I'm not buying this. It just doesn't sound right. Sign an apology letter?? To whom? Where would this letter go? To Tim Cook? In Scott's HR file?? What purpose does it serve??
What next? Have him write on a chalkboard "I will not release before it's time" a thousand times??!! Maybe Tim Cook should sign one too for never having enough inventory on product launch?!!!
This one sounds like a total fabrication. Sorry Solips, you're betting on black but I'm putting my chips on red.
I agree with you that this story sounds suspect but I disagree with the other parts, the ones I've argued in this thread.
if thats the case I am disappointed as I agree with him. The Map gate was largely media driven as at had become a meme before hardly anyone had gotten an iPhone in their possession. Most if not all reports were just an echo chamber of one or two stories from Canada and Ireland. In Maryland, the map has worked perfectly for me for everything i have thrown at it. Certainly no worse than Google's map.
Apple was too damn eager to put that iso map out. I'm sure Scott told them it wasn't ready but you know Tim, them fingers went snapping all in Scott's face. But Scott knew he was already a rich man.
And Forstall is hugely responsible for that experience on all iOS devices as wel as OSX. He's been there since NEXT. Thats the point.
And I tip my hat to a job well done. But for whatever reason he's moving on, this is life, I think Jobs has left behind a company that is now robust enough to survive anyone leaving (or dying even) for whatever reason.
Unnamed sources told me he raised the middle bar to Cook, slapped him round the head and criticized him for having a very limited range of facial expressions. I can't verify the autheticity but let's see how people would react assuming it was true. [/modern journalism]
Sources told <em>WSJ</em> that the executive argued Apple could forego an apology, and likened the situation to an antenna attenuation problem with the iPhone 4, dubbed "<a href="http://appleinsider.com/articles/10/07/16/apple_says_just_0_55_of_iphone_owners_have_reported_antenna_problems.html">antennagate</a>." A corresponding report from <em>The Verge</em> suggests Forstall denied the issues with iOS maps were significant enough to cause such widespread criticism.
Assuming this was the case, I would agree with Scott. There are times to apologize or at least have some clarity like with Final Cut Pro when businesses are at stake or an iPhone antenna that could mean a recall. Maps is a free bundled app and it does a decent enough job. So what if a pin here and there is out by a block or a few labels are wrong. Apple shouldn't apologize for everything that goes wrong because it's a slippery slope to every moron shouting for an apology or someone to be fired for the slightest thing they aren't happy about.
Tim Cook is all too easy to roll over when there are complaints and this was obvious from the Mac Pro letter - from what I remember, the guy who asked about it was a photographer and instead of saying 'go buy a Macbook Air, photos run great on it', it was all 'pro customers like you are important'. The correct answer the vast majority of the time should be:
While Forstall was known to be abrasive when dealing with colleagues and created friction with other company heads, late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs was able to manage his sometimes polarizing nature.
I would worry more if they all agreed on everything because it would show they haven't assessed all the options. But if theit discussions have been consistently unproductive, sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and part ways.
It would have been Scott Forstall's name on the public letter about Maps instead of Tim Cook's.
That's just it. It sounds very un-Apple like. What "public" letter? Apple is not really known for writing a letter to the world saying "We screwed up".
Personally, I don't think the Maps fiasco was anywhere near the big deal as the media and Fandroids made it out to be. I thought the buck stops at the top. Tim Cook is the captain of the ship therefore if anyone is to write/sign a letter of apology, it should be him.
So when Apple does great, it's all because of Tim Cook's leadership and vision. Hey, but when Apple screws up, it's someone else's fault? Is that how it works??
Scott Forstall can be crucified behind closed doors for all I care, but the only person that represents the company publicly is the CEO, and that's Tim Cook. That's why I'm not buying into this.'
solipsismx, If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
solipsismx,
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
Solips... Is this true??? You don't know how to code a "Hello World"?? Say it ain't so!
Screw that. They don't have to apologize for ANYTHING. He knows how good it WILL be; why would he apologize for that? That's like Einstein's parents apologizing because their two year old was 'unruly'. Put it in context and it's not really important.
