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Tim Cook at D10: Loves That Customers, Rumor and News Sites Care About Apple

Wednesday May 30, 2012 3:04 pm PDT by Jordan Golson
Timcooklaughing
At this year's All Things D conference, Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher interviewed Apple CEO Tim Cook about a range of topics. We offer a transcript of the interview, but didn't include the Q&A session because we were standing in line to ask Cook a question.

A number of questions were asked, including about Apple's product naming strategy and how Cook originally joined Apple -- I asked about his feelings regarding the attention paid to Apple and himself by rumor sites, the media and Apple's extremely passionate customers:
MacRumors: Jordan Golson from MacRumors.

You talk a lot about the emotion of the customers, there's a lot of passion amongst customers. Do you think the sort of attention that's paid to Apple from rumor sites and news sites and everybody is a distraction or a driver? How does that affect you and the company?

Tim Cook: I think it's a privilege to have people that care about the company and care enough to write, care enough to talk, and care enough to send me an email and say "you're out to lunch on this thing" and "you should be looking at this differently".

I think all of that is great, I love it. And do I want something printed on a website that's confidential? No, but I don't think that's what you're asking.

I view our ecosystem as including great sites that care deeply about the company and want to inform customers. I have no problem with people that disagree with things that we're doing. That's our country and I love it. It's great that we have disagreements.

Does that make sense?

Kara Swisher: He loves you.
(Image courtesy Dan Frommer/ReadWriteWeb)
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firestarter
35 months ago
Tim Cook: Yeah, I love it when rumour sites care about our products and engage with our customers. Stories about Nascar; not so much.
Rating: 71 Votes
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charlieegan3
35 months ago

why didn't you ask about the mac pros??!!!


because it would never have got an answer.
Rating: 25 Votes
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jlgolson
35 months ago

Does that make sense?

how insulting :mad:

Not insulting at all.

He was looking directly at me the whole time and really wanted his answer to be clear.
Rating: 25 Votes
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stridemat
35 months ago
Interesting article. I wonder if any of the high level executives have accounts here or on other rumour sites.
Rating: 23 Votes
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Apple TarHeel
35 months ago
Tim is a good guy ... I like the way he carefully thinks about what he is about to say before he says it ....
Rating: 23 Votes
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ECUpirate44
35 months ago
Rating: 22 Votes
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GeekLawyer
35 months ago
That's really great! MR has arrived! :)
Rating: 20 Votes
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Dr McKay
35 months ago
Just had to validate your job and get a word in didn't you Kara? Now go sit back in your corner.
Rating: 19 Votes
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arn
35 months ago

Did you tell him you were from MacRumors ?


ya, he introduced himself as being from MacRumors.

(edit: made that more obvious in the story)

arn
Rating: 19 Votes
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salmoally
35 months ago

I think he's weird and seems like a play-nice-puppet. Not really answering questions but repeating old Steve quotes about how much he loves what he does. And not saying what it actually is. This guy is boring and an uninspiring business leader.

Sorry, Apple fans, but he's unsympathetic. Can't listen to him anymore.


I thought he came across as a very intelligent, calm and respectful man.

Entertaining people like yourself is not a requirement for running a successful company like he currently is however.
Rating: 17 Votes

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