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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

#171

Post by triceratops »

Wowfunhappy wrote: post #133
Spooky23 wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you ever use an original iMac? That mouse would create RSI just looking at it. Their keyboards got progressively worse as well. Another great example was the iBooks that soaked up skin oils and became gross and disgusting.

> Their keyboards got progressively worse as well. During Jobs's tenure? The 2010-era Apple Bluetooth Keyboard is actually my favorite keyboard to type on. I'm currently using one I tracked down on eBay after my original finally broke. > Another great example was the iBooks that soaked up skin oils and became gross and disgusting. That's a long term problem. It's not the same type of general workflow issue that Jobs…

> The 2010-era Apple Bluetooth Keyboard is actually my favorite keyboard to type on.

Ugh. I absolutely hated that keyboard. Felt like tapping on a slab of granite all day long.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#172

Post by thitcanh »

tshaddox wrote: post #42
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…

> well, that explains why the iPhone went from such a unique design to generic plastic android. I agree that some of the flagship iPhones since the iPhone 6 have had less unique designs, but what are you describing as "generic plastic android?" None of the flagship iPhones after the iPhone 3GS have had any significant exterior plastic. Are you talking about the iPhone 5C? I'm pretty sure that's the only one that ever…

I think they mean it's just a brick with smooth edges. Nothing fancy. Nothing truly iPhone. The iPhone X only differentiated itself from others with a beautiful new notch and the iPhone 11 with a wonderful electric-shaver-like camera setup. Take those away and you can barely tell it's an Apple device.

The iPhone 4 through 5s felt like luxury devices.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#173

Post by yuriko_boyko »

bryananderson wrote: post #147
cageface wrote: post #81

I think it’s naive to expect that American companies like Apple that outsource everything but design and software and reap enormous profits are going to be able to do this indefinitely. China is getting better fast at doing these things too and will have tremendous advantages when it owns the entire stack. If American companies want to stay competitive in the long run they’re going to have to break their addiction to…

Why wouldn't they just move production to another, cheaper country besides China? I think you are underestimating how much more expensive an iPhone would be if it was made entirely in the United States: https://fee.org/articles/a-made-in-america-iphone-would-cost...

They are starting to do that in India.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#174

Post by jariel »

cageface wrote: post #81

I think it’s naive to expect that American companies like Apple that outsource everything but design and software and reap enormous profits are going to be able to do this indefinitely. China is getting better fast at doing these things too and will have tremendous advantages when it owns the entire stack. If American companies want to stay competitive in the long run they’re going to have to break their addiction to…

'Design and Software' ???

Brand, marketing, product strategy, product marketing, industrial design, ui design, millions of lines of code which is all part of design, massive retail distribution chains both direct and indirect, massive loyal userbase, millions of developers, massive supply chain - and the ope rationalizing of all of that.

China is not competing very well in many of those things.

China's advantages are starting to look like working capital , the factories, the labour, and the local supply chain - which is much more advantageous for lower end products but it's still a price advantage more than anything.

I was in the drugstore - there were over 20 different kinds of electric toothbrushes. 20 kinds! I will buy 1 and maybe, maybe another some time in my life. That's a rough business, as is almost everything in hardware.

The 'high end stuff' is not necessarily going to be China. It could, but not necessarily.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#175

Post by bromuro »

systemvoltage wrote: post #140
whoisjuan wrote: post #107

Apple is the best company in the world at operations. I don't know how they do it but: 1) Ever year they manage to diligently upgrade iphones/ipads, macbooks and watches. 2) Every year they make some progress in their quest of removing suppliers by becoming vertically integrated. They don't only remove the supplier. They beat their former suppliers specs. (e.g: M1 chip). 3) Every year they make some progress in their…

Every year their UX/UI gets consistently worse.

I don’t agree: I love the recent UI updates.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#176

Post by innagadadavida »

hyperpallium2 wrote: post #152
cageface wrote: post #81

I think it’s naive to expect that American companies like Apple that outsource everything but design and software and reap enormous profits are going to be able to do this indefinitely. China is getting better fast at doing these things too and will have tremendous advantages when it owns the entire stack. If American companies want to stay competitive in the long run they’re going to have to break their addiction to…

Isn't this ordinary commoditization? Provided Apple keeps innovating, they'll keep ahead. They have a head start, and innovatiin is their corporate organizing principle, from hiring to advertizing. They leave commodity profits on the table. The danger is if China has a monopoly on know-how, i.e. if it's not a "commodity". But that doesn't seem to be the case. However, one day, the iphone will be "good enough", and cu…

It is also partly marketing. Apple has a lot of other pieces of the puzzle like privacy and racial equality and other socio-political issues well rounded up.

