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

Fruit Cake · Oct 29, 2012

Best news I've read all day, the retail guy just sucked, apple stores were becoming "just another chain" with that guy (yes I know they aren't franchises) but their service was slipping, let's hope it changes for the better.

Forstall loss is a shame, but hey if he likes releasing rough unpolished software that's not ready for the masses, maybe google will have him! God their mail client could use some work on the UI front.

truettray · Oct 29, 2012

Let's not get too excited though...

"Craig Federighi will lead both iOS and OS X®. Apple has the most advanced mobile and desktop operating systems, and this move brings together the OS teams to make it even easier to deliver the best technology and user experience innovations to both platforms." That's not the greatest news on earth..

EDIT: Unless you like Mac OS X feeling like iOS...

Cougarcat · Oct 29, 2012

dashiel said:
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.

Indeed, Apple has undoubtedly already been working on both for months, and the tentpole features are probably already finalized. I would expect the Ive influences in 2014.

KPOM · Oct 29, 2012

Michaelgtrusa said:
I wonder what led to this.

Two possibilities regarding Forstall: 1) he was potentially a threat to Cook, since he was rumored to be a possible successor to Steve Jobs, and might well have been had Jobs lived a few more years. 2) Apple Maps was a big PR disaster, and it wasn't the first under Forstall's watch (Siri).

Browett's is less surprising, since it doesn't seem that he fit into the culture, and took some heat for the changes in retail. I would not be surprised if Ron Johnson is offered his old job back, since things aren't going so well at JC Penney.

The positive way of looking at this is that rumors of Tim Cook not sufficiently taking charge have been greatly exaggerated.

WeegieMac · Oct 29, 2012

Goodbye, Browett ... don't let the door hit your Dixons/PC World arse on the way out. Good riddance, and thank God you're gone.

As for Forstall, I'm shocked but many here did predict the writing was on the wall after the disappointment that was iOS 6.

AppleInMyBlood · Oct 29, 2012

Wow, this is HUGE!

We may be seeing the most stylish UI in Apple history in the not-too-distant future.

I've felt for a while that, despite their different backgrounds, Ive was a natural for leading the "vision" part of Apple post-Jobs (Jobs trusted him implicitly)--a perfect match for Tim Cook's busimess acumen.

The future of Apple is looking sensational with Cook, Ive, Schiller, etc. at the helm.

(Not saying Forstall didn't do a good job, but I do wonder if he was losing interest a little, just based on iOS's recent trajectory.)

bbydon · Oct 29, 2012

tdream said:
Hopefully a big change for iOS. Felt so trapped in 960x640 resolution. Expect 720p minimum along with complete redesign of iPhone.

Say hello to widgets

Ive, like all good designers despises clutter... No chance for widgets. You will be lucky if there is an icon left on the home screen.

CrAkD · Oct 29, 2012

Forstall out? Wow now I'm worried.....

BC2009 · Oct 29, 2012

Fantastic News!!!!!

1) Jony Ive over all design (industrial and human interface) in "Steve Jobs" role
2) Mansfield stays in an expanded role
3) Recent hire of William Stasior from Amazon to help with Siri
4) Expand Eddy Cue's role regarding services
5) Good riddance to Scott Forstall and John Browett

I could not have asked for better news regarding Apple's executive team. Tim is cleaning house of the people that were holding things back and putting his good executives in the drivers seat.

Mr. Dee · Oct 29, 2012

Steve Jobs said it in his book

dashiel said:
The difference of opinion between Forstall and Ive was only ever going to end one way.

The way how he setup Apple, no one, "no one" can ****** with Ive. So Mr. Forstall has been Forstalled. I think Ive has even said he is finding the UI crappy these days.

I can just see Ive singing and dancing in his lab right now and saying to his fellow teams, the ********* is leaving next year, good riddance!

Pock · Oct 29, 2012

I wrote Tim Cook an email a couple of months ago describing how it seemed to me that there were increasing inconsistencies between iOS apps.

You are all welcome.

PVisitors · Oct 29, 2012

Excellent news.

