Posted on 04/25/2014 4:21:13 AM PDT by IBD editorial writer
Junk Science: How can a company as smart as Apple be so dumb about the environment? That's worth asking now that CEO Tim Cook has embarked on a massive push to make the company more "green."
On Earth Day, Apple ran a full-page ad about how it has "set some pretty ambitious goals for reducing our impact on climate change ... and conserving our planet's limited resources."
Apple's website features a field of solar panels and the promise to "leave the world better than we found it."
But amid all this bragging about Apple's green credentials, nowhere is it mentioned what is by far the biggest contribution Apple has made to the environment: its own products.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
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Environmentalism is an illusion used by some to woo the weak-minded....like a Jedi mind trick.
Apple needs to give iGore the boot.
Because Apple has historically had nice packaging (more color, separate compartments, etc.) and did NOT get on board the green bandwagon earlier, it was often a target of the enviroweenies.
Just like Microsoft learned their lesson back when they didn’t have much in the way of Washington lobbyists and found themselves on the receiving end of anti-trust action, Apple has learned to play the game with gestures that are mainly symbolic (MacPro assembled in U.S., “green” campus 2 in Cupertino). The value comes from the publicity that helps cement relationships and blunt arguments about their suppliers. It may well be cynical, but it is smart business.
What happens to all those “i” products when the new versions come out? What about all those landfills? Has anyone thought about that? Yes, the gadgets are small, but I resent the planned obsolescence. Why can’t we have gadgets that last and can be updated without having to buy a new one and throw the old one away? Our society is far too wasteful.
All of my iDevices still exist, with, perhaps, the exception of the iPhone 4 I sold for $399 on Amazon or the iPhone 4S I sold on Amazon for $499 (upgraded to a later version of the iPhone).
I cannot guarantee that those phones still exist or work, but the buyers paid a hefty sum for them and it’s in their best interests to keep them working.
I do not believe they are as ‘planned obsolete’ as you would think. I have discarded two Android phones as well as a Windows phone. They had no value and they are, indeed, worthless.
Don’t get me wrong - I don’t give a crap about Apple. As long as they make good products they will have a good market.
iDevices last a long time and keep their value. They stay useful for longer periods of time than the ‘ZUNE’ or any number of generic MP3 players that are on the market.
Look at the Apple TV 2 - it’s worth MORE used than it cost new, and it’s replacement costs less than a used Apple TV 2 but the demand exists for it.
Point your argument in another direction.
Apple’s upgrade philosophy has historically been: Throw away everything you have and buy all new stuff.
When Jobs was running NeXT (which was a machine incredibly ahead of its time, BTW), it wasn’t designed to play well with others. He actually believed that businesses would throw away everything they had and buy these. Generally, they didn’t.
This is very true. I’ve found that Apple equipment has amazingly high resale value as long as it isn’t TOO old, compared to virtually any other electronic equipment. If you take care of your phone and don’t bang it up (use skins, etc), you can be pleasantly surprised when it is time to upgrade.
“Because Apple has historically had nice packaging (more color, separate compartments, etc.) and did NOT get on board the green bandwagon earlier, it was often a target of the enviroweenies.”
This is a lesson that Jobs learned from his time in 1970’s HP (when HP was still HP). I bought a fantastically expensive HP-45 calculator in 1974. It was packaged like an example of fine craftsmanship from Tiffany’s. It even SMELLED good, clean, and new - like pine, because it was build it Corvallis, Oregon. FWIW, It’s been 40 years and I STILL remember that experience quite clearly.
Of course, you can’t do that today...someone would sue because they are allergic to pine :(.
Why can’t we have gadgets that last and can be updated without having to buy a new one and throw the old one away? Our society is far too wasteful.
At least you get a year or two out of a phone...
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