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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes
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Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus

By | June 8, 2011, 2:41am PDT

Apple CEO Steve Jobs presented his idea for a new Apple campus to the Cupertino City Council yesterday - a massive circular structure with capacity for 12,000 employees at a former Hewlett-Packard site.

Check out the related image gallery here!

Here are some highlights:

  • Four-story building
  • Will feature on-site energy center
  • The site will feature 20% landscaping to 80% landscaping and feature underground parking
  • Plan to increase trees from 3,700 to 6,000
  • Support for increase in employees from 9,500 to 13,000
  • R&D buildings, auditorium, fitness center
  • Jobs wants plans submitted ASAP, ground breaking to start next year and people to move in in 2015

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Apple Inc., Campus, Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology.

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

All opinions expressed on Hardware 2.0 are those of Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. Every effort is made to ensure that the information posted is accurate. If you have any comments, queries or corrections, please contact Adrian via the email link here. Any possible conflicts of interest will be posted below. [Updated: February 23, 2010] - Adrian Kingsley-Hughes has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other actual/potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted so far on this blog.

Biography

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes is an internationally published technology author who has devoted over a decade to helping users get the most from technology -- whether that be by learning to program, building a PC from a pile of parts, or helping them get the most from their new MP3 player or digital camera.

Adrian has authored/co-authored technical books on a variety of topics, ranging from programming to building and maintaining PCs. His most recent books include "Build the Ultimate Custom PC", "Beginning Programming" and "The PC Doctor's Fix It Yourself Guide". He has also written training manuals that have been used by a number of Fortune 500 companies.

Adrian also runs a popular blog under the name The PC Doctor, where he covers a range of computer-related topics -- from security to repairing and upgrading.

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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
non-biased 13th Jun
@jayohem@... Do you know anything about real estate? Do you think their current landlords are being generous and renting them the space below cost? New tenants in this economy maybe but not if they have been in the buildings for a while. Landlords are in the business to make money and owning your own building is one of the best ways for a company to save money over the long term. Sure it will cost money but it doesn't have to go over budget and in the long run it's an asset that they outright own where in rented property they never will have an asset coming from those payments.
View in thread
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
RonanSail 8th Jun
world domination by 2020! - be afraid!
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
briank@... 8th Jun
Actually, it's an economic bubble, once again, the tech industry goes berzerk building huge monoliths to themselves, only to be in financial troubles a few months to years later.

Anyone breaking ground on a 12K user space in the Bay area had better have the "cash in the bank" to cover it. Novell did this maneuver, but with financing - you now know it as the eBay/Paypal campus.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@briank@?
I do not think Apple is that cash strapped that they could not afford to build this new campus. If I am not mistaken, Apple has billions in the bank and no debt. So this makes sense for them to consolidate their employees in one, or two, buildings rather than paying rent on several dozen buildings.
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$25 Billion (cash and liquid only) and counting
reasonableman Updated - 8th Jun
@briank@... I think there's enough "cash in the bank". If it costs $500 million to make, that would be about 2 weeks profit of the company. Crazy.
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60 billion in the bank and no debt
Davewrite 8th Jun
@briank@...

and adding billions every quarter.

Apple could finance the building just from the interest.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
CaryRW@... 8th Jun
@RonanSail - Be VERY afraid! Pretty ridiculous that they are going to spend all the money for a freaking building!!! Have fun supporting them all you Apple Fan Boys!!! They'll never see a dime of my money!!!
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
rbgaynor 8th Jun
@CaryRW@... They have most of their Cupertino employees in space off the main campus that they are leasing right now - those costs would go away with the new building.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
YaBaby 8th Jun
@CaryRW@... Did you have a problem with your money going to Bill Gates' heated driveway?
http://www.billgatesmicrosoft.com/billhome.htm
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Pmenadue 8th Jun
@YaBaby...

At least a significant portion goes to fighting malaria, or AIDS or......

How much does Jobs give?

