back to article Tim Cook rejects Apple's old business model of suing everyone

Apple head honcho Tim Cook has indicated that he'd be willing to settle the wide-ranging, ongoing patent disputes raging over smartphones and fondleslabs - provided of course that his adversaries admit everything and pay up. When asked about the fruity firm's Great Patent Wars during last night's earnings call, Cook said that …

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  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Is it a sign...

    ...that this post has been up for an hour and I can't see any comments on it yet.

    It is a sign that everyone has heard all this before and is really tired of hearing it yet again?

    1. diodesign Silver badge

      Re: Is it a sign...

      Regarding timestamps, we use GMT/UTC+0, not local UK time (BST at the moment). So the story was published within this half-hour.

      C.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it a sign...

      Until society and Apple admit that patenting a square device is not really a patentable idea, the patent wars will go on forever. Nothing new is comming from Apple. Just more of the same

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is it a sign...

      "It is a sign that everyone has heard all this before and is really tired of hearing it yet again?", Michelle Knight

      YES !

  2. Mike Brown

    rebranding!

    mwahahahaha lovely bit of apple baiting

    1. JDX Gold badge

      Re: rebranding!

      I bit tired since rebranding suggests the same kit is being made for other people, and the iPad isn't. Hiring another company to do the assembly of your kit is the norm.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: rebranding!

      Other Rebranders include… If El Reg doesn't apply the term to these companies, it's Trolling it's readers

      Acer Inc.

      Amazon

      Asus

      Barnes & Noble

      Cisco

      Dell

      Hewlett-Packard

      Intel

      IBM

      Lenovo

      Logitech

      Microsoft

      Motorola

      Netgear

      Nintendo

      Nokia

      Panasonic

      Philips

      Samsung

      Toshiba

      Vizio

      1. Random Handle
        Alert

        Re: rebranding!

        >Reg doesn't apply the term to these companies

        God forbid...imagine the outpouring of piss and vinegar from the cult of button encrusted mice, if El Reg dared to suggest Logitech were a Foxconn rebrander.

      2. Steve Renouf
        Thumb Down

        Re: rebranding!

        You seem to be obfuscating the fact that a number of these companies supply their components to each other/other manufacturers/fabricators. Acer actually started out as a component manufacturer to most of the other brands for example and Samsung actually manufacture a number of the components in the i******s - which are then assebled by foxconn for them... etc., etc.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: rebranding!

      It's actually insulting to all readers of El Reg. It's inflammatory and misleading and not applied to other manufacturers that do the same thing.

      You're being manipulated. We all are.

      This is a lack of respect for the reader.

      1. Ivan Headache
        Flame

        Re: rebranding!

        Don't worry. The lawyers at Apple are just counting the number of times El Reg keeps printing this untruth and then they'll hit it with the biggest lawsuit imaginable.

      2. januaryfirst

        Re: rebranding!

        It's a baiting joke you commentard.

        1. cordwainer 1

          Re: rebranding!, baiting jokes

          Sorry, I think the definition of "commentard" includes someone who believes baiting "jokes" should never be challenged or taken seriously.

          If it turns out the "bait" doesn't actually attract the fish, the "joke" is on the joker.

          (Who should perhaps consider learning from the constructive criticism, and next coming up with better bait - and a funnier joke.)

  3. Goldmember
    Thumb Up

    ""we just want people to invent their own stuff"

    Just like Apple do, eh?

    Ha ha ha ha ha, I needed a lunchtime giggle.

    1. Jedit Silver badge
      Joke

      Re: ""we just want people to invent their own stuff"

      How dare you denigrate the creativity of Apple! Don't you know how long and hard their engineers struggled to perfect the rectangle?

      1. Gio Ciampa

        Re: ""we just want people to invent their own stuff"

        OK... so you tell us what colour it should be!

        (with apologies to DNA)

      2. James Micallef Silver badge
        Joke

        Re: ""we just want people to invent their own stuff"

        "Don't you know how long and hard their engineers struggled to perfect the rectangle?"

        Not to mention the meticulous craftsmanship in rounding off the corners

    2. ItsNotMe

      Re: ""we just want people to invent their own stuff"

      It's not still April 1st...is it?