Yes they did. The negative buzz about Apple being an arrogant company was starting to get out of control. The maps fiasco was entering the popular media. They had to stop the conversation or at least redirect it. See the problem was not that the Maps app sucked --not that many people were saying they just have to have Google Maps --the problem was that Apple was beginning to be seen as an arrogant company who doesn't care about or listen to their customers. The only way to short circuit that budding mass sentiment was a public apology. Not just a non-apology apology (I'm sorry you felt that way about the Maps app) which would just dig a deeper hole but a sincere mea culpa. And the apology worked; it was seen to be sincere because it directed customers to several alternatives including Apple's competitors for map relief.
Maybe Steve Jobs would have gotten away without apologizing, but regular folk liked him and they were willing to cut him some slack because of his accomplishments and life story. Too bad for Apple though, he ain't around anymore.
That's just it. It sounds very un-Apple like. What "public" letter? Apple is not really known for writing a letter to the world saying "We screwed up".
Wait, you REALLY don't know about this? And this and this?
Personally, I don't think the Maps fiasco was anywhere near the big deal as the media and Fandroids made it out to be.
That's because it wasn't. It was pretty much entirely fabricated. Maps, at launch, was FAR better than Google Maps at launch.
…the only person that represents the company publicly is the CEO, and that's Tim Cook.
Well, Phil Schiller.
Originally Posted by tundraboy
Yes they did. The negative buzz about Apple being an arrogant company was starting to get out of control.
lol, no. Pretty good one, though.
The maps fiasco was entering the popular media.
Whoop de frick. It's Apple. They would have been in media regardless.
…the problem was that Apple was beginning to be seen as an arrogant company who doesn't care for or listen to their customers.
No, that wasn't the case at all.
Maybe Steve Jobs would have gotten away without apologizing, but regular folk liked him and they were willing to cut him some slack because of his accomplishments and life story.
If this hearsay is in fact true, I support Scott's refusal to sign it. Steve Jobs would never sign anything like that either. It's childish behavior meant only to thump someone's chest. If I were asked to do that, I certainly would not stay on as an adviser to the guy that asked me to sign that paper. Makes zero sense. He's probably staying on for some kind if stock-vesting to occur or to work out a golden parachute strategy.
I still don't believe that is what went down. I'm leaning more to a whole snowball of issues.
This really sucks. Everything that has made apple so successful these past 5 years- the iPhone, the iPad, the iPod touch, Siri... have been Scott's brainchildren. And now Apple is so quick to get rid of him? On the other hand, perhaps he can be replaced with somebody that can make iOS more like OS X and not like the very limited interface that it is now.
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
Very bluntly stated, but I agree 100% with your sentiment. This whiny, entitled horse-shit of demanding and expecting an apology or some financial recompense because an ultra-ambitious, free piece of software is not 100% perfect (as is the case with its competitors) is just completely nauseating. Did Google apologize when early Android was a complete piece of garbage and a useability nightmare next to iOS? Is Microsoft apologizing that it just completely obsoleted its flagship phones with its new OS, with no upgrade path? Does almost every other OEM apologize for having complete shit hardware and build quality? Or for pre-installing spamware on your phones? Of course not. But Apple has to apologize whenever Apple-hating trolls make as much noise as humanly possible about a piece of software they have never used or will never use, a piece of software that is superior than the one it replaced, but if it doesnt suit your needs can find a replacement in seconds. For this, Apple needs to grovel and ask your forgiveness?
To me, Forstall was Apple moreso than anyone else at the company- including Ives. The guy shared the conviction and passion that Steve did. The fact that he was either forced out or let go, and that Apple didnt do everything in tis power to keep him there, says more about the company than him. I trust that the architect of iOS and the appstore, and the reason for Apple's current success, knows what the **** he's doing. Steve was also compromising, but I guess as a CEO he was able to tell people to shut the **** up and follow a certain direction without this kind of blowback. How can Apple be so quick as to drop someone who was so critical to its success? I always said Apple would stay on the right track as long as Forstall and Ive and were there, because they understood Steve's vision to a deep level. Well, there goes that.
solipsismx,
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
1) So Steve Jobs is what exactly for having apologized publicly on many occasions?
