do you credit this one factor with decisive victory, you're attributing it not to Apple as a corporation, but to one individual. In other words, this is all about fanboy-ism. Indeed, like the face of Jesus appearing in a grilled cheese sandwich, the only interesting aspect of this story is the way the believers react to it. The underlying reality is suspect, but no-one seems to care as long as it fits their narrative.