  4. JDX Gold badge

    I'm just stunned a company already selling such crazy numbers of units, can produce such remarkable growth. It's just insane.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You're underestimating just how dumb consumers really are!

      They'll buy shit on a stick if the "buzz" were great enough.

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Only a fool with their head in the sand thinks Apple are selling hand over fist because people are dumb rather than the products are good.

        That level of growth means Apple are selling to new customers, not existing fanbois who buy everything Apple make.

        1. JEDIDIAH
          Linux

          The "it sells, therefore it's good" fallacy.

          > Only a fool with their head in the sand thinks Apple are selling hand over fist because people are dumb rather than the products are good.

          MS-DOS

          McDonalds

          Walmart

          General Motors

        2. localzuk Silver badge

          "Only a fool with their head in the sand thinks Apple are selling hand over fist because people are dumb rather than the products are good."

          Or... it means that people are going 'Mr Jones has one, so it must be good' then buying it, and sticking it on a shelf or using it to browse the net occasionally...

      2. Tom 35

        Buy shit on stick?

        Are you kidding? That stuff is crap!

  5. amanfromearth

    "rebranding Foxconn kit"

    Are you just trying to be inflammatory?

    Foxconn don't design any of the parts inside, that's down to apple, samsung, qualcomm etc.

    All foxconn do is solder, clip and glue the bits together.

    The same is true of almost every company. Even the silly morgan car company of whom Harvery-Jones said "if they could grow the trees for the wood they use in the chassis, they would do that"

    So just give it up, eh?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

      @ amanfromearth: "Are you just trying to be inflammatory?"

      Yes

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

      So Foxconn build, produce, manufacture the device, but still put someone elses name on it.

      Sounds like rebranding to me.

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

        That's 'cos you are thick. They're building to Apple's spec, not rebranding their own design.

        1. ElReg!comments!Pierre

          Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

          > They're building to Apple's spec, not rebranding their own design.

          Actually recent reports seem to indicate that Apple's sole contribution these days is the choice of the shape, material and colour of the external enclosure.

          1. Fibbles

            Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

            As far as I can tell the ipad only contains three bits of Apple designed hardware. The first is the A5X processor which is just an ARM Holdings design with a PowerVX graphics core thrown in, second is a custom board to hold it all together and the third is the proprietary connector.

            Apple - a hardware technology powerhouse to be sure.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: "rebranding Foxconn kit"

        Obviously commenting negatively on an Apple thread?

        Y A W N.....

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Are you listening Balmer?

    Quote: "...anything can be forced to converge but the problem is that the products are about trade-offs.."

    Well said - I want my laptop to be a laptop - if I want a tablet, I'll get a tablet. Please don't try to make them the same thing.

    1. Chad H.

      Re: Are you listening Balmer?

      Indeed. Couldnt have put it better myself, in either full screen or half screen.

    2. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Are you listening Balmer?

      And whilst you're about it, give me back my menus in Office. Office is still available with menus, but you have to buy a Mac to use it.

  7. g e
    Trollface

    Inventing

    Soooooo what did Apple invent in smartphones...

    Not the touchscreen, that was Samsung, LG, etc

    Not 3G, that had been around for ages before it finally made it into the 3GS

    Not phone cameras, Nokia had those for yonks

    Not recording videos on your phone cameras, Nokia again

    Not GPS

    Not Wifi

    Not CDMA

    Not GPRS

    Not HSPA

    Not 4G

    Not Siri (came from Nuance)

    So, yeah if everyone stops being sued and gets back to inventing stuff they'll have something new they can put into the iphone5. Invented by people they stopped suing who could finally get back to working on cool shit (tm).

    Oh hang they reckon they did invent something... Slide to unlock. (Though I still reckon the bolt on my garden gate, etc....) and possibly litigation as a method of screwing over your competitors when their shit starts to be perceived as better/cooler/slicker than yours (till you realise you need them to do all that inventing for you and you should 'settle').

    Oh and that awful bloody connector iThings use so you have to pay 25 quid for a cable if you lose it.

    Yeah. Inflammatory, also, but hey that's what the troll icon's for...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Inventing

      Well said.

      Shame the bleedy obvious needs to be highlighted!

