Rumor: Forstall dumped over refusal to sign Maps apology

According to unnamed sources, it is possible that the reason Apple's former head of mobile software, Scott Forstall, <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/271755==http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/12/10/29/mansfields.role.defined.others.expand.duties/" rel='nofollow'>was forced to resign</a> is because he refused to sign the <em>Maps</em> app apology, reports <em>CNN</em>. Instead, the rare <a href="http://macnn.com/rd/271756==http://www.ipodnn.com/articles/12/09/28/recommends.third.party.options.until.problems.are. fixed/" rel='nofollow'>public apology</a> from Apple was undersigned by its Apple CEO Tim Cook. Two of Apple's most public missteps in recent times came under Forstall's leadership of the mobile OS division after touted iOS features including <em>Siri</em> and <em>Maps</em> both failed to live up to early expectations.<br><br>Further, Forstall is rumored to have been disliked by many of the senior executive team at Apple. Not only did Forstall have a reputation for sidestepping the blame when things went wrong, he also was said to be abrasive and difficult to work with. There were also differences of ideology, with Apple's chief designer Jony Ive said have a strong dislike for the skeumorphism that featured in certain iOS apps including Calendar and Notes. Ive is also thought to have avoided attending any company meetings whenever Forstall was also present.

With Ive taking on the additional responsibility for Human Interface design across Apple's mobile and desktop software, it is likely that there will be changes in the overall look and feel of the respective operating systems. Officially Forstall stays on with Apple as an 'advisor' to CEO Tim Cook until some time next year, although this is likely by mutual agreement -- possibly to allow some shares owed to Forstall to vest, or as part of a move to keep him from jumping to a rival company in the short term.

<div align="center"><img src="http://photos.macnn.com/news/1210/scott-forstall-lg.jpg" /></div>

I find the reasoning around Scott Forstall's departure far too simplistic. The simplistic view of Forstall's departure hides the real tectonic processes taking place within Apple. Looking at the increased market share of Android and Windows 8, Apple is looking to combine iOS and OSX more quickly. The iOS will be absorbed by OSX. The new iOS manager does not come from within Scott's team. Instead, the new manager is an OSX development manager, Craig Federighi. Since Maps and Siri will soon be part of a merged operating system, these service are taken out of the iOS group and put under Internet Services. I'd put money on Apple bringing OSX and iOS together using a fat-binary mechanism by 2014 with a developer release next summer.

Andddd... now, I get to say 'I told ya so'.

Cupertino senses a circular subduction zone.

Wait, *he* was to blame for the changes to iCal and Notes? I really hope that means we're about to get back the versions that worked and didn't look like electronic versions of something I stopped using in 1995.

Steve himself was responsible for the stitched leather.

I would ask if skeumorphism is anathema to good design, and would be surprised if Mr Jobs was in fact responsible for the faux stitching motif...
My only concern with Mr Ive might be to ask if he chose his own residence architecture, but then I've also heard it said 'a happy wife is a happy life'?
;)

Apparently, he suggested the leather resemble the interior of his private Learjet.