Tim Cook's power moves

Back in 1998, Apple was on shaky ground. Steve Jobs had recently returned to right the company, but Apple was still struggling for survival against the mighty Wintel juggernaut.

However, Cupertino was about to launch a colorful new computer with a crazy translucent shell — a machine designed to quickly and easily get onto the internet. It was called the iMac.

Months before the launch, Tim Cook, then Apple's operations chief, made a very big bet. He reserved $100 million worth of air freight for the upcoming holiday quarter — almost the entire capacity of the shipping industry.

It was a big, bold bet. There was no guarantee the new computer would take off. Apple’s products at the time were middling sellers, and the company’s brand was in the toilet.

The gamble easily could have failed, and Cook would have looked rather foolish.

But the iMac G3 became a monster hit. And competitors like Dell and Compaq found themselves unable to book air freight for their wares during that critical holiday quarter.

Cook's foresight ensured that Apple could meet iMac demand, and gimped Apple’s rivals at the same time.

Now, with President Donald Trump’s massive import tariffs looming — which will likely lead to big price hikes — Cook is making similar moves that could cleverly cushion the worst of the damage.

Also in today’s newsletter:

• I can’t get used to the feel of using Apple Pencil on glass — but Apple’s talented engineers are working on shape-shifting styli that might see the Apple Pencil dynamically morph into something more like a digital paintbrush.

• The latest iPhone 17 rumors point to a less radical redesign than we’ve come to expect. The iPhone 17 might not be as crazy-looking as some recent rumors suggest.

• No laptop bag is complete without a Bluetooth transmitter/receiver, especially if you’re traveling.

• Seth Rogen’s new Hollywood comedy The Studio debuted at the top of the streaming charts. Here’s our review of the show.

• Managing the storage space on your Apple devices is one of Dante’s circles of hell. But the Photos app makes one aspect of it remarkably easy, and might help clear a bit of space across all your devices.

— Leander Kahney, EIC.

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

^{A message from the Cult of Mac Deals team}

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