      Tim Cook just looks like a bigger cock than he already is by making that comment.

      1. g e

        Re: Inventing

        Yeah it is a shame but it's useful to be reminded I guess.

        Apple are a Corporation so I doubt they'd change course in their actions unless they thought it would be net-positive to profit/reputation/brand/etc - maybe they're worried their OCD litigation is starting to harm their image and impinge on sales... Oh and the Galaxy Siii is possibly due to be unveiled next week, too, quel coincidence.

        Cynical? Where shareholders are involved you betcha.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Inventing

      And apple hasn't claimed to have invented those. Your comment is largely pointless.

    3. Yet Another Anonymous coward Silver badge

      Re: Inventing

      Well they did invent the rectangular screen and the idea of putting it on the front of the tablet

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: Inventing

        No, they filed a patent for the look of their devices, as the dumb system allows them to. The system is to blame.

        All this snobbery about inventing is rather tired. Most people don't get rich by inventing things. Most products take inspiration from others. You can innovate without inventing.

        1. RogerThat

          Re: Inventing

          The fact remains that had there been no iPhone, there would not be Samsung phones that I cannot distinguish from an iPhone from a distance of more than 5 feet. Had there not been iPads from Apple, there never would have been exceedingly similar-looking pads from HTC, Samsung, Motorola, etc., etc. They simply wouldn't have had the balls to take the risks involved in coming out with something that cost so much to develop and had such a high risk of being successful. Plus, even if such a thing ever was introduced by an Apple competitor, had there been no iPad it wouldn't have looked at all the same as an iPad and it would have been so kludgy to use as to be nearly useless.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            FAIL

            Re: Inventing

            This is all such a load of bollocks.

            The iPhone appeared at a time when the market and technology was right and mature enough. Steve Jobs, if he can be credited with anything at all, had the ability to read the market and the technology and produce a product that was just right for the market and at the right time. Someone always has to be the first to produce that key product. It wasn't revolutionary, it was evolutionary. And as for software, don't forget Android was already in the pipeline well before the iPhone hit the shelves.

            The iPhone doesn't contain anything particularly innovative in terms of technology. In fact, the first iPhone was a particularly crippled piece of kit that was inflexible and lacking functionally. What it did do, it did well and reliably. And it looked nice.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Inventing

        Don't forget icons. They also invented icons

      3. Pat 4

        Re: Inventing

        No they did not.

        The tablet was widely seen in Star-Trek way back in the 60's.

        Doesn't matter that it was a prop... they still invented the concept.

        1. RogerThat

          Re: Inventing

          How well did the Star Trek tablets scroll, pinch, and expand content, by the way? And what about

          those transporters? When Apple comes up with a way to do that, will they be unable to patent the process because they figured out how to do it on Star Trek?

        2. TAJW
          FAIL

          Re: Inventing

          No...they did not invent the icon...or the windowing environment...or the mouse. Apple Fanbois are the epitome of revisionists as far computer technology goes. Most of the technology that started the Mac came from Xerox. And as for Steve Jobs... he constantly stole from other businesses, his friends, his family, his business partners. He lied and stole from Steve Wozniak, who was the technical brain behind the company startup. Read "Fire in the Valley", "iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon", and "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs"

          Of course, Fanbois will deny everything, including the books' existence.

    4. Pat 4

      Re: Inventing

      You forget the concept of the pad itself... Gene Roddenberry invented that one.

    5. Maliciously Crafted Packet

      Eh? 25 quid for a cable?

      Mine cost me 2 quid from Asda. Think you've been taken for a ride mate. Or are you one of those working in IT procurement for the cabinet office and still paying £3500 for a desktop PC?

      And on the subject of inventions how come before the Mac there was no Windows and before iPhone there was no Android. Sure many companies invented the disparate parts such as the mouse and touch screen but it was Apple who brought the lot together as one elegant intuitive item. Then as night follows day those that couldn't innovate themselves to the bar at free piss-up moved in.

      Result... the two ugly sisters Windows and Android.

