Apple's executive shakeup viewed as consolidation, not cause for concern

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 65
    sipsip Posts: 210member

    Steve Jobs had a certain personality and character that he could be hands-on -- there is no-one at Apple who has that. SJ also had charisma, and I'm sure some of his teams would have been willing to make big sacrifices for him and Apple. Forstall doesn't have that and can't emulate SJ. Look at all the Keynotes where Forstall was asked to demo features -- I always thought he was far from relaxed, not a natural in front of his peers or journalists and certainly rubbed-me off the wrong way.


     


    Also, Senior VPs don't do the design work themselves, they provide ideas, play devil's advocate and provide direction. Each SVP has a team of very talented people who do all the hard work -- after all, Jonny Ive isn't going to be designing and drawing icons for MacOS or iOS or doing layouts and functionality for Apps.

  • Reply 42 of 65
    zoetmbzoetmb Posts: 2,656member
    I'm actually positive about these changes. It means that Apple/Cook is not going to stand by when the market or they themselves recognize that mistakes have been made. My only concern is giving Ive too much responsibility where he could be spread too thin.

    Also, the issue with Maps was more of a development issue than a UI issue and since dumping Google Maps was largely driven by politics (although also by the fact that Apple wanted turn-by-turn), the Maps fiasco might not have completely been Forstall's fault.

    And Browett seemed out of place from the start. Apple was probably upset at all the bad press the Apple stores have been getting lately.

    In any case, even if these were bad changes, it means that Cook is not going to sit there and work off of Jobs' steam. That's a good thing. Sometimes company shakeups are good for everyone - it shakes people out of complacency. As Apple gets larger and larger, they might need that as large companies tend to slow down and be less aggressive.

  • Reply 43 of 65
    "Anyone ever notice Scott was the only individual that ever used a scriptwhile presenting? How hard is it to know your product?"

    You are kidding, right? Just go back to the last Keynote and watch Phil Schiller. Geez, he was pathetic. It might have almost been less obvious if he held an iPad and just read off of it.
  • Reply 44 of 65


    Originally Posted by Thomasj106 View Post

    Geez, he was pathetic.


     


    Could you explain how using a script is in any way pathetic?


     


    Steve Jobs used a script at every keynote. Guess he was pathetic, too.

  • Reply 45 of 65


    I have a bad feeling about this.


    Scott was obviously a very strong willed, intelligent, ambitious guy.


    He knows ALOT about Apple, and now, may hold a grudge against Apple and its management.


     


    He is now looking for a job . . .

  • Reply 46 of 65

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by amoradala View Post


    I have a bad feeling about this.


    Scott was obviously a very strong willed, intelligent, ambitious guy.


    He knows ALOT about Apple, and now, may hold a grudge against Apple and its management.


     


    He is now looking for a job . . .



    All the other SVP's have been there almost as long (if not longer) as Forstall and know as much about Apple as he does.


     


    "He is now looking for a job."


     


    With his bank account, I don't think he's in any rush.  Some of his caliber and wealth does not look for a job.  They don't have to. They have offers thrown in their face or they start their own venture.

  • Reply 47 of 65
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Flaneur View Post





    You forgot Mansfield—Technology!

    This is a huge change, and what was said about his new role is very significant. It sounds to me that Apple is going to move further into manufacturing, including silicon.


    Perhaps - but more likely not. Fundamentally, Mansfield's Technology contribution will span such activities as scan, uncover, discover, develop, protect and incorporate. The question whether to make or buy would probably be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. However, recall that Cook drove Apple through a huge metamorphosis 10 years ago by getting it to shed the yoke of performing its own manufacturing. Being wedded to one's own manufacturing facilities and the in-process inventories they generate is a huge incentive for product inertia - the failure to evolve quickly and lead in the marketplace by continually introducing more advanced consumer goods. Of all the activities that Mansfield may oversee, self-manufacturing would seem to be out on the periphery.

  • Reply 48 of 65
    drdbdrdb Posts: 99member


    Ive isn't a management type though, he's done actual work and has actual skills.. We can do plenty of things well in Britain, just not management.

     

  • Reply 49 of 65
    Whatever... I am happy that Craig is head of iOS now because he is really a hard working guy. Those who talk less and work more, really give good results. At the same time, Forstall is a guy whom you should not leave. Fingers crossed.
  • Reply 50 of 65

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


     


    Could you explain how using a script is in any way pathetic?


     


    Steve Jobs used a script at every keynote. Guess he was pathetic, too.



