Apple CEO John Ternus has pointed to a story about Steve Jobs and a chest of drawers to explain the company’s design standards. The lesson, he said, applies equally to premium devices and the lower-priced MacBook Neo.
Speaking after the laptop’s launch earlier this year, Ternus recalled Jobs’ admiration for craftsmanship in places customers would rarely see.
His remarks describe a product philosophy focused on the inside of a device as much as its exterior. They also offer insight into his priorities after succeeding Tim Cook as chief executive on September 1.
The lesson behind the furniture story
“Steve was moving a piece of furniture, a chest of drawers, and pulled it away from the wall and looked at the back and was just reflecting on the carpenter who had made it beautiful. It finished the back as beautifully as the rest of it, even though nobody was going to see it right and I think about that all the time because I think that perfectly exemplifies what we do here,” Ternus said.
For Ternus, the carpenter’s attention to an unseen surface captures Apple’s approach to hardware. Internal components deserve care even when customers never open the casing.
He connected that principle directly to the MacBook Neo, which Apple introduced on March 4.
MacBook Neo brings the philosophy to cheaper hardware
“We’ve been talking about the MacBook Neo. Here is our most affordable Mac we’ve ever made, and it’s absolutely beautiful. And if you open it up and look inside, it’s just as beautiful,” he said.
“And that’s true about all products – an iPhone Pro Max or a MacBook Pro or an iPad Pro, but it’s also true on a MacBook Neo,” he added.
His comparison emphasised consistency in craftsmanship across different price categories. It did not suggest that the entry-level laptop offers identical specifications to Apple’s professional machines.
Apple’s launch documentation identifies the Neo’s processor as the A18 Pro. The company positioned the laptop as a way to bring the Mac experience to more people.
The device also formed part of Ternus’s hardware portfolio before his promotion.
A design priority under new leadership
Ternus joined Apple’s product design team in 2001 and became vice president of hardware engineering in 2013. He joined the executive team as senior vice president in 2021.
His responsibilities spanned generations of iPhones, Macs and Apple Watches, alongside work on the iPad and AirPods.
Apple’s succession announcement also credited him with advancing durability, materials and repairability. Cook moved to executive chairman when Ternus took over.
Ternus framed the furniture story as a guide to continued product development.
“That’s what we do, and so, it’s just been really good just to think about that and reflect on that because that is probably the best kind of clue as to where we’re going in the future. We’re going to keep pushing in that same way,” he said.