Loyal Apple fans and customers really like to identify with these principles.

Apple does this really well and most Chinese companies are transactional in nature and have been adversely affected by many political and humanitarian issues that are part of their ethos.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#177

Post by cageface »

jariel wrote: post #174
cageface wrote: post #81

I think it’s naive to expect that American companies like Apple that outsource everything but design and software and reap enormous profits are going to be able to do this indefinitely. China is getting better fast at doing these things too and will have tremendous advantages when it owns the entire stack. If American companies want to stay competitive in the long run they’re going to have to break their addiction to…

'Design and Software' ??? Brand, marketing, product strategy, product marketing, industrial design, ui design, millions of lines of code which is all part of design, massive retail distribution chains both direct and indirect, massive loyal userbase, millions of developers, massive supply chain - and the ope rationalizing of all of that. China is not competing very well in many of those things. China's advantages are…

Chinese smartphones are selling extremely well and are currently the top ranked camera phones. The reputation of other Chinese brands is getting better too. Here in Asia I see Chinese branded stuff everywhere.

https://www.dxomark.com/rankings/

I remember back in the day "Made in Taiwan" or "Made in Japan" was considered a joke and mark of cheap products. That changed fast and to assume the same thing won't happen again with China is a mark of Western arrogance IMO.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#178

Post by function_seven »

thitcanh wrote: post #172
tshaddox wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> well, that explains why the iPhone went from such a unique design to generic plastic android. I agree that some of the flagship iPhones since the iPhone 6 have had less unique designs, but what are you describing as "generic plastic android?" None of the flagship iPhones after the iPhone 3GS have had any significant exterior plastic. Are you talking about the iPhone 5C? I'm pretty sure that's the only one that ever…

I think they mean it's just a brick with smooth edges. Nothing fancy. Nothing truly iPhone. The iPhone X only differentiated itself from others with a beautiful new notch and the iPhone 11 with a wonderful electric-shaver-like camera setup. Take those away and you can barely tell it's an Apple device. The iPhone 4 through 5s felt like luxury devices.

> The iPhone 4 through 5s felt like luxury devices.

The glass back panel on my 4s was totally* impractical. I was afraid to set the phone down on any rough surface, afraid the glass would crack, smudges were now something to avoid on two surfaces instead of just one.

And I liked it and I miss it.

* Well, okay: one practical advantage of the glass back is how secure it felt in my hand. Fingertips don't slip on glass like they do on a matte metal surface.

IMO, the 4 and 4S are still the nicest designs in the iPhone lineup.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#179

Post by raverbashing »

baybal2 wrote: post #92
baybal2 wrote: post #79

I worked in, and around OEM electronics since 2007. I've seen many guys like Tim Cook, most worse off ones. He squeezes suppliers, and know what he is doing. Others squeeze suppliers, and don't know what they are doing. On one of my first jobs, I've been witness to one such negotiations down to single cents, and microns of plastic for a few million units customized charger order. The order was such a whopper for a sm…

I recalled that when in 2015, working for another sourcing shop working for likes of BestBuy/Futureshop/Target/London Drugs I was asked to tear down few chargers for them. I found that diodes in parallel are surprisingly common around the industry. This is such a thing which you are pretty much told on day 1 of any electronics course that it is impossible to not to know. My only thinkable conclusion was that people k…

The "diodes in parallel" thing sounds like cargo-culting and lack of knowledge beyond the basic stuff.

I wouldn't be surprised if reference circuits would have the double diode. Sad, but not surprised.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#180

Post by perryizgr8 »

thebrain wrote: post #33

For what it's worth, I don't think Steve Jobs would have ever allowed the charging port for the Magic Mouse to ever be on the bottom and forced the user to have to leave the mouse on it's side to charge.

I used to make fun of this until I actually used one. The charging takes about an hour or two, and then the battery lasts for months. So this is not an actual issue.

The real issue is the horrible sensor and tracking. It is absolutely unusable as a mouse.

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