5 ms·

Can someone explain to me why is Apple making this type of stuff?

tempestn 7y ago
Because global pandemic.
Octoth0rpe 7y ago
1) Because they _can_. They have the manufacturing connections to quickly connect the needed pieces 2) Because they have the spare cash to spin this up very quickly. 3) Because they want to help (or at a minimum, look like they're helping). Are there any reasons why they _shouldn't_ be making this kind of stuff? Other companies also meet all 3 of those conditions, and I think we should be glad (note: I'm saying 'glad' and not 'grateful') that any of them are doing this.
- scarface74 7y ago
  What other American company has the logistic and design know how that Apple has to make hundreds of millions devices?
  - nerfhammer 7y ago
    3M
    - lonelappde 7y ago
      They are already doing it but can't do it all alone.
  - adventured 7y ago
    The US is an extremely massive manufacturing nation. There are dozens of companies in the US that could mass produce these face shields. It's great that Apple moved quickly to do it, it's certainly in their wheelhouse to make happen. These shields are easy to manufacture. They're ideal to rapidly produce, cheaply and at scale. Compared to normal shields in the industry they're no-frills, which is perfectly fine, as right now we just need volume.
  - rubidium 7y ago
    GM, Ford, GE, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, 3M, Eli Lilly, Cummins, ... I could keep going. Maybe not all have it to the same degree as Apple, but are sufficient to make a face shield. Lot's of companies could do this. I'm glad Apple is giving it a go.
    - mulmen 7y ago
      GM and Ford also support massive networks of suppliers and contractors that have this capability as well. The list of capable companies is enormous.
    - mcginleyr1 7y ago
      We (Nike) are https://news.nike.com/news/nike-ppe-face-shields-covid-19-support https://news.nike.com/news/nike-ppe-face-shields-covid-19-su...
    - scarface74 7y ago
      I can’t speak for the rest of the companies, but GE is a pitiful shell of its former self and I am not sure that they could do anything well. I caught a small glimpse of GE fading away when I worked there.
- bluehex 7y ago
  Why not grateful as well?
  - Octoth0rpe 7y ago
    I think you _can_ be grateful, but I understand why people are hesitant to be 'grateful' when companies do things that are clearly in the company's best interest anyway, setting aside any social benefits. Be 'glad' when a company does something that helps society even if there are selfish motives. Be 'grateful' when a company does something that helps society when there's no obvious selfish motive. Hope that makes sense.
    - smabie 7y ago
      I mean, companies shouldn't be doing anything out of the goodness of their hearts, since they have a duty to shareholders to maximize the long-term value of the business. Of course, helping people and helping yourself are often aligned.
- adventured 7y ago
  > or at a minimum, look like they're helping They're going to make a million face shields this week, and one million per week thereafter, with the intention to produce them above US demand levels to help other nations. I'd say it qualifies as a lot more than looking like they're helping.
fetus8 7y ago
Because Apple has the supply chain and manufacturing connections to produce this stuff quickly, efficiently, and safely, and then utilize their distribution partners to get these things in the hands of medical professionals quickly. EDIT: Octoth0rpe posted at the same exact time, lol.
shervinafshar 7y ago
Do you believe they shouldn't? Enlighten us.
- H8crilA 7y ago
  No. Do you?
  - shervinafshar 7y ago
    Yeah...No. Others provided enough wisdom for ya. Enjoy reading.
    - H8crilA 7y ago
      Thanks! Same to you. We can now terminate this useless thread.
bane 7y ago
Hello, as you may or may not be aware, there is a global pandemic occurring. You can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pa... One notable problem during the pandemic is the shortage of personal protective equipment -- sometimes called PPE. This equipment is critical for people to prevent getting infected and infecting others. Organizations with large manufacturing capacities, such as Apple, are looking to help by leveraging their supply chains, manufacturing base, and other talents, by manufacturing PPE for medical workers or even for normal people like you!
pottertheotter 7y ago
In addition to the other comments, they have an incentive to help get things back to normal so that they can open their stores and start making money again.
rkangel 7y ago
Because just as much as they are a design company, they're also a manufacturing company. They do enormous volume CNC machining, laser machine and any number of other processes that we don't know about. By doing this, they can mass manufacture things that other companies can't. Like many companies, they are looking at their skillset in terms of 'how can we use this to help in a pandemic', and every company doing that should be given credit for it.
reaperducer 7y ago
Can someone explain to me why is Apple making this type of stuff? Because contrary to the HN cliché, not all companies are solely motivated by filling shareholder pockets and being evil. See also: The hundreds of other companies making, importing, and distributing medical supplies at their own expense.
- cameronbrown 7y ago
  People forget that even Tim Apple is just a regular person who may want to help.