    6. RogerThat

      Re: Inventing

      Those aren't the things Apple invents. Apple invents how simple and powerful they are to use and how they work together. Apple invents the joy you get in using these things and how much you love their simplicity, power, ease of use and effectiveness. That's what Apple invents: the user interface that make the user powerful. If you don't get that, I wish with all my heart that you will be consigned to never being allowed to use Apple devices for the rest of your life.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Inventing "Roger That"

        I get that they didn't invent anything at all, at any time, they just stood on the shoulders of giants to make their products better. And I most certainly make every effort to not use iCrap devices, and share my point of view on their overpriced "improvements" on other peoples patented concepts.

      2. stanimir

        Re: Inventing

        holly molly, you are depriving the holy ones from gaining some bucks by disallowing that block the ultimate bliss of touching apple devices.

        Hallelujah!!

        1. cordwainer 1

          Re: Inventing

          The particularly lame thing about Apple baiting is the vast majority of Apple's customers don't have any sort of fervent "love" for their devices. They simply want tools that perform the limited number of tasks important to them, without having to acquire an in-depth understanding of how those tools are "designed" and "manufactured," so to speak.

          So I fail to understand the complaints I've read about Apple's "walled garden", or how Apple "needs" to give users more control over Apple's devices, the OS, etc.

          Why? As far as I can see, neither Apple nor most of its customers "need" that kind of root-level, OS-expert control. If they do, that need is already being met...by other manufacturers and other OS's.

          Those who want more control already have plenty to choose from, what with multiple Windows and lots of Linux distros, not to mention Unix and others (yes, there ARE more than 4 OS's in the world), and hundreds of different hardware configurations, multiple processor brands, etc. etc. IT experts and amateurs alike can tweak those to their hearts' content.

          So why should Apple be attacked for failing to provide what already exists? Apple doesn't need to provide it, or want to provide it. That's their choice. In the main, their customer base prefers more ease of use to in-depth control. That is their choice. Not yours.

          Whether the Apple bashers and baiters like it or not, human beings have the right NOT to know how to troubleshoot their computer, or even how it works. Just as they have the right not to know how to fix their own plumbing. That's what tech support professionals and plumbers are for.

          I've worked in IT for 30 years, and the vast majority of my consulting and support is in Windows environments. But I would never be so rude and condescending as to criticize my clients for NOT being IT professionals. Nor would I criticize their choice of OS or hardware, unless their choice was actually inappropriate or inadequate for their purpose. Their purpose, not mine. The tools a client needs are determined by what they need to "build", not my own individual preferences.

          Or, to illustrate further the ridiculousness of Apple bashing, I'm not going to sneer at a brain surgeon for preferring a Mac, given THAT profession requires a degree of complexity, training, and ability far beyond even the highest-level IT professionals. If we make a mistake, no one dies, or ends up a mental vegetable.

          How arrogant do you have to be, then, to call that person a "fanboi", or imply his preference, however strong, somehow makes him an idiot? Or lazy? Why the hell SHOULD he be expected to follow some steep learning curve, when his primary concern is the even steeper demands of his own job?

          And If he does really love having a Mac, who the hell are you little twits to snicker at someone who saves lives every damned day? More to the point: how can you call yourselves IT "professionals" or "experts" if you can't behave professionally toward end users in any OS environment?

          By the way, I also don't notice any so-called "fanbois" chiming in here, or tossing childish taunts at Windoze or Eunix or Lame-nux "evangelists".

          All I see is the Apple-bashers, who seem to be the genuine fervent, self-righteous, and ignorant lusers they claim the "fanbois" are.

          Only the bashers appear to be bullying everyone to convert to their belief system, sneering at anyone who questions whether theirs is the "one true faith." I'm not seeing any comments (and rarely do) by equally rabid Apple bigots.

          Times have changed, folks. And the vast majority of taunts and jeers on the Internet these days are coming not from Apple fans, but Windows and 'Nix fans.

          The New Fanbois. Lets welcome them officially, and redefine the term to fit modern reality. "Fanbois" clearly now refers to the bigots who worship the cult of "Anything But Apple."

          One size doesn't fit all, people. We need as many tools as we can get. Stop acting as if your tool can somehow be the right one for every job out there. The best tool for the job may well be Windows Linux et al. But sometimes, the best tool for a particular job really is a Mac. When did so-called "professionals" start confusing the end with the means?