Think before you speak mate.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
ScorpioBlue Updated - 8th Jun
@CaryRW@... Did you have a problem with your money going to Bill Gates' heated driveway?
http://www.billgatesmicrosoft.com/billhome.htm

Looks like Gates' version of Xanadu.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xanadu_%28Citizen_Kane%29

Do ya think the fireplace is bigger?

lol...
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
non-biased 13th Jun
@CaryRW@... So you obviously have no business sense what so ever and just reacted from a hatred for Apple right?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Cylon Centurion Updated - 8th Jun
I wonder if Jobs will be using the Force (RDF) to call all Cult of Mac worshippers to build this thing... Just no one drink the cool aid over there. happy
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wonder where the statue of Jobs will be located?
pikeman666 8th Jun
@Cylon Centurion
not to mention a Visitors Center!
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@Cylon Centurion
I heard that Microsoft is building a huge monument to Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer. They are looking for volunteers, They are even willing to supply the grape Flavor-aid.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Peter Perry 8th Jun
That place looks awesome.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Hallowed are the Ori Updated - 8th Jun
Oh look, they've found my stargate.
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LOL!
Will Pharaoh 8th Jun
@Hallowed are the Ori

Perfect. happy
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Contributr
Reminds me of the GCHQ building in Cheltenham
zwhittaker 8th Jun
nt.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
Good to hear Apple is planning on adding all those jobs to the US economy. On a side note: I wonder how well the US economy would be, if the Good people at Apple were in charge? The look to improve the local economy. The construction jobs are going to be there for about 3 years, then the computer engineering jobs will be there for a lot longer.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Linux Geek 8th Jun
@Rick_K
Apple eploys 50,000 in US and 1,000,000 contractors in China so that's a 1 to 20 ratio. How does that help the US economy?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@Linux Geek If you listened to Steve Jobs, he indicated a 20% increase in employment in Cupertino. A 20% increase in tax paying employees is a good thing.Today with the majority of new employment being outsourced, any increase in domestic employment is a good thing.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
pikeman666 8th Jun
@Linux Geek
This is a big win for Cupertino and will help get Silicon Valley back on it's feet. The place is like a ghost town . . .
And the property they will use is a major redevelopment that will bootstrap other businesses.
I see a slam-dunk.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
xangpow 8th Jun
@Rick_K

I think what he means is get rid of the Chinese Jobs and bring them back here. ON TOP OF, the 20% increase of taxes paying employees.
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That'll never happen Linux Geek
Will Pharaoh 8th Jun
@Linux Geek
No way Apple would maintain the profit margins on their products if they where built here in the US, nor would most people be able to afford them
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
non-biased 13th Jun
@Linux Geek Nice try but FAIL. I would love to see all the manufacturing jobs for all our electronics to come back to our shores but Apple does not employ those people, the contract manufacturers and suppliers that Apple uses do.
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Or the good people at Intel
Will Pharaoh 8th Jun
@Rick_K

They're doing the same thing.
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The building looks like . . .
pikeman666 8th Jun
the spacecraft used by the Ori in the old Stargate series. Wonder if the 12,000 will be required to receive facial scaring or other body mods?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Willtur 8th Jun
great design, the installation is going to use bloom box which is nice also. Great parking plan also.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
xangpow 8th Jun
it will never be built, remember I said it first.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
m3kw9 8th Jun
@xangpow Yeah I'll remember!! You are the man!
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What?? Not in the shape of the Apple logo!??
dropzone@... 8th Jun
NT
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@dropzone@?
I think they chose the halo look to reflect the halo effect the iPod, iPad, and iPhone are having. wink
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Apple does not employee a million in China
grandriver125 8th Jun
That was an absurd comment Rick. Those million are also producing computers for Dell, HP and many others.

For years and years all I heard from you anti-Apple folks was how Apple was destined to fail and how it had no future. I guess being wrong all the time has taken its toll on many of the naysayers.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K Updated - 8th Jun
@grandriver125
At least correct the right person, I did not make that statement. I believe it was Linux Geek that said Apple employed a million people in China.

I heard from you anti-Apple folks was how Apple was destined to fail and how it had no future.