2) What do you call someone that doesn't apologize when they know they are in the wrong (not saying Forestall was, as I've already pointed out previous)?
3) Based on your comment you are a previously banned poster who more than likely was banned because of childish personal attacks. Do you really want to start off another account going down that same road?
solipsismx,
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I think you misread his point and/or strawmaned it. Maybe you can try to read a post without the "axe to grind" lens? Because the post was considerably more nuanced and tempered than that, something your reply doesn't acknowledge.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
You may think he's the greatest business executive after Jobs but if nobody wants to work with him he's basically useless for Apple. There are very few people who have enough stature and prestige to be able to get away with your much cherished "F.U." attitude. In business, Steve Jobs did. Winston Churchill, in politics. Douglas MacArthur in the military. Who is Scott Forstall that he would be able to strut around as if he were Steve Jobs? Especially towards his colleagues at Apple? You think Ive, Schiller, & Mansfield, not to mention Tim Cook, would put up with an erstwhile colleague who starts acting like a self-appointed Steve Jobs mini-me?
Nope, as critical as he might have been to Apple, he can't run it by himself. He can't run it without the collective institutional DNA embedded in the minds of the other Senior VPs. He had to learn to get along with his colleagues if he was to have a shot at eventually becoming CEO.
P.S. am I the only one that has no problems with Apple maps? I have used the Siri GPS function at least 10 times so far without a hitch. I have found no difference between this and the Google app version, other than the Apple app is much more elegant.
Comments
I agree with you that this story sounds suspect but I disagree with the other parts, the ones I've argued in this thread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Commodification
Steve Jobs would never sign an apology letter.
and he still can't because he is dead...
But what does this have to do with anything?
Quote:
Originally Posted by maccherry
Scott is leaving a rich man. Screw Apple!
Apple was too damn eager to put that iso map out. I'm sure Scott told them it wasn't ready but you know Tim, them fingers went snapping all in Scott's face. But Scott knew he was already a rich man.
Yeah, because he was in it for the money...
The Maps apology was unnecessary, as Maps is conceptually excellent, functionally good enough and rapidly getting very good.
Once it was determined that the letter was going out, refusing to sign it was symptomatic of a real ego problem, and is unacceptable.
Only a CEOs can take a stand like that without risk of being fired (and even then . . . )
Quote:
Originally Posted by Slurpy
And Forstall is hugely responsible for that experience on all iOS devices as wel as OSX. He's been there since NEXT. Thats the point.
And I tip my hat to a job well done. But for whatever reason he's moving on, this is life, I think Jobs has left behind a company that is now robust enough to survive anyone leaving (or dying even) for whatever reason.
Unnamed sources told me he raised the middle bar to Cook, slapped him round the head and criticized him for having a very limited range of facial expressions. I can't verify the autheticity but let's see how people would react assuming it was true. [/modern journalism]
It was a letter from Tim Cook - says so in the title:
http://www.apple.com/letter-from-tim-cook-on-maps/
There was no signature as such as it's a digital letter.
Assuming this was the case, I would agree with Scott. There are times to apologize or at least have some clarity like with Final Cut Pro when businesses are at stake or an iPhone antenna that could mean a recall. Maps is a free bundled app and it does a decent enough job. So what if a pin here and there is out by a block or a few labels are wrong. Apple shouldn't apologize for everything that goes wrong because it's a slippery slope to every moron shouting for an apology or someone to be fired for the slightest thing they aren't happy about.
Tim Cook is all too easy to roll over when there are complaints and this was obvious from the Mac Pro letter - from what I remember, the guy who asked about it was a photographer and instead of saying 'go buy a Macbook Air, photos run great on it', it was all 'pro customers like you are important'. The correct answer the vast majority of the time should be:
"Are you nuts?
sent from my iPhone"
I would worry more if they all agreed on everything because it would show they haven't assessed all the options. But if theit discussions have been consistently unproductive, sometimes it's best to agree to disagree and part ways.