      3. Intractable Potsherd
        Stop

        Re: Inventing @ RogerThat

        "I wish with all my heart that you will be consigned to never being allowed to use Apple devices for the rest of your life". Having used my mother's iPad (which she regrets buying since it is so unintuitive), and hating every second of the experience, I too hope that I never have to use an Apple device again in my life. I'd rather drive a Series Landrover than a new Bentley.

    7. Ilgaz

      They trick everyone

      They are a software company. It is the software and operating system. Hardware is designed to run and integrate with their software. Looking/ comparing the chip will always trick you.

    8. Dave 126 Silver badge

      Re: Inventing

      They never claimed to have invented those technologies... they just implement them in a form factor that people want and can use. Some of Apple's original industrial design wasn't done by them, but by Frog. Often, leaving features out is a deliberate choice - to the frustration of geeks like me, and, I suspect, many here - but this philosophy seems to have worked out for them.

      Do you remember Creative's pre-iPod stab at an MP3 player? They made it look just like a portable CD player; maybe they thought people would only know what it was if it looked like something familiar.

      1. Dave Fox
        FAIL

        Re: Inventing

        Do you remember the Diamond Rio PMP300, which predated the iPod by a couple of years?

        The original iPods didn't look a whole lot different to that!

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    pot and kettle!

    ""I've always hated litigation and I continue to hate it - we just want people to invent their own stuff," he said."

    What a cock the man is! Of course, Apple invented 'everything'!

    Wow they really are up their own arse at Apple Inc. The statement is a clear indication of how rubbish they are. Have they forgotten history?

  9. Richard Jones 1

    Sorry Tim Cook

    Very sad to tell you this Tim but the toaster and fridge have already been combined into one unit. Not only that there is a freezer, the oven ,the hob, the washing machine and the spin dryer and/or tumbler drier, the food mixer, table and chairs and a whole load of other items all built into one device.

    True it is not an idevice.

    It is called a kitchen and I now claim prior art, please note where the 'i' goes!

    1. amanfromearth

      Re: Sorry Tim Cook

      It's at times like this I wish there was a wanker icon.

  10. Jeebus

    From blatant fraud in Australia to ignoring Chinese patents and rulings to trying to ban competitors products everywhere on earth.

    I will believe it when I see it, so far Cook you have proven to be thoroughly Jobsian.

    1. Penguintopia

      Huh? Fraud? Oh, the '4G' claim. But alas, 4G includes (among many others) at least one protocol supported by the iPhone in Australia. The Ausies may not like it, but the official 4G standard includes HSPA+. Blame the ITU, not Apple. Apple are correct on this one.

      As for 'Chinese patents and rulings' Proview Taiwan AND Proview China both signed off on the deal. Proview is trolling for money. And they are supported by at least some corrupt Chinese government officials. Wonder what they would say if Apple chose to move their build to Brazil and tell Foxcon goodbye. I suspect the Chinese government might have a slightly different opinion.

      1. ElReg!comments!Pierre
        FAIL

        Fraud.

        > the official 4G standard includes HSPA+. Blame the ITU, not Apple.

        Nope. The ITU cowardly published a press release saying that they would not act on american telcos' misuse of the name "4G" in advertising. They did not change the standard, though. And HSPA+ is still a long way short of the required speed. Ergo, not 4G by a long shot. 3.1G, all you want. I believe some people call it "transitional 3G". Only snake oil peddlers call it 4G.

  11. GrahamC

    Settling cases

    A bit like how Apple responded to this guy who wanted them to replace a faulty Mac component? http://seattlerex.com/seattle-rex-vs-apple-the-verdict-is-in

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Rebranded"

    Not really a rebrand is it.. A rebrand would be something like MS-DOS (aka Seattle Computer 86-DOS)...

    But yeah El Reg must fill its weekly troll quota, it's been a bit low lately.

  13. BristolBachelor Gold badge
    WTF?

    "Settle"

    So he's saying that if people say they are wrong and give Apple everything that Apple wants, Apple will stop using the courts to try to force that situation? Is that like a mugger saying that if you give them all your money, then they won't point a gun at you and take all your money?

    I don't see how Olive branches come into that at all.

