New Apple Facility Proposed

[Relique du Madde]

That's really kind of a non sequitur here. In this case, Steve basically noted that Apple as a corporate citizen happily pays taxes to the city. If the city wants "free" public wifi, the city can use the those taxes to pay for it, in other words, Apple is already paying for whatever the city council builds for the residents. (Steve doesn't live in Cupertino and his doesn't pay his property taxes there). You can't blame the city council folks for asking about it though.

The amount of green space added, and pavement and roof tops removed, trees planted, landscape restored, would make about any city council swoon. Fully developed cities getting this much permeable surface offered just doesn't come every day. It makes a huge difference to the heat island effect. Technology comes and goes, but park-like land lasts decades. The cost for the city to tear out these old offices and turn them into this much green parkland would be bankrupting for the city.

Not really.

I call it public relations with a major tax write off (since the cost of providing the service could easily count as a buisness expense and a donation). It's part of doing business and improving the company's image in the eyes of it's community.

Hell, they could even post up a web page dedicated to their effort at community building like google has:

Welcome to free WiFi access for Mountain View

Now you can connect to the web for free

Google WiFi is a free wireless Internet service we're offering to the city of Mountain View as part of our ongoing efforts to reach out to our hometown. With your WiFi-enabled device and a Google Account, you can go online for free by accessing the network name 'GoogleWiFi'.
<SNIP>

 

[Umbran]

No Politics!!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

The amount of green space added, and pavement and roof tops removed, trees planted, landscape restored, would make about any city council swoon. Fully developed cities getting this much permeable surface offered just doesn't come every day. It makes a huge difference to the heat island effect. Technology comes and goes, but park-like land lasts decades. The cost for the city to tear out these old offices and turn them into this much green parkland would be bankrupting for the city.

Assuming it's well made and well maintained, I wouldn't be surprised to visit it in 50 years to find it still occupied, if not by Apple (with Jobs-In-A-Jar), then by a museum or other major institutuion. It could be a true landmark/architectural revolution for the city.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

Requiring a Google ID to access GoogleWifi in Mountain View is hardly "free", nor a charitable donation. Google's business is collecting data and selling that data to its real customers (buyers of ads), and Google datamines Google IDs of users.

Apple isn't in the business of selling information about the users of its products so it doesn't have the same incentive for building such an infrastructure.

But as good PR? This is Apple, Apple has far less expensive ways to generate oodles of good press coverage. Like having the CEO just show up to speak to a city council.

 

[Kzach]

No Politics!!

No shouting!

Mod Note: No discussing moderation in-thread! ~Umbran

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

No shouting!

No new axes!

 

[Relique du Madde]

Requiring a Google ID to access GoogleWifi in Mountain View is hardly "free", nor a charitable donation. Google's business is collecting data and selling that data to its real customers (buyers of ads), and Google datamines Google IDs of users.

Apple isn't in the business of selling information about the users of its products so it doesn't have the same incentive for building such an infrastructure.

Two responses:

1. Apple's ideal world is one that has everyone purchases products, whither those products are books, music, videos, or software, computers, phones, music players, etc. through an apple based store or one that has an official partnership with apple.. Thus, they have no reason to sell user's information to people who could benefit for its use other then themselves. Instead advertisers can purchase the ability to have your products advertised through apps on an iDevice based on the following criteria without their gaining any marketing information form Apple:

Standard Targeting Options
Demographics
Application preferences
Music passions
Movie, TV and audiobook genre interests
Location
Device (iPhone, iPad, iPod touch)
Network (WiFi, 3G)

			Wait how do they know my "music passions", "movie, tv, and audio book genre interests or my demographic?!" Surely they don't track my apple store based purchases using some sort of "APPLE ID" or have that "Apple ID" tied to any kind of personal information that could be used for demographic purposes. I must be imagining things since Apple isn't evil like Google.

2. So, I guess you are right. There is no benefit for Apple having people connect to the Apple Wi-Fi (with an APPLE ID) in Cupertino. No benefit at all since there is no way they know what type of network you are using, your location, or what device you are using, or WHO is trying to connect to the Apple Wi-Fi if there was one.

 

[AdmundfortGeographer]

I must be imagining things since Apple isn't evil like Google..

 

[Kzach]

Two responses:

u madde bro?

 

[MarauderX]

I see this as a PR move. Apple isn't rated highly at all for being sustainable in the tech community, and we've done plenty of their facilities where $ and reliability are first, followed by scalability, flexibility, and maintainability, with efficiency and sustainability dead last just to meet code requirements. Perhaps this building will be the beginning to change that.