scott forstall

Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky and Apple's Scott Forstall may forever be associated with one another in business school case studies on what happens to effective product leaders who can't play nice with the other kids.

Sinofsky, who ran the Windows division with the single-mindedness of General Patton racing through the French countryside, last night abruptly announced that he was leaving Microsoft. It's too soon to say whether the company's recent Windows 8 launch is a success or disappointment, but as our Jay Greene wrote last night, you shouldn't be terribly surprised. Sinofsky battled with other … Read more

Observers describe Steven Sinofsky as many things -- brilliant, arrogant, abrasive, demanding -- check out this terrific profile my CNET colleague Jay Greene did in October -- but who would have thought the departing Windows boss would inspire such an outpouring of Twitter wit (Twit?). Within minutes of this evening's surprise announcement that Sinofsky had left Microsoft immediately, the wisenheimers flooded the transom with their apercus. The following is just a sample:

Overheard (made up by me) ... Sinofky was having an affair with Mrs. Petreaus ...cc @adamnash and @owenthomas

For the record I have … Read more

The company's legendary co-founder was his mentor, and in many ways he embodied what's good and bad about his employer. He had a habit of picking political fights with fellow executives, many of whom say he zealously promoted his group's work at the expense of the rest of the company.

Am I talking about Microsoft's Steven Sinofsky, the Windows chief who was onstage last week for the launch of Windows 8, or Apple's Scott Forstall, the iOS software chief who is being shown the door after the disappointment of Apple maps (and perhaps making too … Read more

It shouldn't be a surprise to learn that Apple suffers from political infighting, fiefdoms, and dysfunctional relationships. What company doesn't, especially a large company full of big egos, with money to burn? And so we learned from various reports this week that CEO Tim Cook made a calculated decision to remove divisive software head Scott Forstall and hand over some of his responsibilities to hardware design guru Jony Ive. 

It also shouldn't be a surprise that Ive's power base is expanding. He already had the most powerful voice among Apple executives, if you believe what … Read more

The iPad Mini is here! The 7-inch tablet market is going to be one of the hottest this holiday season, but did Apple do enough with the iPad Mini to justify its $329 starting price point?

iTunes 11 is pushed back to November, which is something to be thankful for after seeing what happens when Apple rushes out features like Siri and Maps.

The new fourth-generation iPad is also here, and it's a beast when it comes to performance. Plus, we'll break down Apple's big management shake-up and tell you how it might affect you. One thing'… Read more

On this week's show, we investigate the logic behind the rumor of Google's delivery ambitions. We know Google had ventured far afield from its core search functionality in the past (cough, Android, cough, Google Wave, cough driverless cars) but it's hard to see how Google could invade the shopping/delivery sphere. It doesn't have any warehouses, delivery trucks, or even, to be perfectly frank, any products to sell. But those concerns may be missing the point.

We also go over the reports that Apple's now-former iOS chief Scott Forstall lost his job because his mama … Read more

It wasn't that Apple CEO Tim Cook was ever viewed as Mr. Nice Guy. He was more mild-mannered and less mercurial than the late Steve Jobs, but his job was to squeeze the life out of suppliers and sharpen Apple's manufacturing operations to increase margins and profits.

A year after Jobs' death, he has now cemented his authority with his first major management shuffle, terminating John Browett, the retail chief he hired (thus cutting his losses) and getting rid of what some viewed as a toxic executive in the person of Scott Forstall, his iOS chief.

Cook also … Read more

The exit of Apple iOS software chief Scott Forstall was apparently anything but quiet. Forstall was forced out after he refused to sign a letter apologizing for problems with Apple Maps, according to the Wall Street Journal.

The New York Times confirmed the firing, along with the unrelated ouster of Apple's new retail chief, John Browett.

The Journal reported that some within Apple considered Forstall a divisive figure who "never fit into the culture at Apple," and who had long rankled other company execs but enjoyed the confidence of Steve Jobs. As WSJ reporter Jessica Lessin wrote: … Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- After explaining to the court how it designed and marketed the first iPhone and iPad, Apple today brought out the architect behind the software, who re-told the device's secretive beginnings.

That includes locking down an entire building at the company's Cupertino, Calif. headquarters, and taking it over floor by floor to begin work on the top secret project.

While Apple's secrecy is well-known, Scott Forstall described just how extensive it got in the beginnings of the iPhone project. Extra security points were added, including more badge scanners, cameras, and cheeky signage on doors … Read more