That's just it. It sounds very un-Apple like. What "public" letter? Apple is not really known for writing a letter to the world saying "We screwed up".
Personally, I don't think the Maps fiasco was anywhere near the big deal as the media and Fandroids made it out to be. I thought the buck stops at the top. Tim Cook is the captain of the ship therefore if anyone is to write/sign a letter of apology, it should be him.
So when Apple does great, it's all because of Tim Cook's leadership and vision. Hey, but when Apple screws up, it's someone else's fault? Is that how it works??
Scott Forstall can be crucified behind closed doors for all I care, but the only person that represents the company publicly is the CEO, and that's Tim Cook. That's why I'm not buying into this.'
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Commodification
Steve Jobs would never sign an apology letter.
That's for sure!
Although admittedly it's a pretty weak apology.
Solips... Is this true??? You don't know how to code a "Hello World"?? Say it ain't so!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallest Skil
Screw that. They don't have to apologize for ANYTHING. He knows how good it WILL be; why would he apologize for that? That's like Einstein's parents apologizing because their two year old was 'unruly'. Put it in context and it's not really important.
Yes they did. The negative buzz about Apple being an arrogant company was starting to get out of control. The maps fiasco was entering the popular media. They had to stop the conversation or at least redirect it. See the problem was not that the Maps app sucked --not that many people were saying they just have to have Google Maps --the problem was that Apple was beginning to be seen as an arrogant company who doesn't care about or listen to their customers. The only way to short circuit that budding mass sentiment was a public apology. Not just a non-apology apology (I'm sorry you felt that way about the Maps app) which would just dig a deeper hole but a sincere mea culpa. And the apology worked; it was seen to be sincere because it directed customers to several alternatives including Apple's competitors for map relief.
Maybe Steve Jobs would have gotten away without apologizing, but regular folk liked him and they were willing to cut him some slack because of his accomplishments and life story. Too bad for Apple though, he ain't around anymore.
Originally Posted by sflocal
That's just it. It sounds very un-Apple like. What "public" letter? Apple is not really known for writing a letter to the world saying "We screwed up".
Wait, you REALLY don't know about this? And this and this?
Personally, I don't think the Maps fiasco was anywhere near the big deal as the media and Fandroids made it out to be.
That's because it wasn't. It was pretty much entirely fabricated. Maps, at launch, was FAR better than Google Maps at launch.
…the only person that represents the company publicly is the CEO, and that's Tim Cook.
Well, Phil Schiller.
Originally Posted by tundraboy
Yes they did. The negative buzz about Apple being an arrogant company was starting to get out of control.
lol, no. Pretty good one, though.
The maps fiasco was entering the popular media.
Whoop de frick. It's Apple. They would have been in media regardless.
…the problem was that Apple was beginning to be seen as an arrogant company who doesn't care for or listen to their customers.
No, that wasn't the case at all.
Maybe Steve Jobs would have gotten away without apologizing, but regular folk liked him and they were willing to cut him some slack because of his accomplishments and life story.
I doubt that… and he did.
If this hearsay is in fact true, I support Scott's refusal to sign it. Steve Jobs would never sign anything like that either. It's childish behavior meant only to thump someone's chest. If I were asked to do that, I certainly would not stay on as an adviser to the guy that asked me to sign that paper. Makes zero sense. He's probably staying on for some kind if stock-vesting to occur or to work out a golden parachute strategy.
I still don't believe that is what went down. I'm leaning more to a whole snowball of issues.
This really sucks. Everything that has made apple so successful these past 5 years- the iPhone, the iPad, the iPod touch, Siri... have been Scott's brainchildren. And now Apple is so quick to get rid of him? On the other hand, perhaps he can be replaced with somebody that can make iOS more like OS X and not like the very limited interface that it is now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Knight
solipsismx,
If you feel you are ever owed an apology in life, it's YOU that is the bully. Forcing an apology is an aggressive act of arrogance that does nothing but pander to the supposed victim's vanity and need to be coddled. Complaining about a little application that draws maps for you, as the basis for your demand of an apology after, is simply madness and is pushing the limits of adolescent behavior to the extreme. You have not been harmed or materially wronged if you cannot find Trader F'n Joe's. At best, inconvenienced.
