3 ms·

Tim Cook has performed well for share holders. He has led Apple to record shattering profits, huge cash surpluses, and even in years like this where they came i

by dottrap 10y ago

Tim Cook has performed well for share holders. He has led Apple to record shattering profits, huge cash surpluses, and even in years like this where they came in under target, they still dominated in profits relative to their peers. For share holders, the pressure on Tim Cook is not for him to step down. The pressure on Tim Cook by many share holders is to focus only on iPhone and for him to abandon the Mac, Apple TV, and other things that are not considered material to the profits of the company. We saw this before during the iPod domination years. Vocal share holders wanted Steve Jobs to ditch the Mac and focus only on iPod.

ProAm 10y ago
But I think the smart share holders are very weary of Apple moving into the Ballmer era. MS was in the same boat, hugely profitable but drifting into a technical no mans land where people lost interest in the platform and do not care to give them a second chance once viable other options are available. Apple is absolutely still a money printing machine, but they are skating on thin ice with product quality and innovation. With a new CEO Apple will still be a money printing machine, but maybe get some of its mojo back.
- olkid 10y ago
  Agreed. I applaud cnbc for linking to Steve Blank's article "why Tim Cook is Steve Ballmer"
- icanhackit 10y ago
  > they are skating on thin ice with product quality and innovation How did you come to this conclusion? I've been using Apple computers since the late 80s and iPhones since the day the 3G shipped in 2008 and consider Apple's current computers, phones and accessories to be robust, of the highest material and design quality, and packed with cool tech. I walk around with my 7 Plus feeling like I'm a goddamned cyborg. I look around the streets and see a significant number of people sporting an Apple Watch while I've seen next to no one wearing a competing smart watch apart from Fitbit...which is pushing the definition somewhat. Around Christmas I was surprised to see quite a few people with AirPods but have yet to see anyone with another brand of wireless in-ear headphones. You know what Tim isn't very good at? Being a bullshitter/salesman the way Steve Jobs was. And to sell the company to people who can't objectively see that Apple is doing some very cool things.

by dottrap 10y ago

ProAm 10y ago

But I think the smart share holders are very weary of Apple moving into the Ballmer era. MS was in the same boat, hugely profitable but drifting into a technical no mans land where people lost interest in the platform and do not care to give them a second chance once viable other options are available. Apple is absolutely still a money printing machine, but they are skating on thin ice with product quality and innovation. With a new CEO Apple will still be a money printing machine, but maybe get some of its mojo back.

olkid 10y ago
Agreed. I applaud cnbc for linking to Steve Blank's article "why Tim Cook is Steve Ballmer"
icanhackit 10y ago
> they are skating on thin ice with product quality and innovation How did you come to this conclusion? I've been using Apple computers since the late 80s and iPhones since the day the 3G shipped in 2008 and consider Apple's current computers, phones and accessories to be robust, of the highest material and design quality, and packed with cool tech. I walk around with my 7 Plus feeling like I'm a goddamned cyborg. I look around the streets and see a significant number of people sporting an Apple Watch while I've seen next to no one wearing a competing smart watch apart from Fitbit...which is pushing the definition somewhat. Around Christmas I was surprised to see quite a few people with AirPods but have yet to see anyone with another brand of wireless in-ear headphones. You know what Tim isn't very good at? Being a bullshitter/salesman the way Steve Jobs was. And to sell the company to people who can't objectively see that Apple is doing some very cool things.