Tim Cook Speaks on Steve Jobs, Apple's Interest in TV, and Beats Acquisition in New Interview

Apple CEO Tim Cook spoke with Charlie Rose in a two-part interview, and the first segment is airing today. In a series of video clips, Tim Cook talks about Steve Jobs, Apple's Beats Electronics acquisition, the Apple TV, and Apple's plans for the future.

In the first clip, Cook again comments on Steve Jobs' ongoing influence at Apple, saying Jobs is in his heart and deep in Apple's DNA. "His spirit will always be the foundation of the company," says Cook. Cook also gives one other interesting tidbit about Jobs -- his fourth floor office has remained untouched since his passing.


In a second clip, Cook says the hardest decisions Apple makes "are all the things not to work on." When asked if television is one of those areas, Cook said that TV is an area that Apple "continues to have great interest in." He went on to say that TV is one of those things "stuck back in the 70s," and he admits that with 20 million users, the Apple TV has "far exceeded the hobby label." Cook didn't divulge any details on the future of the Apple TV however, stating just that it's an area that Apple continues to look at.


In the third and final clip, Cook spoke on Apple's decision to buy Beats, reiterating many of the reasons behind the acquisition. "Jimmy and Dre are off the charts creative geniuses," said Cook, pointing towards Iovine's knowledge of the music industry and Dre's connection to artists. He also said that Beats Music's human curation was a major factor in the acquisition.


The complete first part of Tim Cook's Charlie Rose interview will air later tonight on PBS, with the second part of the interview airing on Monday night.

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Top Rated Comments

flottenheimer Avatar
147 months ago
Is the entire interview available anywhere online?

PS: Recently, Tim's stage and TV performances have improved dramatically. His stiffness is gone. His tempo is up. And his energy, passion, humor and even a bit of warmth is shining through. Great stuff, Tim!
Score: 39 Votes (Like | Disagree)
the-oz-man Avatar
147 months ago
I thought the first clip was the best. They practically have a memorial to Steve with his office left as is. I hope it stays that way for decades.
Score: 30 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Patriot24 Avatar
147 months ago
People will continue to mock him, but Tim has come a long way in his ability to communicate his passion, opinions, and support for what the company is doing. It is clear that he's incredibly bright and does have a real sense of ownership for his decisions. He may never be as charismatic as Jobs, but he fundamentally understands what needs to be done and is piloting the company in that direction.

I think it becomes more obvious every day that indeed he was the correct choice to take the helm. That's not to say that we can't disagree with his decisions, but he's a far cry from the long list of failures that once held the CEO title bookended by Jobs.

With respect to Beats, pay careful attention to the order in which he describes the reasons for purchasing them. If you still think this is about headphones, you're not listening.

As for TV, it is a mess that I'm sure they're attempting to wade through. We may not see anything in this area for several more years (contractual hell).
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
yaxomoxay Avatar
147 months ago
He should have said "we used to make the best products".

so cool witnessing this bashing on the same day that Apple sets a new iPhone record.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
McFreggle Avatar
147 months ago
Also: "Only Apple can do this."
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
147 months ago
"we make the best products"
even before watching the video, I know he's going to say this at least once.
Score: 28 Votes (Like | Disagree)