Notable Quotes from Apple CEO Tim Cook at Tuesday's D Conference

Apple AAPL CEO Tim Cook was the opening day interview to watch at the D conference in Palos Verdes, Calif. on Tuesday but holding true to the Apple traditions, he provided some interesting snippets of information but there was no head-turning revelation made. That doesn’t mean, however, that he didn’t share some notable quotes.

“Winning has never been about making the most”

After being asked if Apple was losing the mobile operating system battle because Android was on more phones, Cook said that Apple wasn’t interested in quantity. He said, "We make the best phone, we don't make the most phones."

“We haven’t so far, that doesn’t shut off the future.”

This comment was made when AllthingsD’s Walt Mossberg asked Cook why Apple has made a wide range of iPods but only one iPhone. Cook pointed out that an iPhone is more complicated to build because of hardware, software, and services.

"At this point, we felt that the Retina display that we're shipping is overwhelmingly the best,"

Is a bigger iPhone on the way as some rumors seem to suggest? Cook said that large screens involve tradeoffs with how colors display and battery life. He does go on to say that there are other ways to differentiate the phone that involve the screen.

"I wear glasses because I have to."

Cook isn’t impressed with Google Glass. He says that very few people where glasses because they want to and when they do, they try to make a fashion statement with them. He believes that the wrist is a more compelling place for a wearable device but it would take a lot of convincing since far less people where watches than in the past. Also interesting, he said that he wears a Nike NKE Fuelband indicating that he does have an interest in wearable computing on the wrist. (Cook is a Nike board member.)

"We are always looking and if anything we will do more of that in the future."

Interestingly, Apple has purchased nine companies already this year and judging by Cook’s comments, that pace isn’t going to let up. He says that the company doesn’t reveal an acquisition unless it’s legally obligated. Keeping the acquisitions secret allow the company to continue developing products under relatively secrecy.

"I don't want to answer that."

Tim Cook remained tight-lipped about Apple’s specific plans relating to these topics:

• iWatch
• Apple TV refresh
• Wearable computing

Cook did mention that Jony Ive has been involved in the overhaul of iOS and that APIs could be at least partially opened to third party developers. Look for specific details (relative term for Apple) of the new iOS at the World Wide Developers Conference in June.

Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Tim Parker was long Apple.