Mr. Tim Cook
CEO
Apple, Inc.
Cupertino, CA

Dear Mr. Cook:

Congratulations on being appointed the new CEO of Apple. It is no small task to take the reins of one of the most valuable and revered companies in the world. That task is compounded by having to step into the shoes of your predecessor, Steve Jobs. I would remind you that young Lou Gehrig was probably daunted by the task of stepping into Wally Pipp’s shoes. He made out all right. You will, too.

In today’s dynamic and connected world, the need to constantly innovate is a priority of the first order. Apple has never shied away from that, nor does anyone expect that it will as you assume your new role. There are simply too many good, smart people in the hallways to stand still. If nothing else, the culture will never permit complacency. However, perhaps there is one thing you can do that will send a message to your legion of loyal fans in the technology world:

LICENSE iOS AS AN EMBEDDED, PLATFORM-INDEPENDENT OPERATING SYSTEM.

Apple has spent untold millions developing a tremendously powerful operating system that would almost instantly extend its dominance of the appliance device market beyond Apple’s own products. As solution providers in the digital signage industry, we would embrace iOS almost immediately. Heck, if you would just let us embed our firmware on AppleTV devices, it would become the hottest media player in the space!

Think about this, Tim. Extending the reach of iOS beyond iPhones and iPads is a real opportunity to dominate the ecosystem of appliance devices. It would unleash the creative force of thousands of developers who meet secretly all over the world and perform monthly druid rituals hoping to influence the Spirits to open up iOS. The fire wardens are getting testy, Tim. Let’s just get this done!  Make iOS even more pervasive, and make your mark! I can see the presentation deck for the announcement now: eight slides, seven words, cool pics.

Good luck in your new position. Let me know if you want some help with that presentation!

Ken Goldberg
CEO
Real Digital Media