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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

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is obviously not the case with all the wireless peripheral devices out there or they would not exist. Did you really believe that there is people out there putting up with keys being repeated randomly?

I'm sure it's better now, I just asked how much better.

I’m sorry you got downvoted for asking the question. But I guess it’s 100% better, that doesn’t happen and no one would tolerate that these days, they just work.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you're misunderstanding the article you linked at least a bit here; it's not the origin story of Apple's original one-button mouse. It's describing the "no button" Pro Mouse circa 2000, which still functioned like a one-button mouse in practice. Macs had one-button mice since they first shipped in 1984. > As far as not thinking about a button to click - that only works if the idea of 'right-click' doesn't exi…

I had the “no button” mouse where the entire top was the button - I thought it was pretty. Fair point that when this started the right click menu wasn’t super established. That said, at some point it was, probably more than 20 years ago. Today the Magic Mouse supports right click, but is still a bad mouse in my (and many others) opinion. It’s form over function. The Magic Trackpad is great though. I’m about as big an…

I'm definitely much more a fan of the trackpad, too. I like the Magic Mouse more than you do, evidently, but I don't actually like mice that much in general. :)

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#164
post #157

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…

Apple's mobile devices haven't been that interesting since the iPhone X / Watch Series 3. Nothing really has felt like a 'must have' upgrade. iPhone 12 & series 4 watch was definitely an improvement stylistically, but that's about it. And apple only really cares about privacy from 3rd parties, not privacy from apple for their customers. They don't E2E encrypt their backups, and many other services, which makes their…

Upgrades are hard even when they subtle.

Iterating hardware is extremely complex.

The internal layout of the phones changes every year and all the supply chain needs to get instructions to get the exact adjustments.

New parts need to be procured. New software needs to be integrated and tested.

Every year there are major software updates that launch new stable OS versions.

Every year your ecosystem evolvez and you have to keep everyone in the loop.

I find mind-blowing how good they are at re-aligning all the pieces after major shifts like form-factors or adding propietary silicon.

It’s even more mind-blowing when you think that they are producing millions of these devices and distributing around the world at key times of the year.

I know for some people it’s hard to see innovation in their year updates. But they need nearly perfect operational coordination to achieve what they do at their scale.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#165

Steve Jobs built consumer products that he wanted for himself, his family and friends. He would push for out of the box ideas while scrutinizing every detail of the product, optimized and repeated. Tim Cook builds the supply chain that he wants for himself, his shareholders and coworkers. He pushes for out of the box ideas while scrutinizing every detail of the supply chain, optimizes and repeats. Tim Cook builds sup…

> But no other company will be able to out compete Tesla at manufacturing. This is the reason I feel people are betting Tesla to get an outsized pie of the EV market even when the legacy OEMs catch up. When Tesla started manufacturing things in-house, folks were rightly skeptical about their manufacturing capabilities and their stupid refusal to rely on the automobile supply chain. The stubborn insistence to vertical…

Forget about TSLA's market cap for a second and look at their actual manufacturing quality, where defect rates are higher than almost all other automakers:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/24/tesla-lags-auto-industry-in-...

https://www.forbes.com/sites/edgarsten/2020/11/19/tesla-reli...

While I appreciate that it's exceptionally difficult to build an automobile manufacturing and supply chain from scratch, let's not pretend they've somehow overtaken conventional auto companies and that's why their stock price is high.

Given the disproportionate share price when considering comparable EV sales, I'd say TSLA market cap is a function of the MDF - the Musk Distortion Field - rather than actual tangibles.

That's not to say the two are completely disconnected. The MDF explains why TSLA doesn't spend a cent on advertising, which obviously boosts margins.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#166
post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yep, Apple's operations and logistics are second to none in this industry. Watching AMD, NVIDIA, Sony, Microsoft and others struggling so much manufacturing their products, and then having Apple launch: - 2 new Apple Watches - 4 new iPhones - 3 new Macs - Airpods Max - Homepod Mini All with Apple's own custom designed chips, even relying on the same chip fabs as those other companies, and still managing to mostly avo…

> All with Apple's own custom designed chips, even relying on the same chip fabs as those other companies, and still managing to mostly avoid the huge shortages that those others have faced is impressive. I would not be surprised if the other companies are having shortages because of Apple taking up most of the fab capacity and support engineers.

Both Apple and Huawei have been stockpiling on silicon wafers for months. The silicon shortage is becoming real.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#167
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…

Eh, the game goes both ways tho. Factories love to feign innocence over defects and dispute penalties and commonly drop QC themselves and then baulk at redoing. Everybody is under pressure and there's angels and demons on both sides.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#168
post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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...

The article you linked argues why it wouldn't be possible to move to another country. In fact the article argues heavily that labor costs are not the biggest advantage that China has.

The article argues why it would be more expensive in the short term.

The argument I've seen for bringing production closer to home is that it's going to be painful either way so we ought to rip the bandaid off, because every year that we continue the status quo represents more money and market power amassed by other nations on the back of American demand.

There's more to corporate or economic strategy than today's cost of doing business.

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#169
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…

> [If you don't know yourself] if you are asking a for something stupid, who will know? No one will. Makes me think I could intentionally ask for 1 or 2 stupid things, and see if the supplier tells me about it?

Sounds like a variation of that rock band asking for a bowl of only brown m&m from the venue - at risk of voiding the contract if not provided - in the middle of their safety requirements document (if they didn't give them brown m&ms they know they didn't read the document throughout).

Re: How Tim Cook transformed Apple after Steve Jobs

#170
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm using one now. This "mini" is huge.

The new SE is bigger than the 12 mini, I just switched from a 2016 SE to a 12 mini and have been happy.

Funny, I’ve exchanged the 12 mini for the 2020 SE because the overall screen size fits my thumb better and it was cheaper. They should have made the overall size of the mini the same size as the SE’s screen.
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