Apple Announces Management Changes: Scott Forstall and John Browett Out, Ive and Others Add Responsibilities

GeekLawyer said:

Ron Johnson might be available soon for Retail.

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LOL. Poor guy just wanted to cut through the constant sales BS and got hung out to dry for it. No one felt like they could get that extreme couponing-style price.

This is great news. Ive is the spirit of the Apple I like. Weeding out the unfruitful and sticking to the successful core...

Roessnakhan said:

If Ive steps into software design as well, then I imagine this will be the biggest thing to happen to iOS and OS X in years. I hope leather stitching goes into the pits of hell.

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Since Ive has always hated it - I have a feeling we'll all be a lot happier come iOS7

Browett should be fired for maltreatment of employees. Apple is looking at MS as potential threat as MS may copy the retail model; and when that happens, an exodus from their retail op would be unavoidable. Ive's strengthening position can only be a plus. Forstall's impact is less clear to me. Let's hope what Jobs saw in Cook will bear some fruit in the near future since from the look of it, Cook shows no sign of innovation though he may be a great integrator.

I've heard Forstall referred to as a "mini Steve" in regards to his abrasive management style. I wonder if this has anything to do with his departure, especially since he reports directly to Cook until his departure. This could signal a bit more user control in future iOS releases.

Where to next? The MS win8 team?

Johnny Ive as interface designer? Will icons and on-screen controls "Blend seemlessly" into the user experience, as in disappear?


Dale

So I guess Greg Christie is no longer director of human interface.

Will Apple’s Tacky Software-Design Philosophy Cause A Revolt?

Apparently it may have.

Inside Apple, tension has brewed for years over the issue. Apple iOS SVP Scott Forstall is said to push for skeuomorphic design, while industrial designer Jony Ive and other Apple higher-ups are said to oppose the direction.

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d0nK said:

Scott Forstall was the only one I actually enjoyed to watch after Steve Jobs. Shame.

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I don't know about his work in the company so i can't comment on that part but i agree with you on the event side.

One thing we learned from the last media event is that Tim Cook is godawful as a presenter.

Big loss for Scott. Looks like he won’t be granted his 1,000,000 shares of Apple (half would have been granted in 2015, the other half in 2020 if he had stayed). He’s lossed out on $600,000,000. Big decision by Cook and the board.

On the other hand, I think everyone is pleased Browett is out.

Forestall had good stage presence, but they had he messed up both Siri and Maps AND went head-to-head with Ive.

Browett was a mistake to begin with, and part of the 'blame' should be on the person that hired him (Cook).


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When John Browett was appointed there were many of us, especially from the UK who were the eye brow raisers. And so it came to pass.

yocko said:

what is a human interface team? what does it do?

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It's essentially everything to do with how you interact with the device you're using (design/function/those two combined) and how it reacts.

ie: Ive is overseeing what you look at on the screens and how it relates to the object you're holding.

Cue all the people that thought we didn't understand how business works when we wanted Browett to go...

<crickets>

Cook realized he has to make changes. System software and Application software are two different skill sets. Forstall never should have lead Maps project.

I guess Mapsgate resulted in Forstall firing and Scuffgate resulted in Mansfield reassignment.

Awesome! I'm so excited to see how Ive's industrial design style translates into the interface.

iOS7/OS X 10.9 is probably pretty ambitious for people expecting to see an overhaul of the UI, unless Ive had a secret team at Apple already working on this. Guessing Apple’s recent acquisition of Particle has something to do with this and wouldn’t be surprised to see a few more acquisitions.

Regardless I am genuinely excited to see what Ive has in mind.

This is huge!!! WOW!!

This is great news...but CRAZY how quick the big wigs can just get up and leave/get fired.

How long is Ive guaranteed to be at Apple? Is he in a contract or something? lol

I never want Ive to leave...mostly as a stockholder and party as a consumer lol.

Reaktor5 said:

Goodbye fake leather. I won't weep your demise.

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Amen to that.

How is Sir Jonathan Ives going to mill the new iOS interface out of a solid block of Aluminium?!?!

Or is going to melt our faces off with a new liquid metal interface?

Either way I will buy it!

I have to give credit to Forstall for the beginnings of iOS but the man seems to have lost his desire to really improve. Plus his eyes just scared the crap out of me. He always seemed way to exciting about the smallest of details during an announcement.

Oh wow brilliant work Tim Cook, really happy with those changes

RichardF said:

Good riddance RE: Browett.

And how much did this mistake (which TC defended when Browett was hired but criticized) cost Apple?

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It cost them almost nothing compared to what the cost would have been had they kept that clown.

I hate forestall! by by. IVE FOR THE WIN

Maybe iOS can get some decent work done. I always felt (for the past few years) Forstall was just bored and uninspiring.