So now I am an anti-Apple person? Does that mean I have to sell my MacBook Pro, iPod Touch and Airport? What a fickle bunch we have here. First I was called an Apple fanboi, now I am called an Anti-Apple Zealot. I personally think I fit in the middle, I do like some of their product; yet others do not fit my lifestyle, so I choose not to purchase them.
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I feel your pain.
ye 8th Jun
@Rick_K: So now I am an anti-Apple person? Does that mean I have to sell my MacBook Pro, iPod Touch and Airport? What a fickle bunch we have here. First I was called an Apple fanboi, now I am called an Anti-Apple Zealot. I personally think I fit in the middle, I do like some of their product; yet others do not fit my lifestyle, so I choose not to purchase them.

Been in your position several times myself.
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well this must be the most exciting council meeting ever in history
erichon99 8th Jun
interesting
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Scrabbler 8th Jun
Looks pretty cool.
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Inefficient
zackers 8th Jun
Having a large circular design like that will make trips between widely spaced offices a lot longer, even if you can cut across the circle to get to an office on the other side.

Is this intentional? Does Jobs want to keep his employees from interacting with each other?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@zackers
He did mention a fitness center? I wonder if these long walks are to promote employee health?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
m3kw9 8th Jun
@zackers thats negative thinking because if they have a site with 3-4 different buildings with 3000 capacity each, you would have to walk way longer(go outside), but now they are practically in the same building.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Scrabbler 8th Jun
@zackers
Note: this new building is huge. Looking at the map of the old HP campus, I see 8-9 different structures there. I doubt traveling between buildings would be any faster.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
wjameskirk 8th Jun
Good for apple retaining its loyalty to Cupertino and building something spacial
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
m3kw9 8th Jun
12k new jobs at Apple?!?! Time to move to CA?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Rick_K 8th Jun
@m3kw9
Unfortunately no? They are expecting a 20% increase, but the 12,000 are already employed by Apple. THese employees are just in rented space, scattered all over the city. The idea here is to get them in one area. One that is owned by the company to reduce the cost of doing business. Also of note Apple plans on generating their own power, which will reduce the load on the electric grid. Add to that the increase in taxes Apple will pay directly to the City.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
non-biased 13th Jun
@Rick_K Actually, it's my understand that they currently employ 9K that would go to this facility but plan to higher an addition al 3K bringing it up to 12K.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
technix 8th Jun
gotta say he's the best CEO at selling a presentation/idea. no joke....
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Alarmists said Steve looked 'sick' at WWDC then...
Davewrite 8th Jun
... one day after he does a presentation at the city council.
(something he could easily have got one of his managers to do)

Looks fine and coherent.

Not many so called 'healthy' people can keep up with 'sickly' Steve's schedule.
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How do you know how busy his schedule is?
Will Pharaoh 8th Jun
@Davewrite
And not many healthy people have the assistents, aids, and the help that he does.

He does look sick, but It doesn't mean he can't do a couple hour stints between 20 hour breaks.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
vel0city 8th Jun
Seems like an inefficient way to get from place to place to me. Wouldn't it be better to have a tower shaped building, as its faster to move through different floors in an elevator than having to walk all the way across the campus?
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
Woochifer 8th Jun
@vel0city
Sounds like you've never been to Cupertino. A looming tower (or group of towers) encompassing 3M square feet would be totally out of place.

Also, right now Apple's employees are scattered all over town. Their current Infinite Loop headquarters holds less than 3,000 workers, and they have another ~6,000 employees working in leased buildings.
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RE: Apple outlines new 12,000 capacity 'spaceship' campus
non-biased 13th Jun
@jayohem@... Do you know anything about real estate? Do you think their current landlords are being generous and renting them the space below cost? New tenants in this economy maybe but not if they have been in the buildings for a while. Landlords are in the business to make money and owning your own building is one of the best ways for a company to save money over the long term. Sure it will cost money but it doesn't have to go over budget and in the long run it's an asset that they outright own where in rented property they never will have an asset coming from those payments.

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