Because global pandemic.

1) Because they _can_. They have the manufacturing connections to quickly connect the needed pieces 2) Because they have the spare cash to spin this up very quickly. 3) Because they want to help (or at a minimum, look like they're helping). Are there any reasons why they _shouldn't_ be making this kind of stuff? Other companies also meet all 3 of those conditions, and I think we should be glad (note: I'm saying 'glad' and not 'grateful') that any of them are doing this.

scarface74 7y ago
What other American company has the logistic and design know how that Apple has to make hundreds of millions devices?
- nerfhammer 7y ago
  3M
  - lonelappde 7y ago
    They are already doing it but can't do it all alone.
- adventured 7y ago
  The US is an extremely massive manufacturing nation. There are dozens of companies in the US that could mass produce these face shields. It's great that Apple moved quickly to do it, it's certainly in their wheelhouse to make happen. These shields are easy to manufacture. They're ideal to rapidly produce, cheaply and at scale. Compared to normal shields in the industry they're no-frills, which is perfectly fine, as right now we just need volume.
- rubidium 7y ago
  GM, Ford, GE, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, 3M, Eli Lilly, Cummins, ... I could keep going. Maybe not all have it to the same degree as Apple, but are sufficient to make a face shield. Lot's of companies could do this. I'm glad Apple is giving it a go.
  - mulmen 7y ago
    GM and Ford also support massive networks of suppliers and contractors that have this capability as well. The list of capable companies is enormous.
  - mcginleyr1 7y ago
    We (Nike) are https://news.nike.com/news/nike-ppe-face-shields-covid-19-support https://news.nike.com/news/nike-ppe-face-shields-covid-19-su...
  - scarface74 7y ago
    I can’t speak for the rest of the companies, but GE is a pitiful shell of its former self and I am not sure that they could do anything well. I caught a small glimpse of GE fading away when I worked there.
bluehex 7y ago
Why not grateful as well?
- Octoth0rpe 7y ago
  I think you _can_ be grateful, but I understand why people are hesitant to be 'grateful' when companies do things that are clearly in the company's best interest anyway, setting aside any social benefits. Be 'glad' when a company does something that helps society even if there are selfish motives. Be 'grateful' when a company does something that helps society when there's no obvious selfish motive. Hope that makes sense.
  - smabie 7y ago
    I mean, companies shouldn't be doing anything out of the goodness of their hearts, since they have a duty to shareholders to maximize the long-term value of the business. Of course, helping people and helping yourself are often aligned.
adventured 7y ago
> or at a minimum, look like they're helping They're going to make a million face shields this week, and one million per week thereafter, with the intention to produce them above US demand levels to help other nations. I'd say it qualifies as a lot more than looking like they're helping.

fetus8 7y ago

Because Apple has the supply chain and manufacturing connections to produce this stuff quickly, efficiently, and safely, and then utilize their distribution partners to get these things in the hands of medical professionals quickly. EDIT: Octoth0rpe posted at the same exact time, lol.

shervinafshar 7y ago

Do you believe they shouldn't? Enlighten us.

H8crilA 7y ago
No. Do you?
- shervinafshar 7y ago
  Yeah...No. Others provided enough wisdom for ya. Enjoy reading.
  - H8crilA 7y ago
    Thanks! Same to you. We can now terminate this useless thread.

bane 7y ago

Hello, as you may or may not be aware, there is a global pandemic occurring. You can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pandemic https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2019%E2%80%9320_coronavirus_pa... One notable problem during the pandemic is the shortage of personal protective equipment -- sometimes called PPE. This equipment is critical for people to prevent getting infected and infecting others. Organizations with large manufacturing capacities, such as Apple, are looking to help by leveraging their supply chains, manufacturing base, and other talents, by manufacturing PPE for medical workers or even for normal people like you!

pottertheotter 7y ago

In addition to the other comments, they have an incentive to help get things back to normal so that they can open their stores and start making money again.

rkangel 7y ago

Because just as much as they are a design company, they're also a manufacturing company. They do enormous volume CNC machining, laser machine and any number of other processes that we don't know about. By doing this, they can mass manufacture things that other companies can't. Like many companies, they are looking at their skillset in terms of 'how can we use this to help in a pandemic', and every company doing that should be given credit for it.

reaperducer 7y ago

Can someone explain to me why is Apple making this type of stuff? Because contrary to the HN cliché, not all companies are solely motivated by filling shareholder pockets and being evil. See also: The hundreds of other companies making, importing, and distributing medical supplies at their own expense.

cameronbrown 7y ago
People forget that even Tim Apple is just a regular person who may want to help.