"Bad UI" is subjective at best. I'm the consumer of the product, and I get a vote about how I feel about the UI. You may not like the UI, but others have voiced different opinions on MacRumors.
Maybe the could make it better, but saying that doesn't make it bad.
My take on "if the old guard" moves on. There are plenty of new customers waiting to take their spot. Everybody has to decide what is best for them. If at some point in time I don't like the direction Apple is taking, I will move on. But for now I like their products as we have a mix of phones, computers, watches and an apple tv.
No, a UI that doesn't operate as it appears is bad. Nothing subjective about it at all.
re: 'old guard' - Yes, at least in the short term. Apple has many times more new iOS customers than Mac customers. Most of the customers have been gained in the last decade or so, and often came from a non-Apple background. So, you're absolutely right that the old Mac people, creatives, etc. can just be ignored and forgotten.
At least for a while. Eventually, following the whims of culture instead of good design principals, and creating fashion instead of style... will go out of fashion. There has to, eventually, be some substance to what Apple is selling.
When I started using Apple, I did so because it was the best stuff. It cost more, but I gained that back plus a bunch because it enabled me to be more efficient and focus on my craft, not computer technicalities.
This aspect has been slowly eroding away, accelerating in the last few years. I'm starting to question if Apple really is saving me time these days. I think so, but it's much harder to recognize now. The only thing keeping me in the fold is the difficulty to break away, and the fact that the grass isn't necessarily greener, yet, on the other side.
But, Apple has turned me from a raving fan into a reluctant user. The once used insult about me buying it to be fashionable, Apple has been playing on... and somewhat depending on. That isn't going to carry them much farther if they can't put some substance back into their offerings.
UX/UI superiority is what made Apple. It wasn't just taste or subjective. People who think that don't even understand what is is or why. It's a science that is, yes, part art. But art also isn't purely subjective. There is good art and bad art.
Apple currently has a ton of cash and hard-won brand image. But, they can burn through this if they make the wrong moves. It won't last forever without some reality backing it.
If you want an interesting analogy, look at BMW. They are currently struggling with a similar transition from being a drivers-machine to a fashion symbol. That shift, while good for income in the short term, is actually impacting the product and design. If they keep up this trend, they'll eventually loose the drivers, which will eventually erode the status symbol as well.
Or, consider the Ford GT40 or Chevy Corvette, or the racing programs of these companies. These aren't money makers. The products are a minute fraction of their output. Yet, they are *crucial* to their brand image, and drive innovation across the product line.
If Apple loses the creatives and 'think different' image, it will eventually impact the iPhones too.