Blakjack · Oct 29, 2012

With this kind of shakeup, one has to wonder what the level of tension inside Apple has been over the past few months. I hope there isn't a bunch of bickering going on amongst the heads at Apple. This shakeup may look good on the surface, but its what's underneath the table I'm curious about.

alex2792 · Oct 29, 2012

Can we finally get a real file system that wasn't designed to annoy anyone who isn't a drooling retard? I'm guessing that Apple will move towards MSesque strategy of merging OSX and iOS, and I'm loving it!

Apple Corps · Oct 29, 2012

My August 16 post

bbydon · Oct 29, 2012

KPOM said:
Two possibilities regarding Forstall: 1) he was potentially a threat to Cook, since he was rumored to be a possible successor to Steve Jobs, and might well have been had Jobs lived a few more years. 2) Apple Maps was a big PR disaster, and it wasn't the first under Forstall's watch (Siri).

Browett's is less surprising, since it doesn't seem that he fit into the culture, and took some heat for the changes in retail. I would not be surprised if Ron Johnson is offered his old job back, since things aren't going so well at JC Penney.

The positive way of looking at this is that rumors of Tim Cook not sufficiently taking charge have been greatly exaggerated.

...or he just wanted a change?

slimbek · Oct 29, 2012

I can't imagine too many changes will occur in time for iOS7... especially since Forstall is still hanging around for a bit.

However, I was surprised at how pleased I was to see Forstall gone! Considering I'm just a geeky user - I guess I'm really hoping for significant change.

My wife recently mentioned how she was getting tired of the same look on her iPhone (had one since the 3G) and if she - a regular consumer - is bored, there must be a whole lot more bored-folk out there!

Reaktor5 · Oct 29, 2012

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

LagunaSol · Oct 29, 2012

tdtran1025 said:
Apple is looking at MS as potential threat as MS may copy the retail model

MS "may" copy the retail model? Really?

Flood123 · Oct 29, 2012

Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya.

KPOM · Oct 29, 2012

Cougarcat said:
Indeed, Apple has undoubtedly already been working on both for months, and the tentpole features are probably already finalized. I would expect the Ive influences in 2014.

They might ditch the skeumorphism, since that was Jobs' and Forstall's idea. Ivy reportedly hates it. That kind of stuff can be changed quite easily.

paul4339 · Oct 29, 2012

There's limited info, but when Ron Johnson left there was no successor announce... bad mistake. It probably/should have been one his most important duties is to get a successor before leaving.

.

BC2009 · Oct 29, 2012

KPOM said:
Two possibilities regarding Forstall: 1) he was potentially a threat to Cook, since he was rumored to be a possible successor to Steve Jobs, and might well have been had Jobs lived a few more years. 2) Apple Maps was a big PR disaster, and it wasn't the first under Forstall's watch (Siri).

Browett's is less surprising, since it doesn't seem that he fit into the culture, and took some heat for the changes in retail. I would not be surprised if Ron Johnson is offered his old job back, since things aren't going so well at JC Penney.

The positive way of looking at this is that rumors of Tim Cook not sufficiently taking charge have been greatly exaggerated.

Forstall has been a moron for years. The guy lacks all notion of attention to detail and without Jobs around to cover him he is worthless. I'm sure once Tim started asking questions about what happened with Maps he discovered from Forstall's direct reports that people were aware of and wanted to fix the problems, but Forstall just kept reporting "all is well" to Cook. The folks they are putting in charge of software and design are going to do a much better job and they are loved by Apple's engineers.

Northgrove · Oct 29, 2012

Patriot24 said:
Jony Ive designing the interface of iOS 7? Yes, please.

The combo with Forstall leaving should mark a sure death for faux-leather apps. Perhaps Cook didn't like them either, and strong wills caused too much of a rift?

Since Ive is against them too, and the move to leading Human Interface teams... Well, all this seem to point towards some direction like this.

The Maps fiasco could have been the final nail for him.

We can probably say goodbye to that Calendar app soon.

benguild · Oct 29, 2012

This is a huge relief to me.

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

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