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Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

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Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#51

Post by bitcartel »

nickpinkston wrote: post #27
FireBeyond wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware" What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

They have their own aluminum alloy made specifically for the phone. Custom plastics, dyes, colors, etc. They've got enough scale/buyer power to optimize to the n-th. Not to mention that the A-series processor is Apple only, they get early access to the best screens, etc.

Early access to best screens? Maybe not.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/10/17/3515158/htc-shows-off-stu...

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#52

Post by j_baker »

czhiddy wrote: post #13
doomlaser wrote: post #7

I thought that Google didn't really have 20% time anymore.

None of my half-dozen friends at Google have 20% time. I think the common joke that it's "120%" time might actually be accurate.

I don't think it's accurate. Plenty of Googlers have 20% projects they spend 20% of their time on.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#53

Post by [deleted] »

general_failure wrote: post #47
jfoutz wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple 2? Macintosh? Powerbook? Newton? Didn't that laser printer and the Apple software that became Adobe pretty much create "desktop publishing"? I've heard a few people talk about hypercard being neat at the time. Yeah, they did some stuff lately, whatever. But you really have no appreciation for how cool woz's disk drive was? That was pretty amazing.

Dude, that was Apple the company and not Steve jobs doing. What's wrong with everyone? Steve jobs didn't come up with every darn idea and implemente every darn thing. You know what John Chambers is awesome. He invented routers, switches, hubs, IP phones, Conferencing systems, Telco switches, things that power practically 50% of the internet all by himself.

[deleted]

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#55

Post by alwaysinshade »

FireBeyond wrote: post #22
alwaysinshade wrote: post #17

I’m glad Tim Cook is trying new things like this, involving Jony Ive in Human Interface design and becoming more involved in charity. I just wish they’d shitcan the lawsuits and get on with making products. Hopefully the HTC licensing agreement is the beginning of the end of SJ’s “thermonuclear” tantrum. The only way to beat the competition is to make products that are too difficult and costly to replicate – they alr…

"they already use fairly exclusive materials for their hardware" What, exactly? As someone who has used an iPhone 3, 4S, iPad 3, and many other mobile devices, I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

> I'm really struggling to think of a material that is "fairly exclusive" to Apple.

Elithrar's reply hit the nail on the head, but in some cases they do use some fairly exotic materials. For instance, the bead-blasted high-tensile stainless steel antenna array (iPhone 4 & 4s) and artificial sapphire crystal lens coating on the latest iPhone. Both required new manufacturing processes and a considerable amount of hardware to work at scale.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#56

Post by alwaysinshade »

gwilkes wrote: post #50
alwaysinshade wrote: post #17

I’m glad Tim Cook is trying new things like this, involving Jony Ive in Human Interface design and becoming more involved in charity. I just wish they’d shitcan the lawsuits and get on with making products. Hopefully the HTC licensing agreement is the beginning of the end of SJ’s “thermonuclear” tantrum. The only way to beat the competition is to make products that are too difficult and costly to replicate – they alr…

With the lawsuits, I think too much is made of this. I don't believe it really much affects their ability to make products one way or the other. I don't know if it is still the case but a few years ago they were the most sued company in the world and prior to the iPhone they were getting hit with a ton of patent suits and trolls. So, it seems that starting with the iPhone there was a shift in strategy when Apple real…

> with Ive now in charge of software design we can at least expect some more aesthetic polish

I hope he delivers something more than polish - if he can make the human-machine interface more intuitive/seamless while toning down the visual cruft that would be great.

> their biggest strength is providing a good platform (hardware and OS) for third party developers to shine

Definitely. That seems to be their angle with the iPad mini vs the better spec'd & competitively-priced competition.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#57

Post by jfoutz »

general_failure wrote: post #47
jfoutz wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple 2? Macintosh? Powerbook? Newton? Didn't that laser printer and the Apple software that became Adobe pretty much create "desktop publishing"? I've heard a few people talk about hypercard being neat at the time. Yeah, they did some stuff lately, whatever. But you really have no appreciation for how cool woz's disk drive was? That was pretty amazing.

Dude, that was Apple the company and not Steve jobs doing. What's wrong with everyone? Steve jobs didn't come up with every darn idea and implemente every darn thing. You know what John Chambers is awesome. He invented routers, switches, hubs, IP phones, Conferencing systems, Telco switches, things that power practically 50% of the internet all by himself.

You know what, you're right. The newton was Gassée, and jobs probably did nothing with the laser printer.

However, i think stuff like this: http://www.folklore.org/StoryView.py?project=Macintosh&s... indicates Jobs pushed good people to do their best work. The mac wouldn't be the mac without jobs. Neither would the Next cube. Maybe John Chambers is just as involved with every product Cisco makes, but a terrible self promoter.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#58

Post by chimeracoder »

jacques_chester wrote: post #48
marksaccucci wrote: post #34

I think all companies should encourage this. When I read this, Bell Labs comes to mind. Bell Labs had a recipe for brilliant innovation and I think all companies should take note!

> Bell Labs had a recipe for brilliant innovation Government-guaranteed monopoly profits? Harder to achieve than it looks.

> Government-guaranteed monopoly profits?

They also were forbidden from profiting from a large portion of the work that they did....

If that weren't the case, we wouldn't have GNU.

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#59

Post by oscardelben »

activepeanut wrote: post #43
firefox wrote: post #24

Best of luck to the ones "affected" as everyone that I know who works at Apple are already overworked, stressed and being asked to work while on vacation.

Indeed. Ditto for certain groups at Google ( cough android cough ). Either have a dedicated research group, or give people a pass at being 20% less productive at their regular job. Here's a novel idea.. increase your workforce by 20%? I know, that's just crazy talk. :)

You may want to read "The Mythical Man Month".

Re: Apple fires up its version of Google’s "20% time"

#60

Post by genuine »

We talked about doing this at my last job, and never did. When I read "...gives a small group of employees 2 weeks or ‘a limited amount of time’ to work on a project outside of their normal responsibilities at Apple", it made me think of the same attitude- the inability to commit to full-on innovation and creativity. Tim Cook, you are a great CEO, but you don't know how to take sufficient risk to get the reward. Everyone should get the 20% time. Don't do anything half-assed, ever. Even better would be to 1-up Google and say that you don't give a flying fuck what your employees do as long as they are innovating for the company and doing what they love to make people's lives better.
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