Apple CEO Tim Cook was once again the opening speaker during the All Things D tech conference that kicked off last evening and once again, he fielded a number of pressing questions from hosts Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher while the world watched.
This year the CEO spent much of his time defending the company he took over from co-founder Steve Jobs in 2011. Cook noted that Apple is “absolutely not” losing their cool factor and shrugged off comments about Android outselling iOS devices. He said that winning has never been about making the most (although they do make the most tablets and music players). To back up his claim, Cook argued that they make the best PC but not the most.
As for new products or tidbits, Cook was mostly tight-lipped. He revealed that Apple has sold more than 13 million Apple TV devices but declined to answer any questions about the product’s future or the rumored iTV. He said Apple had a “very grand vision” of it, noting that the TV experience isn’t one that very many people love nor is it one that has been brought up to date for this decade. Instead, it’s an experience much like 10 or 20 years ago, he said.
The interview team also touched on the idea of wearable technology. It’s an area that’s ripe for exploration but there are still a lot a lot of things to solve in the space. Speaking about Glass, Cook said it’s probably more likely to appeal to certain markets. He noted that he wears glasses because he can’t see without them and said he didn’t know a lot of people that wore them that didn’t have to. The wrist, however, is much more interesting as Cook said this is a more natural location. That said, however, you still need to convince people it is worth wearing, pointing out that most young people don’t wear one.
Cook did reveal that, as per multiple rumors, Jony Ive has been key to the new iOS. Having Ive do software and hardware instead of just hardware is a huge step. We’ll learn more about the future of iOS and OS X at WWDC next month, he said.
