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Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

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Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#71

Post by digi_owl »

modeless wrote: post #33
agumonkey wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, what could be the NBT in consumer tech ? I feel we reached cultural and ontological plateau in most areas. If there's a next it probably won't be a big thing.

The next really big thing will be consumer robotics, powered by advances in AI. It's still a ways off. Self-driving cars may be the first big application area. After that we'll see home robots to do cleaning, cooking, and maintenance. Contrary to popular opinion, IoT is a dead end. The future isn't a million devices scattered around your home, but one capable robot that can be your servant and do everything for you.

Yeah, but that may well be further off than the likes of Boston Dynamics make it appear.

Just grabbing something from the fridge and putting it on a plate is a massive task for robotics.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#72

Post by coldtea »

TheOtherHobbes wrote: post #59
mwfunk wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I interpreted that as, someday it might yet be a mega hit. It's still a relatively new product that's only had one iteration, and even though it didn't set the world on fire, it didn't bomb either. Most tech companies iterate on things a few times before giving up on them, unless they are just fundamental market failures like the iPod HiFi. What did you like about that statement? Your interpretation made it sound lik…

I certainly don't agree with it. Wearables have a lot of potential, but wearable watches are fundamentally not a great idea - for practical reasons (screen too small, limited battery life) and for marketing reasons (can't compete at the low end, certainly can't compete at the lifestyle/status display high end). Watch isn't even primarily a watch - it's an iPhone remote. And that's getting into rarefied meta-product t…

>I certainly don't agree with it. Wearables have a lot of potential, but wearable watches are fundamentally not a great idea - for practical reasons (screen too small, limited battery life)

I'm not sure I follow. A wearable watch will have the biggest screen and better battery life combo than any other kind of practical wearable device I can think of (e.g. when not strapping a 3" screen and a battery pack the size of a Zippo on you and calling it a wearable).

>So unlike the iPhone and the home computer, both of which have obvious use cases, Watch is still trying to define a compelling reason for existing.

If not other things, Fitness/health/medical services would be a killer reason for existing.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#73

Post by digi_owl »

detaro wrote: post #27
agumonkey wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, what could be the NBT in consumer tech ? I feel we reached cultural and ontological plateau in most areas. If there's a next it probably won't be a big thing.

Home automation/IoT is still a thing that could be it. And I'm honestly surprised Apple hasn't been more aggressive with HomeKit etc. With more and more crappy IoT devices, Apple coming out with a reliable and well-integrated platform could be great. I don't have Apple stuff, but the people I know that do often cite good integration between everything as a reason, so I think that angle might work. They have voice con…

Unless i can turn my house into my own butler, that will ready the table for me etc, IoT is effectively dead. Because flipping switches etc can be done as i walk around anyways. And walking around i need to do to prepare and put away things anyways.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#74

Post by coldtea »

LargeCompanies wrote: post #43

I'm a six year iPhone owner who based off of the iPhone 7 rumors it's going to underwhelm in the innovation department and lose this customer. The Note 7 looks awesome due to it being waterproof and other features Apple hasn't bothered to include. Also, Google Now in terms of it understanding me is light years away from Siri, which I have used since 2011. Goigle Now's AI puts Siri to shame! See ya Apple!

>I'm a six year iPhone owner who based off of the iPhone 7 rumors it's going to underwhelm in the innovation department and lose this customer.

Yeah, because better CPU, GPU, camera(s), and such are not innovative enough...

>The Note 7 looks awesome due to it being waterproof and other features Apple hasn't bothered to include.

Yeah, for those of us using our phone on the shower it will be a god-send. Waterproof! Such innovation!

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#75

Post by Spooky23 »

coldtea wrote: post #68
Spooky23 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can't scale their "magic". Working on the watch means that they aren't working on the Mac or the iPad. They are a victim of their own success in that a successful, well thought out, and profitable product like the watch is viewed as a neutral. They've also flopped on the TV. That said, their ability to execute is amazing.

