Greetings Tim Cook.
Kudos for overseeing a new era of “transparency” at the world’s most secretive company and for giving two major interviews in the past week. While Steve Jobs also spoke to the media on occasion, long-form interviews with Apple’s co-founder were rare for most of his tenure as CEO (notwithstanding his conversations with biographer Walter Isaacson.) So your candor and openness are appreciated.
But while you addressed a range of topics in your TV interview with NBC’s Brian Williams last night and a lengthy Q&A with Bloomberg Businessweek -- including U.S. manufacturing and job creation, firing two of your top executives, screwing up the release of the new Maps app, telling us why rival tablet makers should “put a for-sale sign on the door” and hinting at Apple's "intense" interest in TVs -- I have a few follow up questions. I know you're crazy busy, this being the holiday season and all, and you're out there running Apple and managing the retail business until you find a new store chief. But I thought I might as well toss them there out since you seem to be in a talkative mood.
1. You’re going to invest $100 million next year to have others build “some” Macs in the U.S. And while $100 million isn’t chump change to most of us, to Apple, which pulled down $156.5 billion in sales in 2012, it’s not really a lot (less than 1 percent of sales, actually). Some analysts are saying it’s really more a symbolic or public relations gesture. What do you say to that?
2. Speaking of Macs, you sent an email to a customer back in June saying Apple was still committed to the Mac Pro desktop and was working on new models and designs for 2013. Is that still the plan?
3. iPhone and China Mobile. Not if, but when. Right?
4. Speaking of China, Apple has been very vocal about its efforts around improving working conditions at your partners' facilities there. You said “The more it’s in the public space, the more other companies will decide to do something similar. And the more everybody does it, the better everything gets.” Are other companies following your lead? Do you think things have gotten better for workers at facilities in China?
5. What are you doing with all that overseas cash -- more than $80 billion at last count?
6. iOS software chief Scott Forstall and retail head John Browett were booted from your Executive Team because you said want executives who are “A-Plus” at collaboration. How do you get an A-Plus at collaboration at Apple?
7. Did you use the Maps app before it shipped? I’m sure many iPhone users appreciated your apology and the candid “We screwed up” comments. But I'm asking because if you used the app ahead of time and noticed the “anomalies” – like the misplaced towns and bent bridges – why not just label the app a beta or a work in progress and ask for user feedback from the loyal Apple base?
8. You said $329 is a “fair price” for the iPad mini. Why? And why doesn’t it have a Retina display? That’s the biggest dig by reviewers – that $199 rivals like the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google’s Nexus 7 have higher resolution displays.
9. When you interview for an Apple corporate job, does having worked at an Apple retail store help you get that corporate job – or even an interview?
10. You said Apple values diversity with a Capital D -- “diversity of thought, diversity of style.” But your Executive Team isn’t exactly a poster for diversity. Now hiring the best talent is always a challenge. I get it. But how about promoting from within? After all these years of hiring the best people at Apple, how can it be that none of the many women who work there made it up to the top of the ranks? Why would smart women want to come to work at Apple if the highest executive positions don’t seem open to them?
Do you have some questions for Cook, too? Let’s hear them.
