Apple booting Scott Forstall out...

Somnambulist · 29 Oct 2012 at 22:54

With Ive becoming head of 'Human Interface' i.e. software.

https://www.apple.com/pr/library/20...ration-Across-Hardware-Software-Services.html

Good move IMO - might see iOS shaken up a bit.

ic1male · 29 Oct 2012 at 23:03

Good. I never liked his presentations. As you say, iOS might actually evolve now.

Rameses · 29 Oct 2012 at 23:07

Big news, he worked with Jobs over at NeXT iirc, and reading that release (as an advisor until end of year) seems like its code for being booted. This smells of the Maps debacle.

I thought SF was an ok dude, a little odd at first but seems to have guided the iOS team pretty well, I dunno why everyone keeps saying the interface needs to change, its the backbone of the success of iOS, and they've only made it stronger with all the improvements and features while keeping it familiar & simple.

Somnambulist · 29 Oct 2012 at 23:18

Forstall had a big influence on all the skeuomorphic stuff which I'll be glad to see go - it looked out of place. I don't think this means we'll be seeing huge changes, but lots of little ones and having a closer knit hardware/software team can only make things better. I'd be interested to see Ive have a go at the interface itself.

Johnny|lucidcomposure · 30 Oct 2012 at 00:35

This is pretty huge news really.
Its interesting why this has happened. I cant see iOS evolving much even if this has happened. It'll still be the gears of the same team. But they absolutely need to bring innovation to iOS and I use that word not because its always labelled with apple but the iOS is stale in many areas that only Innovation can change.

Danthus · 30 Oct 2012 at 08:13

I can understand Browett being booted out, quite why he was employed always puzzled me, Dixons was never renowned for customer service!

theheyes · 30 Oct 2012 at 08:36

Time will tell if it's a good move. I'm not sure Ive is the right man for the job tbh but I'll reserve judgement.

Kainz · 30 Oct 2012 at 09:02

AmTechFox said:
Big news, he worked with Jobs over at NeXT iirc, and reading that release (as an advisor until end of year) seems like its code for being booted. This smells of the Maps debacle.

I thought SF was an ok dude, a little odd at first but seems to have guided the iOS team pretty well, I dunno why everyone keeps saying the interface needs to change, its the backbone of the success of iOS, and they've only made it stronger with all the improvements and features while keeping it familiar & simple.

You know me and how I love my iOS stuff, but the UI is stale. It becomes very clear when you move over to the android side of things like I have recently done by deciding not to get the latest iPhone. ICS was amazing when I recently got my S3 and Jellybean sealed the deal. The stock apps and their integration with external services like dropbox etc is really an eye opener.

Keeping things the same will just leave users asking why the latest 'product' looks the same as the last one - which was what my father stated about the latest iPad. He presently uses my iPad1 fyi.

I hugely admired Scott, and loved listening to him on stage. At the same time I was also annoyed upon seeing the stitched leather apps like Contacts and Calendar. Apple Maps being the colossal turd that it is (for now) pretty much pushed me away from iOS on the phone front, even though I still use it on my iPad 3. Things need to change for iOS, that much is clear just by looking at Andriod, which is getting useful new features with each update.

Deku · 30 Oct 2012 at 09:04

This is great news.

ChrisD. · 30 Oct 2012 at 12:25

Start of Apple's downfall?

Yaayuh! · 30 Oct 2012 at 12:33

http://www.cultofmac.com/198797/app...red-over-refusal-to-sign-maps-apology-report/

Ahahahaha!

That is all.

Raymond Lin · 30 Oct 2012 at 13:22

AmTechFox said:
Big news, he worked with Jobs over at NeXT iirc, and reading that release (as an advisor until end of year) seems like its code for being booted.

Just exactly like what happens when someone leaves, work off your notice period. Looks better from a PR point of view too but I bet he basically got the sack for the map.

Somnambulist · 30 Oct 2012 at 13:28

MilanoChris said:
Start of Apple's downfall?

Why? Ive hated Forstall, so did Mansfield (notice how he's gone from retiring, to signing on for another 2 years) and it seemed most of the lesser employees didn't like him either. It looks like with him gone the other top dogs have jumped in to spread his workload amongst themselves - bad er... apple in the cart.

Beasty · 30 Oct 2012 at 13:35

Ive really did not like that whole 'leather bound' interface from apps like find my friends etc so interesting to see him get the gig. Read a while ago Forstall was not a popular figure and this confirms that it would seem.

JonnyGLC · 30 Oct 2012 at 14:41

Somnambulist said:
Why? Ive hated Forstall, so did Mansfield (notice how he's gone from retiring, to signing on for another 2 years) and it seemed most of the lesser employees didn't like him either. It looks like with him gone the other top dogs have jumped in to spread his workload amongst themselves - bad er... apple in the cart.

It's about time they did something about it, the whole iOS ecosystem has started to get stale now. It wouldn't be quite as bad if the competition was stalling too, but with every new release I find myself even more impressed with Googles new features!

Nismo · 30 Oct 2012 at 15:14

Don't mind the design of iOS or the little touches like leather-effect apps or torn pieces of paper, I've always found it very Apple and what set it out amongst other platforms. I certainly prefer it to anything Android can offer.

Forstall himself on the other hand always seemed a bit of a knob, if he really did refuse to take any responsibility for issuing an apology over Maps when after all it was his baby, then all the more reason for me to think that.

ChrisD. · 30 Oct 2012 at 15:36

Somnambulist said:
Why? Ive hated Forstall, so did Mansfield (notice how he's gone from retiring, to signing on for another 2 years) and it seemed most of the lesser employees didn't like him either. It looks like with him gone the other top dogs have jumped in to spread his workload amongst themselves - bad er... apple in the cart.

Because all Apple seem to do is re-invent the wheels while Google for example are releasing great new features in Android. Apple isn't innovating anymore. Sacking two people won't cover this up or change much at all.

theheyes · 30 Oct 2012 at 15:47

Nismo said:
Don't mind the design of iOS or the little touches like leather-effect apps or torn pieces of paper, I've always found it very Apple and what set it out amongst other platforms. I certainly prefer it to anything Android can offer.

You're right. Forstall is going to become the skeuomorphism whipping boy yet the UI was lauded only a few years ago. iOS problems run a little deeper.

ChocolateStarfishRammer · 30 Oct 2012 at 16:20

Glad Forstall is gone.

Even happier John Browett has gone.. Having worked with him back in PCW days.. That man is a complete tool who has no idea about customer service.

Somnambulist · 30 Oct 2012 at 18:25

MilanoChris said:
Because all Apple seem to do is re-invent the wheels while Google for example are releasing great new features in Android. Apple isn't innovating anymore. Sacking two people won't cover this up or change much at all.

I don't think you get it. Forstall pretty much ran the iOS ship when it came to the interface. What we're seeing now is some serious changes into the way Apple is structured, it's not just sacking, they've basically taken all the divisions and merged them into three big ones where as before there were different people running different things.

Federighi is now in charge of ALL the software, not just OS X. Ive is in charge of ALL design, not just the product design, but interface design too. Cue is now in charge of ALL the big services.

What will be interesting is how they'll cope now we're going from 'too many cooks' to more responsibility shared by less people.