> Working on the watch means that they aren't working on the Mac or the iPad. You do know that all 3 share the same basic OS and technologies (kernel, filesystems, basic services, lots of UI and helper code, etc) just in differently tuned versions with a different "facade" on top, right? Or that that they have different teams on each of these devices for everything that's not shared, teams that don't even communicate…

If everything is so rosy, why are we left with multi-year gaps in even minor product revisions for products like MacBook Pro, Mac Pro, iPod, iPad?

I love the products. I probably have $15k of Apple hear in my home. But I'm not buying my kid a 3 year old computer to go off to college with at a premium price.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#76

Post by geomark »

ktRolster wrote: post #37
k-mcgrady wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> "Watches? Tried that." I don't understand how people think they've tried the watch and failed. They've put out ONE version. The first iPod was Mac only and therefore didn't sell very well. When the iPhone launched you had to buy the device outright - no subsidy and it was lacking features that other phones had for quite a while. It was a few versions before it really took off. I think people shrugging off the watc…

FWIW the apple watch sold fairly well: http://www.wsj.com/articles/apple-watch-with-sizable-sales-c... Expectations of course are ridiculously high.

My impression is that the watch sold mainly because of Apple branding not because it solved a real problem or opened up an entire new market. People are hoping/expecting Apple's next big thing to become a viral hit lke the iPhone. The watch isn't that.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#77

Post by Olscore »

coldtea wrote: post #64
icpmacdo wrote: post #2

PG talked about this in his talk 'before the startup' "Larry Page may seem to have an enviable life, but there are aspects of it that are unenviable. Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it. If he goes on vacation…

> Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it. If he goes on vacation for even a week, a whole week's backlog of shit accumulates. With the difference that unlike a poor single working mother, or some 40-something fact…

> get less than zero sympathy if they talk about having difficult lives

You just proved this part.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#78

Post by narrowrail »

modeless wrote: post #33
agumonkey wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, what could be the NBT in consumer tech ? I feel we reached cultural and ontological plateau in most areas. If there's a next it probably won't be a big thing.

The next really big thing will be consumer robotics, powered by advances in AI. It's still a ways off. Self-driving cars may be the first big application area. After that we'll see home robots to do cleaning, cooking, and maintenance. Contrary to popular opinion, IoT is a dead end. The future isn't a million devices scattered around your home, but one capable robot that can be your servant and do everything for you.

You people need to stop saying this kind of stuff. I will bet you $1k on longbets.org that we do not have fully autonomous vehicles operating on public streets in 9 years (i.e. 2025). These types of statements are confusing the non-technical 'tech press' and they are misinforming the public.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#79

Post by zyxley »

Olscore wrote: post #77
coldtea wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Basically at 25 he started running as fast as he could and it must seem to him that he hasn't stopped to catch his breath since. Every day new shit happens in the Google empire that only the CEO can deal with, and he, as CEO, has to deal with it. If he goes on vacation for even a week, a whole week's backlog of shit accumulates. With the difference that unlike a poor single working mother, or some 40-something fact…

> get less than zero sympathy if they talk about having difficult lives You just proved this part.

coldtea's point is that "difficult" when you can walk away from it and never have to work another day in your life, and "difficult" when getting it wrong means that your life and your childrens' lives are ruined for years, live in two entirely different strata of meaning.

Re: Tim Cook, the interview: Running Apple ‘is sort of a lonely job’

#80

Post by 6stringmerc »

CTRL+F "music" & "iTunes" - only one result, as part of the framing by the writer.

Unless Tim & co. decide to confront the reality that they're stepping up "vertical integration" model using the Robber Baron playbook when it comes to the actual arts, I think his "social responsibility" comments mean fuck-all. Go ahead, build a new environmentally friendly compound, that's great, good on you. And how's about that 30% you skim off the top of every non-Drake "Most-Favored-Nation" artist who has to go through your channels or lose out?

Actions about social responsibility speak louder than words, and right now, Braeburn Capital and billions of dollars being slushed around offshore rather than pay the tax to re-patriate those funds means talk is cheap. I'm a contrarian by nature, but I know a puff piece when I see it. So Tim is good at hitting softball questions, whoop-dee-whoo.

Of course it's lonely and isolating at the top of the mountain - just look at Kurt Cobain.

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