     




    Everyone uses script.  But its for rehearsal.  Not on the stage.  Steve never used script on stage.  He is the master.  How can you say that?

  • Reply 51 of 65
    koopkoop Posts: 337member


    Apple is at the height of it's reign. Unless there's someone within the company who can passionately push a path forward and people will follow, I don't think you'll see anything drastic from Cupertino anytime soon. I get the feeling this company is now resting on its laurels and it's a great time to be an Apple consumer. Two or three years from now? I'm not so convinced these guys have what it takes without Jobs. I think next year's iOS 7 announcement will be a good indicator where Apple is heading.

  • Reply 52 of 65


    Originally Posted by Chandra69 View Post

    Steve never used script on stage.


     


    Except what did I JUST say? He used a script every. single. time. on stage. 

  • Reply 53 of 65
    mj1970mj1970 Posts: 9,002member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chandra69 View Post


    Everyone uses script.  But its for rehearsal.  Not on the stage.  Steve never used script on stage.  He is the master.  How can you say that?



     


    He can say it because it is true. Steve had two forms of on stage "scripts":


     


    1. Stage monitors that showed HIM what was on screen and probably notes and talking prompts and probably what was next to be shown.


    2. During demos he had a nicely bound and printed booklet that worked as a script for the actual demo.

  • Reply 54 of 65


    Originally Posted by MJ1970 View Post

    2. During demos he had a nicely bound and printed booklet that worked as a script for the actual demo.


     


    In the high res versions, you can see how pretty even that is. Little icons for everything and short notes about it. 

  • Reply 55 of 65

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by drdb View Post



    The fact he was head of Dixon's wasn't even the first clue to why he was a bad choice. The fact he was a British manager was the first clue (and I speak as a Brit). British management is some of the worst in the world. Self-replicating, driven by making pointless changes to 'make their mark' and unnecessarily combatative with their staff they have driven British industry into the ground for decades.


     


    I disagree with that stereotype. I'm American, but I know plenty of successful and well-liked British managers. The fact was that Dixons is a failure, and his strategy, along with the strategy Tim advised him to follow both failed. Tim Cook has a lot of great ideas for improving the supply chain and distribution, but he screwed up as well. Tim's a great guy and he's going nowhere but someone had to go to the gallows for the failure and this guy made a couple of critical mistakes.

  • Reply 56 of 65

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by herbapou View Post


    Glad to see Gene Munster impression, but Briand White is a clown, he is blindly bullish on Apple no matter what.  I would like to see what Shaw Wu thinks about it too. 


     


    Cant wait to see where the stock will go, Apple is sold out of the ipad mini, the ipad 4 and the iphone 5 and yet the 2 exec move is probably going to tank the stock.  Seriously if this keep falling off and we get below the 200 DMA I will sell every single stocks I own and get into Apple. No way that good is bad and bad is good trading tread is going to hold in the long run.


     


    In other news, Amazon PE is now over 3000+, it keeps dumping hardware at cost, its losing money by the truck load and yet the stock rally up. We must be near the end of world or something, people have gone insane.





    Bezos knows where Jobs kept the Kool-aid.  He is feeding the investors with a heavier dosage.

  • Reply 57 of 65


    Within the last 10 years, Apple has 3 "OMG" products: iPod, iPhone and iPad.  Ive is probably the only person around in Apple that can produce one of those products in the absence of Jobs.  So this is definitely a move in the right direction.  If that OMG product does not come, the existing product lines will be commoditized and no longer be cool any more.  

  • Reply 58 of 65


    Originally Posted by rsdofny View Post

    Within the last 10 years, Apple has 3 "OMG" products: iPod, iPhone and iPad.


     


    Not the thinnest laptop on the market or the smallest, cheap desktop on the market or the first laptop to transcend resolutions?

  • Reply 59 of 65
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,841member
    Apple has said that Forstall will remain at Apple in the near term as an advisor to Apple CEO Tim Cook, though the position has been characterized as a "formality" intended to keep him from going to a competitor

    Don't they have a deep basement there in Cupertino? ;)
  • Reply 60 of 65

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by amoradala View Post


    I have a bad feeling about this.


    Scott was obviously a very strong willed, intelligent, ambitious guy.


    He knows ALOT about Apple, and now, may hold a grudge against Apple and its management.


     


    He is now looking for a job . . .



    Forstall knows a lot about Apple, for sure. But, non-compete clauses, non-disclosure agreements will keep him far away from Apple competitors. 

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