    1. Darryl

      Re: "Settle"

      Easy - "If you cave in and give us everything we ask for, we won't beat you over the head with this here olive branch."

      1. MissingSecurity

        Re: "Settle"

        Or as the PFY might say "Would you like this carrot?"

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "From blatant fraud in Australia"

    Are you referring to the iPad + 4G 'non issue' where it supports HSPA+ which the ITU has designated a 4G technology? LTE is not the ONLY 4G technology.

    1. ElReg!comments!Pierre

      The ITU said no such thing

      >HSPA+ which the ITU has designated a 4G technology

      No they did not. They only said they wouldn't act on the mis-branding.

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Wow they really are up their own arse at Apple Inc. The statement is a clear indication of how rubbish they are. Have they forgotten history?"

    Well let's see - they basically invented what we regard as the current tablet computer - sure there were tablet monstrosities before but Apple did it and now everyone 'else' is copying it.

    Everyone is now copying the iPhone.

    Everyone is now copying the Macbook Air with their Ultranotebooks.

    I'm not saying Apple invented the phone, or tablet or computer - but they have essentially created the current market / products and most other people are doing little more than copying - often too closely.

    If you were Mercedes and designed a new car - it's not going to be the first car 'ever' but you would be pretty peeved if Ford ripped off the design / features to the point where it looked almost identical (remember Samsung's lawyers could not tell the products apart).

    It seems a lot of other manufacturers wait for Apple to do something they just slavishly copy both the look and functionality and expect Apple to say 'hey that's ok'.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      The fanboyism is strong with this one.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      FAIL

      > (remember Samsung's lawyers could not tell the products apart).

      That would be because they are basically black rectangles. With rounded corners.

      1. Maliciously Crafted Packet

        And the UI looked identical as did the bevels round the edge.

        Remember the spotty kid a school that used to lean over your desk to copy all your work? Thats Samsung that is.

        1. Dave Fox
          FAIL

          You mean the Android app drawer looks a bit like the iOS UI, which in turn actually looks quite a lot like the Symbian S60 UI

          The actual home screens themselves (the real UI!) look completely different - but don't let facts get in the way of some good Apple propaganda! :)

    3. DavCrav

      "(remember Samsung's lawyers could not tell the products apart)"

      Could you tell the difference between (say) a Gigabyte motherboard and an Asus one? From a reasonable distance, say five feet, where the lawyer was standing?

      Or perhaps between two brands' freezers?

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "Not CDMA

    Not GPRS

    Not HSPA

    Not 4G"

    Apple is not claiming to have invented those - but I guess Ford don't claim to have invented rubber, steel, glass and plastic etc. that goes into their cars.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Real industry vs virtual industry

      >Ford don't claim to have invented rubber, steel, glass and plastic etc. that goes into their cars.

      ....actually they do, Ford have considerable IP invested all four of those materials and processes.....though its probably Audi which leads the pack in terms of innovation in this area.

    2. Ty Cobb
      Facepalm

      Although Ford actually did not invent tires, they set up a rubber tree plantation and factory to make tires for their cars

      So - they actually made many components in their product, unlike a particular fruity vendor.

      1. Paul Bruneau

        Not due to innovation

        But rather due to Henry Ford's pathological desire to vertically integrate, no?

  17. Paul Bruneau

    The apple hate makes no sense

    You hated them when they were floundering. And now you hate them when they are successful.

    You seem to think that consumers are in a spell, only buying because of "image" rather than because of superior products, but where was this in 1995? It wasn't there. But you didn't care, you hated them anyway.

    You think a company can go from $6 per share to 600 because they have the world in a spell? If they had the world in a spell, why were they ever at $6?

    The products are good. You don't have to like them, so be it, but quit crying about it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The apple hate makes no sense

      Actually, I just hate them. I however celebrate when they are floundering.

      1. Paul Bruneau

        Re: The apple hate makes no sense

        Then I guess these are sad times for you, cry on good sir

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: The apple hate makes no sense

          Au contraire mon frer - you see, my hate sustains me and keeps me warm at night.

