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It's more "fuzzy thinking" than fanboy cope. Despite all the glittery rhetoric that "a car is just a computer on wheels", this always seemed like a bizarre mov

It's more "fuzzy thinking" than fanboy cope. Despite all the glittery rhetoric that "a car is just a computer on wheels", this always seemed like a bizarre move for Apple and I've never seen anyone explain what the strategic vision was supposed to be. Even with full lv5 autonomy, what's Apple's unique twist? Big monitors for watching TV+ in the car? That wouldn't have been remotely enough. I wish we could read the internal emails on it.

theturtletalks 3y ago
I think it’s a lot more simple than that. They’ll probably buy an existing EV company when they’re serious about entering the market. That’ll give them a head start and they won’t be reinventing the wheel. The acquihire will help bring in talent as well. Before they released the AirPods, they bought Beats. It would along the same lines but with a way more complex machine.
- lostemptations5 3y ago
  This is how the iPod got "invented" :)
johnnyanmac 3y ago
>Even with full lv5 autonomy, what's Apple's unique twist? Same as the rest of apples brand: "it just works". The seemless, polished integration of their products gave them a devoted fanbase that pays a huge premium over competition.
- concinds 3y ago
  Not my point. Why doesn't Apple start manufacturing airplanes that "just work"? Fridges that "just work"? TVs that "just work"? (they did try and give up on TVs because it made no sense) Their brand marketing focuses on creative people; why don't they start making grand pianos? Those make as little sense as a car, and are just as far from Apple's competencies, competitive advantages, and market as a car. Companies don't enter random industries just because they can.
  - johnnyanmac 3y ago
    >Companies don't enter random industries just because they can. Sure they do. Facebook was so confident in VR they rebranded their entire company. Elon Musk got his horrible bluff called out and he owns the largest social media site (for now). It's not business related, but the CEO of Amazon owns a national newspaper. Apple car didn't come out of nowhere. They and Google were working on Car Os's for years and we both know Apple cares hough about vertical integration to shun off Intel and Nvidia in order to make their own chips. Regardless of my confidence in the idea, the act itself is consistent with Apple.
- thorncorona 3y ago
  That is what a toyota already is though.

theturtletalks 3y ago

I think it’s a lot more simple than that. They’ll probably buy an existing EV company when they’re serious about entering the market. That’ll give them a head start and they won’t be reinventing the wheel. The acquihire will help bring in talent as well. Before they released the AirPods, they bought Beats. It would along the same lines but with a way more complex machine.

lostemptations5 3y ago
This is how the iPod got "invented" :)

johnnyanmac 3y ago

>Even with full lv5 autonomy, what's Apple's unique twist? Same as the rest of apples brand: "it just works". The seemless, polished integration of their products gave them a devoted fanbase that pays a huge premium over competition.

concinds 3y ago
Not my point. Why doesn't Apple start manufacturing airplanes that "just work"? Fridges that "just work"? TVs that "just work"? (they did try and give up on TVs because it made no sense) Their brand marketing focuses on creative people; why don't they start making grand pianos? Those make as little sense as a car, and are just as far from Apple's competencies, competitive advantages, and market as a car. Companies don't enter random industries just because they can.
- johnnyanmac 3y ago
  >Companies don't enter random industries just because they can. Sure they do. Facebook was so confident in VR they rebranded their entire company. Elon Musk got his horrible bluff called out and he owns the largest social media site (for now). It's not business related, but the CEO of Amazon owns a national newspaper. Apple car didn't come out of nowhere. They and Google were working on Car Os's for years and we both know Apple cares hough about vertical integration to shun off Intel and Nvidia in order to make their own chips. Regardless of my confidence in the idea, the act itself is consistent with Apple.
thorncorona 3y ago
That is what a toyota already is though.