Tim Cook's Apple CEO diary: Day One

By Jonny Evans

I imagine if new Apple CEO, Tim Cook, were to keep a diary, it might today look something like this:

"Dear diary, I'm still feeling incredibly challenged and excited at the new role I've taken here at Apple [AAPL], the company I love. We're all going to miss Steve, we know he's incredible, but sometimes you must be honest with yourself: when you can't fill old shoes, you need to get new ones. We've got a busy year ahead, so I thought I'd put together a short list of what's coming, just to help focus my mind."

1. Apple will not change

Apple will be Apple. We'll continue to focus on building the world's very best consumer products. We'll continue to develop and explore new markets, kicking our way into these when we know we can make a difference. We'll focus on innovation and spend huge amounts on R&D. It will help us that we also have the internal Apple University and we can always talk to the chairman, Steve Jobs. We will keep dreaming the best customer experiences we can imagine. We'll try to think beyond that.

2. Litigation everywhere

We have lawsuits everywhere. It's very boring and expensive and only the lawyers are winning, but it is necessary. I'm Tim Cook, I'm all for good competition, but no one is going to steal our product design and implementation ideas and try to throw them at us in the market without a fight. Though I'm still laughing about HP's TouchPad. I wonder if we should buy HP, or if just owning their old headquarters is, you know, enough? I wonder what else Samsung makes -- televisions? Perhaps we can make our own TVs that look just like theirs.

3. iPhone 5

We've been working at this for such a long time. We think it's going to be an amazing device. We've left it this long partially so we could make a good decision on whether to include support for LTE (technologists seem so keen on it, but it isn't really well-deployed yet. Perhaps next year?). We think people will be blown away by the speed and power of iPhone 5 -- that's why we'll be selling a cheaper iPhone 4 alongside it, because we know that given the chance most customers will want the better model, it's something else. I do hope the launch event goes well, though I did quite enjoy introducing the Verizon iPhone.

4. New iPods

People are just going to love these. Steve couldn't help himself. He had to apply a little of his magic touch from his home office. I hope the launch goes well.

5. iPad 3

To be honest, I don't see why people expect an all-new iPad within so few months of selling millions of the last device -- we want happy customers, not frustrated ones. We're going to storm the gates with this early next year. All those people who say the iPad isn't a creative machine will be smiling the other side of their face. And just wait until Samsung finds out we're not buying any components from them.

6. Amazing new Macs

I laughed at that story last weekend. "Apple to unveil new Macs by the end of the year". I mean, I know it is August and everything, but when haven't we introduced an outrageously fabulous new Mac around October?

7. iTunes, iCloud

Pretty confident of our servers now, and we're rock-solid secure. I hope people realise how important iCloud is going to be -- it's going to be the underpinning for Apple's next decade in computing. It even opens up amazing opportunities for amazing new products in the consumer electronics space. I work long hours here at Apple, why can't I set my Apple TV to record a show using my iPhone, or switch on the microwave?

8. Apple TV

I look at Google TV and realise what a mess that whole concept is. It's funny. It is like using the Internet ten years ago. You can't reinvent an industry by offering up something that isn't as good as what you already have. It needs to be better, much better. Like what we've got planned...

[ABOVE: Auburn University alumnus Tim Cook talks intuition at the Commencement ceremony, May 14, 2010.]

9. WWDC

Next year's developer conference will be a big one. For a start, we'll be looking toward iOS 6 and the implementation of new iCloud features. Also, developers will want to se that when they attend the show they can still feel we know where we are going. I really don't think they'll be disappointed.

10. Developing markets

China is going to be such a huge market for us. It's growing so rapidly, India and Russia seem set to open for us next. If we can just remain focused, we're going to continue to grow.

These are just a few items that seem likely to be taking space on newly-promoted Apple CEO, Tim Cook's To-Do list. Things should be fine -- this transition isn't like the last time Jobs left the firm, when a wave of intrigue and political in-fighting gave the firm a succession of inappropriate leaders. This time round, Jobs' has proved himself and Cook's ready to carry the torch:

"I want you to be confident that Apple is not going to change. I cherish and celebrate Apple’s unique principles and values. Steve built a company and culture that is unlike any other in the world and we are going to stay true to that—it is in our DNA. We are going to continue to make the best products in the world that delight our customers and make our employees incredibly proud of what they do," he wrote today.

What else can you imagine will be on Cook's 'To-Do' list? Can he manage Apple as well as Jobs has run it so far? Or will his problem-solving, analytical mind enable him to delegate some responsibilities to the many mercurial talents already hard at work within Cupertino? Let me know your thoughts in comments below.

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