    2. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. John H Woods Silver badge
      Flame

      Re: The apple hate makes no sense

      - to you. Clearly this is true otherwise you would see that "The products are good" is an irrelevance to this argument. Some people here are objecting on a moral and ethical basis to Apple cynically trying to make people believe they truly invented almost everything to do with these devices when it is a simple matter of fact that they did not.

      However, you caricature these objections as 'hate' and consider those who make them to be just "crying about it". Until you can see that the objections have some rational basis (with which you may or may not agree) you will continue to incorrectly perceive a 'hate which makes no sense' and therefore be incapable of contributing to the discussion in any meaningful manner.

  18. DN4
    Coat

    Trade-offs

    "I think anything can be forced to converge but the problem is that the products are about trade-offs and you begin to make trade-offs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day doesn't please anyone."

    So, why do they produce tablets?

  19. Alan Bourke

    Oh the lulz ...

    ""I've always hated litigation and I continue to hate it - we just want people to invent their own stuff," he said."

    This from a company whose entire existence is based on brilliant redesign and marketing of other people's ideas.

  20. Schultz

    Scared of asymmetric patent warfare?

    Maybe Tim Cook starts to get scared: the more money Apple earns, the more it'll attract patent trolls. Over time, the patent wars should become quite asymmetric: the companies who earn good money in the market can only loose by feeding the lawyers, but the ones that have nothing to loose should go all out to turn patents into money.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Scared of asymmetric patent warfare?

      Lose.

  21. Dadz
    Joke

    toasted waffle vending machine

    I'd buy a toasted waffle vending machine! You'd think with the surname "Cook" he would have the business sense to come up with it! It has a freezer and a toaster, and I can choose whether I want waffles or french toast. Frozen waffles are stored in a magazine; each compartment has a silicone lid to prevent freezer burn; a tape robot retrieves food and loads it into the tape drive, I mean toaster conveyor, dumps the waffle onto a paper tray, pours some HFCS on top, and emits a loud "bing!" noise to wake up the fatty who has dozed off during the 90 seconds it took to cook it.

    1. John H Woods Silver badge

      Re: toasted waffle vending machine

      erm - incorrect use of the joke alert icon.

  22. JaitcH
    Unhappy

    With over 800 patent claims against Apple ...

    the Jobs copy has more to gain by seeking a quieting of the legal action.

    BTW, what's in a few black pixels that they are making so much noise about?

  23. sueme2
    Go

    mmmffffff

    That seattlerex link is interesting. It is sort of what you expect from the gentle giant. It all makes me want to get a (rebranded) Foxconn toaster and weld it to a (rebranded) Foxconn fridge and spray it with diced carrots. No matter what you eat, it always comes up diced carrots. (Bazza)

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: mmmffffff

      Wtf are you on about? Are you drunk?

  24. Ellis54

    roll over and submit immediately

    yes the author and all commentators are entirely correct, Apple never invented nor put together so much as a jigsaw puzzle themselves. therefore they must immediately roll over and submit immediately to whomever lines up, condom or no

    then they must stop the manufacture of all iPads, iPhone and even iPods so that things can go back to the obviously superior state of existence of tablets, smartphones and mp3 players - 3 years, 8 years and 15 years ago respectively ought to do it.

    or, the author could just be thankful for the current state of things so that he/she/it can cuntinue the use of ever-so-clever terminology like fondleslab and fruity company whilst being paid to do so...instead of actually creating anything original by himself/herself/itself.

    and I won't waste time to characterize any of the comments, they of course speak so well for themselves...

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Making money the old fashioned way

    Slave labor and plenty of cocktails for the Media too old to be bought with blow.

  26. GAJA
    Thumb Up

    Lawsuits are exhausting and cost lots of money. TDC is a businessman making sensible business decisions. Steve Jobs went thru Hell with him and the rest of the Apple people getting the company to where it is. He was emotional and battled demons. No wonder that he reserved the billions to keep Apple protected into the future. So Tim Cook is a different guy in a different time. Calm, measured. I love Apple products, their function, their beauty. I own Apple stock. All you critics and nit-pickers with your smart-ass slang, take it easy! Go invent something. Every artist, engineer, architect builds on work that has come before. Changes, refines, puts out new work and markets it. I say, Go, Tim! Go, Apple!

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