Scott Forestall forced out, leaving Jon Ive in a stronger position at Apple

[esimms86]

The NY Times reports today that Scott Forestall has been let go by Apple and that hardware guru Jon Ive is now in charge of software. The textured look and real life images in Apple software are soon to be a thing of the past. Steve Jobs was in the Forestall camp so this is a shift in direction in the post-Jobs era at Apple. I haven't posted the link since I assume that it's not kosher to do so when alluding to an entity with paid subscribers such as the NY Times but it's easily accessible on the NY Times webpage.

 

Esau

[manisandher]

I strongly recommend the Jobs biography by Isaacson for anyone interested in the future of Apple. Gaining an insight into the politics of the organization is simply fascinating - for example the status that Ive enjoyed in Jobs' day... and seems to be continuing to enjoy. (Having read the biography, I have to say that maybe 'enjoy' is the wrong word when talking about working for Apple :-) )

 

Mani.

[wgscott]

If this reverses the post 10.6 trend of dumbing down the interface and doing control-freak stuff like hiding the user's Library directory and all that horrid app-store crap, it might save Apple.

 

I don't want my desktop computer to be an iPod on a stick.

[Jud]

If this reverses the post 10.6 trend of dumbing down the interface and doing control-freak stuff like hiding the user's Library directory and all that horrid app-store crap, it might save Apple.

 

I don't want my desktop computer to be an iPod on a stick.

 

I'm just wondering what percentage of Mac users know there is such a thing as the user's Library directory.

[wgscott]

The same percentage, or higher, that has ever had to change or delete a preferences plist file.

[Jud]

The same percentage, or higher, that has ever had to change or delete a preferences plist file.

 

Yup, exactly. :-)

[new_media]

From what I understand, Forstall was (managerially) responsible for both Siri and the new iPhone maps app, both of which were not not ready for prime time, to put it nicely, upon release. Rumor is he refused to accept responsibility for their shortcomings.

 

Anyway, looks like maybe Apple may be righting the ship. They've delayed the release of iTunes 11 by a month rather than put out another piece of buggy software. It looks like it's more or less just a facelift anyway.

[new_media]

For the record, I've gone into my library folder many times to delete preference files for software that was acting wonky.

 

I have also edited the registry in Windows a few times, but only with very explicit instructions.

[realhifi]

I'm just wondering what percentage of Mac users know there is such a thing as the user's Library directory.

 

....or want to. Isn't that the idea?

[wgscott]

Well, the idea is that the naive user should be protected from the computer (and I guess vice versa).

 

They've always hid /usr, /sbin, /bin, /private/var, /private/etc and as a unix geek that annoyed me. But I understood the point. The whole reason for having ~/Library in addition to /Library and /System/Library is so that a user is able to configure stuff without having to mess with system files.

 

There is a lot of stuff in there that a user might need, not least of which are his or her email files.

 

The main objection is that the user is assumed to be an idiot. At the very least, if I use chflags to set that directory to nohidden, please stop changing it back with every point update without getting my approval.

[REShaman]

For the record, I've gone into my library folder many times to delete preference files for software that was acting wonky.

 

I have also edited the registry in Windows a few times, but only with very explicit instructions.

 

I have learned more from when things go wrong then when things go right. And developed a sense for which technical support person was competent to handle my problem and then learned while the support was being rendered. I too have (rather used to) done considerable repairs and changes in windows registry which required a delicate touch or else. Similarly but not extensively with OSX. Not that much goes wrong so my explorations are rather limited. And that's fine with me. OSX has become incrementally less reliable with small but annoying operations that go wrong or do not work as they used. Even something like sorting a directory by name is no longer working properly.

Hoping the perspective for how the software operates excellently is more important than what it looks like, though no reason to ignore either -- form and function.

I welcome all changes that improve our experiences with design and operations.

 

Best,

Richard

[mav52]

What out Apple, this guy coud make life interesting if he went to Google.

 

When Apple Fired Scott Forstall, It Fired Its Most Prolific Inventor - SFGate

 

If Scott Forstall Joins Google, This Apple Story Would Go Truly Anakin Skywalker - Forbes

[REShaman]

What out Apple, this guy coud make life interesting if he went to Google.

 

When Apple Fired Scott Forstall, It Fired Its Most Prolific Inventor - SFGate

 

If Scott Forstall Joins Google, This Apple Story Would Go Truly Anakin Skywalker - Forbes

 

Thank you for making those two articles handy as I might not have gone looking for them. Provides more reflections of similar and the same and what might expect to witness down the line. In any case, thank you.

Best,

Richard

[Bob Stern]

If this reverses the post 10.6 trend of dumbing down the interface and doing control-freak stuff like hiding the user's Library directory ...

 

I expect you and Jud know this, but for the benefit of others, here are two methods of accessing any hidden folder on the Mac:

 

1. The donation-ware utility FileXaminer allows you to turn off the Hidden attribute of any file or folder.

 

2. You can open any hidden folder by typing its path into Finder > Go menu > Go to folder (shift-cmd-G). After you open a folder that way, you can drag its icon from the top of the Finder window to the sidebar to make a shortcut.

[Bob Stern]

Some considerations that complicate assessment of Forstall's contributions to Apple's patent portfolio:

 

Many bosses pressure their subordinates into including their names as co-inventor of every patent application filed by the subordinates. I don't have a clue whether this is true of Forstall.

 

The order in which inventors' names are listed on a patent has no legal significance.

 

When company patent lawyers decide which inventions are important enough to warrant the cost of applying for a patent, it can be impolitic to reject an invention made by an executive.

[wgscott]

I expect you and Jud know this, but for the benefit of others, here are two methods of accessing any hidden folder on the Mac:

 

1. The donation-ware utility FileXaminer allows you to turn off the Hidden attribute of any file or folder.

 

2. You can open any hidden folder by typing its path into Finder > Go menu > Go to folder (shift-cmd-G). After you open a folder that way, you can drag its icon from the top of the Finder window to the sidebar to make a shortcut.

 

The terminal command

 

chflags nohidden ~/Library

 

will unhide it.

 

The command

 

open ~/Library

 

will also open it in a finder window.

[Daudio]

Here is some more insight into the Apple management changes from Tidbits:

 

Apple Management Shakeup Aimed at Improving Collaboration