Tim Cook's Microsoft Jab: They're Merging Fridges And Toasters!

Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered one of his zingiest zingers to date when asked during an earnings call Tuesday whether he thought the markets for tablets and laptops would eventually converge -- a not-so-subtle reference to Microsoft's plans to have its forthcoming Windows 8 operating system work on both tablets and PCs.

Cook didn't mince words in his response.

"Anything can be forced to converge, but the problem is that products are about tradeoffs and you begin to make tradeoffs to the point where what you have left at the end of the day does not please the user," Cook said. "You can converge a toaster and a refrigerator, but those things are probably not going to be pleasing to the user."

While Apple hasn't embraced the toasterator approach to the extent Microsoft has, its OS X operating system, which runs on Macs, looks increasingly like its iOS operating system, which runs on iPads, iPhones and iPod touch devices. 9to5Mac declared the most recent version of OS X, Mountain Lion, evidence that the "iOS-ification of OS X continues" and pointed out that Mountain Lion "brings even more popular iOS features to the Mac platform," such as Twitter integration, iMessage, and a Notification Center.

If Microsoft is pursuing the fridge-cum-toaster strategy, then maybe Apple's taking the knife-cum-blender approach: Sure, it's not whole-heartedly merging its mobile operating system with its desktop operating system, a la Microsoft, though it's certainly taking bits and pieces from iOS and mixing them with OS X.

Cook's Microsoft jab sparked a flurry of commentary in the Twitterverse. Microsoft spokesman Frank Shaw tweeted, "must be a typo. it’s not a toaster/fridge. It’s a toaster/oven. Those seem pretty popular. Just saying. #win8 #toasterovenFTW."

The newly-birthed Twitter account @FridgeToaster got what might be the final word on the matter: "Hey, Tim Cook: Bite my shiny metal ass," it tweeted.

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Comments

[WeTheTaM]

12:42 AM on 04/26/2012

Reason why I despise Apple; think they are snobs! They have "good" products but are total douches! Hipster much Tim cook?

[David LS]

10:33 PM on 04/25/2012

More Apple trash from a firm that might find itself spending a lot of that 600 billion just to stay in competition with Asian Products, when those same Asian firms tell Apple to take a walk the next time they need a breakthrough product like the Samsung developed display that Apple named its retina display.

[Ian Stypulkoski]

08:40 PM on 04/25/2012

Because competition is un-American! Right?

[Trebot]

07:58 PM on 04/25/2012

Why do people have the "There can be only one!" attitude?

[schaf1]

05:11 PM on 04/25/2012

Another overpaid adult acting like a spoiled child. How shocking.

[Commenter-X]

02:38 PM on 04/25/2012

That Tim Cook comment is vintage Steve Jobs. Looks like Apple investors have nothing to worry about his credentials.

[Winski]

02:21 PM on 04/25/2012

If Bomber touched it - it's CRAP.

[auramac]

02:00 PM on 04/25/2012

It's quite apparent that the author of this piece is A) An idiot. And/or B) A Microsoftie.

[Amit Nagpal]

01:31 PM on 04/25/2012

Tim cook is really coming into his own and he is NOT the kind of man i thought he was. Pleasantly surprised by his dry humor in almost every interview/presentation he does.

[Valerio della Porta]

01:11 PM on 04/25/2012

Tim is spot on: the tablet is a touch device and the PC is a keyboard and mouse device.

The way the user interacts with each one is very different and the idea of using the same UI is absurd.

What Frank Shaw is not saying is that Windows 8 is really two separate UI into one product because they found out about a year ago that the idea of this common OS was not working.

[StinkyPete0279]

03:02 PM on 04/25/2012

"The way the user interacts with each one is very different"

Somebody forgot to tell Tim Cook apparently, given the bolted-on multitouch and other iOS garbage layered onto Lion.

[Valerio della Porta]

03:58 PM on 04/25/2012

The reason why Lion has multitouch is because you can use it on the track pad.

[jgeurian21]

03:42 PM on 04/25/2012

If that is true why does Apple make laptop-style docks with keyboards for the iPad? Apple seems to think people would like a keyboard on what you describe as a touch device. Odd.

[Valerio della Porta]

03:55 PM on 04/25/2012

No it doesn't. Apple the iPad dock is great to use the iPad hands free -- I found it useful in the kitchen for recipes -- or to connect the iPad to high end speakers without too much fuss. The Apple wireless keyboard is not made specifically for the iPad but it is offered for those who wants it.

[white mende man]

01:02 PM on 04/25/2012

there is no greater down fall than from a cocky know-it-all. Sooner or later the fad will fade and people are going to start making a decisions on whether the cost of another smart phone, or do they really need another one, is better than paying the bills.

[yiyu jia]

11:48 AM on 04/25/2012

I do not see Tim Cook gives out an example from Microsoft to support his point. No useful info can be found from this comparison.

[Pandoras Folly]

10:01 AM on 04/25/2012

hmm actually putting a toaster on a fridge is pretty smart. everyone has a fridge and almost everyone has a toaster, putting the two together would be a minimal engineering challange and would save a lot of counter space.

toast should not go side by side as in current model toasters but rather next to each other flat against the side of the fridge.

[Valerio della Porta]

01:02 PM on 04/25/2012

You should apply for a job at Microsoft :-)

[Pandoras Folly]

01:53 PM on 04/25/2012

What is funny is after i made the joke i have begun considering it as a real addition to the appliance. i don't use a toaster very often, but it is extremly handy to have around. i would buy a fridge that had a toaster in it.

maybe we can turn this up to 11. keep adding small appliances that just seem to clutter up counters with their wires and little used existence. like a swiss army appliance.

[gettrolledonbrah]

02:27 PM on 04/25/2012

You should realize when you're getting trolled buddy

[jgeurian21]

09:26 AM on 04/25/2012

LOL...the microsoft response was spot on.

[maverick9808]

12:09 PM on 04/25/2012

so true, and actually funny for such a dry response

[invirginia]

08:23 AM on 04/25/2012

"fridge-cum-toaster" sounds like an agenda for late-night at home with the spouse

[StinkyPete0279]

10:41 AM on 04/25/2012

best post/avatar combo in this thread.