Update: Apple has since stated that Cook intended to describe the Microsoft Surface Book as “diluted” rather than “deluded.”
The Irish government has announced that Apple will be employing an additional 1,000 staff in Ireland, the country where the company declares much of its revenue from sales throughout Europe, reports Reuters.
Ireland’s main foreign investment agency, the IDA, said Apple was to add 1,000 jobs to its office in Cork by mid-2017 from 5,000 at present. It said the company had also added 1,000 jobs in the past year.
There had been some concern about whether Apple would maintain a significant presence in the country if the European Commission investigation into Apple’s tax dealings in the country went against the company …
Apple has an arrangement with the Irish government that sees it paying corporation tax of just 2.5% on the $109B profits it declared in the country over the past five years, just a fifth of the normal 12.5% paid by most other companies. It’s believed the government agreed to the terms in order to secure both jobs and tax revenues.
A decision on whether the tax deal with Apple constituted unfair state aid is due after Christmas, Finance Minister Michael Noonan told journalists on Wednesday.
Apple warned shareholders earlier this year that it could face “material back taxes” if its tax arrangements in Ireland were found to be illegal.
CEO Tim Cook, who is in Dublin today, said that “Apple is proud to call Ireland home.” He also promised that Apple Pay would be coming to Ireland, which is a separate country to the UK.
Cook also took time out to contrast the iPad Pro, which went on sale today, with Microsoft’s Surface Book, describing the latter as “deluded” by thinking it can be both a laptop and a tablet.
[tweet https://twitter.com/adrianweckler/status/664407633319866368 align=’center’]
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to bring R&D jobs to Indonesia. The move would satisfy local requirements that need to be met before iPhones can be sold in the country. It was previously believed that Apple would need to open manufacturing in the regions in order to distribute iPhones in Indonesia due to government restrictions.
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‘…which is a separate country to the UK.”
Oh dear. I cannot believe I just read this. Is this site destined to be read by morons?
Even Brits can get confused on occasion by our rather odd mix of countries … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNu8XDBSn10
I have yet to meet a single person living in the United Kingdom – or the republic of Ireland for that matter – who doesn’t understand these basics!
Did they not go to school?!
Ireland is a separate country, but Northern Ireland is part of the UK. It’s also a country, but it’s part of another country.
As Ted Lasso, head coach of the Tottenham Hotspurs, put it, “How many countries are in this country?” The answer is four by the way.
Yes I know all that! My point was that somebody felt the need – in 2015 – to point that out!
Probably not only people who live on the UK read this…
“deluded”
Sums it up. While it can be great product for those who like it, yes, duh, it is actually a product that isn’t the best laptop, not the best tablet. Here’s ‘Anand’s’ take on the tech: http://www.anandtech.com/show/9767/microsoft-surface-book-2015-review
best Guinness in the world, lucky them
Deluded? The iPad pro is Deluded. It makes no sense to have a bigger ipad that runs ios. If they would have put os x on it, it would be a much more capable device.
If I had to choose between an iPad pro or a surface pro, I’ll rather get a surface. At least it has a full operating system.
Int makes no sense to have a tablet with a 3 hours of battery life.
Yes its deluded.
Its trying hard to be a tablet, laptop not so much.
While windows has more features then iOS and dare I say android, from what ive seen, its still lacking in important Areas, that make a tablet experience the best.
Idk pick up one of the Del XPS laptops, rather then the surface book.
The announcement also includes the construction of a new building that will be completed by 2017. Recruitment for the extra jobs will presumably take place then. This could possibly be the location of an assembly line for the Apple Car?
Dear Mr. Cook,
Don’t mention the so-called competition at all, EVER! It makes you look like Michael Dell and Steve Ballmer, two people you do not want to be compared to.
He said “diluted”, not “deluded”. Because it was trying to be too many different things.
According to Apple, he intended to say “diluted” but actually said “deluded” by mistake.