News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

June 14, 2007

apple

Apple on the cover of The Economist

Posted Jun. 14, ’07, 10:15 AM PT by Cyrus Farivar
Category | Apple

20070609issuecovUS160.jpgOur favorite company is currently gracing the cover of the latest issue of Pat’s favorite magazine: The Economist.

If you’re too lazy to read the entire piece (not to mention the piece about the iPhone), at least read this section, the most cogent definition of what Apple does as a company, and why it works, that I’ve ever seen:

Apple is widely assumed to be an innovator in the tradition of Thomas Edison or Bell Laboratories, locking its engineers away to cook up new ideas and basing products on their moments of inspiration. In fact, its real skill lies in stitching together its own ideas with technologies from outside and then wrapping the results in elegant software and stylish design. The idea for the iPod, for example, was originally dreamt up by a consultant whom Apple hired to run the project. It was assembled by combining off-the-shelf parts with in-house ingredients such as its distinctive, easily used system of controls. And it was designed to work closely with Apple’s iTunes jukebox software, which was also bought in and then overhauled and improved. Apple is, in short, an orchestrator and integrator of technologies, unafraid to bring in ideas from outside but always adding its own twists.

2 Comments

Moe said:

Great article indeed. However, in it, it says that Apple decided to make the iPhone because of the failed attempt of the first music phone, while partnering with Motorola. I don't believe this is accurate. Didn't Steve Jobs say they had been working on it for a few years? The way I see it, Steve was showing the crappy Rokr with one hand while the other hand was behind his back "working" on the iPhone. Hello Moto!

June 14, 2007 11:55 AM
Jack said:

You know Steve Jobs is like Willy Wonka.

June 14, 2007 8:25 PM

Leave a comment

 



Visit other IDG sites: