“Robertsdale, Alabama. There are few clues that this is the home town of Apple chief executive Tim Cook, the place where his ‘most improbable journey’ began and where he forged the beliefs that today put him at the center of a national debate over privacy,” Todd C. Frankel reports for The Washington Post. “His name is not noted on the town’s welcome signs along the main drag, Route 59. There’s nothing in the local chamber’s brochures, and the local paper rarely has anything about him. His old high school keeps a glass case celebrating former NFL running back Joe Childress, Class of 1952, but not the leader of the world’s most valuable company, Class of 1978.”
“Walking around the town and talking with residents, it can feel as if Cook is a forgotten favorite son,” Frankel reports. “‘I kinda wonder about that sometimes, I really do,’ said Rick Ousley, a former classmate who recalls Cook fondly and now runs a computer repair shop in town.”
“Cook never sought out attention and many here are quietly proud of him, but Ousley suspects the lack of recognition is also tied to Cook’s prominent positions on sensitive social issues. Cook, who is gay, has advocated for gay rights. He once criticized Alabama for its lack of progress in a speech at the state capitol in Montgomery. He also helped fund a gay rights initiative in the Deep South,” Frankel reports. “‘That was offensive to a lot of people down here,’ Ousley said. One local pastor even vowed to stop using his iPad because of the Apple leader’s views.”
“At the local high school, there is one sign that appears to connect Robertsdale with Cook. Every student there has a MacBook laptop. The familiar Apple logo is visible throughout the halls. The laptops were bought a few years ago by the county school system. But last month the school board voted to move in a new direction. This fall, every student will be assigned a Lenovo Chromebook instead,” Frankel reports. “It’s nothing personal. The Chromebooks were just cheaper.”
Tons more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Ah, the power of the initial price tag trumps everything among people with a certain mindset, it seems. Even if it means shortchanging your children, the almighty dollar wins. It’s a good thing not everyone is so shortsighted. Looks like Robertsdale High School won’t be graduating any more Fortune 500 CEOs anytime soon.
SEE ALSO:
Why iPads are losing to Chromebooks in education, and what Apple needs to do about it – January 13, 2016
Should Apple make a ‘CloudBook’ for the education market? – January 12, 2016
Can education give Apple’s iPad a much-needed sales boost? – January 12, 2016
Apple delivers multi-user support for iPad – in schools only – January 11, 2016
Apple loses more ground to Google’s Chromebook in U.S. education market – January 11, 2016
Why Apple devices are losing share to Chromebooks in U.S. public schools – December 23, 2015
Apple CEO Cook on Google Chromebooks in U.S. schools: We’re not interested in making ‘test machines’ – December 11, 2015
Apple pivoting iPad education strategy to regain its footing in face of Google Chromebook surge – December 5, 2014