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How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

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Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#21

Post by enjeyw »

elktea wrote: post #9

"The 2014 iPhone 6 was “the poster child” of this transformation, according to a person involved in the product’s development. While the device had complex internal components and a larger screen, it dropped the diamond-polished edges and the precisely cut glass parts of the back of the iPhone 5 and 5s, which had been difficult to produce." well, that explains why the iPhone went from such a unique design to generic…

I agree that the design of the 6 regressed from the 4/5, but the build quality is much higher than that of the average android.

I'm still using a 6 as my daily phone, which means my phone is closer in generation to the original iPhone that it is to the latest one. I wish the (equally expensive) android phones I use at work had anywhere near that longevity.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#22

Post by ghaff »

nextos wrote: post #15
elktea wrote: post #9

"The 2014 iPhone 6 was “the poster child” of this transformation, according to a person involved in the product’s development. While the device had complex internal components and a larger screen, it dropped the diamond-polished edges and the precisely cut glass parts of the back of the iPhone 5 and 5s, which had been difficult to produce." well, that explains why the iPhone went from such a unique design to generic…

I don't buy Apple products and I don't use a smartphone. But in 2014 I borrowed an iPhone 5 from a friend and I found it truly well designed. Thickness and weight were very satisfying for 1-handed operation. I haven't found the successors to be anywhere close.

The iPhone 5 was nice but I have to admit the screen seems tiny to me today. I do use phones one-handed a lot but I find I can still do that with an iPhone 12 Pro with my (admittedly large) right hand. Have never been really interested in the Plus models because IMO they don't really work one-handed.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#24

Post by [deleted] »

rektide wrote: post #7
icelancer wrote: post #4

Apple M1 is the kind of thing that truly impresses in the post-Jobs era, IMO.

Years of snapping up brilliant companies/minds[1]! * PA Semi, 2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Semi * Licensing then hiring most of the Imagination Technologies GPU engineers, including setting up an office down the street from them in St Albans, 2017-2020. * some of Dialog Semiconductor, 2018 * Intel's smartphone division, 2019 * Intrinsity, who had some cutting edge chip design, 2010 There's also an unbeliev…

[deleted]

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#26

Post by 908B64B197 »

rektide wrote: post #7
icelancer wrote: post #4

Apple M1 is the kind of thing that truly impresses in the post-Jobs era, IMO.

Years of snapping up brilliant companies/minds[1]! * PA Semi, 2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Semi * Licensing then hiring most of the Imagination Technologies GPU engineers, including setting up an office down the street from them in St Albans, 2017-2020. * some of Dialog Semiconductor, 2018 * Intel's smartphone division, 2019 * Intrinsity, who had some cutting edge chip design, 2010 There's also an unbeliev…

> But I also just am so very very sad to see so much talent disappear off the open market, distressed that the lead seems to only grow & grow over everyone else.

All that talent was up for grab: What were the other players waiting for?

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#27

Post by mushufasa »

rektide wrote: post #7
icelancer wrote: post #4

Apple M1 is the kind of thing that truly impresses in the post-Jobs era, IMO.

Years of snapping up brilliant companies/minds[1]! * PA Semi, 2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Semi * Licensing then hiring most of the Imagination Technologies GPU engineers, including setting up an office down the street from them in St Albans, 2017-2020. * some of Dialog Semiconductor, 2018 * Intel's smartphone division, 2019 * Intrinsity, who had some cutting edge chip design, 2010 There's also an unbeliev…

This comment has a negative tone, but this doesn't seem to me to be a tragedy. Acquiring talent and putting them on the bench to stave off would-be competitors stifles innovation (re: Palihapitiya's criticism of Google). Acquiring talent and putting them to use on projects that achieve more scale and impact, sooner, than could happen at a small company -- that seems like innovation and the free market market at its best.

It's not like these people had their work stolen -- they were compensated!! Presumably quite well.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#28

Post by ValentineC »

duxup wrote: post #6
underseacables wrote: post #3

I think the biggest change Tim made from Steve is that Tim’s decision and management style seems more committee/group based, whereas Steve was much more autonomous; this is how it is now do it. I know he didn’t want everyone thinking what would Steve do, but I do often wonder what someone with Steve’s authority would do.

The impression I got was that Steve operated in a way that 'seemed' autonomous, but in terms of the results he was still letting folks around him do their thing, even if it went through him. Maybe it was the case of a strong personality / operational style that seemed more autonomous than it was? I find that people often seem to read strong personalities as sort of autocratic by default, even if they're not. Often wh…

I really liked this interview and discussion from two weeks back: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26033689

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#29

Post by vlovich123 »

908B64B197 wrote: post #26
rektide wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Years of snapping up brilliant companies/minds[1]! * PA Semi, 2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Semi * Licensing then hiring most of the Imagination Technologies GPU engineers, including setting up an office down the street from them in St Albans, 2017-2020. * some of Dialog Semiconductor, 2018 * Intel's smartphone division, 2019 * Intrinsity, who had some cutting edge chip design, 2010 There's also an unbeliev…

> But I also just am so very very sad to see so much talent disappear off the open market, distressed that the lead seems to only grow & grow over everyone else. All that talent was up for grab: What were the other players waiting for?

Exactly. Not just that, acquiring the talent is one thing. Providing the culture & resources for them to succeed over a long period of time? That's special & why most M&A activity results in a neutral or even negative result.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#30

Post by chiefalchemist »

908B64B197 wrote: post #26
rektide wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Years of snapping up brilliant companies/minds[1]! * PA Semi, 2008 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Semi * Licensing then hiring most of the Imagination Technologies GPU engineers, including setting up an office down the street from them in St Albans, 2017-2020. * some of Dialog Semiconductor, 2018 * Intel's smartphone division, 2019 * Intrinsity, who had some cutting edge chip design, 2010 There's also an unbeliev…

> But I also just am so very very sad to see so much talent disappear off the open market, distressed that the lead seems to only grow & grow over everyone else. All that talent was up for grab: What were the other players waiting for?

By open marketet I think he/she means producing products/services that can be used by multiple other companies. As opposed to being confined to the Apple silo.

Note: I'm not judging that analysis, just trying to refine the interpretation.

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