Here's what I think:
Apple is a strong promoter of minimalism: design that is simple, offers only what's necessary both feature-wise and appearance-wise.
The skeuomorphic approach in Lion/ML/iOS does not change this: iCal, for example, is still minimalistic, clean and simple. However, iCal now has personality, something unique that makes it stand out in color and texture from the other windows, whereas before every window was a grey rectangle.
Yes, iCal is freaking ugly, but that doesn't mean skeumorphism is bad, it's just a bad example.
Just like objects on your desk have different shapes, colors and textures, objects in your computer could have the same. Your phone is a black rectangle, your radiator is a white ribbed thingy, your chair has a wooden texture, etc
Yes, they are like that because they have to be, while software can choose to look like whatever it wants. But we are better at differentiating between things that actually look and feel different than things that all look the same.
I think this has potential, but Apple isn't doing it perfectly well just yet. But they kind of know what they're doing.
The paper shredder in the iOS app is just an example of attention to detail you get from Apple. Yes, it's pointless, just like the fading/pulsing sleep light on the MacBook Pro, and just like the aluminum finish of the machine. You don't actually use your laptop as a hammer, so why not make it plastic? These just add depth to design, and make it more than just functional, but without distracting. These are not flourish designs and pointless popup windows, they don't slow you down or distract you, they just add color and fun to a boring task.
On the other hand, have a look at Windows 8: unattractive colors like brown and dark yellow, paired with the most random shades of other colors, all in a grid of rectangles. It's one thing that no one's going to use that metro interface on a computer, but it's another that you are supposed to be able to switch between that and a Windows 7-ish interface, that looks horrible in itself but paired with Metro just looks completely out of place.
Yes, Windows 8 has a "clean" design, but that doesn't mean it's pleasant to look at: it disrespects the basic proportions of nature, such as the rule of thirds, and produces awkward color "harmonies" that just look "wrong". To a business user, this won't matter, but it somehow has no "depth".
Why should your computer have "depth"? Isn't it just a tool to get your work done, like a pair of pliers or a hammer? No, it's basically where you spend most of your life nowadays, living pretty much a complete virtual life, so you might as well make it look more than just a tool