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
But for those of you that demand your apology for one reason or another, go jump off a cliff you whiny, over-privileged fat American consumers. Your ostentatious need to look chic with a cool gadget in one hand an a double macchiato extra foam in the other does little to contribute real value to this country's GDP. Simply complaining about your maps app from the sidelines, while possessing no skill yourself even to code Hello World, makes you a supreme piece of dung.
Job well done, Mr. Forstall. Enjoy your millions. You EARNED it.
Very bluntly stated, but I agree 100% with your sentiment. This whiny, entitled horse-shit of demanding and expecting an apology or some financial recompense because an ultra-ambitious, free piece of software is not 100% perfect (as is the case with its competitors) is just completely nauseating. Did Google apologize when early Android was a complete piece of garbage and a useability nightmare next to iOS? Is Microsoft apologizing that it just completely obsoleted its flagship phones with its new OS, with no upgrade path? Does almost every other OEM apologize for having complete shit hardware and build quality? Or for pre-installing spamware on your phones? Of course not. But Apple has to apologize whenever Apple-hating trolls make as much noise as humanly possible about a piece of software they have never used or will never use, a piece of software that is superior than the one it replaced, but if it doesnt suit your needs can find a replacement in seconds. For this, Apple needs to grovel and ask your forgiveness?
To me, Forstall was Apple moreso than anyone else at the company- including Ives. The guy shared the conviction and passion that Steve did. The fact that he was either forced out or let go, and that Apple didnt do everything in tis power to keep him there, says more about the company than him. I trust that the architect of iOS and the appstore, and the reason for Apple's current success, knows what the **** he's doing. Steve was also compromising, but I guess as a CEO he was able to tell people to shut the **** up and follow a certain direction without this kind of blowback. How can Apple be so quick as to drop someone who was so critical to its success? I always said Apple would stay on the right track as long as Forstall and Ive and were there, because they understood Steve's vision to a deep level. Well, there goes that.
1) So Steve Jobs is what exactly for having apologized publicly on many occasions?
2) What do you call someone that doesn't apologize when they know they are in the wrong (not saying Forestall was, as I've already pointed out previous)?
3) Based on your comment you are a previously banned poster who more than likely was banned because of childish personal attacks. Do you really want to start off another account going down that same road?
I think you misread his point and/or strawmaned it. Maybe you can try to read a post without the "axe to grind" lens? Because the post was considerably more nuanced and tempered than that, something your reply doesn't acknowledge.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Derek Knight
I, for one, admire Scott Forstall and his Jobsian style "F.U." attitude towards all of the ungrateful whiners. I say, out with Tim Cook. Give me an unapologetic son-of-a-bitch like Jobs, and in return we shall see continued greatness.
You may think he's the greatest business executive after Jobs but if nobody wants to work with him he's basically useless for Apple. There are very few people who have enough stature and prestige to be able to get away with your much cherished "F.U." attitude. In business, Steve Jobs did. Winston Churchill, in politics. Douglas MacArthur in the military. Who is Scott Forstall that he would be able to strut around as if he were Steve Jobs? Especially towards his colleagues at Apple? You think Ive, Schiller, & Mansfield, not to mention Tim Cook, would put up with an erstwhile colleague who starts acting like a self-appointed Steve Jobs mini-me?
Nope, as critical as he might have been to Apple, he can't run it by himself. He can't run it without the collective institutional DNA embedded in the minds of the other Senior VPs. He had to learn to get along with his colleagues if he was to have a shot at eventually becoming CEO.
P.S. am I the only one that has no problems with Apple maps? I have used the Siri GPS function at least 10 times so far without a hitch. I have found no difference between this and the Google app version, other than the Apple app is much more elegant.