After announcing record breaking revenue in the first fiscal quarter of 2009, Peter Oppeinheimer and Tim Cook held a conference call with analysts and members of the media to answer any queries.
During the call which will be available for replay shortly the two senior executives fielded questions on most subjects.
Netbooks
When asked about a netbook priced at around $500, Cook answered, "We're watching that space, but right now from our point of view, the products in there are principally based on hardware that's much less powerful than we think customers want, software technology that is not good, cramped keyboards, small displays."
Adding, "We don't think people will be pleased with those products. It's a category we watch, we've got some ideas here, but right now we think the products are inferior and will not provide an experience to customers they're happy with."
Apple TV
During the call and in it's results Apple declined to give specific numbers of how many Apple TV units it had shipped but Tim Cook did disclose that sales were up 300% year-over-year. Apple still considers Apple TV a hobby but Cook said, "We will continue to invest in it because we fundamentally believe there's something there in the future."
Steve Jobs
The question was inevitable and Barclays Capital analyst Ben Reitzes couldn't help himself and asked straight up how Jobs was doing. Naturally Oppenheimer repeated the current Apple mantra, "Steve is the CEO of Apple and intends to be involved in major strategic decisions".
Cook added that Apple has a strong executive team in charge of 35,000 employees who he described as "wicked smart". Cook went onto explain that the values of Apple are "extremely well-entrenched,"
"And frankly, we don’t settle for anything less than excellence in every group in the company, and the self-honesty to admit where we’re wrong. And I think regardless of who is in what job, those values are so embedded in this company that Apple will do extremely well. I would just reiterate that Apple is doing the best work in its history,” said Cook.
iPhone nano
In response to a question on iPhone pricing Apple COO Tim Cook replied, "We are now in over 70 countries with the iPhone and you're correct, some of them are non-subsidized markets. Examples are, the largest is in terms of size of the market, our sales are clearly materially less in those markets than they are in the subsidized markets with contracts. We are constantly evaluating the best way to play in these markets. We know there's a huge opportunity here, and we will make adjustments in the future there to play in a better way."
Cook went onto talk about speculation around the iPhone nano saying, "You know us, we're not going to play in the low-end voice phone business. That's not who we are. That's not why we're here. We'll let somebody do that, our goal is not to be the unit share leader in the phone industry. It is to build the best phone."